Digital Commons Network^™

Women Superintendents’ Mentoring Experiences And Attainment Of The Superintendency, Araceli Chavarín

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underrepresentation of women in the school superintendency in the United States may be attributed to a lack of role models, mentoring, and educational networking. The problem that this study addressed is the lack of insight into how mentoring influences women’s attainment of the superintendency. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the mentoring experiences women superintendents identified as important in their lives and work. The conceptual framework of this study was based on Higgins and Kram’s developmental network. The research questions in the study explored how women superintendents describe mentorship experiences in their careers and describe …

Probation Department Culture And Promotion Policies, Paul Chavez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With management influence evolving in organizations, changes occur slower than anticipated. The problem in my study addressed how management controls promotional policies for probation officers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate whether management has control over probation promotional policies. Maslov’s theory of self-realization was incorporated into the theoretical framework for my research. Audio interviews were conducted with 15 participants who were non managerial probation officers who had no subordinates. Data analysis included key elements impacting morale in the workplace, employee evaluations, training, and communications. The conclusion showed there was a need to improve several promotional policies based …

Infrastructure As Code Strategies And Benefits In Cloud Computing, Jeffrey Chijioke-Uche

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hybrid and multicloud infrastructure implementation without automation and versioning strategy can negatively impact organizations’ productivity. Organization leaders must ensure that infrastructures are implemented using the infrastructure as code (IaC) strategy because implementation solutions, including automated and DevOps procedures, provide assets for repeatable infrastructure implementation use cases. Grounded in the disruptive innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore strategies solution architects use to implement IaC architecture using repeatable assets with DevOps procedures in cloud computing. The participants were seven solution architects in the information technology (IT) industry within the United States who have successfully implemented …

An Educational Program For Hospice Nurses About End-Of-Life Protocols, Rhonda Coleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Palliative care is specialized care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is centered on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness with a primary goal to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family. A gap in nursing practice was identified in a hospice facility in the South Central United States.; the nurses did not use palliative care or end-of-life (EoL) protocols. This project focused, therefore, on the development of a nursing staff education program for hospice nurses to increase knowledge about the use of EoL protocols. …

An Operations Manual To Replicate A Playground Program For Children With Special Needs In Global Regions, Terry Collier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physical disabilities restrict children’s motor abilities, affecting their participation in physical activities and play. But play area equipment can give children a way to participate in play regardless of their disability. The purpose of the study was to explore the need for an operations manual for nonprofit organizations when designing and developing inclusive play areas for children with special needs worldwide. The research question examined what processes during the design and development of inclusive play areas could be standardized with an operations manual. Interviews were conducted with two members with historical and operational knowledge of the organization. Transcribed data were …

The Role Of Self-Efficacy Against Workplace Stress, The Intent To Leave, And Burnout In Nursing, Alexis Collier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare administrators must sustain the nursing workforce by minimizing workplace stress, the intent to leave, and burnout while maintaining a safe, accessible, high-quality, patient-centered care environment. This quantitative study examined the relationship between the independent variable of self-efficacy and the dependent variables of nurse burnout, workplace stress, and the intent to leave. The theory that grounded this study was the theory of self-efficacy. The research questions were formatted to determine the correlation between the self-efficacy levels of nurses and burnout, workplace stress, and the intent to leave. A quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional (analytical) design addressed the research questions. The secondary data …

Lived Experiences Regarding Family Relations Of Latina Undocumented Immigrants, Lissette Colon-Perez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Familismo is a complex multidimensional core cultural value in Latinx culture. But there is a lack of information related to Latinas who are undocumented immigrants and their experiences of familismo and family relations after the immigration experience. In the present study, a feminist hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to examine these lived experiences. The purpose of study was to explore family relations as a core value in the lived experiences of Latina undocumented immigrants. The participants consisted of Latina immigrants over 18 years old who immigrated from Central America and who were living in a state from the Northeast without …

Social Workers’ Role In School Discipline Of Black Male Students, Teresa L. Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators enforce various forms of school discipline, including office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions, as strategies to maintain safe learning environments for students and staff. Over four decades of research indicate Black male students experience more consequences and receive tougher school discipline than their peers of other races. School discipline potentially causes adverse outcomes for students. Schools employ social workers to support behavior and academic needs of students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of school social workers in their role in school discipline of Black male students. The theoretical framework used for this study …

