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Prostate Cancer Screening Rates For Haitian Men Based On Demographic Characteristics, Wilgyms St-Hilaire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cancer screening is useful for improving survival rates and treatment outcomes, which is why there are screening recommendations for the most prevalent types of cancer. Despite gains in the reduction of cancer-related mortality rate worldwide in the past few years, the Haitian community continues to experience high mortality rates due to cancer. The prevalence of prostate cancer in the Haitian population is among the highest worldwide at 767 per 100,000, with a mortality rate of 403 per 100,000. One of the causes may be the low prostate cancer screening rate in the Haitian community; however, no studies have been focused …

Perspectives Of Sierra Leoneans Healthcare Workers' Mental Health During The Ebola Outbreak, Guy O. Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The mental health of healthcare workers during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was a serious concern for healthcare professionals and the mental health field. One area in West Africa where healthcare workers played a significant role during the Ebola outbreak of 2014 and 2015 was Sierra Leone. This qualitative research study was designed to explore the perceptions of Sierra Leoneans healthcare workers' mental health, how they coped, and treatment they received while providing care for Ebola virus patients. This study, with a phenomenological research approach, used purposeful sampling to recruit 10 healthcare workers to participate in semi structured, open-ended …

Women's Empowerment As A Policy For Poverty Reduction In Haiti, Flore Saint.Louis Weinstein

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women represent more than 50% of the population of Haiti and embody the poorest group due to their lack of socioeconomic development. Numerous nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) including diaspora NGOs (DINGOs) have engaged in the fight to reduce poverty in Haiti by enabling empowerment programs to help women become self-reliant. The programs appear to be ineffective because the level of poverty remains high and there has been little research on the relative effectiveness and sustainability of the programs implemented by the DINGOs. Using the feminist theories of DeBeauvoir and Friedan in conjunction with the empowerment theory of AlMaseb and Julia as …

Safe Chemical Handling By Agrochemical Users In Plateau State, Nigeria, Adaobi Ifeoma Ekwempu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Agrochemical use has been increasing in both developing and the developed nations. The unsafe handling and use of agrochemicals can lead to accumulation of hazardous chemicals in the body, causing adverse effects on health. This quantitative cross sectional study sought to understand the level of awareness, practices, and perceptions of safe chemical handling by agrochemical using the Theory of Planned Behavior. This study was conducted among 260 farmers in Plateau State, Nigeria. Data on background knowledge and practices of safe agrochemical handling by farmers were collected using a structured paper based, interviewer-€administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics revealed that the most practiced …

The Role Of The Physicians' Assistant In Trinidad And Tobago's Healthcare System, Martha Ann Pamponette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The profession of physicians' assistant was introduced in the 1960s to assist with physician shortages in the United States of America. Since then, some countries have introduced this profession to fill the gaps that exist in the physician shortages problem in their health care system. Yet, in many countries like Trinidad and Tobago, this role remains absent from the health care system. The objective of this study was to assess how professionalization supports the introduction of the physicians' assistant role in Trinidad and Tobago. Using the theory of profession as a theoretical framework, and through an evaluation of institutional, regulatory, …

Socioeconomic Status, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, And Economic Cost Of Childhood Diarrheal Diseases In Uganda, Sarah Birungi Nahalamba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Worldwide, diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children aged under 5, yet it is both preventable and treatable. Several studies have established the effects of exposure to inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) on diarrhea prevalence, but little was known on how the interactions of socioeconomic status and WASH influence the economic cost of treatment of diarrhea. This retrospective cross-sectional survey study was focused on assessing the correlation between socioeconomic status, WASH, and household cost of treatment of diarrhea among children aged under 5 in Uganda using the multiple exposure-multiple effect model. Secondary data from the 2015/16 …

Staff Education For Providers In An Outpatient Hemodialysis Center, Ibijoke Owolabi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The impact of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on healthcare costs is significant. In 2013, the cost of providing care for the ESRD patient population was 7.1% of total Medicare expenses. ESRD patients' non-adherence with the medical plan is a reason for the high cost of care and poor patient outcomes. Staff education can have a positive impact on patient adherence in terms of the management of chronic illnesses, such as ESRD. This DNP project was an education program for hemodialysis (HD) staff regarding empowering patients to learn about self-care strategies aimed at improving ESRD patients' adherence to fluid restriction and …

