Digital Commons Network^™

Determinants Of Usage Of Age-Appropriate Child Safety Seats In Connecticut, Giuseppina Mendillo Violano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of unintentional injury death and disability for children ages 1'15 years. Despite local, state, and federal legislative and educational efforts, children continue to be restrained improperly and thus face harm. Identifying behaviors and barriers that place child occupants at risk is crucial for implementing focused, injury-prevention programs and policies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Connecticut's child passenger safety law that was strengthened in 2005. This study involved a multifactorial approach to predicting child seat use, guided by Roger's diffusion of innovations …

Perceptions Of Retention Among Bachelor Of Social Work Graduates At A Historically Black College And University, Monique Eileen Holsey-Hyman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student attrition from universities carries high costs for individuals, universities, and society. Despite these costs, there has been limited research on the problem from the students' perspectives, specifically the perceptions of university graduates about what factors may have influenced their own retention at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). African American students complete college at the lowest rate compared to other ethnic sub groups. Guided by Tinto's theory of student departure, this qualitative consensual research study focused on the perceptions of 15 bachelor of social work graduates regarding (a) the factors that helped them to persist to graduation at an …

An Examination Of Social Support, Contentment With Life And Time Spent In An Assisted Living Setting., Rebecca Esliker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policies at assisted living facilities should be designed to develop high quality social relationships among older persons that could increase the contentment of the residents. Despite the broad consensus on this mission, the role of social support in the perceived contentment of assisted living facility residents has not been adequately explored. Using social network theory as the framework for this study, the purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether (a) perceived level of social support was related to perceived level of contentment with life among assisted living facility residents, (b) the length of time spent in the facility …

Using Hand-Held Technologies To Support The Transition Of Youth With Intellectual Disabilities Into Adult Roles, Janet E. Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) struggle with social interactions that are vital to the development of a high quality of life. Although evidence exists to support the use of technology as cognitive aids for youth with ID, little exists on the use of common hand-held devices for social support. The use of such devices has the potential to level the playing field in adult social roles, helping people with ID make and keep relationships. It is unclear how applications like video chatting might be used to support transition-age youth with ID in adult social roles. Using a framework of modeling …

Military Enlistment: The Motivations Of Former Military Personnel Coming From Single-Parent Homes, Jada Amber Philips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine how the single-parent home environment, together with other demographic attributes like socioeconomic status, influenced young adults' decisions to enlist in the military. Adolescents transitioning into adulthood are often faced with the choices of what to do after high school, such as whether or not to join the military. Previous studies on youth enlistment in the military do not address in-depth the question of why they enlist or their motivating factors. Interviews via face-to-face, over the phone or via Skype, were conducted with 9 participants between the ages of 25-35 years who were …

Physician Assistants' Preventive Medicine Practices And Related Habits, Attitudes, And Beliefs, Judia Yael Malachi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physician assistants play a pivotal role in expanding access to care, yet research on their preventive medicine practices is limited. Guided by Lewis's conceptual model for predicting counseling practices, this cross-sectional study examined the relationship between physician assistants' preventive medicine practices, personal health habits, prevention and counseling attitudes, and perceived barriers to the delivery of clinical preventive services. A 104-item self-administered survey was used to collect data from 314 physician assistants attending the American Academy of Physician Assistants' 42nd Annual Conference. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression. Results indicated that physician assistants engaged in …

Parental Perceptions Of The Diagnostic Process For Autism Spectrum Disorder In British Columbia, Ramen Kaur Saggu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the incidence of autism had reached a prevalence rate of 1 out of every 68 children. This increase means that more families have experienced the difficult Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnostic process. Although research on parental perspectives of the ASD diagnostic process is almost 2 decades old, to date, there have been no studies conducted in Canada comparing parental experiences between the private and government-funded assessment routes. Research in general has shown that parents are generally dissatisfied with the ASD diagnosis process. The theoretical foundation for this study is …

Transformational Leadership Principles Within Small Businesses, Tiffany Suzanne Mckinnon-Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses in the United States experience a high rate of failure. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and explore consistent strategies small business owners in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania used to lead successful companies. Transformational leadership theory formed the conceptual framework for this study. A mixed purposive sample of 20 small business owners participated in semistructured face- to-face and telephone interviews. Each of the participants possessed a minimum of 3 years of successful business operation and employed fewer than 500 individuals. Using Moustakas' modified van Kaam analyses, 6 main themes emerged: characteristics and experiences, leadership behaviors, managing operations, …

