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Age At Diagnosis And Lung Cancer Presentation, Marida Gingras Jan 2020

Age At Diagnosis And Lung Cancer Presentation, Marida Gingras

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States because of its lack of symptoms until late stages. It is noted that a 5-year relative survival rate can be improved by earlier cancer detection. The currently recommended age of screening by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force may not be optimal, and the recommendations are only for smokers. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between the stages of presentation of lung cancer and age at diagnosis using quantitative research. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER-18) database, 63,107 records were …


An Educational Activity For Primary Care Providers Treating Older Veterans With Sexually Transmitted Infections, Beatrice Fannie Grant Jan 2020

An Educational Activity For Primary Care Providers Treating Older Veterans With Sexually Transmitted Infections, Beatrice Fannie Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractComprehensive sex education is an effective method of promoting sexual health. Because primary care providers conduct the initial health need assessment of veterans, it is important that providers understand how to approach the subject of sexual health and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to implement and evaluate an educational activity for primary care providers. The health belief model was used as theoretical framework. This project was introduced to a federal primary care clinic in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Twenty-five participants completed a pretest prior to the start of the educational activity that …


Safety Design Management Processes To Mitigate Design Errors, Hernan Guadalupe Jan 2020

Safety Design Management Processes To Mitigate Design Errors, Hernan Guadalupe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some organizations lack processes to mitigate design errors that may result in potential accidents or loss of life during building construction. Managers are concerned about preventing injuries and accidents, which may promote safer working conditions during construction. Grounded in the transformation-flow-value theory of production, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore safety design management processes that managers use to mitigate errors. The participants included 7 members from 1 design firm with business operations in the United States northeastern region. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company document reviews. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5-phase, where …


Effective Strategies For Sustaining Small Retail Businesses, Eddie Dean Harris Jan 2020

Effective Strategies For Sustaining Small Retail Businesses, Eddie Dean Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners have major issues in sustaining their businesses. Small business owners who do not use successful strategies to sustain their businesses are destined to fail. Grounded by the systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective strategies for sustaining small retail businesses beyond 5 years. The participants comprised 6 small business owners who successfully sustained their business beyond 5 years in Memphis, Tennessee. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and reviewing company documents and analyzed using Yin's 5-step process. The 4 themes that emerged from this study were: be adaptive to external …


Effective Strategies To Reduce Employee Absenteeism Amongst Canadian Female Employees, Sue Haywood Jan 2020

Effective Strategies To Reduce Employee Absenteeism Amongst Canadian Female Employees, Sue Haywood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High absenteeism in female employees costs Canadian hospitals millions of dollars annually. Leaders of Canadian hospitals who lack strategies to reduce absenteeism in female employees witness significant financial losses in their organizations. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies Canadian hospital leaders used to reduce absenteeism in female employees. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, annual reports, and publicly available datasets relating to hospital retention strategies and were analyzed using a thematic analysis. Four themes on strategies to reduce absenteeism emerged: creating a supportive stance towards absenteeism, investing in mental health …


Identifying Factors Contributing To Hospital Readmission Of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Marcia Hector Jan 2020

Identifying Factors Contributing To Hospital Readmission Of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Marcia Hector

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. However, the factors that contribute to early readmission of COPD patients are not well understood, nor is it clear how to reduce readmission. This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach to examine COPD patients' experience on factors that contribute to the COPD readmission rate and practices that might reduce it. In depth interviews with 10 COPD patients were conducted to explore their lived experiences of factors contributing to hospital readmission with COPD exacerbation. Questions were asked on issues known to affect …


Neighborhood Factors, Depression, And Body Mass Index Among Patients With Lupus In Georgia, Aisha L. Hill Jan 2020

Neighborhood Factors, Depression, And Body Mass Index Among Patients With Lupus In Georgia, Aisha L. Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elevated BMI (overweight and obesity) is a common health-related issue and affects more than half of the lupus population. Weight issues lead to additional health-related issues, such as heart disease and disabilities in the lupus population. To address the shortage of research focusing on this specific issue in the lupus population, one approach is a novel outlook on how neighborhood factors have the capability of determining or altering behaviors, such as physical activity, healthy eating, and healthy social relationships. Another variable to consider is depression and its capability of altering interactions, relationships, self-esteem, or even the inflammatory state of the …


