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Assessment Of Multidrug Resistance Among Tuberculosis Patients In Lesotho, Jerry Yakubu Yahaya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) jeopardizes the tremendous efforts in the fight against tuberculosis in Lesotho. To understand the occurrence of MDR-TB, it is important to identify the associated risk factors and how to address them. There is a literature gap on the sociodemographic risk factors associated with MDR-TB in Lesotho. This study assessed whether there is any significant association between age, employment, income, sex, education, place of residence and MDR-TB. The association between HIV and MDR-TB was also evaluated. Guided by the health belief model and social cognitive theory, a retrospective case-control study design and a proportionate stratified …

Treatment-Seeking Behaviors And Malaria Prevalence Among Under-5 Children In Niger, Aissa Yaye Habi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is a deadly vector-borne disease that mainly affects children in Africa, especially in Niger. Although public health efforts in malaria prevention have been successful in many parts of the world, malaria remains a significant public burden in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among children. Despite the numerous studies conducted on individual factors influencing the prevalence of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and Niger, there is little knowledge about the collective influence of treatment-seeking behaviors and malaria prevalence among under-5 children in Niger. This study was a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design guided by the social-ecological model (SEM) that used secondary data …

Women Veterans’ Benefit Application Experiences In South-Central Texas, Wendy B. Yeldell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female veterans are increasing and are anticipated to make up 20% of all veterans; however, they are less likely to apply for and use their veterans’ benefits, such as medical, mental health counseling, educational, and other programs that can benefit warriors and their family. South-Central Texas Veteran Service Organization (SCTVSO) has outreach initiatives to reach female veterans and assist during the veterans’ benefits application process. The study’s overarching question centered on obtaining insights from female veterans on their familiarity with SCTVSO and experiences with the benefit application process. This study focused on the largest population of women veterans in the …

Childhood Anxiety And Roles Of Parents, Educators, And Pediatric Healthcare Providers In Addressing Protective Factors, Gabriela Zamora-Ahlstrom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChildhood anxiety affects over 32% of youth in the United States, and when left untreated, contributes to poor school performance, social difficulties, truancy, school dropout rates, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and family and community difficulties. Preventing childhood anxiety by implementing effective protective factors for children can eliminate many of these outcomes. Using the biopsychosocial theory and social work systems theories, this study involved exploring the beliefs and attitudes of parents, educators, and pediatric healthcare providers in an affluent suburban community of Detroit (Rochester/Rochester Hills, MI), regarding their roles in providing protective factors against childhood anxiety. A generic qualitative research design …

Exploring The Significance Of Digital Skills Training For Accountants, Limin Zhu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Accounting firm leaders face a challenge with employees who lack digital skills. Employees without relevant digital skills put the accounting firm at a competitive disadvantage. Grounded in human capital theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies regional accounting firm leaders used to help employees improve digital skills. Data were collected from six semistructured interviews with partners, directors, and managers with three years or more of experience who participated in the training and professional development process at four regional accounting firms in the Houston, Texas area. The review of company documents and company website postings …

The Use Of Social Media For Disaster Information In Houston-Galveston, Tx, Erik Phillip Zugner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDisasters, natural or human-caused, have the ability to inflict catastrophic economic and physical damage to communities around the world. As social media is becoming more widespread in the use of information sharing, it is not being used to its full potential to communicate with the communities in the greater Houston-Galveston, TX region. The purpose of this study was to address the use and implementation of social media for disasters and large-scale events in the Houston-Galveston, TX region. I used the transformative framework as outlined by Creswell as the theoretical framework for this study. The qualitative research questions focused on social …

Bank Management Compliance Strategies To Avoid Regulatory Sanctions, Henry Emetseme Akiotu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fines and penalties assessed against a bank for failure to comply with regulatory sanctions result in loss of revenues and reputation. Bank managers who fail to implement effective strategies to prevent sanctions compliance could experience reduced bank profitability, reputational loss, and possible bank failure. Grounded in Goldratt’s theory of constraints, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore compliance strategies bank managers use to avoid regulatory sanctions. The participants were three senior bank compliance managers from the Dallas, Texas, metropolitan area with a minimum of 5 years of experience who have successfully implemented strategies to avoid regulatory …

Gestational Weight Gain, Level Of Education, And Infant Mortality Among African American Women, George Lee Amanambu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

