Digital Commons Network^™

Information Security Strategies To Thwart Cybersecurity Attacks In The Financial Services Industry, Donovan Anthony Miles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial markets and industries are vulnerable to ransomware attacks. Information technology (IT) security subject matter experts (SMEs) are concerned about ransomware cyberattacks on critical infrastructure that threaten their customers’ financial privacy and the institution’s reputation, causing severe financial losses and diminishing productivity. Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies IT security SMEs use to increase the implementation of existing solutions to thwart cybersecurity attacks in the financial services sector. The participants were six IT security SMEs in the financial industry in the Northeast United States who were responsible for …

Student Perspectives On Title Ix Policy Across North Texas College Campuses, Felicia Chism

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study examined how North Texas higher education students’ lived experiences with Title IX (TIX) shaped their perceptions of the policy’s fairness, accessibility, and implementation. The study addressed the problem that experiential perspectives of TIX remain underexplored, despite their importance for understanding institutional accountability and student trust. Guided by the social ecological model and organizational justice theory, the research investigated how individual, relational, institutional, and societal factors influenced students’ interpretations of TIX processes. Eight students from North Texas public universities who had direct involvement in a closed TIX case participated in semi‑structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Moustakas’s …

Executive Summary: Executive Leadership System Improvement Improving Depression Screening And Follow Up Processes, Rebecca Geneiveve Hidalgo Salomon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression remains a significant public health burden in the United States, contributing to disability, healthcare utilization, and economic cost. Internal 2024 audits at the project site identified variability in Patient Health Questionnaire 9 PHQ 9 screening and follow up processes, with 68% of screenings completed, 55% of follow ups timely, and disparities among patients with limited English proficiency. These findings indicate a systems level reliability and equity gap. This executive leadership system improvement project focused on developing a standardized, nurse led, electronic health record supported workflow to improve PHQ 9 completion and timely follow up. The practice focused question asked …

Strategies For Integrated Primary Care Clinics To Improve Administrative Costs Due To Medication Nonadherence, Michael A. Watkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medication non-adherence is a pervasive issue that drives up administrative costs for integrated primary care clinics. Total administrative costs for medication non-adherence account for one-quarter of U.S. healthcare expenditures. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify cost-reduction strategies that integrated primary care clinic administrators can implement to offset costs associated with medication nonadherence. The theoretical framework for this integrative review was Bertalanffy’s general systems theory. The review question was to identify strategies that primary care clinics could implement to reduce administrative costs associated with patient medication nonadherence. A comprehensive literature search yielded 1,892 potential articles. A quality analysis …

Prenatal Care Access And Pregnancy Outcomes Among Black Women Ages 15–44 In Cook County, Illinois, Deandrea Heggins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maternal health disparities affecting Black women in the United States remain a persistent public health concern due to inequities in prenatal care access and adverse birth outcomes. Prior research has shown that socioeconomic conditions, insurance coverage, and systemic barriers influence prenatal care utilization and maternal outcomes; however, limited research has examined how Medicaid coverage, household income, preterm birth, and birth weight are collectively associated with prenatal care access among Black women in Cook County, Illinois. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationships among these factors and access to prenatal care among Black women ages 15–44 …

Exercise Behavior Determinants Of The United States Military And Veterans, Ira Seth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite organizational policy and access to physical activity facilities, the U.S. Department of Defense has observed an increase in the prevalence of service members classified as overweight or obese. Guided by the social-ecological model, this quantitative study investigated the work-related exercise determinants within the U.S. military community. Voluntarily recruited current and former service members from Stars and Stripes completed the Office Exercise Behavior Determinant Scale and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, along with demographic and biometric questions, to identify physical activity behavior and potential barriers. Findings revealed statistical significance related to exercise duration and military variables (e.g., occupation, race/ethnicity), as …

Lived Experiences Of Husbands Of Deployed Military Spouses, Timothy Lee Heath

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was to explore the lived experiences of civilian husbands during the deployment of their active-duty spouses. Although there is plenty of information concerning the negative and demanding impacts of deployment on female spouses and children, more is needed to understand the lived experiences of husbands of deployed soldiers. Research has confirmed that husbands of deployed soldiers have distinctive gender-specific needs that have been inadequately addressed, leading to adverse psychosocial effects. The couple adaptation to traumatic stress model and gender role theory served as the frameworks for this study to identify the psychosocial issues faced by …