Strategies For Improving Parent-School Partnerships To Enhance Private Schools' Profitability, Jenaya Hope Ingram Jan 2020

Strategies For Improving Parent-School Partnerships To Enhance Private Schools' Profitability, Jenaya Hope Ingram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Private primary schools in the United States have experienced a decline in parent-school partnerships, along with a reduction in income. School leaders need to understand the benefits parent-school partnerships have on parent engagement, acquire additional strategies to increase parent-school partnerships, and increase profitability. Grounded in Epstein's parent involvement partnership model, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies school leaders use to enhance parent-school partnerships to increase profitability. The participants comprised 3 leaders of a private, faith-based elementary school in Maryland with at least 5 years of experience in the education sector, including membership in …


Understanding The Young Adult African American Male's Perceptions Of Civic Engagement, Carl Lee Jackson Jan 2020

Understanding The Young Adult African American Male's Perceptions Of Civic Engagement, Carl Lee Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCivic engagement and political involvement of the greater portion of the population of democratic societies are important to the maintenance of the quality of life of all members. Although 100% participation in these activities is rare, higher levels of involvement across all affected demographic groups will support a more equitable political environment in urban communities. In the midwestern metropolitan community that is the focus of this study, young adult African American males were found to participate in all forms of civic engagement at lower rates than any other demographic group. Using a critical race theory foundation, the purpose of the …


Medical Students' Perceptions Of Social Responsibility Development Following Service Learning Participation, Sherry Mcdonald Jan 2020

Medical Students' Perceptions Of Social Responsibility Development Following Service Learning Participation, Sherry Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As criticism intensifies regarding healthcare disparities, the Liaison Committee for Medical Education has added accrediting standards mandating service learning (SL) in their curriculum. SL is a viable educational method to enhance social responsibility and other elements of professional identity. The problem of implementing highly effective SL projects in medical education was addressed in this study. Kiely's model of transformational SL was used in this basic qualitative study to examine 10 medical students' experiences during an SL project. The research question for the study was focused on the students' descriptions of their experiences to understand how they perceived changes in themselves …


An Exploration Of The Gross National Happiness Approach To Assure Patient Safety And Healthcare Quality In Bhutan, Rinchen Pelzang, Alison M. Hutchinson Jan 2020

An Exploration Of The Gross National Happiness Approach To Assure Patient Safety And Healthcare Quality In Bhutan, Rinchen Pelzang, Alison M. Hutchinson

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Although the principles of Gross National Happiness (GNH) are currently being used as the overall framework for Bhutan’s development programs (including healthcare services), little is known about how Bhutanese healthcare professionals perceive the relationship between GNH and patient safety or how the GNH principles could help in improving patient safety in Bhutan’s healthcare system. The aim of this study was to explore how Bhutanese healthcare professionals, educators, managers, and policy makers perceive the relationship between GNH and patient safety and what they believe should be done to improve patient safety in Bhutan. A qualitative exploratory descriptive study using in-depth interviews …


Secondary Trauma Of Lay Mental Health Workers In Low Resource Locations: Bukavu, Janny Jinor Jan 2020

Secondary Trauma Of Lay Mental Health Workers In Low Resource Locations: Bukavu, Janny Jinor

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

A general consensus exists in the literature that working with a trauma population will produce negative personal, psychological, and professional consequences including secondary trauma. However, a significant research gap occurs with regard to how secondary trauma affects psychosocial assistants (PAs) who work in low-resource and conflict-stricken Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC is plagued by psychological problems resulting from numerous past and ongoing conflicts, but sufficient trained mental health personnel and resources are lacking. As a result, the dire responsibility of providing mental health services to survivors of rape has shifted to minimally trained PAs. This …


Leader Readiness In A Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, And Ambiguous Business Environment, Karen Rimita, Stephanie N. Hoon, Robert Levasseur Jan 2020

Leader Readiness In A Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, And Ambiguous Business Environment, Karen Rimita, Stephanie N. Hoon, Robert Levasseur

