Digital Commons Network^™

Intervention For Treating Sarcopenia Among Older Residents In A Skilled Nursing Facility, David A. Hernandez, Susan E. Hueck, Donna-Marie Phyllis Lanton

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The incidence of sarcopenia, a geriatric syndrome characterized by the progressive and generalized loss of muscle quantity or quality, increases with age and is associated with adverse health and quality of life outcomes. A 12-week strength training intervention program (STIP) was designed to improve measures of muscle mass, muscle strength, physical performance, and quality of life in elderly patients with sarcopenia. Data were collected on these measures at 4-week intervals over 12 weeks. Results showed that the STIP was an effective intervention for reducing the characteristics associated with sarcopenia. Significant gains were made in muscle mass, grip strength, balance, gait …

Strategies For Emotional Intelligence Training For Improving Employee Performance, Dale Elizabeth Laing-Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nursing home industry's lack of emotional intelligence (EI) can negatively impact patient satisfaction and performance. Nursing home leaders who lack strategies to apply EI training to increase job satisfaction, reduce employee turnover, and improve interpersonal skills risk financial loss and business failure. Grounded in the EI framework, the purpose of this multiple qualitative case study was to explore strategies nursing home leaders use to apply EI training to reduce employee turnover, increase job satisfaction, and improve interpersonal skills for performance improvement. The participants comprised four nursing home leaders from multiple nursing homes in Florida who implemented strategies to reduce …

Correlates Of Mental Health Clinician Self-Awareness And Insight Of Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Susan L. Mcinvale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOlder adults (ages 65 and older) are expected to increase in the United States by over 70 million by the year 2030. The older adult population requires specialized medical and mental health services to address the needs related to aging. Mental health clinicians trained to address these needs may help older adults to utilize mental health counseling. Self-awareness of attitudes, insight, and knowledge may be skills that affect the attitudes of mental health clinicians toward older adults. Previous research has found that mental health clinicians who engage in self-awareness during a counseling session may improve counseling competency; however, little research …

A Clinical Practice Guideline For Managing Behavioral Problems In Persons With Dementia, Ken J. Brinker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAs the baby boom generation ages, the demand for effective nursing care for patients diagnosed with dementia has greatly increased. The challenges associated with dementia include a patient’s inability to focus, pay attention, and follow conversations. Patients often become forgetful, angry, frustrated, and aggressive with family members and caregivers. The medical providers and administrators at a long-term care facility needed assistance in developing a clinical practice guideline for managing behaviors demonstrated by patients with dementia. The project question centered on the identification of current evidence supporting a clinical practice guideline for nursing practice for unpredictable behaviors demonstrated by residents diagnosed …

Occupational Stress Of Adult Protective Service Workers, Tiffany Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has revealed that adult protective service workers experience high levels of occupational stress that often result in health complications such as burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. Although several qualitative studies have been conducted over the past decade, there was limited information on the phenomenon of how stress is experienced by adult protective service workers investigating cases of alleged elder abuse. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of a sample of adult protective service caseworkers from the southwestern United States that have experienced occupational stress while investigating cases of elder abuse. This study …

Strategies For Emotional Intelligence Training For Improving Employee Performance, Dale Elizabeth Laing-Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nursing home industry's lack of emotional intelligence (EI) can negatively impact patient satisfaction and performance. Nursing home leaders who lack strategies to apply EI training to increase job satisfaction, reduce employee turnover, and improve interpersonal skills risk financial loss and business failure. Grounded in the EI framework, the purpose of this multiple qualitative case study was to explore strategies nursing home leaders use to apply EI training to reduce employee turnover, increase job satisfaction, and improve interpersonal skills for performance improvement. The participants comprised four nursing home leaders from multiple nursing homes in Florida who implemented strategies to reduce …

Correlates Of Mental Health Clinician Self-Awareness And Insight Of Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Susan L. Mcinvale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOlder adults (ages 65 and older) are expected to increase in the United States by over 70 million by the year 2030. The older adult population requires specialized medical and mental health services to address the needs related to aging. Mental health clinicians trained to address these needs may help older adults to utilize mental health counseling. Self-awareness of attitudes, insight, and knowledge may be skills that affect the attitudes of mental health clinicians toward older adults. Previous research has found that mental health clinicians who engage in self-awareness during a counseling session may improve counseling competency; however, little research …

Police Excessive Use Of Force: Preventing Trauma-Induced Stress And Anxiety In The Black Community, St. Louis, Mo., Ashleigh A. Cole

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal of this portfolio is to increase awareness of mental health disparities in the Black community due to experiencing or witnessing police brutality.

