Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Impacts Of Workplace Loneliness On Criminal Justice Senior Leaders, Johanna Papa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological qualitative study aimed to explore the impacts of workplace loneliness on senior leaders of various criminal justice organizations. The theoretical framework used was Descartes' views of the self-concept theory, which explained how individuals defined and described themselves within a social context. Using purposive sampling and semistructured telephone, and email interviews of 16 criminal justice senior leaders from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, this research was conducted to answer the overarching question of this study. Workplace loneliness was a professional hazard. The key findings revealed that at least 87% of the criminal justice senior leaders reported feeling or have …

Mediating Effects Of Workplace Sanctions On The Relationship Between Knowledge Work And Psychological Wellbeing, Selena Pitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative associational correlational non-experimental study used multiple regression analysis with mediation to address the research question: To what extent employee perception of workplace sexual harassment sanctions mediate the relationship between the 4 modes of the SECI (socialization, externalization, combination, internalization) knowledge creation model and psychological wellbeing. The study was based on the theoretical underpinnings of knowledge creation theory and the precepts of knowledge work as a discretionary organizational behavior that requires intentionality from the knowledge worker. The study explored the direct and indirect effects of the intercorrelations between the predictors, mediator, and outcome variables with 109 participants. The model …

Clinical Practice Guideline: Maintaining Skin Integrity In The Surgical Patient, Erin Renne Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this project was to develop clinical practice guidelines for intraoperative positioning that will help prevent deep tissue injury and skin breakdown. Maintaining skin integrity in the surgical patient by preventing deep tissue injuries and skin breakdown is an identified gap in practice for surgical patients in the Operating Room environment that a clinical practice guideline could positively impact. To assist in achieving the development of a clinical practice guideline to maintain skin integrity, Benner's novice to expert theory addressing the educational needs for novice operating room nurses was applied. The clinical practice guideline, based on evidence, should …

Strategies Used By Nonprofit Social Service Business Leaders To Retain Employees, Veronica Lashal Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low employee retention among nonprofit social service organizations results in decreased productivity and performance. Business leaders who fail to implement employee retention strategies risk increased employee turnover resulting in the loss of economic constancy and organizational profitability. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies nonprofit social service business leaders used to increase employee retention. A purposeful sampling of 4 leaders from 4 nonprofit social service organizations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area who successfully used strategies to increase employee retention participated in this study. Data were collected from …

An Exploration Of The Lived Experience Of Transgender Individuals In Prison, Allison Radice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and challenges of transgender inmates through a Department of Corrections (DOC) in the Midwestern United States. These individuals are at a higher risk for self-harm actions and assault by other inmates. There are a unique set of issues and needs that current policies and procedures fail to address for transgender inmates. Participants were invited to tell their experiences of incarceration which provided a description of their transgender identity and their lived experience through DOC. The 11 participants described their lived experiences in DOC along with their thoughts, feelings, and themes as they related …

Parental Characteristics And Lead Knowledge In The Minimization Of Environmental Lead Exposure, Trina Yvette Redford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A method for guiding lead intervention and minimizing lead exposures in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA) is through understanding the relationship between lead knowledge and parental characteristics such as gender, age, income, marital status, and education attainment. Parental characteristic may play a significant role in the identification of population groups where knowledge pertaining to lead exposure is inadequate. Through awareness and intervention, preventive measures can be implemented to minimize and eliminate lead exposure. The theoretical concept used in this quantitative study was Krieger ecosocial theory. The ecosocial theory provides guidance and analyzes differences in existing health relationships, especially those with biological and …

Secondary Traumatic Stress And Spiritual Practices Among U.S. Psychologists: A Quantitative Study, Luis R. Sanchez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies suggest that 8% to 20% of mental health providers struggle with secondary traumatic stress (STS), but the number of investigations evaluating psychologists' STS is limited. Furthermore, although literature on the effects of self-care practices on STS is vast, no studies have examined the role of such practices on U.S. psychologists' level of STS. Informed by Stamm's theory of professional quality of life, this study analyzed variations in 159 U.S. psychologists' STS and frequency of participation in spiritual-based self-care practices between different religious identity groups. This study also explored the effect of spiritual-based self-care on U.S. psychologists' STS. An exploratory …

Relationship Between Clostridium Difficile Testing Method, Antibiotic Treatment, And Clinical Symptoms, Jennifer L. Sanguinet