The Role Of Work In Animal Shelter Volunteers' Experiences Of Compassion Fatigue, Andria L. Corso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Animal shelter volunteers are a critical part of the operation and maintenance of animal shelters across the United States, and risk developing compassion fatigue (CF) that can impact their ability to volunteer. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of work in animal shelter volunteers’ experiences of CF. The compassion stress and fatigue model and aspects from several occupational stress models were used as conceptual frameworks. A basic qualitative design was used to recruit 12 animal shelter volunteers experiencing compassion fatigue symptoms. These volunteers came from 10 different animal shelters across the U.S. Three research questions were …

Black Males Incarcerated And The Effect Upon Children Left Behind, Cathy Marie Crutchfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black men in the United States have been disproportionately removed from the lives of their families by means of incarceration for generations. Aggressive drug laws, racist policing strategies, and sentence disparities are contributing factors. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine how formerly incarcerated Black males perceived their incarceration affected the children they left behind while incarcerated. The research sample consisted of six former offenders. Each participant was at least eighteen years of age, Black, a parent at the time of incarceration, and a resident of Guilford County, NC, at the time of the offense. Each participant …

Community College Faculty Perceptions Of Online Student Engagement, Teri R. Cruzan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low student engagement and high attrition rates in online classes were observed at community colleges in a Western U.S. state. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore online faculty members’ perceptions of student engagement and how they described their teaching practices and experiences. The study was grounded in the community of inquiry, a collaborative and constructivist model, which posits that social, cognitive, and teaching presences are critical to engagement and online learning. Data were collected from 10 online faculty members who provided responses to an online qualitative survey. Data analysis involved coding by hand in several stages to …

Improving Medical-Surgical Nursing Knowledge Of Congestive Heart Failure, Sylvia Rene Cunningham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing practice project was to address the nursing gap in knowledge about congestive heart failure (CHF) management. Lack of staff knowledge on this topic inhibits their ability to educate patients. Poor patient understanding can lead to frequent readmissions and poor patient outcomes. The project aim was to determine if educating medical-surgical nurses about CHF management increased their knowledge of topic. The ADDIE model was used to design staff education. Lewin’s change theory guided the project. Nine registered nurses attended a power point presentation. A pre-education questionnaire was distributed, and participants created unique identifiers. The …

Refugee Women’S Post-Resettlement Experiences In The United States, Dr. Kristen M. Curry, Phd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and community members of the host country make decisions regarding refugee lifestyles during and post-resettlement rather than the refugee women themselves. This research study informs the development of and provision of multiculturally appropriate counseling services to refugee women living in the United States from the perspective of the refugee women themselves. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences and related meanings of a group of Hmong refugee women living in post-resettlement in the United States. This hermeneutic phenomenological study was developed with a feminist …

Cluster Analysis Of Psychopathology, Drug Use, Drug And Alcohol Issues, Psychosocial Stressors, And Personal Demographics Of Adult Female Sex Offenders, Anne Cyr-Ashworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the number and nature of clusters that emerged as common individual patterns across a set of psychopathology, drug use, drug and alcohol issues, psychosocial stressors, and personal demographics among adult female sexual offenders. A secondary purpose was to determine whether the resulting clusters were independent of characteristics of the offense and of the victim, and the relationship between the offender and victim. These data were analyzed and viewed through the lens of the attachment theory. This study used a nonexperimental correlational and static group comparison archival research designs and secondary analysis …

Nursing Faculty Experiences With Interactive Games And Gaming And Student Preparedness, Laura S. Dana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although instructional strategies to enhance student learning is a critical component of the faculty role, nursing education has been slow to incorporate games and gaming into the learning environment. The primary purpose for this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore the lived experiences of nursing faculty of associate degree programs, specifically regarding the use of games and gaming as interactive, experiential teaching and learning strategies. This study was designed to answer the question, “What are the lived experiences of faculty who use games and gaming as instructional approaches in associate degree nursing (ADN) education.” Through one-on-one interviews via Zoom …