Significant Findings: This brief explores issues of police excessive use of force during interactions with Blacks that result in trauma-induced stress and anxiety, whether witnessing or experiencing such brutality, for this marginalized population. In St. Louis, Missouri, Blacks who experience police use of force in person or “seeing a video of police use of force in the media” experience moderately high police contact anxiety (Murez, 2021, para. 7). The scope of the problem illuminates …

Educational Material For Nurses In Managing Patients With Neurogenic Bladder, Simone Yamdaare Redboy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNeurogenic bladder (NB) is common in patients with traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, spinal bifida, and stroke. Many patients who have these diseases struggle to control their bladder. NB can be defined as the inability to completely empty the bladder. For managing the bladder, clinicians usually opt for using an indwelling urinary catheter for those patients. Indwelling urinary catheters are a source of infection and do not help the patient regain continence. Research findings showed that frequent toileting and monitoring with bladder scanning benefited patients with NB and helped patients restore continence. To address a knowledge gap, this new …

Occupational Stress Of Adult Protective Service Workers, Tiffany Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has revealed that adult protective service workers experience high levels of occupational stress that often result in health complications such as burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. Although several qualitative studies have been conducted over the past decade, there was limited information on the phenomenon of how stress is experienced by adult protective service workers investigating cases of alleged elder abuse. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of a sample of adult protective service caseworkers from the southwestern United States that have experienced occupational stress while investigating cases of elder abuse. This study …

Association Between Therapeutic Interventions And Quality Of Life In People With Autism, Taline Movsessian, Tolulope A. Osoba

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Research exploring the association of autism interventions with the quality of life (QoL) of adults with autism spectrum disorders was scarce. Although a multitude of interventions are used to target a specific challenge facing the individual with autism, their correlation with achieving a better QoL is largely unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional, correlational survey study to determine the association between seven interventions—behavioral, social, mental health, daily living skills (DLS), vocational, mindfulness, and medications—and the QoL of adults 18 years and older with autism with no intellectual disability (ID) living in Canada. A national sample of 182 autistic adults or proxy …

Improving A Culture Of Knowledge Transfer In A School Of Nursing, Margareth S. Zanchetta, Kateryna Metersky, Bridget Miller, Danielle Strachan, Elena Blackwood

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Introduction: A series of 19 unfunded knowledge transfer hands-on workshops were implemented (2017–2019) and delivered by 22 facilitators from disciplines of nursing, business, communication, plastic arts, engineering, and community studies. The purpose of this paper is to report on the post-appraisal of the workshops’ implementation; uncovering the attendees’ new ideas and reflections on the content; and the process of expanding knowledge for practice.

Methods: The qualitative program evaluation approach, using the standards of utility, feasibility, accuracy, and propriety of a given program, inspired the design of the immediate appraisal of the workshops delivered within a Canadian school of nursing located …

The Lived Social Experience Of Covid-19 Survivors In Southwestern Nigeria, Endurance Uzobo, Ijeoma Nwanwene, Tolulope Funmilola Ojo

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The traditional perceptions of disease causation often reinforce the feelings of stigmatization and discrimination towards individuals who have recovered from an illness. This study investigated the existing social practices with regard to stigmatization and discrimination against COVID-19 survivors in Southwest Nigeria. Using the Psychoanalytic Theory, this phenomenological qualitative study utilized the snowball sampling method and an in-depth interview to sample 25 COVID-19 survivors in Southwest Nigeria. Collected data for this study were analyzed thematically, using content analysis with the aid of the ATLAS.ti software. Findings from the study indicated that COVID-19 survivors generally experience sympathy, hostility, mockery, and social exclusion. …

Sociability Moderates The Negative Association Between Covid-Related Disruptions And Life Satisfaction, Amna Khan, Katherine L. Fiori

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Disruptions in individuals’ lives during the COVID-19 pandemic have been associated with increased mental health problems and decreases in life satisfaction, although recent research indicates that these effects are not uniform across individuals. The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of sociability in moderating the association between COVID-related disruptions and life satisfaction in a sample of adults. Using data from an online survey given to N = 166 adults, COVID-19 disruptions related to conflicts with household members or roommates and disruptions in care during the pandemic were negatively associated with life satisfaction. Sociability was found to …

Sources Of Information About Covid-19 Among Older Adults In Ghana, 2019-2021, Samuel Adu-Gyamfi, Emmanuel Akwasi Asante

