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A Phenomenological Study Of Cross Gender Mentoring Among U.S. Army Officers, Scott Randolph Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leader mentoring in the military has not been well researched, especially that involving cross-gender pairings. A phenomenological study was conducted to gain insight into the perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of military officers regarding their decision to engage in mentoring, to include with members of the opposite gender. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 male and 20 female U.S. Army senior commissioned officers to collect information regarding mentoring selection perspectives and decisions and to examine emerging themes, concepts, and patterns, using NVivo 11 Pro Plus. Negative themes that emerged among both male and female participants concerned adverse perceptions of members within …

Standardized Critical Thinking Tests As A Predictor Of Success In Nursing Programs, Jaimee Kastler Kastler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High attrition rates and a nursing shortage across the nation have led schools of nursing to seek out ways to better identify which applicants will be most successful in graduating from the nursing program and passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Nursing programs have historically included standardized entrance exam scores and prerequisite scores among their admission criteria but have not used standardized critical thinking assessments (CTA), even though critical thinking is an integral part of being a successful nursing professional. Using Astin's input-environment-output (I-E-O) model, the purpose of this retrospective correlational study was to determine whether …

Strategies For Health Care Administration Leaders To Reduce Hospital Employee Turnover, Malee Kirk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Staff turnover is high in the hospital industry, influencing health care administration leaders to implement successful strategies to decrease staff turnover. The purpose of this case study was to explore successful strategies to reduce hospital employee turnover. Five health care leaders from Raleigh, North Carolina hospitals were in the sample drawn from the population of medical professionals with successful employee retention in their hospital settings. The conceptual framework for this study was the Herzberg dual-factor theory with the supporting theory, Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, and the opposing theory, Vroom's expectancy theory. Semistructured interviews occurred with 5 leaders. The review …

The Effect Of Hospital Nurse Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction On Turnover Intention And Compassion Fatigue, David Stephen Klein

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing is a stressful occupation, which can often lead to compassion fatigue (CF) and turnover intention (TI). When their basic psychological needs (BPN) of competence, relatedness, and autonomy are not met, registered nurses (RNs) may develop a higher propensity to experience CF and TI. Amid projected nursing shortages, the loss of these health care providers may threaten the quality of patient care. Although there is research on BPN and their relationship with well-being and functioning, research is lacking on the relationship between BPN satisfaction, CF and TI among RNs. Researchers have also not examined whether RNs' BPN satisfaction moderates the …

Exploring Customer Service Through Hospital Management Strategies, Delores Leonard Leonard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patient demand for a better quality of healthcare and services has increased as insurance companies have decreased payments to hospitals. The purpose of this qualitative single exploratory case study was to explore hospital managers' strategies to improve customer service. Data were gathered from semistructured interviews with 5 hospital managers who implemented customer service strategies in their hospital systems, hospital policy and procedure documents, and qualitative data from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Hospital Compare website. Expectation-confirmation theory served as the conceptual framework that grounded the study. Data were analyzed using methodological triangulation, and 3 themes emerged: the …

Five Factor Personality Traits In Schizophrenics With A History Of Violent Behavior, Ashley Lust

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The diagnosis of schizophrenia has been associated with increased risk of violence and aggression. However, the extent of this association in relation to displayed personality traits among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have not been fully investigated. The lack of research has resulted in an inability to determine why only some individuals with schizophrenia display violent tendencies when others do not. Guided by Costa and McCrae's five-factor model of personality and Eysenck's theory of personality and crime, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the five personality traits and the display of violence among individuals with schizophrenia, …

The Critical Role Of The Psychiatric Emergency Response Team In The Adoption Of A Violence Risk Assessment Tool., Angela Mackay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace violence is a persistent problem in health care, and incidence rates have increased over the years. Traditional reporting systems, relying mostly on paper formats, are inadequate for developing effective predictive models for intervention and reducing acts of violence by patients to staff. The purpose of the development and deployment of the psychiatric emergency response team (PERT) was to provide effective intervention within the MIAHTAPS (Altered Mental status, Irritability, Agitation, History of Violence, Threatening, Attacking Objects, Pacing, and Staring) behavior prediction tool to reduce the severity and rates of violence in a hospital setting. Lewin's change theory was used to …