Human Service Professionals’ Perceptions Culturally Competent Resources For Transracial Adoption, Rachelle Tau-Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transracial adoption continues to increase in the United States, particularly in states with predominantly White populations; yet, culturally competent preparation and postadoption resources remain limited. The lack of structured cultural socialization and race-responsive supports places transracially adopted youth at increased risk for identity disruption, mental health challenges, and experiences of racism and microaggressions. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore human service professionals’ perceptions of the services needed to provide culturally competent resources for transracial adoption in Washington State. Guided by the Transracial Adoption Parenting Series framework developed by the Coalition for Children, Youth, and Families, …

Occupational Stressors Correlated With Depression And Burnout Among Criminal Defense Attorneys, Fay Frances Spence

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No prior studies have compared occupational stressors of criminal defense lawyers by practice setting (public defender, court-appointed, or retained). In this mixed-method study, the goal was to identify occupational stressors perceived by criminal defense lawyers in different settings and to determine if those stressors were correlated with depression, anxiety, and burnout, using Maslach’s burnout-engagement continuum as the theoretical framework. Based on stressors identified in semistructured interviews with 15 criminal defense lawyers, the Criminal Defender Stress Survey (CDSS) was created to measure the frequency and perceived intensity of identified stressors. The CDSS was incorporated into an online survey, along with the …

Strategies Of It Leaders For Deploying Cloud-Native Applications In Emerging Markets, Peter Ekhator

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cloud-native applications are transforming organizational information technology (IT) operations by enabling scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency. However, some IT leaders in emerging markets lack evidence-based strategies for successfully deploying cloud-native applications. IT leaders and organizational decision-makers are concerned because ineffective deployment limits the ability to leverage cloud technologies for innovation, operational resilience, and sustained competitiveness. Grounded in the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies IT leaders use to deploy cloud-native applications in emerging-market contexts. Data were collected using semistructured interviews from 10 IT leaders with experience deploying cloud-native applications and were supplemented …

Healthcare Institutions’ Influences On Health Literacy Levels In Mothers In Greensboro, North Carolina, Wole Ajala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigrant populations experience persistent challenges within the U.S. healthcare system, including marginalization, discrimination, and limited access to understandable health information, which contribute to health disparities. Factors such as low income, cultural differences, and intersecting identities related to gender and race further compound these challenges. This qualitative phenomenological study examined how these social determinants of health influenced the health literacy experiences of African immigrant mothers in Greensboro, North Carolina. Data were collected through encrypted WhatsApp audio interviews with eight African immigrant mothers who had used healthcare services in the United States. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using inductive thematic …

Strategies To Reduce Diagnostic Wait Times In Vha Facilities, Frankie Loadz Odlens Beaubrun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, providing care to millions of veterans annually. Diagnostic service wait times affect veteran access to timely diagnoses and subsequent eligibility for disability benefits, vocational rehabilitation, and social services. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify evidence-based strategies to reduce diagnostic wait time within the VHA. The guiding review question addressed what strategies VA medical centers can use to reduce diagnostic wait times. Guided by Donabedian’s structure-process-outcome framework, a comprehensive literature search initially identified 487 sources across multiple databases. Subsequently, systematic screening and application …

Bound By Belief: Exploring The Influence Of Internalized Rape Myths On Survivor Agency And Identity, Arika I. White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored how internalized RMA impacts survivors’ cognitive processing, coping strategies, and psychological agency, as observed by licensed psychotherapists who treat sexual assault survivors. Despite extensive literature on the societal impacts of RMA, less attention has been given to understanding how these cultural myths are internalized by survivors and manifest intrapsychically, influencing self-perception, self-blame, and identity reconstruction following trauma. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews with therapists provided meta-level insights into how survivors’ narratives reflect internalized cultural stigma and misogynistic beliefs. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns of maladaptive coping, internalized misogyny, and diminished agency, revealing how …

Reducing College Dropout Rates Of People With Autism In Hillsborough County, Florida, Jennifer Warren

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement

Significant barriers exist for neurodivergent individuals when they try to access higher education and these barriers continue to disrupt their ability to persist and obtain a college degree or secondary professional education. By implementing targeted academic supports and increasing authentic inclusive education practices on campuses and in online education spaces, barriers can be reduced or eliminated. With clear actionable steps and intentional buy in from institutions, barriers present for teens and young adults with autism are removed and higher education.

