Digital Commons Network^™

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Treatment, Moneka Angilene Patterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine system disorder that affects women of reproductive age. If not treated properly, PCOS can lead to infertility. Lack of proper treatment of PCOS may also result in medical complications such as diabetes or heart disease. The rural clinic where this project took place did not have a mandatory guideline for treatment of PCOS; therefore, no standardized method of diagnosis or treatment of PCOS existed. The purpose of this project, guided by the IOWA evidence-based practice model, was to educate providers on the evidence-based guideline for diagnosis and treatment of PCOS outlined by the …

Online Versus In-Person Therapy: Effect Of Client Demographics And Personality Characteristics, Joel Joseph Kofmehl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditionally, mental health professionals have provided psychotherapeutic services through face-to-face sessions. As the Internet has become an increasingly important part of individuals' personal and professional lives, psychologists and clients have used this medium to expand access to psychotherapy. The purpose of this quantitative correlational design was to investigate whether demographic variables and the personality traits of extroversion/introversion (E/I), as assessed by the Big Five Inventory, predicted clients' preferences for a specific method of administered psychotherapy. The theoretical framework for this study was social information processing through computer-mediated communication. An online survey site was used to assist in survey design and …

Differences In Perceived Constraints Of Telework Utilization Among Teleworkers And Office Workers, Yolanda West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 37% of the U.S. labor force currently works from a remote location. Costs and competition are driving organizations to increase the use of telework among remote workplaces. Increasing organizational knowledge of the perceptions of current teleworkers could increase its adoption by employees and improve its implementation by managers. The purpose of this research was to test hypotheses regarding the perceived levels of telework efficiency, social interaction, and technical support to determine in those perceptions differed between teleworkers and office workers. Goldratt's Theory of Constraints framed the quantitative research design. A purposive sample of 54 teleworkers and office workers in …

Treating Adult Women With Depression Through Videoconferencing, Irina Demidova

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The occurrence of depression in the United States is steadily increasing. In every age group, women have a higher rate of depression than men, and U.S. women between the ages of 40 and 59 have a depression rate of 12%. Adult women living in rural areas experience physical and/or psychological impairment and lack access to mental health treatment. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to examine participants' preferences for treatment delivery method based on patient perceptions of the clinical experience, patient satisfaction, and therapeutic bond. The working alliance theory provided the theoretical foundation. Data collection included survey responses …

Overcoming The Adverse Impact Of Internal Subculture Communications Within Organizations, Terrence Lee Farrier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The need for clear and organizationally effective communications is necessary to maintain sustainability as competition increases. Current research has not addressed problems associated with senior managers' clarity and intent and the misinterpretation by midlevel managers of that intent, causing division managers to misinterpret the company plans. Unresolved miscommunications may lead to destructive subculture development. This mixed methods design focused on how to minimize the confusion that manifests between senior and midlevel management within diverse and decentralized decision support structures. The secondary purpose was to advocate for the identification of divisional misalignment and provide information for a tool to help senior …

The Impact Of Racial Stereotyping On Juror Perception Of Criminal Offenders, Tameka T. Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For decades, research has consistently demonstrated that minorities are overrepresented in the prison population, yet relatively little is known about whether juror perceptions about race and criminal culpability may impact this problem in the United States. Using Hill's folk theory of race and racism as the theoretical foundation, this cross sectional study examined the relationship between perceptions of the race of the defendant and the verdicts to be handed down. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 25 people who self-reported having served on a jury or were eligible for jury service within the past 5 years in a …

Leadership Practices Supporting Retention In Head Start Nonprofit Organizations, Nannette Brown Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Head Start, the largest early childhood organization in the United States, was federally mandated to employ bachelor degreed operational employees, with no additional funds. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore effective strategies that successful leaders of Head Start Nonprofit Organizations use to retain operational employees. The population of this study included 5 Head Start CEOs/Program Directors in 5 Head Start nonprofit organizations in Alabama who successfully retained operational employees in their organization. Kouzes and Posner's transformational leadership theory provided a conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected via telephone interviews and employee records from the …

Succession Planning Strategies In The Air National Guard To Retain Skilled Workers, Daniel Rodarte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The military faces unprecedented limitation of resources due to fiscal cuts through all branches of service. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore succession planning (SP) strategies used by Air National Guard leaders to retain skilled workers. The target population consisted of 5 leaders of the Washington Air National Guard (ANG) with a minimum of 5 years of experience in the ANG. The five tenured candidates were selected given proven leadership performance, ability to influence the organization, and they provided institutional knowledge and corporate insight of SP efforts spanning nearly a century. Additionally, these leaders had direct …