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a worldwide search for information. Information about COVID-19 is crucial and it could be the first step toward designing practical disease-control strategies. Misinformation amid the widespread information about COVID-19 has undoubtedly caused psychological distress, especially among older adults. We present an empirical and descriptive study of the sources of information among older adults and how they perceived the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 58 participants were recruited and interviewed using an in-depth semi-structured interview and structured questionnaire for our study. The study participants were recruited using purposive and convenience sampling in their respective homes from Mallam, …

A Quality Improvement Evaluation On A Nurse Residency Program, Mary Christine Richards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this DNP project was to explore new graduate nurse (NGN) residency program retention data in a large healthcare system to assess if participant retention met or exceeded identified retention benchmarks. The second project question explored NGNs’ reasons for leaving the organization after the first year of experience. The Plan Do Study Act model framed this quality improvement evaluation project. The total number of NGN residency participants for the system in 2020 was 586 and 680 in 2021.Year one retention in 2020 was 539 (92%). Year one retention in 2021 was 625 (92%). Year two retention data were …

Relationship Between Early Years’ Activities Of Daily Living And Alzheimer’S Disease Onset, Linyi Fan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A few promising studies have indicated that activities of daily life (ADL) may be a useful way of predicting Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). However, the existing cross-sectional studies fail to show how ADLs in early years predict AD, and how social factors influence health either in addition to or in interaction with individual risk factors. Using a social epidemiology framework, this study examined the relationship between early years’ ADL and the development of AD in later years. This quantitative study included 4,526 participants derived from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) dataset. The dependent variable was whether the participant has been …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Nursing Graduates Regarding Interest In Gerontological Nursing Practice, Sonia Millicent Donaldson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAn ongoing increase in the number of older adults means an increased need for specialized health care, creating, in turn, a need for an increase in nurses in the United States to meet the demand. However, there is a problem in that nursing graduates, from the time they are students, do not choose geriatric-gerontological nursing (GN) as is practiced in long-term care and some specialty areas or units. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nursing graduates’ perceptions of GN as a field for professional practice and to determine how interest in GN may be encouraged. The …

The Transition From Service Member To Veteran Student, Charles Daniel Ensminger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colleges may not be prepared to support veteran students transitioning from the military to higher education, resulting in more significant attrition levels for veteran students struggling to adapt to their new surroundings. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the experiences of post-9/11 veteran students as they transitioned from the military to higher education and their involvement and interaction with cocurricular, extracurricular, and nonacademic programs during their first year of college. The research questions focused on how veterans-students described the transition from the military and into their first year of college. The theoretical framework was a combination of Bridges's transitional model, Astin's …

The Lived Experiences Of Group Practice Ownership By Female Licensed Professional Counselors, Ashley Garrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. counseling profession is mostly female, with many practitioners interested in starting their own business. However, little is known about women’s lived experiences of owning a group counseling practice. An interpretative phenomenological analysis approach was used to explore the lived experiences of six female licensed professional counselors who have owned a group counseling practice for at least 5 years. Phenomenology and feminist theory provided a framework for the study. Eight themes emerged from the study: (a) factors associated with the decision to create a group practice, (b) a continuum of preparatory engagement for group practice ownership, (c) the influence …

Human And Social Services Direct Service Professionals' Perception Of Late-Life Cumulative Grief And Loss, Deanna Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, the adult population 65 and older is anticipated to grow, signaling the necessity of awareness of late-life issues and concerns. Although research has shown that losses and changes in late life are anticipated, there is very little empirical evidence of how HSPs direct care professionals understand, assess, or perceive the complexities of cumulative grief and loss in their 65 and older clients. Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory (CGT) (2014) was used as the conceptual framework a qualitative methodology to explore the understanding, assessment, and perception of the complexities of late-life cumulative grief and loss of HSPs working with adults 65 …

Increasing Nurses’ Knowledge Of Richmond-Agitation Sedation Score Assessment And Documentation Through Education, Kara Jeanne Beaulieu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are critically ill and faced with numerous physical and psychological stressors that often require a multidisciplinary approach to improve outcomes and relieve suffering. Patients are given sedation to tolerate invasive treatments and procedures. Using the Richmond-Agitation Sedation Score (RASS), nurses assess objective findings and the level of sedation a patient is experiencing, and titrate sedation according to an ordered RASS score. Ineffective and inaccurate use of the RASS score leads to patients being oversedated and demonstrates a lack of understanding of how to appropriately use the RASS score assessment tool. The purpose of …

