Digital Commons Network^™

Police Perceptions And Decision Making Related To Domestic Minors Trafficked Through Prostitution, Donna Sue Belin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In spite of a paradigm shift redefining domestic minors trafficked through prostitution as victims instead of criminal offenders, many police officers experience uncertainty in the way they evaluate the nature of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) and assess the culpability status of prostituted minors. This problem often results in revictimizing children and hindering their ability to access needed services. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore police officers' perceptions of minors engaged in prostitution and derive an understanding of the experiences, beliefs, and values that underlie these perceptions. The study also focused on how these factors influence …

Factors Contributing To Loss Of Nursing Intellectual Capital, Vera Ligia Grover

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Level II trauma center, experienced nurses are retiring from nursing positions, which is causing an unstable workforce. According to the literature, there are not enough experienced nurses to mentor the new nurses. Evidence suggests that experienced nurses are associated with improved patient outcomes and that experienced nurse mentors can improve the work environment for less experienced nurses. Focusing on Watson's theoretical framework of caring and Covell's theoretical framework of intellectual capital, this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of a small group of nurses. Five nurses with 15 years of experience and who had served as mentors were …

Infidelity, Trust, Commitment, And Marital Satisfaction Among Military Wives During Husbands' Deployment, Myriam Levesque Mccray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 1.5 million U.S. soldiers have deployed oversees since the beginning of the War on Terror in 2001; consequently, spouses are faced with new physical, emotional, and psychological challenges. Many researchers have documented the effects of deployment on marriages and families. However, few researchers have explored the correlates of trust, marital commitment, and marital satisfaction for wives during deployment. This quantitative study, grounded in risk and resilience theory and interdependence theory, used a web-based survey to investigate the relationship between perceived likelihood of spousal infidelity, trust, marital commitment, and marital satisfaction in a sample of 127 military wives whose husbands …

Project Duration, Budget, Individual Role, And Burnout Among Construction Managers, Matthew M. Motil

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professionals who experience burnout are less productive and lead to decreases in both profitability and human resource (HR) capital. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between construction project duration; project budget; an individual's role on a project; and Maslach's three dimensions of burnout, (a) professional efficacy, (b) emotional exhaustion, and (c) cynicism, for the target population of construction management team members working within the Midwestern United States. Using data from an online survey, a multiple linear regression analysis was used, along with a separate multiple linear regression model, to quantify the relationship of each dimension …

School Administrator And Staff Member Perceptions Of A Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program, Sharon Lacretia Mcconnell-Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mississippi is among the states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates, and the study site is among the high schools with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the state. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify successful practices and areas for improvement in the implementation of a teenage pregnancy prevention program (TPPP) at the study site based on the perspectives of school administrators and staff members. Bandura's social cognitive theory provided a conceptual framework for considering behaviors and the social contexts in which they occur. Twelve participants were interviewed, including 3 administrators and 9 staff members. Data …

Perceived Self-Efficacy Of Secondary General Education Teachers In The Inclusion Classroom, Pamela Sime-Cummins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) has been linked to the academic success of students. This association has been found in contexts where teachers have received training relevant to working with the student population being served. In the suburban Pennsylvania school district targeted in this study, there was little district-sponsored professional development (PD) available to general education teachers regarding strategies for teaching students with disabilities in the inclusion setting. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine whether a difference exists in perceived TSE when instructing in the inclusion setting compared with the traditional setting, and whether an association exists linking prior …

Principals' Perceptions Of The Bully Busters Program In Combating Cyberbullying In Elementary Schools, Sheila Ann Cuffy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over time and with both the increasing ubiquitousness of the Internet and children's technological knowledge at young ages, cyberbullying has grown more widespread and acts of bullying have become more intense. However, little is known about the effectiveness of different antibullying programs for decreasing cyberbullying behaviors. This study addressed that gap in the literature by exploring one elementary school's use of the Bully Busters program for combating cyberbullying. The decision-making model was used as the conceptual framework for this qualitative interview study. Participants were 3 principals from 3 schools using the program. Data were gathered from the participants via interviews …

The Relationship Between Social Intelligence And Hearing Loss, Deborah Finken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an exploration of adults with long-term hearing loss (LTHL) and how it may relate to social intelligence (SI) proficiency. The outcome of this study was intended to illuminate a gap in the literature, namely, the manner in which those with long-term LTHL were able to understand social situations and communicate with others when auditory comprehension was limited. A quantitative nonexperimental method was used that provided the Tromso Social Intelligence Scale (TSIS) to a group of 66 adults with LTHL who were diagnosed with hearing loss as children, as well as a group of 70 adults with no …