Organizational Complexity And Hospitals' Adoption Of Electronic Medical Records For Closed-Loop Medication Therapy Management, Ebenezer Siaw Adu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 700,000 adverse drug events (ADEs) result in emergency hospital visits annually, and many of these ADEs are preventable through the use of health information technology in hospitals. However, only 12.6% of U.S. hospitals have developed the capacity to adopt closed-loop electronic medical records (EMR). Organizational complexity may be a major factor influencing hospitals' adoption of closed-loop EMR. This quantitative study explored how organizational complexity influenced hospitals' adoption of closed-loop EMR. Diffusion of innovation theory was the foundation for this study. Logistic regression was used to establish possible relationships between organizational complexity and hospitals' adoption of EMR for closed-loop medication …

Rural Colorado Drug Courts: A Program Evaluation Of Two Different Modalities, Arthur Kleinschmidt Kleinschmidt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Colorado Judicial Branch, 78 problem-solving courts operate in the 20 judicial districts in Colorado. The Summit County and Eagle County drug court programs are located in Colorado's Fifth Judicial District and have not been previously studied. Evaluating treatment programs for effectiveness contributes to social change because it ensures individuals in need of treatment are receiving the proper services. The Eagle County drug court program had 117 participants and the Summit County drug court program had 33 participants. The Summit County Drug Court used 2 cognitive behavioral therapies: moral reconation therapy and strategies for self-improvement and change. The …

Process Capability Calculations With Nonnormal Data In The Medical Device Manufacturing Industry, James Walter Kwiecien

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls of medical devices are at historically high levels despite efforts by manufacturers to meet stringent agency requirements to ensure quality and patient safety. A factor in the release of potentially dangerous devices might be the interpretations of nonnormal test data by statistically unsophisticated engineers. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that testing by lot provides a better indicator of true process behavior than process capability indices (PCIs) calculated from the mixed lots that often occur in a typical production situation. The foundations of this research were in the prior …

The Critical Role Of The Psychiatric Emergency Response Team In The Adoption Of A Violence Risk Assessment Tool., Angela Mackay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace violence is a persistent problem in health care, and incidence rates have increased over the years. Traditional reporting systems, relying mostly on paper formats, are inadequate for developing effective predictive models for intervention and reducing acts of violence by patients to staff. The purpose of the development and deployment of the psychiatric emergency response team (PERT) was to provide effective intervention within the MIAHTAPS (Altered Mental status, Irritability, Agitation, History of Violence, Threatening, Attacking Objects, Pacing, and Staring) behavior prediction tool to reduce the severity and rates of violence in a hospital setting. Lewin's change theory was used to …

Suicidal Behavior In Inmates Through The Pathway Of Psychopathy And Depression, Zsofia Muller-Balazsfi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prison inmates are more prone to commit suicide than are individuals in the general population. Current scientific research has identified risk factors of suicide in the general population, such as mood disorders, but only a few research studies have examined risk factors that are particularly relevant to the incarcerated population. This study used a quantitative archival research design to examine the effect of primary and secondary psychopathic personality traits on the development of suicidal behavior in the mentally ill male prison inmate population at a U.S. federal prison located in the Southeast. Data on psychopathic traits as measured by the …

Strategies For Integrating Technological Innovations In Small Businesses, Petra Samuel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effective integration of technological innovation is vital to the success of small businesses and can catapult growth and profitability. Some business managers and supervisors, however, may not have a firm understanding of strategies for integrating technological innovations in businesses; this lack of knowledge may result in employee frustration and costly roadblocks to achieving business objectives. This case study was conducted to identify the strategies used by business managers and supervisors to integrate technological innovations in small businesses. Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation and Rogers' theory of diffusion of innovation served as the conceptual framework. Ten business managers and supervisors …

Strategies For Addressing Workplace Incivility And Retention In A Healthcare System, Keonda Schenck Schenck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace incivility is increasing in prevalence in healthcare organizations. Despite the adverse effects of workplace incivility on employee engagement and voluntary employee turnover, some organizations do not have policies to address workplace incivility among employees. The purpose of this descriptive, single case study was to explore successful strategies leaders at healthcare organizations with 50 or more employees used to reduce workplace incivility and improve employee retention. The spiral theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Semistructured interviews were held with 2 human resources (HR) professionals and 1 department manager with experience dealing with employee relations and success in retaining …

