Digital Commons Network^™

An Evidence-Based Asthma Management Plan For The Pediatric Practice Setting, Foroogh Narmani-Mohammadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood. Education directed toward asthma self-management is vital and emphasizes patient participation in symptom monitoring and control. The practice problem addressed in this quality improvement project was the lack of an asthma management plan in the pediatric setting for which the project was developed. The purpose of the project was to develop an evidence-based asthma initiative consisting of a staff education curriculum with a pretest/posttest and a patient self-management component. Using a team approach, Rosswurm and Larrabee's conceptual model served as the practice framework to guide the development of the project. Two …

Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening In Primary Care, Jenerie Reniedo Navarrete-Pak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite indications that colorectal cancer (CRC) screening strategies can decrease mortality and morbidity, screening rates among veterans remains to be low. In the Veterans Affairs (VA), the performance measure for CRC screening is lower than the national standard. This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated the effect of a team-based approach, effective electronic information structures, and the provision of education to nurses and patients in increasing CRC screening rate in primary care from 77% to 85%. CRC screening data were retrospectively collected prior to the start of the project and then compared to screening data 3 months after project implementation. The …

Strategies To Reduce Employee Turnover In Small Retail Businesses, Amelia Claudina Pryce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is high in small retail business, compelling business leaders to implement strategies that successfully reduce employee turnover. The conceptual framework guiding this study was the Herzberg 2-factor theory because the theory identifies factors that influence job satisfaction and employee turnover. The study population was retail owners and managers from small businesses in the retail industry in San Antonio, Texas who had demonstrated successful strategies to reduce employee turnover. A focus group was conducted with 4 retail managers, and semistructured interviews were conducted with 2 small retail owners, all of whom were recruited via purposeful criterion-based sampling. Yin's 5-step …

Increasing Family Engagement In An Elementary School, Catherine Pearson Roy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many students who receive Response to Intervention (RTI) Tier II support at an elementary school on the east coast of the United States seldom reach grade level expectations based on end of year assessments. Parents of students who receive RTI Tier II instruction often do not take advantage of the opportunities for involvement at the elementary school. The purpose of this qualitative research was to investigate the perceptions of 34 parents who receive RTI Tier II instructional services about what inspires them to become involved in their child's education at home and at school. This study investigated the opportunities for …

Leadership Skills For Success Of Home Health Care Agencies, Andrina Yankah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business managers often lack the leadership skills necessary to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The United States Small Business Administration reported that more than 65% of small business owners, including home health care agency managers, fail within the first 5 years of operation. Guided by Burns and Bass's transformational leadership theory, this multiple case study explored leadership skills that managers in home health care agencies need to sustain their new businesses beyond 5 years. The purposeful sample comprised of 3 managers from 3 different home health care agencies within a 75-mile radius of Baltimore, Maryland, that had demonstrated …

An Evaluation Of An American Sign Language Interpreting Internship Program, Colleen Avilla Geier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was a program evaluation of an American Sign Language internship program that was established in 2006 at a 4-year private college in the Midwestern United States but had never been evaluated. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this internship program in preparing students for employment in the field of interpreting. An expertise-oriented program evaluation case study was conducted using the lens of experiential learning theory. Research questions were used to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the program and the ways in which the policies, objectives, and assignments prepare students to work as …

An Investigation Of Patterns Of Adolescent Driving Behaviors Resulting In Fatal Crashes And Their Implications On Policy, Cheryl May Leonard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether there is a statistical relationship between accident-related factors including use of drugs or alcohol, speeding, driver distractions, gender, driver drowsiness, practice of dysfunctional driving maneuvers, and use of occupant protection devices, and fatal vehicle crashes among young teen drivers. Secondary archival data from 84 North Carolina crashes occurring between 2009 and 2013 and involving young teen drivers between the ages of 15 and 18 years were obtained from North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles Form 349 crash reports. These data were analyzed using chi-square tests for goodness-of-fit, chi-square tests for …

Perceived Behavioral Control, Stress, Body Image, And Exercise Intentions In Overweight African American Women, Heidi L. Paruch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A disproportionate number of African American women are at risk for illness and mortality due to obesity. The aim of this study was to explore perceived behavioral control (PBC), stress, body image, and exercise intentions (EI) using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the primary theoretical framework. The TPB is a leading model in health research to predict behavioral intentions, yet its application to the general female African American population is lacking. Seventy-nine African American women were sampled utilizing a cross-sectional, online survey method. A series of bivariate correlations tested the relationships among PBC, stress, body image, age, and …