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, making the infection a top public health priority. Early and accurate identification of disease is a critical factor in successful management, including clinical symptomology. The testing methods for C. difficile have improved in efficiency and sensitivity, which potentially causes over- or underprescribing behavior. Guided by the symbolic theory, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between C. difficile testing method by case year (2015 and 2018) and antibiotic treatment with the potential moderation of clinical symptoms. The secondary correlational analysis …

Strategies For Improving The Performance Of Multigenerational Cohorts In The Construction Industry, Jenean Harper Satterfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small construction companies struggle to motivate Generation X (Gen X) and Generation Y (Gen Y) employees to improve performance. Small business owners who maximize multigenerational employee performance will experience an increase in productivity. Grounded in the generational theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies 3 small construction business owners in Northeastern Ohio used to improve the performance of multigenerational cohorts in the construction industry. Data were collected through semistructured face-to-face-interviews and a review of relevant internal organization documents. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Key themes that emerged from the study …

Factors Of Black Transgender Ex-Offender Women That Contribute To Recidivism, Brittany Shakir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black female transgender ex-offender recidivism rates continue to rise at a higher percentage than males. This has resulted in transgender female ex-offender unemployment and homelessness, which in turn creates opportunities to commit crimes. However, there are no programs that advocate for creating resources to ensure successful reentry of transgender ex-offenders into their communities. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand contributing factors to recidivism among Black transgender women ex-offenders while addressing an under-researched group of people, the transgender community. The theoretical framework for this study was McGuire's inoculation theory. The research question focused on what experiences affected …

How Feminist Beliefs Relate To Self-Objectification In African American Females, Ashton Shelby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual objectification has consistently been found to significantly influence self-objectification in women. Self-objectification has been linked to a number of adverse effects in women including depression, sexual dysfunction, and disordered eating. All females are vulnerable to sexually objectifying experiences and thus, developing self-objectifying behaviors and issues. Although extensive research explores both forms of objectification with Caucasian females, less is known about females in minority groups. In addition, little research has explored potential moderating variables. In other research related to investigating women's mental health, feminism is one variable that has been found to have a positive effect on women's issues. This …

Mothers With Diabetes And The Effects Of The Disease To Their Offspring, Rachel Smart-Fadairo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological was to understand the lived experiences of mothers who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus and had a child who had been diagnosed with a speech disorder. Despite educational and medical interventions having increased to reduce gestational diabetes, the growing incidence of gestational diabetes signals a disconnect between education, intervention, and prevention. Previous studies have shown that mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus can experience high- risk pregnancies. The long-term effects of the disease on the mother and her newborn child in terms of soaring healthcare cost, loss of work productivity, education, and the emotional health …

Relationship Between Parent Asthma Knowledge, Parental Control Of Child's Asthma, And Parent Qol, Glori Sommerer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The long-term responsibility of caring for a child with asthma can result in parents

experiencing a lower quality of life (QoL), especially if the child's asthma is not well

controlled. Asthma knowledge can enhance asthma control practices among parents.

However, research has not explored these variables together to determine whether

parental control of child's asthma mediates the relationship between parent asthma

knowledge and parent QoL. This quantitative research study explored whether parental

control of child's asthma mediated the relationship between parent asthma knowledge

and parent QoL. The theoretical foundation was asthma self-regulation theory, focused

on the importance of asthma knowledge …

Risk Factors For Sexual Assault Victimization On A College Campus, Josh Studeny

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, sexual assaults are becoming increasingly prevalent on college campuses. This study addressed the problem of increasing sexual assaults at a Northeastern university in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the risk factors that led to sexual assault victimization on a college campus through the students', campus police officers', and counselors' perspectives. This study incorporated Cohen and Felson's theoretical framework of the routine activity theory. The focus of the study was on perceptions of (a) risk factors that motivate offenders to commit sexual assault in a university setting, (b) risk factors …

Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, And Intent To Stay Among Nurse Leaders, Lisa Denile Surby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurses in leadership roles have a substantial influence on the quality of the work environment and on safety, quality, and patient outcomes. However, compassion satisfaction (CS) and burnout (BO) have historically been understudied, and evidence is lacking regarding the existence of a relationship between CS, BO, and intent to stay among nurse leaders. The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study, guided by Stamm's theory of CS and compassion fatigue (CF), was to determine if there was a relationship between CS and BO and intent to stay among nurse leaders. An anonymous online survey was conducted using the Professional Quality of …