African American (AA) women in Mississippi have a higher burden of infant mortality, especially those with low income and educational levels, as compared to other regions of the country. However, it is unknown if abnormal gestation weight gain (GWG) is contributing to this increased burden. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the association between GWG (25-35lbs), level of education, income, and infant mortality among AA women with normal prepregnancy body weight who were between 30 to 47 years old in the state of Mississippi from 2016 to 2018. Biopsychosocial and ecosocial models were used as the theoretical foundation to design …

Strategies Of Successful Project Managers Leading Virtual Teams, Allison Harris Bean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some project managers lack strategies to effectively lead virtual project teams, which can result in a lack of clear project direction, collaboration and communication, and empowerment to solve problems within the team. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies project managers use to lead virtual teams effectively. The participants were three project managers in. the United States who worked exclusively with virtual teams and had a minimum of one year of experience leading a virtual project team. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: …

Educators’ Perceptions Of The Implementation Of The Team Model Of Transformational Leadership, Lucas Gomez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of this project study was that middle school teachers in a public schooldistrict in southwestern United States did not understand the principals’ expectations for implementing the team model and its effect on their relationship with administrators the team model regarding the relationship between administrators and teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative project study was to investigate the perceptions of school principals and middle school teachers regarding the team model and the principals’ expectations for classroom instruction. The conceptual framework for this project was the team model of transformational leadership. The research site was a public school district …

Developing A Tai Chi Education Module For Nurses, Edna Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. population is living longer, which leads to challenges with chronic conditions that attack their health and well-being. Chronic diseases also cost $ 3.8 trillion dollars every year in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are four behaviors that cause many of the chronic preventable diseases: lack of physical activity, excessive alcohol, smoking, and diet. Alternative strategies including physical activity like Tai Chi can improve health outcomes for older adults with chronic disease. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to develop a Tai Chi education module for nurses who provide …

Case Managers’ Perspectives Of Hospital Postdischarge Services For Patients Diagnosed With Coronary Artery Disease, Brian Alexander Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States lacks postdischarge services, which can negatively impact hospital readmissions within 30 days. It is important for case managers to effectively leverage outpatient services to enhance patient care and reduce readmission rates. Grounded in the practice change model framework, this qualitative single case study explores the perspectives of case managers involved with postdischarge services for patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD). Participants included 13 case managers from two metropolitan hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia. To address the research problem and study purpose, data collection techniques included semi-structured interviews, case management discharge summaries, and reflective journal notes. The thematic …

The Impact Of Telemedicine Availability On Fatal Opioid Overdose Rates In Texas, 2020, Cara W. Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSubstance use disorders (SUDs) and fatal overdoses are a significant problem in the United States. A viable and effective method for treating SUDs is through telemedicine (tele-SUD) visits. Tele-SUD visits are an effective means of meeting with patients virtually, especially in the post-COVID-19 environment; however, a problem in health care exists concerning the availability of tele-SUD services in middle America. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of tele-SUD availability on rates of opioid overdose deaths in the state of Texas. Donabedian’s model of health care quality evaluation was used as the theoretical framework. A quantitative, independent …

Staff Education For Identifying, Assessing And Managing Pain In Patients With Dementia, Nadia S. Handspike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pain is a common symptom in healthcare settings, especially among patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). AD patients have cognitive and communication impairment making it difficult or impossible for them to communicate their pain to their caregivers or healthcare practitioners. The purpose of this project was to implement a staff education program for healthcare professionals on evidence-based practices for assessing, recognizing, and managing pain in patients with AD. The practice-focused question explored if a staff education program on identification, assessment, and management of pain in patients with AD improves the staff's knowledge, skills, and attitude towards timely and effective pain assessment …

Mental Health Professionals Working In Prisons: Their Perspectives On The Quality And Availability Of Treatment And Therapy For Mentally Ill Inmates, Tara Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The perspectives of mental health professionals who work with inmates who have serious and persistent mental illnesses is largely unknown. Prisons, law enforcement, and the courts may all benefit from understanding these perspectives regarding how to treat the mentally ill in the criminal justice system (CJS). Many studies (mostly quantitative) have been conducted to address the increase of mentally ill inmates and have focuses on different areas of this phenomenon. However, to date, no qualitative studies have been located that depict the perceptions of mental health professionals working in prisons and their viewpoints regarding this population’s access to quality and …