The Relationship Between Emerging Adulthood And Communication Patterns, Eli Felt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adults who have not developed effective communication skills are at an increased risk of

having unsuccessful relationships. Children of divorce are less likely to have communication behaviors modeled to them, resulting in undeveloped communication and therefore a higher likelihood to get divorced themselves. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to determine if there was an association between the successful transition to emerging adulthood and the development of communication behaviors among adults. The research question focused on whether successful transition through emerging adulthood positively discriminates communication patterns among adults, specifically using Gottman's framework of the Four Horsemen of the …

Awareness And Understanding Of A College Active Shooter Crisis Plan, Christopher Brian Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gun violence on college campuses has gained the attention of campus leaders, leading to an active shooter policy and procedure development and implementation. There was little awareness within the campus leadership of a college in the Southeast United States on the college's active shooter policy and procedures. Guided by Coomb's crisis management plan model, the purpose of this case study was to explore how information was provided to students, faculty, and staff regarding how to respond to an active shooter on campus. Purposeful sampling was used to identify 16 participants (6 students, 5 faculty, and 5 administrator/staff) who were interviewed …

Assessing For Awareness And Knowledge Regarding Diabetes In Pre-Diabetes Obese Patients, Remona Lysa Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in prevalence of diabetes in the United States. Prevention of diabetes and improving patients' knowledge and awareness of diabetes are crucial for healthcare providers. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a theoretical foundation, the student used the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to improve awareness and knowledge of diabetes among obese individuals with prediabetes. The key research question of this project was to determine whether the patients' diabetes knowledge and awareness improved after the NDPP program. A convenience sample of …

The Experiences Of African American Women Participating In Church-Based Weight Loss Programs, Mangle L. Shanks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While obesity is a nationwide phenomenon, African Americans - especially women - continue to be more severely affected than any other ethnic group. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 20% of African American women are obese compared to 15.6% of Caucasian women. The church is an important community center for many African Americans, and is often a site for health promotion programs, though little is known of the effectiveness of these programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to study the experiences and attitudes of African American women who have gone through a church-based weight-loss …

Organizational Strategies For Developing New Stem Talent, Keri Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. business leaders are experiencing a deficiency within STEM skill sets in newly hired employees, resulting in challenges to business sustainability. The purpose of this case study was to identify strategies used to develop new STEM employees for business sustainability. Participants included 5 IT business leaders who had experience developing new STEM employees in a technology organization in New York. The 3-part theory of knowledge management, knowledge creation, and knowledge transfer was the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included face-to-face interviews and analyses of company training plans, videos, and internal websites. Methodological triangulation of the analysis technique included …

The Relationship Between Nurse Manager Leadership Style And The Enculturation Of Shared Governance, Anna Elizabeth Keane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shared governance, a participative model of governance, implemented by healthcare organizations for more than 30 years has been associated with empowerment, job satisfaction, and retention of registered nurses. Recent studies document a lack of participation in shared governance by registered nurses; the reason for the change is unknown. The nurse managers' role in this change is unknown. The purpose of this non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design study was to test Bass' theory of transformational leadership that examines the relationship between the leadership style of the manager and the enculturation of shared governance in acute care hospitals in the United States. A …

Serum Iron Concentration And Prostate Cancer In The United States, Aleeshaia Danner Raymonvil

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 2 million adult men in the United States have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, with nearly 200,000 new diagnoses each year. This type of cancer is the leading cause of mortality in U.S. men. One possible risk factor for prostate cancer is a high level of iron in the body, but the association has yet to be confirmed. This study was an investigation of the relationship between serum iron concentration and prostate cancer using data obtained from the 2009-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. This quantitative study involved 1,850 men in the U.S. aged 51 to 70 years. …

Using Administrative Healthcare Records To Identify Determinants Of Amputee Residuum Outcomes, Judith Gail Walden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, the number of major limb amputees is predicted to exceed several million in the coming decades. For those amputees using a prosthesis, their quality of life (QoL) is often modulated by residuum limb problems resultant from its use. Multiple factors preclude quality evidence-based medicine (EBM) research in the field of prosthetics, leading to greater health risk from prosthetic prescription ambiguity. Positive social change is integral to good QoL; studies support administrative healthcare (AHc) as useful to support such, especially in the absence of EBM. This study utilized Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) AHc data to discriminate determinants …