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Organizational leaders in the 21st century face relentless changes in the business environments in which they operate. The diversity, intensity, and rapidity of these changes create volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), which challenge leaders on ways to lead effectively as existing methods prove inadequate. The problem in this study was that of inadequate leader preparedness to lead and win in VUCA environments. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 15 Nigerian corporate executives about their VUCA business environment and the strategies they employed for VUCA-readiness and success using open-ended interview questions. The …


An Exploration Of The Criminal Thinking Processes In Criminal Offenders, Mark V. Lemieux Jan 2020

An Exploration Of The Criminal Thinking Processes In Criminal Offenders, Mark V. Lemieux

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study sought to learn about Criminal Thinking patterns of thought in former criminal offenders. The discovery of this information is important to several fields in the formulation of treatment programs toward the elimination of criminal behavior. This research is based on the theory formulated by Yochelson and Samenow, and expanded on by Walters, that holds that Criminal Thinking patterns develop along a continuum and can lead to criminal behavior in some. Specifically, this study sought to learn whether criminal offenders were aware of their Criminal Thinking patterns and if that awareness impacted their criminal behavior. This qualitative phenomenological study …


The Dietary Decision-Making Process Of Women In Nigeria, Gachomo Joanne Mapis Jan 2020

The Dietary Decision-Making Process Of Women In Nigeria, Gachomo Joanne Mapis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigerians have been opting for a more processed Western diet. These changes in dietary choices have aligned with obesity and undernutrition, attributable to micronutrient deficiencies or malnutrition. Many scholars have presented varying intervention strategies ranging from consumption of a variety of foods containing the necessary micronutrients to food fortification. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the perceptions of women in an urban city in Nigeria on indigenous foods and Western dietary influences to determine social interactions, the consequence of the interactions, and the women’s current perceptions of food choices. The social-ecological model was used to explore …


The Role Of Corporate Healthcare Instructors' Credentials And Experiences In Corporate Training, George Edmond Napier Jan 2020

The Role Of Corporate Healthcare Instructors' Credentials And Experiences In Corporate Training, George Edmond Napier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporate healthcare education has changed drastically in the last few decades with few rules for compliance or standardization. A large healthcare company in the Southeastern United States was experiencing inequitable training due to differing teaching styles and instructor skill levels. Guided by Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how corporate healthcare instructors' credentials and experiences affect their perceived self-efficacy and teaching style. Interviews were conducted with 11 purposefully selected corporate healthcare instructors from a physician education team; collected data were then coded and themed. Findings revealed 3 major themes: (a) credentials enhanced the …


Black American Adult Children Of Divorce, Aurielle C. Williams Jan 2020

Black American Adult Children Of Divorce, Aurielle C. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While a plethora of studies have examined the effects of divorce on children, fewer have looked at young adults who have experienced parental divorce after they were 18 years of age, and even fewer have examined the experiences of Black American adult children. Using concepts from Social Identity Theory, the goal of this study was to understand the experiences of Black adult children whose parents have divorced and the phenomenon of their self-perception based on family identity. This was a phenomenological study conducted through guided face-to-face interviews and utilizing Photovoice with four Black adult children of divorce, whose parents divorced …


Systematic Literature Review On Fall Prevention In An Acute Care Hospital Setting, Sonia A. Hudson Jan 2020

Systematic Literature Review On Fall Prevention In An Acute Care Hospital Setting, Sonia A. Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls, with and without injury, in acute care hospitals are quite common but can be prevented if appropriate interventions are in place to address this issue. It is imperative that nurses assess fall risks of all patients admitted to the hospital and advocate for appropriate interventions to prevent falls in those who are found to be at risk. The purpose of this project was to recommend changes to the current fall prevention protocol in the project facility, an acute care hospital, based on best practices identified in a systematic review of the literature. At the time of the project, the …


Examining Icu Nurses' Knowledge Of Ventilator-Associated Events And Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, Dorothy J. Sanders-Thompson Jan 2020