Critical Care Nurses' Perceptions Of Their Knowledge And Self-Efficacy About Providing End-Of-Life Care, Mary Kathryn Gaffney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most nurses receive limited formal education regarding end-of-life (EOL) care, which affects their ability to meet dying patients' needs. Guided by Bandura's social learning theory, this explanatory correlational study examined the relationships between critical care nurses' personal and professional characteristics and their perceived knowledge and self-efficacy when providing EOL care at an academic medical center. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from the eligible adult, pediatric, and neonatal critical care nurses for this study. The 67 participants completed the End-of-Life Professional Caregiver Survey (EPCS) to assess EOL care knowledge and self-confidence. Total EPCS scores revealed only moderate levels of …

Predictor Variables Of Online Sports Problem Gambling By College Fraternity Members, Matt Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quantitative study identified predictor variables of online sports problem gambling, as measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) among fraternity students at major college universities. The data were composed of 125 college fraternity students from ages 18 to 25 years of age. The average SOGS score was 1.776 with a standard deviation of 1.93. A SOGS score of 5 or greater indicates a probable problem gambler. The study used the Blaszczynski and Nower (2002) pathways model to determine how fraternity students could become problem gamblers. A stepwise regression model was run in SPSS using multiple independent variables taken …

Electronic Benefit Transfer: Food Choices, Food Insecurity, And Type 2 Diabetes, Diana Louise Malkin-Washeim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to examine food security for people with prediabetes participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), focusing on their food choice decisions and coping strategies over a 30-day benefit cycle that potentially increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. A cross-sectional, quantitative design based on food choice process model constructs was used. SNAP participants (n = 36) with prediabetes, aged 21-70 years, were recruited as outpatients from Bronx Lebanon Hospital and completed self-reported questionnaires on demographics and health, food security, and food frequency. Descriptive statistics, Pearson chi square tests, and regression analysis were performed …

Understanding Health Literacy Skills Of Patients With Cardiovascular Disease And Diabetes, Patrick J. Dunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy is the ability to understand and act on health information and is linked to health outcomes. It is unclear how health literacy skills are developed in patients with complex conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to gain perspectives of both patients and healthcare professionals on how health literacy skills were developed in patients with cardiovascular disease or diabetes. The research questions addressed how knowledge and skills were acquired, the role of digital tools, instructional strategies used by healthcare professionals, and how the instructional strategies of the healthcare professionals matched …

Socialization Of Adjunct Faculty At A Southern California Community College, Cynthia Kathleen Haiduk-Pollack

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders at a local community college in southern California ascertained that adjunct faculty members felt disconnected from the school and were not properly socialized to the culture of the school. The purpose of this case study was to help leaders learn adjunct faculty's perceptions of the socialization process. Organizational socialization theory and occupational socialization theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. Purposeful sampling was used to select 12 adjunct faculty to participate in face-to-face interviews. Data were collected via open-ended interview questions. These data were then transcribed, coded, and searched for themes. Coding was completed using Microsoft Word to …

Nursing Students' And Novice Clinical Instructors' Experiences With Clinical Instruction And Assessment, Bridgett Alveta Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adjunct faculty members make up a growing proportion of nursing school clinical faculty in the United States due to a nurse educator shortage in higher education. Many of the nurses hired as clinical faculty members have years of experience providing patient care, but they lack experience in clinical instruction and assessment. At a state community college in the southeastern United States, nursing students have expressed dissatisfaction in their course evaluations with inexperienced faculty in clinical programs. The experiences of both nursing students under the guidance of novice clinical instructors and clinical faculty were examined in this case study. The National …

K-5 Elementary Balanced Literacy Reading Program Implementation Evaluation, Suzanne Marie Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who struggle with reading in their elementary years are likely to make poor academic progress, leave school before graduation, and struggle in the workplace. The district leaders at 24 K-5 elementary schools in a large Midwestern district were interested in a formative reading program evaluation to determine reading program effectiveness. This mixed methods study, approached from a cognitive and social theoretical framework, was a formative evaluation of the Balanced Literacy Reading Program implementation at these elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to capture the K-5 classroom teachers' (n = 113), instructional coaches' (n = 18), and principals' …