Integrated Care Impact On Postpartum Visit Compliance And Readmissions, Matthew Herrick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The specific research problem that was addressed through this study is the low rate of postpartum visits among Medicaid-enrolled women, leading to increased postpartum complications and readmissions. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate if hospital readmissions can be reduced by integrated care home visiting services relating to postpartum visit compliance. The research questions evaluated the relationships between postpartum visit compliance, hospital readmissions among Medicaid-enrolled women in Indiana, and an integrated care home visiting program. The Donabedian model for quality-of-care grounds this study and is based on structure, process, and outcome. Through this model, healthcare leaders can evaluate …

Policies That Support Emergency Department Staff In Providing Behavioral Health Care, Lizabeth Lepp Hennig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A significant portion of individuals with a behavioral health (BH) condition return to emergency departments (ED) seeking care, resulting in reduced quality of care, and contributing to disproportionate healthcare costs. Care can be improved and return visits to the ED reduced where behavioral health care and follow-up care planning are provided as part of their treatment. However, policies expected to create declines in ED use for behavioral conditions are typically in short duration or are difficult to use given other funding and policy constraints. With little known about how policy is supporting the engagement of ED staff who are critical …

The Influence Of Race And Ethnicity On The Prevalence Of Social Stigma For People With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Donielle Hyde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Various studies attempting to evaluate the prevalence of health-related social stigma in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) identified themes that coincide with increased prevalence including anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, fear of judgement, anger, and feeling ashamed. This phenomenon is believed to be due to the lack of knowledge and understanding about the differences between the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies for T1DM and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The Resilient, Empowered, Active Living intervention dataset (n=115) was utilized to further examine this phenomenon by determining whether race and ethnicity influence the prevalence of the following health-related social stigma …

Diabetes, Obesity, Geographic Location Of The Patient And Clostridium Difficile Infection In The United States, Mary (Maribeth) Greenway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractClostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major nosocomial threat to be reckoned with in the current health care setting in the United States. Advancing age, underlying chronic disease associated with inflammation (including Diabetes Mellitus Type I ([DMI]), Diabetes Type II ([DMII]), and obesity), trauma, immunodeficiency and other factors that diminish the overall health of an individual, and increase an individual’s susceptibility to CDI. The ecological framework was used to determine the relationship between geographic, chronic diseases and the occurrence of infectious diseases. To continue enhancing knowledge related to CDI susceptibility this quantitative study used the 2010 National Hospital Discharge Survey …

Former Female Sex Workers’ Perceptions Of Spirituality In Exiting Sex Work, Lisa Diane Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Exiting sex work is extremely difficult. Women trying to exit sex work experience cycles of exit and reentry until they finally succeed. Spirituality has been identified as one of the factors that contribute to the exiting process or that help in the decision of not returning to sex work. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore former female sex workers’ perceptions of spirituality during the process of exiting sex work. The integrated model for exiting sex work constituted the theoretical basis for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 15 adult former female sex workers …

Perceptions Of Nursing Students And Academic Advisors On Academic Advising And Nursing School Retention, Shelia Holmes- Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLow retention rates in nursing programs extend the nursing shortage, result in lost revenue for institutions, and place financial burdens on students who leave. This research addressed the retention problem in the nursing program of a Southeastern community college. Guided by Jeffreys’s nursing universal retention and success model, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand first- and second-year nursing students’ and faculty academic advisors’ perceptions of the role of academic advising in nursing students’ persistence and the experiences that facilitate program completion. Interviews with participants, eight advisors and eight first- and second-year students, were audio recorded, transcribed, …

The Impact Of The Involvement Of African- American Female’S In Extra-Curricular Activities On Future Prosocial Decision-Making, Janine-Naisha Shante Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is important to understand what protective factors might be developed in order to prevent Black adolescent females from becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. The focus of this study was identifying the perceptions of adult Black women who grew up in an urban setting and who participated in organized sports during their adolescence. The primary research question focused on whether ten adult Black females perceived their participation in sports during adolescence served as a protective factor, thereby preventing or minimizing the participant’s involvement in criminal behavior. The data was analyzed through MAXQDA software. The predominant themes from this …

Staff Hypertension Education Program For Vulnerable Populations In A Primary Care Setting, Brando Jobity