Timing Of Substance Use Initiation: Assessing The Role Of Trauma And Race, Rebecca Petrie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine the strength of the association between race, trauma, and the age of initiation for substance use, specifically tobacco, marijuana, alcohol among high school students aged 13-18 in the United States. This research is critical because prior research has shown that trauma and race led to higher rates of substance use in adulthood. Still, limited research has shown how these factors affect the age of substance use initiation. The theoretical foundation for this study was the general strain theory since the theory posits that exposure to stresses or strain leads to delinquency, which …

Reading Perceptions Of Hispanic English Language Learner Families In New York City, Ligoria Berkeley-Cummins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, Hispanic English language learners (ELLs) in the United States have had low reading achievement and low high school graduation and college entry rates, which has limited their employment opportunities. Although research indicates parental involvement is important to reading success, little is known about Hispanic ELL parents' perspectives on their children's reading development. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how parental involvement in 3rd grade Hispanic ELLs' reading development, as perceived by their families, may contribute to these students' reading proficiency. The framework for this study was Hedegaard's model of children's learning and development. The participants …

Exploring The Factors Responsible For Occupational Stress Among Police Officers In Nigeria, Ahmed Lateef

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 90 percent of police officers in Nigeria are confronted with psychological illness and injuries as a result of occupational stress, which is compounded by a lack of attention to police officer welfare by government, insufficient annual leave, and poor salaries that contribute to poor performance. Using Karasek's demands on decision and control model as the foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact of occupational stress on police officers in a metropolitan police agency in Nigeria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 senior police officers who had at least 20 years experience in …

Do American Psychological Association (Apa) Or Council For Accreditation Of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (Cacrep) Accreditations Make A Difference? A Look At Glb Competency Among Faculty And Graduate Students, Veronica Castro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of knowledge and training on the topic of gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons (GLB) in mental health graduate programs can lead to a culture of ignorance and ineffective treatment for a subset of the population. Multicultural competency is defined as having self-awareness of one's own values and biases, knowledge, and skills to work with a given population; and it is important in order to ensure appropriate mental healthcare. The purpose of the current study was to identify if there is a difference in GLB competency among graduate students and faculty (dependent variables) from mental health programs that are …

Adult Clients' Experience Of Walk-And-Talk Therapy, Denice Crowe Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Standards of healthcare exist to promote beneficent treatment; however, treatment approaches are sometimes not supported by research, creating potential ethical issues for clinicians expected to use evidence-based practices. For example, walk-and-talk therapy, where therapy sessions incorporate physical activity in an outdoor setting, is being offered at increasing rates, but research regarding the practice is sparse and primarily reflects the therapists' experiences. Thus, the purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analytic study was to explore the clients' experience of the altered frame of walk-and-talk therapy through the conceptual lenses of therapeutic frame and the biopsychosocial model of well-being. Data were collected through …

Leptin Level Variance In Adults With And Without Cancer, Vilisa Chatman-Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

In 2018, health statistics revealed that, despite the many preventive measures established,

cancer was the second leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause

of death in 22 states, exceeded only by heart disease. With obesity/leptin levels reaching

pandemic levels worldwide, and cancer having a well-known association with obesity,

both chronic diseases represent a large proportion of public health challenges. Guided by

the social ecological model, the purpose of this cross-sectional, quantitative study was to

examine if a significant difference exists in leptin levels among adults with different

types of obesity-associated and common cancers and …

Leadership Strategies To Improve Nurse Retention, Floyd Jordan Colwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nursing shortage and high turnover rates are a problem in the United States. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies that hospital senior nurse managers in the Rocky Mountain states use to improve nurse retention. Participants were 6 hospital senior nurse managers including 3 chief nursing officers, 1 assistant chief nursing officer, and 2 directors who had demonstrated effective leadership strategies in retention of nurses. The leadership-motivated excellence theory was the conceptual framework. Semistructured interviews with open-ended interview questions were used to collect data; organization websites and documents were used to help corroborate evidence …

Relationship Between Noncognitive Skills And Mathematics Achievement, Joseph Costello