Exploring Antecedents To Work Engagement And Psychological Well-Being Within A Canadian Provincial Ministry, Kris Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap exists in organizational development strategies on why some individuals remain disengaged with their work. This study addressed whether a combination of specific contextual factors could support individuals, teams, and leaders to demonstrate the attitudes and behaviors consistent with work engagement. The theoretical frameworks of social constructivism, the conceptual framework of symbolic interactionism, and a hermeneutic inquiry approach were used to address how individual psychological traits/abilities of employees support work engagement. Nineteen employees of a Canadian provincial government ministry completed an engagement survey, MSCEIT, MBTI, and SDI assessments. They also participated in focus groups. Survey results showed high engagement …

The Effect Of The Implementation Of Relationship-Based Care On Patient Satisfaction, Laura Ellen Field

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effects of relationship-based care (RBC) on patient satisfaction. RBC is a caring model that promotes a caring and healing environment by establishing and maintaining therapeutic relationships between patient, self, and coworker. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services links Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores with reimbursement to hospitals. It is essential to not only achieve high patient satisfaction scores in order to ensure full financial reimbursement, but also to ensure high quality, patient-centered care. The current project assessed samples from 2 medical surgical groups, one system-wide …

The Effects Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy On Parents Of Children Diagnosed With Autism, Dawn Montgomery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of children who display characteristics of autism in the United States has been on the rise. Not only do children diagnosed with autism experience difficulties related to the defining characteristics of autism, but parents of children diagnosed with autism commonly experience negative consequences as well. Parents of a child diagnosed with autism more often report symptoms of depression, stress, and reduced quality of life than their do counterparts with neuro-typical children. These traits have the potential to negatively impact the parents' capacity to assist their child in receiving needed treatment and can limit the ability of the parents …

Factors That Influence Empowerment In Adjunct Faculty Members, Lisa Murthy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To offset the cost and meet the demand for high quality nursing graduates, adjunct faculty members are hired to educate students in the practice settings. Adjunct faculty may not have access to the resources allocated to full-time faculty and may not feel empowered to provide the most effective educational experiences for the students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure factors that influence empowerment in adjunct faculty members teaching in an associate degree nursing program at a community college located in the Midwestern United States. The study also examined whether there is a difference in the empowerment of …

Teachers' Perceptions Of An Integrated Third Grade Curriculum's Effects On Students' Reading Achievement, Charlene Lane Bazemore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School leaders in a Virginia urban school district designed and implemented a reading-infused integrated curriculum to address Grade 3 students' struggles to read and comprehend grade-level text. Informed via a constructivist approach, the curriculum integrated the core subjects, reading, and service learning for developing competent readers, thinkers, and problem solvers. This instrumental case study focused on 13 Grade 3 teachers' perceptions of the integrated curriculum in regards to their students' reading achievement. Qualitative data were collected from face-to-face interviews, students' progress of work documents, and the district's integrated curriculum unit. Open coding was employed to analyze the data. Inductively, triangulated …

Understanding The Impact Os Stress, Irrational Health Beliefs, And Health Behaviors Among Adults18-45, Toni Loe Rabalais

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the role of stress on irrational health beliefs and health behaviors among individuals 18-45 years old. Previous research has shown that this age group reported higher stress levels, more physical symptoms of stress, and the highest level of negative health behaviors. The theoretical frameworks were health belief model, the transactional model of stress and coping theory, and Ellis's concept of irrational beliefs. A survey using 3 published instruments measured the perceived stress level, irrational health beliefs, and health behaviors of a sample of 97 individuals aged 18-45. The data were quantitatively assessed using a mediation model to …

A Staff Development Program: Diabetes And Tb Education And Screening, Relyndo Manalo Salcedo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing body of evidence on the positive association between diabetes and tuberculosis (TB), especially in populations with low socioeconomic status. According to the CDC and the WHO, diabetes is increasingly seen as a global epidemic, one that poses a threat to global TB control. The goal of this DNP project was to develop a program to educate clinical staff on the importance of early identification of diabetic and TB patients. The logic model was chosen as the framework for this project because it allows the planner to rationally observe each stage of a project's development. The program …

Female Parents' Attitudes, Beliefs, And Perceptions About Youth Gun Crimes, Karen Annmaurisa Sylva-Givens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth gun crime is an important public health issue that affects many communities in the United States. Since 2012, there were over 30,000 gun-related deaths in the United States. Gun violence remains the leading cause of death for young people ages 15-24. This phenomenological study examined single female parents' attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of the influences and causes of youth gun crimes. The purposive sample drew from 10 single female parents of youth ages 14-17 charged with gun crimes. Sutherlands' (1974) differential association theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. The mothers participated in a series of in-depth, face-to-face …