Examining Icu Nurses' Knowledge Of Ventilator-Associated Events And Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, Dorothy J. Sanders-Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ventilator-associated events (VAEs) are patients' complications of respiratory conditions including ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Research shows that VAP is the most common hospital-acquired infection among ventilated patients and a leading source of mortality. With greater risk for complications among ventilated- supported patients, nurses working in the ICU must keep abreast of new knowledge and update expertise to develop technical and clinical skills in daily practice. The purpose of this project was to assess whether an educational intervention would increase the ICU nurses' level of knowledge of the evidence-based intervention. Knowles' adult learning theory was chosen for this project. A paired-samples t-test …


Leadership Strategies For Improving Mergers And Acquisitions Performance, Alon Ben Jacob Jan 2020

Leadership Strategies For Improving Mergers And Acquisitions Performance, Alon Ben Jacob

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are a critical process business leaders use to increase profitability and grow their business. Still, the majority of M&As fail to deliver the expected value to the acquirers. Grounded in Sarasvathy's effectuation theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies to conduct successful M&A processes. The participants were 8 individuals from a global healthcare company who acted as the company's presidents and had experience conducting M&As. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The following themes emerged: leadership focus, value creation, …


Faculty And First-Year Students' Perceptions Of Civility In College, Conni Eve Claflin Jan 2020

Faculty And First-Year Students' Perceptions Of Civility In College, Conni Eve Claflin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While researchers have identified student incivility as a problem in higher education in the United States, little is known about how students and faculty perceive the issue within the classroom environment at a private university in the northeast. Uncivil behavior can negatively impact the learning environment. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to compare students' and faculty's perceptions of civility in the classrooms and explore how civility is addressed in course syllabi and artifacts. The theoretical base was Clark's continuum of incivility, and the conceptual framework was Bandura's social cognitive theory. Types and frequency of uncivil behaviors were …


Exploring Strategies For Adapting Traditional Vehicle Design Frameworks To Autonomous Vehicle Design, Alex Munoz Jan 2020

Exploring Strategies For Adapting Traditional Vehicle Design Frameworks To Autonomous Vehicle Design, Alex Munoz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fully autonomous vehicles are expected to revolutionize transportation, reduce the cost of ownership, contribute to a cleaner environment, and prevent the majority of traffic accidents and related fatalities. Even though promising approaches for achieving full autonomy exist, developers and manufacturers have to overcome a multitude of challenged before these systems could find widespread adoption. This multiple case study explored the strategies some IT hardware and software developers of self-driving cars use to adapt traditional vehicle design frameworks to address consumer and regulatory requirements in autonomous vehicle designs. The population consisted of autonomous driving technology software and hardware developers who are …


Perceptions Of African American Faculty Retention Practices In Community College, Kyle Huntington Bright Jan 2020

Perceptions Of African American Faculty Retention Practices In Community College, Kyle Huntington Bright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The retention of African American faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWI) has long been a point of concern in higher education. Midwest Community College (MCC), a PWI, 2-year public institution, has a problem of retaining African American faculty employed by the college. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of African American faculty retention practices at MCC since little is known about the African American faculty experience at PWIs. Delagado and Stefancic's critical race theory conceptual framework of counter storytelling, Whiteness as property, interest conversion, and critique of liberalism guided this study. A qualitative case study research …


Attachment And Perceived Infidelity Of Military Spouses During Active-Duty Members’ Deployment, Heather Ann Alvarado Jan 2020

Attachment And Perceived Infidelity Of Military Spouses During Active-Duty Members’ Deployment, Heather Ann Alvarado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Frequent military deployments have been associated with relationship issues for active-duty members, such as marital conflict and infidelity. Previous research has indicated that attachment, communication, and mental health are associated with military marriages’ stability during deployment. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature on military marriages regarding perceptions of infidelity (emotional and sexual). Proponents of attachment theory postulate that early attachment experiences facilitate the development of self-perception as well as perceptions of others. From this perspective, the attachment of military spouses is associated with their perceptions of their active-duty spouses engaging in infidelity. The purpose of this …