Labor Relations At A Major Airline: Exploring Employee Performance Strategies, Christian Popp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, the aviation industry supports 58.1 million jobs in related industries and U.S. airlines alone generated 11.8 million jobs. Airline performance, productivity, and profitability depend on employees. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies that U.S. airline leaders use to improve employee performance. The study was grounded with the Harvard model of human resource management. A stratified purposeful sample of 14 managers and 10 frontline staff from a Florida airline participated in semistructured individual interviews and a focus group, respectively. The data from these interviews were analyzed using Moustakas's modified van Kaam method. The themes …

The Impact Of Self-Efficacy On Retention In Technical Colleges, Percy W. Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vocational and career training institutes focus their energy and resources on student support services, increasing student retention as it relates to minority populations. Despite these efforts, a specific vocational and career institute in the southeast United States reports a 50% retention rate of students who are enrolled. This case study explored students' descriptions of how self-efficacy supported their perseverance while attending the vocational and career training institute. The conceptual framework included Bandura's notions of self-efficacy and Tinto's integration model. Purposeful sampling strategies were used to interview 10 successfully-retained students enrolled in their 4th term or beyond at the vocational and …

Impact Of Simulation On Nurses' Satisfaction, Confidence, And Communication In Neonatal Resuscitation, Kathryn Rudd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teamwork and communication in clinical practice improves with simulation using the TeamSTEPPS program. However, there is limited research about simulation efficacy for improving neonatal resuscitation through enhanced communication. Based on a needs assessment and literature review specific to quality improvement strategies for neonatal resuscitation, an enhanced neonatal resuscitation provider (NRP) course was infused with TeamSTEPPS communication strategies, and an NRP case was adopted for simulation training. Also, utilizing clinician feedback, the flow of the resuscitation documentation was revised. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the perceived level of confidence, satisfaction, and communication skills in nurses performing neonatal resuscitation …

Exploration Of Perceptions Of Marriage Dissatisfaction Among African American Couples, Terrence Schofield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perceptions of Marital Dissatisfaction Among African American Couples

by

Terrence Schofield

MS, Walden University, 2012

BS, Knoxville College, 1994

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Clinical Psychology

Walden University

August 2016

Strategies For Increasing Employee Engagement In The Service Industry, Tonia Ann Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The annual loss to U.S. organizations consequential to a lack of employee engagement was approximately $300 billion in 2013. Employee engagement is vital to the business sustainability of an organization. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore successful strategies that business leaders of a service organization used to increase employee engagement. The conceptual framework guiding this study was the behavior engineering model theory developed by Gilbert. A purposeful sample of 6 engineering managers was selected based on their success in creating strategies resulting in increased employee workplace engagement in a monopoly service organization in Connecticut. Semistructured …

Evaluating The Implications Of Parental Mental Illness For Children Using An Ecological Perspective, Jessica Elizabeth-Rose Carroll

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have extensively studied the experiences and potential consequences of being a child whose parent has a mental illness (COPMI). However, there is no consensus on the best way to support these children, in general or in schools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effects of parental mental illness on children by using an ecological approach. Researchers have used ecological theory to illustrate the importance of internal characteristics, skills, and supports for children to enhance resiliency. This study looked at whether COPMI differed significantly from the children of parents of parents with no current or past …

Predicting Mathematics Teachers' Acceptance Of Reflective Blogging To Improve Instruction, Diana Sue Fesmire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An internal district audit identified that a rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged Southwestern school district has a lack of congruent and consistent implementation of the Common Core State Standards in mathematics. Innovative and cost-saving avenues for professional development (PD), such as reflective blogging, foster teacher learning to reconcile the enacted curriculum with the intended curriculum. This correlational study investigated the predictive power of technology acceptance and motivation constructs on reflective mathematics teachers' social media use intention and participation in informal, virtual Communities of Practice (vCoP). The framework that guided this study is the unified acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory. …