Predictors Of Community Supervision Failures Among Female Offenders, Fayola Wolfe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the predictors of community supervision failures amongst female offenders in the United States criminal justice system. Female offenders have, in comparison with male offenders, particular challenges for community reintegration. This study used the relational theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory to investigate the effects of childhood trauma on adult female offenders' behaviors, including substance use disorder and mental health issues. Secondary archival data were obtained from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency's AUTO Screener and Supervision and Management Automated Record Tracking System; this data pool included information on 1,085 female offenders who had served at …

Improving Attitudes And Perceptions About Teamwork Among Health Care Professionals With A Teamstepps Approach, Tetsuya Umebayashi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective communication among health care professionals is essential for the provision of quality patient-centered care; however, effective communication practices are not guided by evidence-based models in many health care organizations. The Joint Commission has estimated that most sentinel events are induced by miscommunication among health care professionals. The problem addressed in this project was poor and ineffective teamwork skills and general communication among health care professionals and a lack of formal models to guide effective communication among the healthcare team. The purpose of the project was to adapt TeamSTEPPS to an institutional context in order to improve health care team …

Exploring Consumers' Experiences With Corporate Greenwashing, Mark Emerson Wood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Greenwashing means the advertisement of goods and services that are alleged to be of benefit to the environment, and is a phenomenon that persists as an advertising tactic in corporate marketing. Research has found that consumers are distrustful of greenwashing, as many claims of eco-friendly products have been shown to be false. This crisis of confidence recalls scandals of the past decade related to insider trading, price fixing, and lack of corporate social responsibility placing the brand equity of major corporations at risk. Given a limited understanding among corporate leaders of consumers' experiences with greenwashing, the purpose of this phenomenological …

A Couple’S Marital Disharmony And Its Psychological Effects On Their Children During The Hiv Disclosure Process In Kenya, Grace Gachanja

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Limited published data exists on how HIV-positive parents perform disclosure to all their children. A couple’s HIV disclosure experience to all their children is presented. They participated in a larger study conducted to understand the lived experiences of HIV-positive parents and their children during the disclosure process. Each underwent individualized in-depth semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed and transferred into NVivo 8 for analysis using the Van Kaam method. Three themes emerged including HIV testing, full disclosure delivery accompanied by marital disharmony, and postdisclosure psychological effects on the family. Marital disharmony and non-involvement of the father caused the mother to fully …

Natural Labor Pain Management, Debora Henline Sullivan, Courtney Mcguiness

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

There is a current trend toward natural pain management in labor, and pregnant women will seek the guidance of childbirth educators to make qualified decisions. The childbirth educator bases practice on the most current evidence; however, natural pain management in labor is not well studied. This paper offers information and current evidence as well as a story that illustrates the use of many natural or complementary and alternative medical therapies used in pain management during labor.

Speaking Their Language: Integrating Social Media Into Childbirth Education Practice, Deborah Weatherspoon, Christopher Weatherspoon, C. Ristau

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

With the advancement of modern technology, the internet has become a standard platform for many forms of communication and education. The majority of pregnant females fall into the cohort known as Millenials and have experienced technology since early in life. Millenials consider technology as part of their everyday life and use it for personal interaction or a source of information. The established comfort with the use of technology combined with busy lifestyles, multiple commitments, transportation costs or logistics, childcare, or a desire for privacy, support the use of perinatal online learning. This article examines options that childbirth educators may consider …

Cyp2a6 Polymorphisms May Strengthen Individualized Treatment For Nicotine Dependence, Yawo M. Akrodou

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Each CYP2A6 gene variant metabolizes nicotine differently depending on its enzymatic activities. The normal nicotine metabolizer CYP2A6*1A is associated with high scores of nicotine dependence (5-10) on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scale because it encodes for enzymes that catalyze nicotine 100%. Slow nicotine metabolizers (i.e., CYP2A6*1H, CYP2A6*4A, CYP2A6*9, and CYP2A6*12A) are associated with underrated nicotine metabolizing activity (50%-75%), linking them to low scores for nicotine dependence (0-4) on the FTND scale. In a clinical trial involving the use of bupropion, people who were carriers of slow nicotine metabolizers were found to have a tendency to maintain abstinence …