An Educational Program To Enhance Knowledge And Communication For Nursing Staff Who Care For Dementia Patients, Behnaz Mohammadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDementia is a progressive chronic disease that requires skilled nursing care. Staff at a skilled nursing facility were not using best practices to prevent and manage the psychological and behavioral symptoms of dementia. The purpose of this DNP project was to implement a dementia care education to address this gap in knowledge. The question for the evidence-based educational project was whether the program increased knowledge, promoted positive attitudes, and increased confidence in dementia care staff. A 5-hour workshop was presented in person, twice in two weeks. The person-centered care model served as a framework for the project. Nursing staff (N …

Human Services Professionals’ Perceptions Of Quality Care With Older Adults Experiencing Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Frances Ludmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One-third of patients with chronic consequences from traumatic brain injury (TBI) are reported to receive inadequate care for their ongoing functional, cognitive decline, and advanced pathophysiology. The quality-of-life (QOL) for older adults living with TBI may be reduced due to unequal access to resources and a lack of coordinated, holistic treatment plans. Recently, authors suggested that QOL for older adults with TBI depends on feelings of autonomy and cognitive functioning and requires holistic approaches to care. This generic qualitative study explored the experiences and perceptions of human service professionals (HSPs) working in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) related to holistic, …

The Lived Experience Of Older, Independent Residents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Karen Graeb Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growing older population confronting the risks of the COVID-19 pandemic have a story to tell of their experiences that may influence the way society confronts future pandemics. Little research has been done on older adults in independent living communities and their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to fill that gap using the biopsychosocial model as a framework to guide the exploration of the research question addressing the lived experiences of older, independent residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a basic qualitative analysis design, a purposive sample of 10 participants from a continuing care retirement community were …

Clinical Practice Guideline For Preventing Falls In Geriatric Patients, Rachida Abboud Todd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFalls among geriatric patients within the acute care setting constitute significant threats to their physical and mental health and quality of life. Falls, with or without injuries, can prolong the length of stay at the hospital and cause early placement in an aged care institution. The etiology of falls is a multifactorial phenomenon involving cumulative risks shared by many adults. In answering the practice focused question, the purpose of this doctorate project was to develop an evidenced-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) to provide a standardized guide to provide ready access to the evidence-based interventions found to be most effective in …

Improving Nurses Knowledge Of Hypertension & Self-Care In Va Telehealth Patients, Rochelle Windley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractManagement of hypertension (HTN) is essential to nursing practice. Clinical care home telehealth (CCHT) nurses should be assertive and competent to help patients self-manage high blood pressure in the comfort of their homes. Locally, it was noted that there was a gap in knowledge and skills of the CCHT nurses to deliver evidenced-based and consistent patient education to home telehealth patients. To address the gap, an online training program was developed to increase staff knowledge and skills in hypertension management to improve their ability to coach patients in self-care strategies. The online training program was based on the Eighth Joint …

Prison Medical Professionals’ Perspectives On Dignity In Death For End-Of-Life Inmates, Charlene Lupo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care requirements of older persons in prison are complicated, and many may require palliative care before their term is completed. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore perspectives on dignity in death for end-of-life inmates through the lens of nine prison medical professionals. Concepts of dignity provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected from one-to-one audio-recorded Zoom interviews and reflective literature articles. Axial coding and thematic data analysis were used to identify five themes: committed to their vocation, lack of services in administering proper health care, institutional barriers prohibiting death with dignity, …

Stigmas Of Alzheimer's Disease And Help Seeking For Alzheimer's Disease Among African Americans, Donna De Levante Raphael

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine how the perceptions of stigma of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affected the help-seeking behaviors of African American caregivers. Data used in this study were collected using semistructured interviews with 11 African American caregivers caring for loved ones diagnosed with AD. The conceptual framework of this study was guided by the stigma theory and the sociocultural health belief model. The four types of social stigmas used to assess the effects of the stigma of AD were public, self, courtesy, and structural stigma. Data were analyzed using the Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). Results provided support …

Artificial Affectionate Communications And Loneliness, Richard D. Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative narrative study examined experiences of older adults’ use of teleconferencing information and communication technologies (ICTs) and how their use related to feelings of loneliness. This research targeted older adults residing in North Alabama assisted living facilities who were separated from their previous social network. This research was grounded in the social needs model, which indicates that all humans have a basic need for social contact. This research was also grounded in the buffering hypothesis, where social support acts as a buffer against possible stressful events. Five older adult assisted living facility residents from two facilities participated in a …