Expectations Of Teachers, Administrators, And Parents For The Academic Achievement Of Students, Tracy Shells

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years, states in the United States have developed assessment testing to help ensure that schools meet academic standards. This study investigated an educational problem of low student academic achievement and low scores on a state test in a middle school in the southeastern United States. It specifically queried whether expectations for student achievement had a positive influence on students' academic success. The research questions were designed to investigate parents, teachers, and administrators' expectations for the academic achievement of students. The conceptual framework guiding this study used the ecological model of human development, which postulates that personal development is …

Relationships Among Adult Student Performance And Satisfaction Variables For One Campus Of A Career University's Mba Programs, Curtis G. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of adult learners has grown significantly since World War II, and workplace environments have expanded to embrace many new areas of expertise and knowledge. The expectations of these learners in terms of the courses offered by career universities have become increasingly diverse. University personnel need to find ways that optimize and align courses offered with those expectations. The purpose of this correlational study was to understand the relationships between outcome variables in adult education programs and students' perceptions of the quality of their educational programs. Five historically tracked variables were examined: program GPA, job placement rate, program completion …

Ethical Insights Of Early 21st-Century Corporate Leaders, Kevin B. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

From 2001 to 2010, a lack of documented standards within ethics programs inhibited decision making, management practices, and corporate strategies for corporate leaders in the United States. Seminal theories in transformational, charismatic, servant, spiritual, and ethical leadership formed the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study, whose intent was to explore how senior leaders of Fortune 500 companies in Washington, DC integrated ethics into daily business decisions and the role in organizational performance. A convenience sample of 20 Fortune 500 leaders participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews to explore the assessment, definition, and documentation of various ethical standards in the company; the …

Racial Differences In The Impact Of A Worksite Wellness Program On Cardiovascular Biomarkers, Ceabert Joseph Griffith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for approximately 600,000 deaths in the United States each year, with African Americans (AAs) disproportionately affected. Individual-level approaches to reducing CVD remain ineffective, mobilizing a movement that advocates for population-based solutions. Workplace wellness programs (WWPs) have gained considerable traction as a viable strategy for ameliorating CVD burden among workers in general. However, no studies have looked at the efficacy of WWPs in ameliorating CVD specifically among AA employees--a knowledge gap that this investigation aimed to close. Based on the health belief model and the social cognitive theory, this retrospective cohort study used de-identified secondary data …

Leadership Strategies To Influence Employee Engagement In Health Care, John David Vizzuso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospitals are in a precarious financial position with declining reimbursement, eroding profit margins, and low patient satisfaction. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 reform may decrease hospital reimbursement by $500 billion from 2010 to 2020, while low patient satisfaction may decrease profitability for hospitals by 27%. Employee disengagement may decrease patient satisfaction and consumer loyalty. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of health care leaders as they worked to engage employees and provide better patient care. Improving patient care provides opportunities to capture new market shares, which increases sustainability of health …

Self Esteem, Locus Of Control, And The Relationship With Registered Nurses' Experience With Workplace Incivility, Elizabeth Anne Berry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study's purpose is evaluating the relationship between locus of control and selfesteem

in relation to the registered nurse's experience and perception with lateral and

vertical incivility. There is a lack of research concerning nurse-to-nurse incivility within

the nursing profession. The hypothesis examined whether dynamics of locus of control

and self-esteem could provide insight into the personality dynamics influencing incivility

in the workplace. This non-experimental quantitative study used 2 self-evaluation tools

and 1 demographic survey tool to collect data via Survey Monkey, a commercial data

collection company. Participants were 65 randomly selected faculty (n = 36) and

graduate students (n …

Attitudes Of Returning Citizens In Government-Managed Post-Release Programming, Zachary D'Jon Weaver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nearly 700,000 prisoners return to communities annually, and approximately two-thirds are rearrested within 3 years of release. The cyclic pattern of recidivism presents risks to both returning offenders and the communities that accept them. Reentry research tends to include the voice and experiences of juveniles, community members, and service providers, and narrowly focuses on the socioeconomic conditions of adult ex-offender populations pre- and post-release. Few researchers have explored the attitudes of those returning citizens or the perceived impact on treatment success, as related to employment-based, post-release reintegration programs. This study investigated the attitudes of 32 participants of Project Empowerment, the …