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, Brandy L. Gilea, Rachel M. O’Neill

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD), a new diagnosis in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013), is characterized by chronic, severe persistent irritability in children and adolescents. DMDD was added to the DSM-5, in part, to address concerns about potential over-diagnosis and overtreatment of bipolar disorder in children (APA, 2013). DMDD characterizes behavior that is considered outside of the normal range of childhood behavior; the major features of this disorder include severe recurrent temper outbursts manifested verbally (e.g., verbal rages) and/or behaviorally (e.g., physical aggression toward people or property) that are …

Reducing Challenging Behaviors In Intellectually Disabled Individuals: A Comparison Of Organizational Culture And Treatment Approach, Frances Mascolo-Glosser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The deinstitutionalization of the intellectually disabled (ID) and their transition to community living in New York State necessitated training initiatives for staff to manage challenging behaviors safely and humanely. However, the use of physical interventions to control self-injury and physical aggression may have become organizationally habituated, and limited research has compared programs that use physical versus nonphysical interventions. This mixed-method, comparative case study compared a restraint-free day habilitation program with one that used physical interventions, examining the differences in reducing self-injury, aggression, and types of interventions applied. Qualitative differences in philosophical approach to behavior intervention strategies and staff training protocols …

Impact And Prevention Of Psychiatric Polypharmacy In The Elderly, Rose Cordelia E Onyekwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adequate medication management is a focus of effective care that is often overlooked in caring for adults with comorbid psychiatric and physical conditions, especially in patients who are treated by multiple care providers and have a variety of health issues at the same time. The purpose of this project was to develop evidence-based policies and practice guidelines to reduce polypharmacy in elderly patients in a rural outpatient psychiatric clinic. Bandura's self-efficacy theory was used to inform the project for its value in assessing motivation, capacity for self-regulation, and perceptions of individual ability. An interdisciplinary team of stakeholders explored best practices …

Teacher Intent And Involvement In Incidents Of Student Bullying: A Multiple Case Study, James Michael Petrakis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public awareness of the negative impact of bullying on adolescents has increased due to social networking and news media reports. Prior research on bullying has focused on the prevalence of bullying in public schools, yet few studies have explored teacher intent, constructive or punitive, and teacher involvement in incidents of bullying. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teacher intent and teacher involvement in responding to student bullying. The conceptual framework was based on Bandura's social learning theory and Marshall et al.'s conceptual model of teacher intent and involvement. The central research question asked how teacher intent and …

The Environmental Health Of The Autistic Student In The Public School Classroom, Antonia Klein

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professionals have found autism to be an enigmatic condition. While necessary

biomedical research continues, a gap exists in the inclusion of parental opinions,

knowledge, and experiences in educational planning for their autistic children. The

purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify the factors that the parents felt

contributed to the academic success of their autistic child in the public school classroom

environment and ways in which their ideas might contribute to overall educational

planning and classroom design in structure, curriculum development, and intervention

strategies which might lead to reduced stress. Parental input was explored through

semistructured personal interviews …

Using Sustainable Development As A Competitive Strategy, Pat Spearman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sustainable development reduces construction waste by 43%, generating 50% cost savings. Residential construction executives lacking adequate knowledge regarding the benefits of sustainable development practices are at a competitive disadvantage. Drawing from the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore knowledge acquisition within the bounds of sustainable residential construction. The purposive sample size of 11 executive decision makers fulfilled the sample size requirements and enabled the extraction of meaningful data. Participants were members of the National Home Builders Association and had experience of a minimum of 5 years in residential construction. The research question …

The Quest For Work And Family Balance Using Flexible Work Arrangements, Sandra Ellen Forris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Employees experience challenges managing home and work. The increase of women in the workforce, single-parents, childcare, elder care responsibilities, and men in nontraditional roles warrant changes in traditional working hours and flexibility in work schedules. Through the theoretical frameworks of work-family conflict, spillover, border, and boundary theories, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how flexible work arrangements (FWAs) assisted employees in meeting work and family obligations. Minimal research is available in the defense industry and the use of FWAs. A nonprobability, convenience sample was used to explore how management and nonmanagement participants from a Midwest defense …