Unsheltered Homelessness On Oahu, Hawaii, Erik Gray Jan 2020

Unsheltered Homelessness On Oahu, Hawaii, Erik Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to a recent national estimate of homelessness in the United States, between 2016 and 2017, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 0.7 %. This study was focused on the issue of unsheltered homelessness in the context of Oahu, Hawaii. There is a gap within the available scholarly literature that directly addresses the unsheltered homeless populations and why it is that they are unsheltered rather than living in a shelter or utilizing other transitional services. Using the generic qualitative approach and a purposive sampling method, 12 service provider professionals who work directly with the unsheltered homeless on the …


The Impact Of Digital Self-Scheduling On No-Show Event Rates In Outpatient Clinics, Karen M. Marhefka Jan 2020

The Impact Of Digital Self-Scheduling On No-Show Event Rates In Outpatient Clinics, Karen M. Marhefka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure of patients to keep scheduled appointments results in significant loss of revenue due to decreased administrative efficiency, expensive clinical resource time, disruptive continuity of care between the patient and the provider, and reduced quality of care. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the use of digital self-scheduling as an emerging alternative to traditional office-assisted scheduling methods and determine if its use has an impact on reducing the occurrence of no-show events. The theoretical framework used for the study was the Consumer Behavior Theory. Three years of de-identified secondary data were collected from a large, adult …


Treatment Providers’ Beliefs And Knowledge About Evidence-Based Practices, Kelly J. Bawden Jan 2020

Treatment Providers’ Beliefs And Knowledge About Evidence-Based Practices, Kelly J. Bawden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatment providers working with adults in substance use treatment have been slow to implement evidence based practices (EBPs) into their treatment approaches. For treatment providers there are barriers to implement EBPs such as lack of resources, knowledge, and beliefs about EBPs as well as their beliefs about addiction. The consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) is investigating tools to decrease provider’s barriers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether online training from addiction technology transfer center (ATTC) affected knowledge or beliefs about EBPs while controlling for beliefs about addiction. The dependent variables of knowledge and beliefs about …


Lived Experience Of Veterans With Service-Linked Ptsd Utilizing Non-Clinical Employment Programs, Reina Diana Cubbage Jan 2020

Lived Experience Of Veterans With Service-Linked Ptsd Utilizing Non-Clinical Employment Programs, Reina Diana Cubbage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Currently, employment programs for veterans focus heavily on the clinical nature of veterans with service-linked PTSD, with little to no focus on the lived experience of non-clinical employment programs. The purpose of this qualitative study explored the lived experience of male veterans with service-linked PTSD utilizing non-clinical employment programs designed to assist them in finding and maintaining employment while transitioning from the military into the civilian workforce. This study utilized an explanatory case study design with a sample of 8 male combat veterans with service-linked PTSD who have utilized non-clinical employment programs. Data for this study were collected through interviews …


Factors Affecting The Successful Completion Of Online Graduate Programs Among Single Mothers, Kimberly Ann Palermo-Kielb Jan 2020

Factors Affecting The Successful Completion Of Online Graduate Programs Among Single Mothers, Kimberly Ann Palermo-Kielb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An advanced degree is a step toward career aspirations, access to affordable healthcare, and financial goals. For single mothers, a population most vulnerable for living on the brink of poverty, an advanced degree can be a means toward ending intergenerational poverty. Single mother students face serious barriers to advance their education which impede their ability to pursue and complete their degrees. The purpose of the present study was to explore graduate student single mothers’ experiences attending an online education program. The conceptual frameworks guiding the study are Pintrich’s motivational self-regulated learning model for achievement and Duckworth’s model on the psychology …


Parental Supervision And Monitoring And Deviant Adolescent Behavior, Mary Catherine Ross-Gray Jan 2020

Parental Supervision And Monitoring And Deviant Adolescent Behavior, Mary Catherine Ross-Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deviant adolescent behavior is a social crisis in the United States, estimated at an annual cost of over $4 billion; yet there are gaps in the research on parental influences regarding this behavior. In this study, the principles of social learning theory were used to examine the relationships between parental supervision and deviant adolescent behavior as moderated by self-control and socioeconomic status. The population for this quantitative study consisted of 87 parent volunteers who completed surveys measuring parent supervision, child executive functioning, and delinquent behavior as well as demographic information such as socioeconomic status. Multiple Regression/Correlation was used to examine …