Experiences Of A Loss Of A Parent To Aids During Adolescence On Young Adults, Angela Thorpe-Moss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to be a major healthcare issue for many countries, including the United States. Millions of adolescent children under the age of 18 have lost 1 or both parents to AIDS-related complications. The death of a parent to AIDS-related complications is severe; however, limited data describes how this type of death affects adolescents after they have become young adults. It is important to determine how these adolescents are affected by exploring their lived experiences of losing a parent to AIDS-related complications. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences associated with …

Effect On Health Literacy On Medication Adherence In Older Latina Women With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Cecilia S. Trinidad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The level of health literacy (HL) can have a significant impact on an individual's ability to understand how to care for themselves. Limited HL reduces access to healthcare having limited HL is associated with poor self-management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), which is common among vulnerable populations and further contributes to increased morbidity and mortality, especially in which is true in Latina/Hispanic adults who have T2DM. The purpose of the study, guided by the health belief model, was to determine what effect an educational intervention had on blood glucose levels, health literacy, and medication adherence in older Latina/Hispanic women …

Racial Profiling In Northern Virginia Against Hispanic Males, Abe Vasquez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial profiling is a trending topic today against the Black community. In contrast, there is little to no literature referencing racial profiling against Hispanic males. This paper discusses racial profiling against Hispanic males in Northern Virginia. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between local law enforcement in Northern Virginia and the Hispanic community. I implemented a conceptual framework with a focus on the critical race theory using a qualitative approach. This study identified the relationship make up between the police and the Hispanic community, how they interacted, and if the Critical Race Theory was present. The …

Lecture Versus Collaborative Learning Methods In Community College Classrooms, Gwendolyn A. Vaughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Educational scholars have recommended using collaborative learning in higher education classrooms to improve the learning outcomes of community college students. The problem is that many community college instructors continue to use traditional lecture methods, which might be due to instructors not being convinced of the merits of collaborative learning. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, causal-comparative, repeated measures, research study was to examine the difference between pre- and posttest change scores on the Personal Community Health assessment of students who were taught with the collaborative method and students who were taught with the lecture method. The theoretical foundation for this …

Efficacy Of Preventions And Interventions For At-Risk Students In Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs, Helga Venus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students, who are repeatedly referred to Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs), are at risk for future school dropout and for feeding the pipeline from schools to prison. In the United States, this is true especially for minority students, and regardless of referral reasons or intervention efforts. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to examine attitudes of DAEP students and teachers regarding the influence of mandatory versus discretionary referrals, frequency and duration of referrals, and punitive versus creative interventions on positive behavioral outcomes. Data for the quantitative phase were collected via an online survey from public high …

Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Leadership Behaviors And Impacts On Student Outcomes, Kenya Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite more than 4 decades of school leadership research, a significant knowledge gap remains on how school leaders provide instructional practices to improve student outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to identify administrators' and teachers' perceptions of school leaders' instructional practices and the key characteristics that influence student outcomes. Weber's model of instructional leadership was the conceptual framework for the descriptive case study. The research questions centered on principals' and teachers' perceptions of how school leaders provide instructional leadership to improve student outcomes. Data collection occurred through interviews and document reviews. Four principals and six teachers were …

Perception Of Stress Observed By Family Members Of Dentists Who Have Committed Suicide, Lillian D. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research aimed at the observed stress from being a dentist, and how it may have

impacted the occurrence of their suicide did not appear to be prevalent among empirical

suicide studies. The purpose of this basic, qualitative study was to explore how the

family members perceived occupational stress as precursor events in dentists who

committed suicide. Using the interpersonal theory of suicide as the conceptual basis, 4

family members of dentists who committed suicide were interviewed to understand how

family members perceived occupational stress in the dentist using semi structured

interviews. Through a series of precoding and recoding, interview data …

Financial Advisor Retention Strategies, Anthony Latere Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective retention strategies can negatively impact business productivity and profitability. Financial advisor managers who struggle to maintain productivity and profitability because of ineffective retention strategies are at a high risk of failure. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies successful financial advisor managers used to retain financial advisor employees and maximize productivity and profitability. The participants comprised 5 financial advisor managers from 5 different financial service firms in Houston who effectively used retention strategies to maximize productivity and profitability. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company website documents. Yin's …