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite ongoing efforts to improve curriculum and instruction, students at an urban high school in New Jersey score low on the mathematics achievement components of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam. Guided by Bandura's social cognitive theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between students' noncognitive skills and their mathematics achievement. Students who were enrolled in the local high school in the 2017-18 school year and had completed the geometry component of the PARCC exam in 2016-17 were invited to participate in this study. In this cross-sectional survey design, …

Customer Engagement Strategies Leaders Use To Sustain Small Businesses, John A. Coy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this single-case study was to explore strategies small business leaders used to engage the next generation of customers to ensure sustainability for longer than 5 years. The study population included senior leaders from a for-profit company headquartered in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Von Bertalanffy's general systems theory (GST) was the conceptual lens used in this study. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with 3 leaders of the organization. Participants for this doctoral study were members occupying leadership roles in a small, family-owned, for-profit business. Member checking was incorporated to help ensure accuracy, consistency, and …

Implementing Guidelines To Improve Hand Hygiene Compliance, Doreen Millicent Currie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hand hygiene is the term for removing microorganisms with disinfecting agents, alcohol-based rub, or soap and water. Evidence supported the low rates of hand hygiene compliance among health care workers. This project addressed this gap in practice at a large acute care facility through an educational training program. Data from the facility on hand hygiene compliance revealed a compliance rate of 63%. The problem question explored whether an educational program on hand hygiene improve compliance. The focus of the program was to provide education on the World Health Organization's My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene and the 7-step technique for …

Qsen Competency Confidence Levels In Two Groups Of New Registered Nurses, Yvonne A. Davila

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare agencies and stakeholders expect registered nurses to be competent at all times. When nurses are not confident in competencies, negative patient outcomes can occur. The purpose of this quantitative quasiexperimental with posttest only study was to investigate Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competency confidence levels of 2 groups of new nurses who had 5-6 months of clinical experience. Framed by the Duchscher theory and the QSEN framework, the research question was developed to examine the differences between QSEN competency confidence levels of new nurses who participated in a prelicensure program plus a residency program and nurses who …

Strong Black Women, Depression, And The Pentecostal Church, Dawn E. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a global health concern and among the top two causes of disability

and disease. African-Americans often seek help from the Black church, but

Pentecostal churches may fail to provide effective support due to doctrinal beliefs.

African-American women with depression struggle due to psychosocial implications

of the diagnosis. This research study used social constructionism and the

biopsychosocial model of health to explore the lived experiences of African-

American women suffering from self-reported depression while attending

Pentecostal churches in the Northeast United States. Fourteen women, ages

20 to 76, participated in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Data obtained

from the semistructured, …

Relationships Between Vocational Identity, Substance Use And Criminal Thinking Among Emerging Adults, Eileen Marie Delzell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Successful formation of a self-chosen, purposeful identity in personal, social, educational and vocational areas is a primary task for emerging adults, with failure to do so often resulting in cycles of substance use, unemployment, and delinquent/criminal behavior. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine relationships between vocational identity, substance use, and criminal thinking within the population of emerging adults. The expectancy value theory of motivation, which states that identity may be a motivational construct between self-efficacy and subjective self-values, provided the foundation for the study. The online inventory platform PsychData was used to garner data from a sample …

Residential Counselor Turnover: The Effects Of Burnout, Vicarious Trauma, Environment, And Self-Care, Kristine Edmonds

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most youth receiving care in residential treatment centers (RTCs) have experienced significant childhood trauma and require intensive mental health treatment to recover from their traumatic childhood experiences. Staff turnover is one factor that can negatively affect outcomes for these children and adolescents. Understanding factors that predict the turnover of professional counselors providing counseling to youth in RTCs can help counselors, supervisors, and counselor educators address barriers to staff retention. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between the turnover of professional counselors providing counseling to youth in RTCs and their perception of the work environment, …

On Blasphemy: Immigrant Muslim Leaders In America, Angela Ewing

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some Muslim immigrants in the United States have difficulty reconciling American free speech rights with the blasphemy component of Islamic law, which often requires death for those who criticize Islam. Little academic literature addresses reconciliation of Islamic beliefs with the Constitutional right to free speech or information on Muslim political participation regarding free speech. Using policy feedback theory as the foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Muslim immigrants who practice Islam in a free speech society. Data were collected from a sample of 10 immigrant Muslim imams, scholars, and community leaders in Virginia …