The Lived Play Experiences Of Kindergarten Teachers: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Robin Terrell Holman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Following implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act and Common Core Standards, play experience opportunities by kindergarten students have been compromised. Prior research indicates that how teachers make sense of play is most likely reflected in educational practice. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to gather the lived experiences of 5 kindergarten teachers from northern New England on the nature of play through pre-reflective description and reflective interpretation. Guided by Vygotsky's social constructivist theory as the conceptual framework, the goal of this study was to describe lived play experiences of kindergarten teachers. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used …

The Gender-Responsive Approach For The Female Delinquent, Jeanette Alexandria Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of females arrested for violent crimes has increased. The juvenile justice system continues to be challenged with developing gender-based treatment strategies to accommodate female delinquents. The purpose of this study was to examine probation officers' perceptions of the treatment provided for female delinquents and its ability to rehabilitate, reduce recidivism, and promote successful transition among female delinquents. The framework of this study encompassed the feminist theory from a criminology perspective. Data collection included interviews with 5 probation officers in El Paso County's Juvenile Justice Detention Center. Interviews were reviewed to generate a summary of relevancy. Themes and codes …

Type 2 Diabetes In Offspring Of Diabetic African American Women, Toby Valentino Yak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is greater among African American women and their offspring than it is among Caucasian women and their offspring. In Iowa, there has been a gap in public health knowledge regarding risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes in African American women and their offspring. The behavioral change wheel model was used to guide this study. This research study was a quantitative, retrospective cohort using primary data to investigate the association between a sample of diabetic African American and the occurrence of diabetes in their offspring. The sample included 105 diabetic African American women between …

Mindful Fitness: Guidelines For Prenatal Practice, Kimberlee Bethany Bonura

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Mindfulness exercise practices offer a form of physical activity which is uniquely suited to support both psychological and physical health during pregnancy. Mindfulness exercise practices, which include yoga, qi gong, tai chi, and martial art forms such as kung fu, karate, and tae kwon do, combine physical activity with deliberate breathing exercises and focused attentional strategies. The purpose of this article is to review the various forms of mindfulness exercise and outline basic guidelines for mindfulness exercise training during pregnancy.

Sensory-Based Calming Strategies For Infants, Leann Stadtlander

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Crying in infants is a normal physiological response; however, prolonged crying can produce a great deal of frustration and stress for new parents, and has been found to be related to shaken baby syndrome. Offering parents a range of calming options for their infants gives them a sense of control and connection to the infant. The process of calming their crying baby boosts parents’ confidence, creates a growing sense of trust within the infant, and sets the foundation for establishing a positive parent-infant relationship. This article explores sensory-based calming techniques and provides resources for parents, as well as, the childbirth …

A Model For Hiv Disclosure Of A Parent’S And/Or A Child’S Illness, Grace Gachanja, Gary Burkholder

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

HIV prevalence in Kenya remains steady at 5.6% for adults 15 years and older, and 0.9% among children aged below 14 years. Parents and children are known to practice unprotected sex, which has implications for continued HIV spread within the country. Additionally, due to increased accessibility of antiretroviral therapy, more HIV-positive persons are living longer. Therefore, the need for HIV disclosure of a parent’s and/or a child’s HIV status within the country will continue for years to come. We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study to understand the entire process of disclosure from the time of initial HIV diagnosis of an …

Development Of A Bedside Shift Report Policy And Guidelines To Assist Nurses With Patient Care, Cynthia Snedecor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2013, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers System (HCAHPS), a national, independent metric of patient satisfaction, revealed room for improvement at a teaching hospital in the southeastern section of the United States. This project reports the development and validation of a Bedside Shift Report (BSR) policy, practice guidelines, and associated documentation. Several initiatives, models, and theories informed thinking about this project. The work of Kurt Lewin and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's joint initiative, Transforming Care at the Bedside, both guided the project in terms of the process of institutional change. SBAR (Situation Background …

Behavioral Modification And Relapse Rates In Opioid-Dependent Pregnant Women Managed With Subutex, Tammy Lynn Minor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Behavioral Modification and Relapse Rates in

Opioid-Dependent Pregnant Women Managed with Subutex

by

Tammy Minor

MSN, Walden University, 2009

BSN, Marshall University, 1986

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

March 2016

Opioid dependency affects not only the individual who is dependent on opioids but negatively impactsalso the family unit, the community, and society as a whole. Opioid use in the prenatal period can have devastating effects on both the mother and the fetus. The purpose of this paper is to perform a secondary analysis of the effectiveness of …