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, Zero-Tolerance Discipline, And The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Lois V. Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Zero-tolerance discipline policies led to the introduction of police on school campuses and has resulted in a disproportionate number of in-school arrests and referrals of Black middle-school students, subjecting them to the school-to-prison pipeline. An abundance of data suggest the negative effects of zero tolerance; however, less is known regarding alternative evidence-based strategies such as the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Grounded in stage environment fit and labeling theoretical frameworks, the purpose of this study was to examine if JDAI status (pre-JDAI and post-JDAI) could predict arrests and referrals, while controlling for race, gender, and age. Secondary data were collected …

Nigerian Early Childhood Educators' Perspectives On The Influence Of Divorce On Children's Academic Achievement, Monica Ufuoma Peremine Wosowei

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental divorce has profound negative effects on children's performance in school. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Nigerian early childhood educators' perspectives on the effects of divorce on children's academic achievement and strategies or suggestions for working with these children. The conceptual framework of this study consisted of three theories: Bowen's family systems theory, Piaget's theory of cognitive development, and Vygotsky's theory of social constructivism. Two research questions focused on educators' perspectives on the effects of divorce on children's academic achievement. Data were collected from 12 educators who are the participants using the inclusion criteria and …

Effectiveness Of Ilearn As A Formative Assessment Tool In Title I Middle Grade Mathematics, Christopher George Atkinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because students in two Georgia middle schools, Grades 6 through 8, performed poorly in standardized mathematics testing during the 2016-17 school term, the district sought improvements by using the computer-assisted formative assessment tool iLearn. The purpose of this quantitative project study was to determine whether the use of iLearn predicted increased mathematics achievement and to support professional development sessions for teachers to improve their pedagogy. With the theoretical framework of mastery learning theory, the study addressed the effectiveness of iLearn as a formative assessment tool, hypothesizing a positive relationship between iLearn and end-of-grade (EOG) assessment scores; a moderating effect of …

Stakeholders' Perspectives On Coaching And Family Child Care Provider Program Quality, Elizabeth S. Rodano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although evidence exists that coaching is an effective method of professional development, there is limited understanding of the collaborative dynamic between coaches and family child care providers during the coaching process. The purpose of this study was to explore family child care providers and coaches perspectives about how a shared understanding is reached during the coaching process, as well as to determine how both parties perceive this shared understanding to influence their perspectives of program quality. This study was grounded in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, which posits that learning occurs through interactions after a shared understanding between two individuals is reached. …

The Summer Treatment Program’S Effect On Behaviorally Challenged Orthodox Jewish Children, Dovid Rudomin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Summer Treatment Program (STP) is an 8-week, research-based, behavior modification approach utilizing a unique point system that has been shown to improve the noncompliant behavior of children in a day camp setting. Due to religious reasons, the children of the Orthodox Jewish (OJ) community are unable to attend the original STP. Guided by behaviorism, the purpose of this research study was to assess whether a faith-based STP is effective in improving the noncompliant behavior of OJ behaviorally challenged children. In this study, the relationship between the completion of the STP and the behaviors of hyperactivity, aggression, conduct, anxiety, attention, …

Nursing Faculties’ Perceptions Of Teaching Students Who Speak English As Second Language, Natalia S. Ruiz Muniz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing students who speak English as a second language (ESL) often struggle due to language barriers, the complexity of the medical vocabulary, and the knowledge base that they must develop in a short time. These struggles may be due in part to the preparation of nursing educators to meet the specific needs of the ESL student population. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to develop a greater understanding of nurse educators' perceptions when teaching ESL nursing students. The conceptual framework used was Cummins' framework for the development of language proficiency. Four research questions guided this basic qualitative research …

Promoting New Graduate Registered Nurse Retention Through A Staff Preceptorship Program, Sheba Saelee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The transition from classroom to the clinical setting is challenging for most new graduate nurses (NGRNs). They often report being unprepared and lack confidence in their skills. Preceptors play a significant role in the success of the NGRNs and overall quality of care provided on the floor. However, the training they are provided is lacking. Preceptors tend to view their role as a daunting task and an assigned burden. The purpose of this project was to implement a NGRN preceptor training program. The practice focused question explored if a preceptor education program in a long-term acute care hospital increased the …