Hourly Rounding: A Fall Prevention Strategy In Long-Term Care, Robyn Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls and injuries related to falls are some of the most common and costly incidents that occur in the long-term care environment. Purposeful hourly rounding is a proactive way for nursing staff to identify patient needs and demonstrate positive fall prevention outcomes. This project examined a process improvement endeavor of a long-term care unit that experienced an increase in the number of falls over 3 months. The purpose was to evaluate whether staff education and implementation of an evidence-based hourly rounding program would affect the number of patient falls. The Johns Hopkins nursing evidence-based conceptual model, Kurt Lewin's change model, …

Suicidal Behavior In Inmates Through The Pathway Of Psychopathy And Depression, Zsofia Muller-Balazsfi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prison inmates are more prone to commit suicide than are individuals in the general population. Current scientific research has identified risk factors of suicide in the general population, such as mood disorders, but only a few research studies have examined risk factors that are particularly relevant to the incarcerated population. This study used a quantitative archival research design to examine the effect of primary and secondary psychopathic personality traits on the development of suicidal behavior in the mentally ill male prison inmate population at a U.S. federal prison located in the Southeast. Data on psychopathic traits as measured by the …

Understanding The Importance Of Culturally Appropriate Patient-Provider Communication In Diabetes Self-Management, Anita Mwalui

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes. Among those 29.1 million people, 21 million have been diagnosed, but 8.1 million have not. Changing demographics in the United States and the prevalence of diabetes are projected to be burdens on the health care system through 2050. Guided by the social cognitive theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the importance of culturally appropriate patient-provider communication to the self-management of Type 2 diabetes by patients who are African immigrants. Culturally based health care has unique challenges when …

Investigating The Efficacy Of The Coping Strategies Adolescents Use To Handle Cyberbullying, Stacey Neaville

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cyberbullying can negatively influence adolescents' overall wellbeing. Previous studies on cyberbullying provided knowledge about ways youths cope with cyberbullying; yet the literature lacks information about the efficacy of the coping strategies of cyberbullying victims. The purpose of this straight qualitative study was to investigate what coping strategies cyberbullying victims found effective for handling cyberbullying. The transactional model of coping, approach-avoidance coping, and self-efficacy theory formed the conceptual model to explore, analyze, and understand coping with cyberbullying. Using flyers and snowball sampling, 6 adolescents in Grades 10 to 12 were recruited to participate in the study. Data from semistructured phone interviews …

Environmental Relocation Policy As Experienced By One Eastern Missouri Dioxin-Contaminated Community, Susan Annette Olsen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on environmental relocation is scant and narrow, focusing on a few aspects of permanent relocation and social impacts of natural disasters. As a result, little is known about the long term social impacts of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) environmental relocation policy. A combined conceptual and theoretical framework of Walter's placeways; Ullberg's disaster memoryscapes; Richardson's remembrance and memorialization; Dynes' social capital; and, Norris, Stevens, Pfefferbaum, Wyche, and Pfefferbaum's work on community resilience guided this phenomenological study with the purpose of better understanding competing and complementary roles of each of these constructs in the context of environmental relocation of one …

The Experiences Of Parenting Coordinators Working With Couples Engaged In Intimate Partner Violence, Ann M. Ordway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In families where parents present with intimate partner violence dynamics, courts routinely impose restraints restricting communications between those parents. However, the same courts also routinely fashion arrangements whereby those same parents share custody of their children. Children in families with this dynamic are often used as communication facilitators and triangulated by parental conflict. This grounded theory study generated a theory about parenting coordination work with high conflict couples with intimate partner violence dynamics. This theory may have utility for parenting coordinators working more effectively with the described population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 professional parenting coordinators who have worked …

Anxiety And Healthcare Utilization Among Mothers Of Children With Mental Health Disorders, Maria Lynn Perrotta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anxiety can influence an individual's decision-making process; however, researchers have yet to establish whether anxiety has an impact on the healthcare utilization practices of mothers of children with a mental health diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to assess whether trait anxiety, coping styles, and self-efficacy in mothers of children with a mental health diagnosis affected their healthcare utilization decisions. The transactional model of stress and coping was used to analyze the impact of children with mental health disorders on their caretakers. For this study, a quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed. The 4 survey tools, administered through SurveyMonkey.com …

Elementary School Social Workers' Perspectives On The Development Of Resilience In Early Childhood, Dan Podraza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have stressed the importance of addressing the social/emotional needs of early childhood (EC) children, including the development of resilience; however, some U.S. school personnel focus more on academics than on these needs. When young children possess these skills, they can handle social/emotional challenges later in life. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore school social workers' (SWs) perspectives about resilience in EC settings. Research questions focused on knowledge of existing programs, participants' perceptions of the successes and challenges of working with EC students, and their recommendations to improve EC students' education. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory …

Differentiation Of Self As A Predictor Of Vicarious Trauma In Mental Health Professionals, Denise Purvis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health professionals in all settings work with clients who are affected by trauma. Traumatic events expose mental health professionals to the negative psychological and emotional impact of witnessing and listening to client stories. Vicarious trauma is the emotional consequence of this empathic engagement with clients. The purpose of this correlational study was to identify predictors of vicarious trauma in mental health professionals that had not been studied before. The theoretical framework guiding the study was the Bowen family systems theory and the construct of differentiation of self. A regression analysis was conducted with a purposive sample of 83 licensed …

Perceptions Of Administrators, Teachers, And Coaches On Instructional Coaching: Implications For Instructional Practices, Tosha Latrece Quattlebaum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional coaching is designed to positively impact instructional practices, yet not enough is known about whether administrators, teachers, and instructional coaches have similar perceptions about this approach. The purpose of the case study was to examine the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and instructional coaches concerning instructional coaching, the impact instructional coaches have on instructional practices, and barriers encountered by instructional coaches. Guided by Knowles' theory of andragogy, the research questions were designed to explore the relationship between collective and individual actions of adult learners when acquiring information and learning new concepts. The case study involved a purposeful sample consisting of …

The Link Between Therapists' Social Class Attributions And Treating Clients Of Low Socioeconomic Status, Dan Sharir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social class may impact the ways people are perceived and treated by others. The social class attributions of therapists may influence the manner in which they conceptualize their clients' problems and their relationship with their clients. There is a gap in the literature concerning the link between therapists' social class attributions and their responses toward low socioeconomic status (SES) clients in actual clinical settings, which could impact the therapists' interaction with their clients and the treatment process. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to examine the links between therapists' social class attributions and their experiences with low …

Influence Of Psychological Needs And Gaming Motivation On Well-Being Of Adult Gamers, Rene Sterling

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adult online gaming is a fast-growing global entertainment industry, and many gamers spend more time playing games and less time engaging in work or other activities, which negatively affects their lives and relationships. This quantitative study addressed how psychological needs and gaming motivation predicted gaming behavior, life satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction using a mediational model. The theoretical foundation was self-determination theory, which addresses how personal choices are influenced by internal factors, especially psychological needs and motivation. An online survey was used to collect self-reported data from a convenience sample of 935 adult gaming participants using the Basic Needs Satisfaction in …

Motivations Of Antitrafficking Volunteers, Jonathan Edward Sullivan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Human trafficking is a worldwide crisis, and agencies rely on volunteers to help serve its victims. Past researchers have suggested that motivation to volunteer is multifaceted and that volunteer turnover hinders accomplishing mission objectives. The research question was to examine if there were any differentiating motivations of antitrafficking volunteers from the current literature. This study was a qualitative case study of an antitrafficking religion-sponsored agency in the United States. Self-determination theory guided the research consisting of 7 agency volunteers. Candidates met the established criteria of minimum age and duration of service. The interpretive phenomenological analysis process helped to assess …

A Comparative Study Of Elementary Mathematics Specialists And Mathematics Coaches On Fourth Grade Students' Mathematics Achievement, Tiffany D. Tynes Curry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Federal dollars are utilized to develop instructional programs for students not demonstrating mathematical proficiency on state standardized mathematics assessments, but there is a lack of empirical data on the effectiveness of two different approaches that were used in the local context. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, casual-comparative study was to determine if state achievement test scores of students in fourth grade who received instruction from a Mathematics Specialist (MS) during the 2007-2009 academic years demonstrated a statistically significant difference from the mathematics state achievement test scores of fourth grade students who received instruction from Grades 1-8 credentialed teachers supported …

Gender Inequality In Women's Knowledge And Awareness Of Hiv/Aids In Port Harcourt, Maureen A. Wagbara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, gender inequality significantly impacts women's knowledge and awareness of the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the proliferation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Early marriage, traditional beliefs, religion, and polygamy all contribute to gender inequality. This study explored the role of these and other sociocultural practices in the gender inequalities that increase vulnerability of contracting HIV/AIDS among women in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The study employed a phenomenological design, collected data through a semistructured interview approach, which was managed using NVivo software. The purposive sample comprised 20 female students from a college in Port Harcourt. …