The Effect Of Simulation Training On Nursing Students' Content Exam Scores, Lori Ann Podlinski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Simulation training has been implemented at a small nursing school in the eastern United States to improve the currently low content exam scores in nursing courses. With the guidance of Kolb's experiential learning theory, differences in 8 course content exam scores were investigated for students who received simulation training in the content area before the exam and students who received simulation training after the exam, using a quasi-experimental, comparative design. Archival exam scores from 424 content exams, 212 completed by students who received simulation training before the exam and 212 completed by students who received simulation training after the exam, …

Parental Beliefs About Maladaptive Eating Behaviors In Adolescents, Teresa Loar Sage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 25 million people in the United States are affected by eating disorders, and understanding children's eating style can help determine maladaptive eating behaviors. This study was an investigation of parents' beliefs about their children's eating behaviors in relation to parental work status. Two theoretical frameworks were used to guide the study. Symbolic interactionism focused on communication between parents and children. Social learning theory focused on adolescents possibly learning their eating behaviors from observing their parents' eating habits. The research questions and hypotheses examined if there was a relationship between the work status of parents and their beliefs about maladaptive …

Associative Relationship Among Mindfulness, Academic Grades, And Affective Outcomes In Adolescence, Elena Ksendzov

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents navigate through escalating academic and social pressures while undergoing major physical and psychological changes. Concerned with behavioral, mental, and emotional challenges of youth, educators seek to expand approaches to promote learning success. Research founded in mindfulness theories has suggested that mindfulness positively and significantly correlates with psychological and physical health, work performance, decision-making ability, and emotional regulation, and may be a factor in learning. Two theoretical viewpoints on mindfulness, Western- and Eastern-based, formed the conceptual framework for this study, which aimed to examine associative relationships between mindfulness and academic achievement, and between mindfulness and affective outcomes for the general …

Strategies To Retain Employees In The Insurance Industry, Marilyn Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover costs can be 100%-200% of the total compensation package of an employee who leaves the organization, depending upon their position and experience. Leaders in the highly competitive insurance industry should emphasize the importance to retain talented employees with managers in an effort to minimize costs and diminish productivity levels associated with employee turnover. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies to retain employees used by insurance managers in the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area. The conceptual framework included Herzberg's motivator-hygiene theory to explore motivator factors that encourage employee retention. Seminstructured interviews were conducted with …

Improving Nurses' Knowledge Of Stroke, James Trone Mcdaniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stroke is a devastating disease. Stroke care has advanced greatly in the past 20 years with innovations in radiologic imaging, development of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), organized systems of care, telestroke, and best practice guidelines via Get with the Guidelines Stroke (GWTGS). However, stroke remains the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. To provide current and quality care for stroke patients, nurses need ongoing stroke education. Additionally, stroke centers must provide a sustainable stoke education program to their nurses to keep their knowledge current. Guided by Rosswurm and Larrabee's model, this quality improvement project addressed whether an …

Perceptions Of Community College Students And Faculty On Persistence In Developmental Reading, Lisa H. Aofrate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attrition for entry-level, non-traditional college students taking developmental reading courses is a concern for higher education institutions. Students need to complete basic developmental reading courses in order to progress in their vocational or collegiate studies. This phenomenological study followed a social constructivist approach to attempt to understand what developmental reading students and faculty experience regarding persistence. The key research question examined the perceptions and understandings of college students and faculty involved in college entry level, non-traditional developmental reading classes regarding the factors impacting student persistence at a local community college. Using interviews, surveys, and participant journals, data were collected from …

Systematic Review: Barriers That Prevent Compliance With Hydroxyurea In Sickle Cell Disease, Uchechukwu Imegi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a blood disorder that is inherited from both parents and affects millions of people globally. The symptoms of SCD may be debilitating and pose a significant challenge to nursing care. Hydroxyurea (HU), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for SCD in adults is reportedly effective, but its usage is still minimal among adolescents with SCD. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate existing literature on the barriers to HU use in adolescents with SCD. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-based Practice (JHNEBP) Rating Scales guided this study. An extensive electronic search of …