A Correlational Investigation Of Father Emotional Presence And Gender Role Identity In African American Women, Malika Dandridge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The psychological well-being and gender role development of a woman is greatly affected by the emotional presence of her father growing up. Until recently, most of the research on father-daughter relationships has been done on Caucasian working-class families, and very little has been done on father-daughter relationships in the African American community. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a father’s emotional presence (dependable, involved, engaged) and uncover whether this type of presence was correlated with a woman’s gender role identity among African American women aged 18 years of age or older. The socioeconomic status (working …

Experiences Of Maritally Satisfied Black American Couples Serving In Law Enforcement, Amanda Davis-Buie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of maritally satisfied Black American couples when at least one partner is serving in law enforcement. Members of law enforcement, Black American couples, and members of the counseling profession can gain knowledge from the answering of the research question. A family strengths perspective was used to provide a framework to study the phenomenon of marital satisfaction from a positive perspective. Six Black American couples, who are satisfied in their marriage and employed in law enforcement for a period of a least 6 months during their marriage, participated …

Emergency Department Operational Strategies, Joyce W. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEmergency Department Operational Strategies by Joyce W. Davis MBA/MHA, Pfeiffer University, 2011 BS, North Carolina A&T State University, 1980

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration

Walden University December 2022

Determinates For Sustainability: Non-Profit Professional Membership Organization, Cindy T. Delu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit professional membership organizations have become increasingly present within specific fields, yet little is known about the capacities of these organizations to accurately represent their members and encourage others to be part of a specific community that offers goal-achieving opportunities. In this qualitative study, a framework was proposed to understand the representations needed in a professional nonprofit to aid in understanding how executive leaders use representation strategies to engage current members and potential prospects. The concepts of representation (COR) theory is a framework centered around five dimensions focused on relationships between the organization and its members to clarify and identify …

Elementary General Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Effective Math Instruction For Students With Disabilities, Donna Denk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Barriers to implementing effective math instruction have been a focus of scholars because they are a problem in

supporting students with disabilities. Researchers have demonstrated that general education teachers often have little

knowledge about effective interventions for students with disabilities and the barriers to achieving such instruction. The

purpose of this study was to investigate and understand general education teachers’ perceptions of effective math

instruction, and barriers to it, for fourth and fifth grade students with disabilities. The conceptual framework was based on

Baroody’s stages of math fact acquisition, which predicates that three developmental stages should be the basis …

Strategies To Prevent Medicare Claims Fraud Committed By Speech Pathologists, Joseph Densmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fraudulent business activities have the potential for adverse business outcomes. Speech pathology business owners who lack a robust fraud prevention strategy may subject their practices to severe civil and criminal penalties. Grounded in Wilhelm’s eight-stage fraud management lifecycle theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies speech pathologist business owners used to prevent Medicare claims fraud. The participants were five speech pathologist business owners from three practices in a western U.S. state who successfully implemented fraud prevention strategies. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and reviewing organization policies and procedures manuals. Three themes emerged using …

Safeguarding Employee Privacy In U.S.-Based Small And Midsized Businesses, Kim De Peiza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEmployee privacy is a contentious concern between employees and employers in the United States. Terminating oversurveilled employees may result in sustained claim costs for a company. Grounded in complexity theory and complexity leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business leaders/agents use to safeguard employee privacy. The participants included three privacy practitioners: one consultant, and two small business leaders/agents of small businesses in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. region who had successfully safeguarded employee privacy. A thematic analysis using primary and secondary sources identified three principal themes: (a) environmental privacy, (b) autonomy privacy, and …

Restorative Justice And Recidivism In Formerly Incarcerated Women, Alfeia B. Devaughn-Goodwin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the experiences of nonviolent women offenders over the age of 50 of all ethnicities who were formerly incarcerated and their involvement with restorative justice and recidivism from a public policy perspective. Although there was prior research on reentry of ex-offenders, the problem was that few studies focused on the barriers and success factors of reentry services for older female ex-offenders 50 years or older. The purpose of the study was to explore restorative justice and recidivism in formerly incarcerated women who were nonviolent offenders in an East Coast state with a focus on the barriers and success …