Public Sector Employees' Experiences Executing Strategic Management In A Political Environment, Aarion Lynn Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public sector organizations have practiced strategic management for more than 30 years. Strategic management in the public sector is subjected to political influence, as resources and major decisions are typically managed by elected and appointed officials. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to identify and report the lived experiences of public sector employees who have been subjected to political influence while engaged in the strategic management of their organizations in the State of Maryland. The study's conceptual framework was based on stakeholder theory and economic theory of the firm. A purposeful sample of 15 Maryland State Government employees …

Association Of Social Support And Patient-Provider Communication And Medication Adherence, Laquasha Arenese Gaddis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of hypertension in African Americans is the highest of any population in the United States, and this population also demonstrates lower rates of adherence to mediation. Social support and patient-provider communication have been considered as reinforcing factors to help hypertensive patients achieve optimal blood pressure control. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of social support and patient-provider communication and medication adherence for hypertensive African American men and women. The study was guided by the theory of reasoned action. This study was conducted to determine whether social support and patient-provider communication was associated with medication …

Resiliency Of Students Who Failed The State Of Texas Assessments Of Academic Readiness Exam, Tetaime Sherie Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate former high school students' resilience following the administration of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam based on the comparison of male and female students who passed the STAAR exam the first time and those who failed it at least 2 times. This study fills a gap in the literature by offering additional data and increased knowledge about the relationship of resiliency to school performance. A total of 133 adults aged 18-29 years who had been enrolled in 3 high schools in a large metropolitan area in Texas were …

Compass Placement Assessment And Student Attrition At A Community College, Leslie Morris Samuel Griffiths Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Considerable research has been conducted regarding the usefulness of placement testing in community colleges. Many stuides show that using the COMPASS exam may lead to students' unsuccessful course completion. To better identify the factors that may result in reduced attrition, the relationship between attrition and placement testing was studied. Using Tinto's student retention model and employing qualitative methodology, this study explored the perceptions of students and faculty regarding whether COMPASS placement assessment predicted future student success in first year courses at a community college that reports higher rates of attrition when compared to other area community colleges. After completing interviews …

Strategies To Mitigate Supply Chain Disruption Risks, Daniel G. Haloukas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Businesses with global supply chains typically have a minimum of 1 interruption to their supply chain annually, which can decrease profitability and affect overall company performance. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies personal care business supply chain managers used to mitigate supply chain disruption risk. The targeted population was 9 supply chain managers working in 5 different Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods personal care companies in the northeastern United States who have successfully used strategies to mitigate supply chain disruptions. Corporate risk management was used as the conceptual framework of the study to determine how …

Teach-Back Process As A Best Practice In Patient Education, Laura Hoffman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited health literacy is a national problem. Nurses are in a position to address patients' limited health literacy skills using a universal precautions approach through the teach-back process. The purpose of this project was to plan a program to educate nurses on best practices in patient education. The theoretical framework informing this work was Bandura's social cognitive theory, which asserts that increases in knowledge and self-efficacy are precursors to affecting behavior change. The logic model was used to guide the project planning processes. Evidentiary sources included literature obtained online and through database searches, input from a team of experts and …

Efficacy Of A Va Residential Treatment Program For Co-Occurring Disorders, Kathrin Hohenstern

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders among the veteran population can impact numerous aspects of a veteran's life, including self-esteem, relationships, employment, and legal issues. The Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP) at the Saint Cloud, Minnesota VA Healthcare System is a program that provides residential treatment for this population. Identifying practical and beneficial treatment methods promotes better coping mechanisms for veterans and impacts social change by providing timely and cost-efficient care for veterans, while also leading the way for overall changes and improvements in other VA residential treatment programs. This study identified how …

Management Of Virtual Offices, Cheryl Donaldson Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many organizational leaders manage virtual employees without the specific training and experience required for leading a virtual organization, which can lead to billions of dollars in lost productivity. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies managers used to manage a virtual office. The target population consisted of 4 managers located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States who had a minimum of 2 years of experience managing virtual offices. The conceptual framework for this study was social exchange theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using …