Weight Management Counseling And Obesity Severity In Children With Special Health Care Needs, Adeola Sonaike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Epidemiologic surveillance indicates an increased susceptibility to obesity among children with special health care needs (SHCN) in comparison to children without. The present study investigated this disparity in weight severity between both groups, with a focus on the provision of obesity management counseling by physicians. This study consisted of a retrospective medical record review that acknowledged the effect of patient-provider interactions on health behaviors and risk perceptions. An independent sample t test compared the incidence of clinician-initiated obesity management counseling received by children with SHCN to that which was received by children without SHCN. This t test revealed a statistically …

Self-Control, Self-Efficacy, And Work Ethic As Potential Factors In Entitlement In Adolescents, Janine Shalka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Narcissism has increased in the past 3 decades. Entitlement is a component of narcissism, and substantial research indicates that entitlement is associated with negative behaviors such as aggression, relationship conflict, incivility, and unreasonable expectations in the workplace, learning environments, and relationships. Despite such findings, factors such as self-control, work ethic, and self-efficacy that might explain the variance in entitlement in adolescents has received little investigation. Social cognitive theory indicates that continuous reciprocal relationships exist between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. The study employed cross-sectional survey research to gather data from 118 students in Grades 10, 11, and 12 in the …

Effective Teaching In Higher Education For The 21st Century Adult Learner, Denise Murchison Payton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

As college populations are becoming increasingly diverse, institutions must find ways to meet the needs of their nontraditional students. Nontraditional adult learners are self-directed, ready to learn, and are internally motivated to engage in problem-centered learning. The purpose of this study was to expand and refine an active learning seminar in a higher education setting to improve the quality of teaching, student engagement, and retention rates. The site of the study was a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in which adult students over 25 constituted 49% of the population. The faculty members at this site predominantly employed traditional …

The Effect Of An Online Coping Skill Application On Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Sufferers, Jennifer H. Garrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are classified as having relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), a form of the illness that requires constant symptom management for suffers to achieve optimum outcomes. There are only a few community-based educational programs that exist to help RRMS sufferers cope with their illness; the effectiveness of those that have been fielded has not yet been adequately assessed. The research questions of this study were to determine if an online training development module would increase the coping skills of those affected by RRMS and if the online educational module would be more effective at improving the coping …

The Predictors Of Physician-Patient Discussions Of Sexual Health With Older Adults, Dana Marie Werner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of adults aged 65 years and over has been rising quickly, as has the rate of new onset sexually transmitted diseases within this population. Discussions of sexual health between physicians and older adults are currently lacking in frequency and effectiveness. Using the foundation of stereotype embodiment theory, the purpose of this study was to identify the factors that predict frequency of discussing sexual health with older adult patients. A comparative sample of geriatric physicians and family practitioners completed 2 researcher-developed questions and the Sexual Health Care Scale-Attitude tool that assessed their stereotype beliefs toward discussing sexual health with …

Effects Of Successmakers Math As An Intervention For Students, Jennifer Lee Calcut

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Schools throughout the United States use the IQ-achievement discrepancy method to

identify children with learning disabilities. This current method allows many students to fall behind in the regular education setting. In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was reauthorized to provide states with the option of using a response to intervention (RtI) model in lieu of or in conjunction with the IQ-achievement discrepancy model. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, single subject, pre/posttest design study was to determine the impact of a Tier II intervention using SuccesMakers Math, a learning system that adapts to the unique needs of the individual …

High School Students' Participation In Fine Arts Programs And Perceived Leadership Self-Efficacy, Howard Benjamin Burge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research suggests that participation in fine arts programs may enhance the development of leadership skills in student populations; however, few studies have examined the unique association between fine arts students and the development of their leadership self-efficacy skills. Lambert's theory of constructive leadership formed the theoretical framework for this quantitative study. The 3 research questions asked whether there is a significant relationship between (a) the number of programs and self-reported leadership self-efficacy, (b) the type of programs and the self-reported leadership self-efficacy, and (c) the quality of programs and the self-reported leadership self-efficacy. The sample included 103 high school students …

Program For Healthcare Personnel To Improve Anti-Hypertensive Medication Adherence In Black Adults, Verena D. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medication nonadherence is a healthcare problem that costs the United States billions of dollars annually. The purpose of this project was to propose an evidence-based program for healthcare personnel to increase the rate of medication adherence in hypertensive Black adults who require daily, oral medication. The transtheoretical model of change was used to explain the process of change and to identify approaches to changing non-adherent behaviors related to medications. Motivational interviewing was used to explain the process that nurse-educators would use to guide patients through the stages of change. In the initial step of this quality improvement program, a convenience …