Staff Nurse Education To Improve Adherence To Hypertension Management, Veronica Ositadinma Dike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdherence to hypertension management medication(s) and lifestyle modification improve outcomes for patients diagnosed with hypertension. In this project, an educational program was developed to reduce the knowledge gap among staff nurses regarding addressing patients’ nonadherence to hypertension management in an outpatient clinic in the southern United States. Guided by andragogy and the health belief model, the staff nurse educational program was developed from evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and best practices from literature to evaluate the impact of education on improving staff nurses’ knowledge related to addressing patients’ nonadherence to hypertension management with the goal of reducing the associated medical costs, …

Faculty Experiences Using Synchronous Videoconference Technology To Assess Student Psychomotor Performance, Heather Disney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychomotor skills are an essential aspect of physical therapy (PT) education. Recent studies supported using videoconference technology (VCT) for psychomotor instruction, but research on the use of VCT for psychomotor assessments is limited. Determining VCT’s usefulness for psychomotor exams is vital to establish best pedagogical practices. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the faculty experience using synchronous VCT to assess PT student’s psychomotor skills. The conceptual framework for this study was the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The research question investigated how PT educators described the psychomotor skill assessment of students using …

Effects Of Superflex Curriculum On Social Skills Of Children With Autism, Charli Elaine Doyle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is considered an applied science under the umbrella of behavior analysis and was accepted into the mainstream science in the mid-1900s. An increase in the prevalence of autism gave rise to the need for evidence-based social skills curricula. Previous research indicated many children respond well to video modeling and positive reinforcement. However, literature on social curricula for children aged 7 to 10 years in a clinical setting versus a school setting was limited. The purpose of this quantitative study with a single-subject design was to examine the effectiveness of Superflex, a superhero social thinking curriculum, on …

Hope's Moderating Effects On Crisis Workers' Meaning In Work And Turnover Intentions, Rachel Alexis Drosdick-Sigafoos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High turnover in the human services field has been a widespread issue, with the annual turnover rate above 31% from 2015 to 2019. Such turnover disrupts client care and burdens workers who stay, increasing turnover intentions among remaining team members. Researchers have examined turnover risk factors, with meaning in work emerging as a reliable protective factor against turnover intentions. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between meaning in work in turnover intentions, hope and turnover intentions, and whether hope moderated the relationship between meaning in work and turnover intentions among crisis-serving human services professionals (HSPs). A quantitative, cross-sectional, …

Strategies To Overcome The Truck Driver Shortage In The United States, Erica Duckering

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High truck driver turnover rates negatively impact company profits, business operations, and customer satisfaction. Oil and gas industry supply chain and logistics leaders who lack strategies to recruit and retain truck drivers experience declines in revenue, operational effectiveness, and customer retention. Grounded in total quality management theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify and explore strategies used in the oil and gas industry to retain and recruit qualified truck drivers effectively. The participants comprised six oil and gas industry leaders in the greater Houston, Texas area who successfully managed truck driver recruitment and retention strategies …

Role Conflict, Work-Related Stress, And Correctional Officer Misconduct, Donald Dula

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correctional officer misconduct is a prevalent issue within U.S. correctional facilities that jeopardizes the protection and management of inmates. Research shows that correctional officers experience more work-related stress than individuals in other occupations, but it is unknown whether work-related stress and role conflict predict correctional officer misconduct. The purpose of this study was to examine role conflict and stress as predictors of correctional misconduct through the lens of transactional theory, role theory, and strain theory. A cluster sampling method was used to distribute surveys to 107 correctional officers in four New Jersey correctional facilities. The surveys contained items from the …

Leadership Strategies To Reduce Cyberattacks During A Merger, Denise Durham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The difficulty that leaders in the wine industry have in rapidly responding to cyber threats to secure sensitive information and intellectual property while undertaking a merger can have a direct economic cost and disrupt the merger. Grounded in Habermas’s systems theory, the purpose of this single case study was to examine strategies used to mitigate the risk from cyberattacks during a merger. The participants were five business leaders in a wine company in Northern California. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, company documentation, and publicly available documents. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified: protection of data integrity, formal and …