Antecedents Of Employees' Behavioral Intentions Regarding Information Technology Consumerization, Alain Ouattara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The majority of organizations worldwide have adopted IT consumerization. However, only a small percentage of them explicitly manage the dual use of personal devices and applications for work purposes. This correlational study used the extended unified technology acceptance and use technology model (UTAUT2) to examine whether employees' perceptions of habit, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, social influence, and price value can predict IT consumerization behavioral intentions (BI). A pre-existing UTAUT2 survey instrument was used to collect data from employees (N = 112) of small- and medium-sized organizations across different industries in Ontario, Canada. The regression analysis confirmed …

Paths To Tier 1 Genomics Implementation: A Survey Of Chronic Disease Directors, Amy Ponte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although evidence is currently available for population-based genetic screening and testing of individuals and their family members for certain hereditary chronic disease conditions (Tier 1), few states have integrated these genomic applications into chronic disease prevention programs. State and territorial chronic disease directors (CDDs) could provide the leadership needed to deliver these applications in more states. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an association exists between current chronic disease genomics funding or specific state genomic activities and the level of knowledge and interests in genomics by these directors. Rogers's diffusion of innovations (DIT) theory was used to …

Cervical Cancer Prevention Screening: A Quality Improvement Project To Reduce Variation And Increase Timeliness In Managing And Reporting Abnormal Papanicolaou Smear Results, Dana Greene Rader

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cervical cancer is the fifth most common cancer in United States with more than 12,000 women diagnosed each year and more than 4,000 preventable deaths with minorities disproportionally represented. Cervical cancer prevention strategies rarely focus on the management of abnormal screening results. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to standardize the management program for abnormal cervical cancer screening results within an integrated health delivery system serving a large minority community. The Plan-Do-Study-Act model guided a comprehensive program evaluation with process improvement, including the creation of an electronic quality data reporting tool to formalize the work process and a …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Successful Implementation Of Co-Teaching Services, Vanna Raybould

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed a lack of consistent instructional delivery of co-teaching practices in a rural high school in middle Georgia. Though co-teaching services are provided, teachers are not implementing co-teaching models with fidelity. Because co-teaching teams are not trained together, teachers' efficacy in the delivery of co-taught instruction has often been negatively affected. This project study provided insight into the perceptions of co-teachers regarding the implementation of co-teaching practices. Bandura's self-efficacy theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Using a qualitative, bounded, single case study design, the study explored the perceptions of co-teachers and the planning practices …

Roles And Services Of Probation Officers Among Rural Female Juvenile Offenders, Amy Marie Warmingham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Each year, hundreds of thousands of youth move through juvenile justice systems in the United States, and the number of female offenders is increasing. At the probation level, there appears to be a lack of services, such as mentoring, mental health services, sex education, and counseling, to meet the gender-specific needs of female juvenile delinquents in rural settings. The purpose of this study was to discover county probation officers' perceptions of girls' needs and the officers' decision-making processes related to recommending services. This case study was based on feminist criminology theory. The research questions sought to learn how probation officers …

Impact Of A Standardized Tool On Handoff Quality In Nurse Change-Of-Shift Reports, Wilma Lonzame Ayala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the context of healthcare delivery, human lives are at risk when health care professionals fail to communicate effectively. Audits by The Joint Commission from 1995 to 2005 revealed that 65% of sentinel events occurred as a result of staff miscommunication, prompting the requirement that standardized handoff tools be deployed. Therefore, this project was completed to improve safety in the hospital through implementation of a standardized tool that could enhance the quality of nurse handoff communication. Mohorek & Webb's (2015) linear model of communication, which emphasizes the importance of encoding, transmission, and decoding in the communication process, provided the framework …

College Faculty Members' Perceptions Of Students' Writing Abilities, Deborah Bellamy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The college open door policy initiated in the 1960s made access to higher education available for more students in the United States. People who were once excluded from enrolling in college now have an opportunity to earn a college degree. Some first-time students, significantly underprepared in writing, have been required to enroll in developmental or remedial writing courses before entering college-level English despite research indicating that taking noncredit courses increases the time for college completion and the cost of college, while also reducing the likelihood of completion. This illustrative case study, guided by the constructivist approach to instruction, was designed …