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For health care practitioners to effectively manage hypertension (HTN) patients and their related long- and short-term consequences, they must first identify the underlying cause of the disease. When patient interventions are not regularly implemented by clinicians, the likelihood of complications from HTN increases. A gap in staff knowledge on managing patients with HTN was identified in an outpatient clinic in the midwestern United States. A staff education program for health care providers to close the knowledge gap was developed based on the most recent Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of HTN. The aim of this …

Lived Experiences Of Elementary School Principals In Dubai, Lama Jbara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited research exists about leadership styles and influences of elementary private school principals in Dubai, who identify as transformational leaders. Insights from this study can inform further research into school leadership in the Arab world, as well as how best to share leadership experiences among elementary private school principals Dubai. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of self-reported transformational leaders in elementary private schools in Dubai. The conceptual framework for this research was transformational leadership. The research question addressed in this study is: How do elementary private school principals in Dubai describe their lived …

Urban Administrators Perspectives Of Exclusionary Discipline Techniques And The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Sabrina Enid Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an overrepresentation of elementary-age, Black boys being suspended across the United States. Researchers have found that if these boys are disconnected from school at an early age, they are at risk of becoming part of the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP). Educators, particularly those in urban settings, need to understand more about the use of exclusionary discipline policies and practices. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand how urban educators consider the consequences of exclusionary discipline practices and the overrepresentation of elementary-age, Black boys who receive them compared to others. Critical race theory informed this study. Ten …

Bullying, Participation In Violence, Suicidal Ideation, And Behavior Among African American Youth, Kierystan Lorquoyea Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescent, teens, and young adults. Suicidal ideation is a predictor of suicide attempts. Guided by the integrated motivational-volitional model and social cognitive theory, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data were used to investigate whether traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and participation in physically violent behavior (independent variables) were associated with suicidal ideation and behavior (dependent variables) among African American high school aged youth controlling for age, gender, physical, and sexual abuse. It was found that experiencing traditional bullying increased suicidal ideation significantly, as there is an 82% increase in likelihood. There was also …

Microaggression Experiences Among African American Women And Their Effects On Health In Academia, Anta'sha Moni Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial microaggressions are brief daily negative verbal behaviors and environmental slights directed as intentional or unintentional towards minorities. These negative interactions lead minorities to feel powerless and oppressed in their environments. These adverse experiences result from stressors in their environment that negatively affect the human body by causing acute and chronic stress. This qualitative study aimed to investigate the relationship between personal, racial microaggression experiences, and their impact on health through a phenomenological approach. The critical race theory provided a framework to explore and understand how systematic discrimination experiences impacted the 17 African American faculty member participants’ health. A phenomenological …

Job Satisfaction And Burnout Among Social Workers Providing Services To Veterans, Toni Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers have been documented both experiencing job satisfaction with decreased levels of burnout and suffering from high stress and burnout. The job demands-resources (JDR) model was used to guide this study. The purpose of this study was to examine how social workers working with the veteran population describe how their job satisfaction affects their perceptions of burnout. A basic qualitative study design was employed with a purposeful sample of 12 social work participants drawn from multiple facilities that provide services to veterans. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and were analyzed using a thematic coding process, validation through member …

A Qualitative Study On The Fidelity Implementation Of Response To Intervention For K–2 Students In Reading, Sandra Lee Joyner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem that prompted this qualitative case study was a continuous below proficiency level performance of the kindergarten through second-grade students in a U.S. Southern state in reading, despite response to intervention (RTI) being implemented since 2011. The purpose of the study was to explore K–2 teachers’ perceptions regarding the fidelity implementation of RTI procedures in K–2 grades. The theoretical framework for this study was based on constructivist learning theory. The research questions were intended to examine K–2 teachers’ perceptions on how interventions were implemented through RTI to benefit, challenge, and address the needs of Grades K–2 struggling readers. Data …

Lived Experience Of Female Veterans And Civilian Workplace Integration, Angela Karnes Padron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study used Social Identity Theory (SIT) to explore the lived experiences of female veterans throughout their military transition phases to their postmilitary experiences, including successfully obtaining civilian employment. The purpose was to increase understanding of the unique experiences and needs of females during this transition and learn the success factors leading to gaining employment. This can help deter the increasing unemployment, depression, stress, and anxiety rates for female veterans. The social identities while in the military and postmilitary were studied to understand the catalysts to female transition issues. A semistructured interview was conducted with eight female veterans that …