Successful Ethical Decision-Making Practices From The Professional Accountants' Perspective, Tammy Tanner Webster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unethical behavior includes all decisions and actions counterproductive to an organization's mission and can cause irrevocable damage to the organization's professional reputation. The Securities and Exchange Commission reported 807 ethical violations in 2015. This study was underpinned by the ethical leadership theory, which emphasizes leadership decision making based on fair and just practices, for all involved parties. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the ethical decision-making best practices that not-for-profit accounting managers in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area needed to strengthen the ethical decision-making process in their organizations. Data were collected through semistructured interviews from 5 …

Leadership Among Directors Of Social Services At Rehabilitative Healthcare Chains, John Paul Tuanqui Abenojarj

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rehabilitation and healthcare centers (RHCs) provide ongoing care to the elderly and chronically ill. To maximize the quality of this care, RHC staff must be properly trained to respond to patient care crises and communicate across departments. Although researchers have studied the leadership styles, strategies, and interactions of facility administrators and nursing directors, there is a substantial gap in the literature on the leadership styles and strategies employed by directors of social services (DSSs). The aim of this phenomenological study was to address this gap in the research by exploring how DSSs influenced leadership policies, prepared subordinates for crisis intervention …

Generational Age Differences And Employee Motivation In The Public Sector, Peter C. Akwuole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Motivation is rarely used as a diversity management strategy, and as a result, little academic research explores the relationship between generational age differences and motivation in public sector management. Using Deci's intrinsic and extrinsic motivation theory as the foundation, the purpose of this correlational design study was to evaluate the relationship between generational age differences and employee motivation in a Maryland government agency. Data were collected through an online survey using the Work Preference Inventory from 35 of the agency's 5585 employees, born between 1946 and 2000. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance with post-hoc tests to assess …

A Phenomenological Study: Coping Skills Of Gay Men In Amateur Sports, Jesuel Alamo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The world of sports has traditionally been known for promoting masculine behaviors, including a resistance to homosexuality. Research supports that gay men in sports have historically encountered prejudice and discrimination. Although the social climate has experienced change regarding homophobic discrimination and prejudice, research shows that challenges still exist for gay men who participate in sports; furthermore, to date, research could not be located that addresses the coping skills of gay men in amateur sports. This research addressed the lack of qualitative studies on the experiences of gay men who participate in amateur sports and on their use of coping skills. …

Employee Perceptions Of Emotional Intelligence Among Managers, Afraa Al-Bahrani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Efficient managers influence the success and performance of organizations, in contrast to inefficient managers who may negatively affect employee motivation, productivity, stress levels, job satisfaction, and performance. Managers' ability to recognize emotions can positively affect employee motivation, job satisfaction, and performance, which is likely to decrease employee turnover. The purpose of this phenomenological research was to explore the perceptions among employees regarding their managers' EI in relation to employee motivation, job satisfaction, and performance in the Northern Virginia (NOVA) area. The presence of managers' EI skills was explored based on the emotional abilities to facilitate, understand, perceive, and manage emotions. …

A Narrative Analysis Of Resilience And Coping In Persons Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis, Mildred Christian Alford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A Narrative Analysis of Resilience and Coping in

Persons Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis

by

Mildred C. Alford

Ph.D., Ed., Berne International Graduate University, 1998

M.S. Ed., Texas A & M University, Commerce, 1989

B.S., Psychology, University of Houston, 1976

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Health Psychology

Walden University

June 2017

Caring For Patients With Delirium In The Intensive Care Unit, Susan Archer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients in hospital intensive care units are at increased risk to develop delirium, a condition which is characterized by a disturbance of consciousness and a change in cognition. Critical care nurses must have the knowledge to assess, recognize, and manage delirium. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based policy for the assessment of delirium and a comprehensive nursing education plan which included an analysis and synthesis of the literature, a curriculum plan, and a pretest/posttest. The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model framed the project, which used a multidisciplinary team approach. Two nursing leaders, each with a doctor …

Parents' Perception Of A School-Based Inclusion Program For Their Children With Autism, Sarah Lynn Ary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the number of students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) increases, many classrooms are turning to an inclusion model of learning. To gain the perspective of program users rather than providers, this study explored parents' perceptions of the inclusion model. Pearlin's stress process model served as the theoretical framework for this study. Ten parents in Pennsylvania were recruited via snowball sampling for participation, and 7 completed the study. Parents completed a short demographic questionnaire and then participated in individual interviews. The research questions were concerned with the lived experiences of parents of children with autism enrolled in inclusion programs …