Significant Findings

College students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a growing population in higher education, but they …

Neurodiverse Secondary School Educators Transitioning To Online Teaching During Covid-19 Pandemic, Leane Pupo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic affected individuals, families, communities, and a variety of workplaces across the world. Many studies have addressed the impact of the emergency transition from on-ground to online on educators, students, and their families. However, while there is emerging literature on the impact of COVID-19 on neurodiverse individuals and on neurodiverse individuals in the workplace, there is little or no research on neurodiverse teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of neurodiverse educators who transitioned from on-ground to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bandura’s social cognitive theory of self-efficacy and Garmezy’s theory of resilience …

Staff Education On Person-Centered Care Planning To Improve Cahps Scores, Raishonda Jefferson-Lampton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse care managers (NCMs) play a central role in shaping patient experience, yet care plans are often developed based on clinical expertise and assessment data without a structured framework to ensure person‑centeredness. This doctoral project addressed the practice problem of inconsistent person‑centered care planning by implementing an educational intervention for NCMs within a managed care organization. Guided by the practice‑focused question—for NCMs in a managed care setting, does education in person‑centered care increase knowledge toward the goal of improving Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey scores?—the project evaluated changes in NCM knowledge following a targeted training session. …

Staff Education To Improve Knowledge Of Evidence-Based Engagement Strategies To Reduce No-Show Rates, Jerrica Luster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High no-show rates in outpatient mental health settings remain a persistent barrier to effective care delivery, negatively affecting continuity of care, patient outcomes, and access to services. In the identified practice setting, inconsistent use of evidence-based engagement strategies beyond standard reminder practices contributed to missed appointments. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to evaluate whether a structured staff education intervention on evidence-based engagement strategies would improve staff knowledge as a foundation for enhancing appointment adherence. A quantitative pre- and posttest design was used to evaluate knowledge change following the intervention. Participants included outpatient mental health clinic …

K–8 Teachers' Perceptions Of The Barriers To Educating Chronically Absent Homeless Youth, Daniel James Pangrazio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The problem that was addressed through this study is that kindergarten through eighth-grade homeless students experience higher rates of chronic absenteeism and lower educational outcomes than their housed peers in California. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the purpose of this study was to explore K–8 teachers’ perceptions of the barriers they face in educating chronically absent homeless youth. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 K–8 teachers from one California school district. Creswell and Guetterman’s five-stage coding process was used for data analysis. Four themes emerged: Teachers discussed (a) barriers to addressing student academic …

Exploring Marital Resilience Through The Lived Experiences And Perception Of Spousal Support During Events Of Shared Stressors, Prince-James Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Marital resilience during shared stressors remains insufficiently understood, particularly when both spouses are simultaneously affected by the same external stressor and must adapt together over time. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore marital resilience through the lived experiences and perceptions of spousal support during shared stressors among individuals who had been legally married for 10 years or more, with specific attention to how participants described the shift from solo coping to dyadic coping over time. Bowlby’s attachment theory provided the theoretical foundation, and Senge’s learning organization theory served as the conceptual framework. Participants included 18 legally …

Nurse Education On Nonpharmacological Management Of Knee Osteoarthritis, Toyin Mary Ajayi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aims to fill the gaps in the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in adults aged 40 to 75 years in a primary care practice. Knee OA is a common chronic disease that significantly impacts pain, mobility, and quality of life. Although there is empirical evidence that nonpharmacological interventions, including exercise, weight control, and self-management education, are effective, these methods are not consistently used in clinical practice, and pharmacologic treatment continues to be used. The project was designed to inform healthcare personnel about evidence-based nonpharmacological strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce reliance on …

Staff Education On Early Sepsis Recognition For Medical-Surgical Nurses In The Acute Care Setting, Nadine Nzenga Udom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this staff education project, I targeted early sepsis recognition and response among medical-surgical nurses. The practice gap at the site was nurses’ limited knowledge of sepsis indicators and screening tools, which contributed to delayed escalation of care. The practice-focused question guiding the project was “Does educating medical-surgical nurses on early sepsis recognition and response improve knowledge of early sepsis recognition and response?” I applied the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) and Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice (JHEBP) models to design a structured sepsis education program for nursing staff. I searched for peer-reviewed literature via databases accessed through the …

The Effect Of Burnout On Intention To Resign Among Adult Protective Services Investigators, Derek Frank Wachter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adult Protective Services (APS) workers play a crucial role in providing care, support, and services to older and adult clients with special needs. There was a lack of empirical data on the long-term retention of APS investigators and on how burnout affects their intentions to resign. Departments consistently rely on a cycle of using newer, less experienced investigators who may not know about community and state services or department policies and procedures to connect clients. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between personal, work-related, and client-related burnout and APS investigators’ intention to resign. Data …

Public Policy Design In Georgia Child Support And Fatherhood, Troy Gathers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child support policy in the United States has been widely studied as a method to ensure financial responsibility; however, existing research has identified concerns regarding enforcement practices and their disproportionate impact on African American noncustodial fathers in Georgia. Limited qualitative research examined how Georgia fathers experience and interprets these policies, creating a gap in understanding how policy implementation influences paternal engagement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how African American noncustodial fathers in Georgia perceived the child support process and to explore how modernization of enforcement policies might improve paternal engagement. Guided by policy feedback theory, this …

Perceptions Of Fourth-Year Undergraduate College Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder On Academic Success, Olympia Shante Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study is the low graduation rate of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) across the United States. Guided by Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of fourth-year undergraduate college students with ADHD on the academic support or methods that contributed to their perseverance in college. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 undergraduate college students who self-reported a diagnosis of ADHD and had successfully completed the first 3 years of their education. Through thematic analysis and open, inductive coding, the following …

Investigating The Relationship Amongst Nursing Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy And Mindfulness, Joshua Josey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Undergraduate nursing education presents ongoing challenges related to student stress and persistence, and the COVID-19 pandemic further complicated these existing challenges for many students and programs. In this quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional study, the relationships among state mindfulness, trait mindfulness, and academic self-efficacy in undergraduate nursing students were examined and whether state and trait mindfulness predicted academic self-efficacy was tested. Participants were recruited through nursing student Facebook groups and completed an anonymous SurveyMonkey questionnaire that included the State Mindfulness Scale, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Academic Behavioral Confidence Scale, and demographic items. Data were collected over 6 weeks ending August …

Performance-Based Budgeting Implementation Strategies For Improving Financial Performance, Waleed Ibrahim Alsyaegh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of effective strategies for allocating organizational financial resources can lead to adverse business outcomes. Business managers are concerned about the ineffective allocation of financial resources, as it can impede financial performance and sustainability.Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore the performance-based budgeting strategies that business managers use to sustain financial profitability. The participants were 10 business managers who oversee subsidiaries that successfully implemented performance-based budgeting.Data were collected through semistructured interviews and the review of organization documents. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) traditional versus contemporary budgeting; (b) importance of …

Exploring The Experiences Of Faculty Members Educating Students Virtually Post-Covid-19, Raven Ashley Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted higher education, requiring institutions to rapidly transition to virtual learning environments and leaving faculty to manage increased workloads, stress, and challenges related to instructional quality and student engagement. The problem in this study is traditional faculty continue to experience these challenges in the post pandemic academic landscape, with implications for faculty wellbeing and student success. The purpose of this qualitative generic study was to explore experiences of traditional college faculty members educating students while transitioning from in-person to virtual learning environments post-COVID-19. Guided by the ecological systems theory, multilevel influences on faculty experiences were examined. …

The Lived Experiences Of The Strong Black Woman Cultural Convention On Black Women Counselors’ Emotional Intelligence, Pranati Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a critical competency for counselors due to the relational and emotionally demanding nature of counseling. Although existing literature explored EI among Black women broadly, limited research examined the experiences of Black women counselors (BWCs). This descriptive phenomenological study was guided by the philosophy of phenomenology and explored the lived experiences and impact of the SBW cultural convention on the EI of BWCs. The researcher explored the lived experiences of BWCs regarding the SBW cultural convention and its impact on emotional intelligence. Participant data from eight semi-structured interviews were collected. The participants identified as female gender identity, …

Women Veterans’ Experiences Applying For Veterans Affairs Compensation For Military Sexual Trauma-Related Ptsd, Bridget Strong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military sexual trauma (MST)—sexual harassment or assault during military service—is more common among women and is a leading cause of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans Affairs (VA) disability for MST-related PTSD offers financial support, free healthcare, and validation, but women face barriers and uneven access to supports (veteran service organizations, trained advocates, trauma-informed clinicians), reducing their chances of favorable decisions. In this generic qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 purposively sampled women veterans representing diverse service eras, branches, and adjudication outcomes. Analysis was guided by feminist theory to shift focus from individual blame to structural factors, including how …

Exploring Leadership Strategies And Personnel Integration Practices During The Post- Merger Phase Influence The Success Of Mergers And Acquisitions, Rebekah Dumas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have been widely used as a growth strategy; however, many organizations fail to achieve their desired outcomes. This ongoing risk is a major concern for business leaders because ineffective post-merger personnel integration can disrupt workforce stability, reduce productivity, and hinder organizational performance. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore the strategies business leaders used to integrate personnel during post-merger transitions. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight business leaders from global corporations who had successfully executed mergers and acquisitions, along with a review of publicly available …