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A Qualitative Study On The Experiences Of Burnout Among Mental Health Practitioners Rendering Clinical Care During Covid-19, Mykiyaa Marvella Walker-Sanchez Aug 2025

A Qualitative Study On The Experiences Of Burnout Among Mental Health Practitioners Rendering Clinical Care During Covid-19, Mykiyaa Marvella Walker-Sanchez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, between 21% and 67% of mental health practitioners in the United States experienced signs of burnout. The pandemic exacerbated these challenges, with an increased demand for mental health services. By 2022, 45% of practitioners reported burnout, and the APA’s 2023 Practitioner Pulse Survey noted that psychologists were working at the limits of their capacity, with high levels of burnout. While research on COVID-19 and burnout has expanded for physicians and nurses, less focus has been placed on mental health practitioners' experiences. The purpose of this generic qualitative study aimed to understand how mental health practitioners …


Effects Of Social Influences On Adult Male Politicians Who Engage In Sexually-Exploitative Behaviors, Rodshana M. Ulery Aug 2025

Effects Of Social Influences On Adult Male Politicians Who Engage In Sexually-Exploitative Behaviors, Rodshana M. Ulery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexually-exploitative behaviors by adult male politicians is a significant societal concern that reflects deeper issues involving power misuse, gender inequality, and institutional failure. This qualitative research involved examining societal factors that were linked with this type of misconduct. Guided by the status characteristics theory, the study involved examining how status-related traits such as political power, public image, and institutional affiliation shaped social dynamics and fostered environments that enabled these behaviors. Using NVIVO, thematic content analysis was applied to 24 adult male politician cases. Five key themes emerged: early life and family influences, position and power, opportunity expectations, cultural and institutional …


Strategies To Improve Psychiatrist Understaffing In Psychiatric Hospitals In Rural And Underserved Communities: Addressing Administrative Challenges, Carla Aramouni Aug 2025

Strategies To Improve Psychiatrist Understaffing In Psychiatric Hospitals In Rural And Underserved Communities: Addressing Administrative Challenges, Carla Aramouni

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychiatric hospitals across the United States face a worsening shortage of psychiatrists, particularly in rural and underserved communities, which limits timely mental health care, increases wait times, and places unsustainable strain on the psychiatric workforce. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify administrative strategies that can mitigate psychiatrist understaffing and support sustainable care delivery in psychiatric hospitals. An integrative review methodology was used to explore both empirical and nonempirical literature, resulting in 92 articles, including 32 peer-reviewed sources and several supporting studies selected through a systematic search, screening, and critical appraisal. Thematic analysis of the evidence revealed five …


Canada’S Indigenous Social Workers’ Medicinal Plant Knowledge: A Land-Based Way Of Knowing For Indigenous Practice, Iris Kim Plain Eagle Aug 2025

Canada’S Indigenous Social Workers’ Medicinal Plant Knowledge: A Land-Based Way Of Knowing For Indigenous Practice, Iris Kim Plain Eagle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Canada’s Indigenous people of Treaty 7 region have experienced intergenerational trauma resulting from colonization perpetrated by the Canadian government. While the use of medicinal plants, are employed by Indigenous social workers, their integration into mainstream human services organizations remains limited. The gaps in Indigenous social work practice hinders client culturally competent care and the acknowledgement of Indigneous knowledge systems in colonial systems. This generic qualitative study explored the experiences of participants who integrate medicinal plant healing and ancestral knowledge into practice. Informed by indigenous wholistic theory, the study aimed to understand how Indigenous social workers navigate the challenges and opportunities …


Understanding Loss To Follow-Up: The Role Of Social Determinants Of Health In Infants Referred After A Positive Newborn Screening – A Quantitative Analysis, Betsy Graham-Moeller Graham-Moeller Aug 2025

Understanding Loss To Follow-Up: The Role Of Social Determinants Of Health In Infants Referred After A Positive Newborn Screening – A Quantitative Analysis, Betsy Graham-Moeller Graham-Moeller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Newborn screening (NBS) is a vital U.S. public health initiative that identifies medical conditions shortly after birth. Patients with positive screenings are referred for medical follow-up or evaluation. However, many patients do not receive the recommended long-term follow-up, posing concerns for healthcare providers and public health professionals working to ensure timely treatment and care continuity. Based on the Social Determinants of Health framework, this quantitative, retrospective cohort study aimed to examine demographic and clinical factors associated with follow-up adherence among 691 infants identified through NBS in Colorado and Wyoming. The purpose of the study was to determine whether race, ethnicity, …


Relationship Between Perioperative Nurses’ Perception Of Empowerment Versus Burnout And Intent To Leave In A Level 1 Hospital On The East Coast, Kelly D. Sambrano Aug 2025

Relationship Between Perioperative Nurses’ Perception Of Empowerment Versus Burnout And Intent To Leave In A Level 1 Hospital On The East Coast, Kelly D. Sambrano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining perioperative nurses is vital for maintaining high-quality care, operational efficiency, and financial stability in healthcare settings. These nurses are integral to surgical care and require significant training and resources, making their retention a strategic priority. This quantitative study, grounded in Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment, used secondary data to explore two main questions: (a) Which demographic factors—such as age, experience, training, certification, and loyalty predict empowerment, burnout, and intent to leave? and (b) How do empowerment and job satisfaction influence the intent to stay? With nearly 20% of the perioperative workforce expected to retire within five years, identifying retention …


Predicting Utilization Of Mental Health Services Among Undergraduate Nursing Students On College Campuses In The Mississippi Delta, Deidra Michelle Byas Aug 2025

Predicting Utilization Of Mental Health Services Among Undergraduate Nursing Students On College Campuses In The Mississippi Delta, Deidra Michelle Byas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over recent years, concerns about the mental health of nursing students in the Mississippi Delta have increased. However, research indicated that many nursing students do not utilize mental health services. This population has received little research attention, creating a gap in the literature and leaving counselor educators and supervisors ill-equipped to prepare counselors to meet the needs of nursing students. This quantitative study examined whether attitudes toward mental health services, social and cultural stigmas, and demographic characteristics explained the variance in nursing students’ willingness to seek help. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, the study focused on three areas: …


Reconciling Harm Reduction Philosophy And Approaches Among Abstinence-Only Substance Abuse Treatment Professionals, Amy Rose Ashton-Williams Aug 2025

Reconciling Harm Reduction Philosophy And Approaches Among Abstinence-Only Substance Abuse Treatment Professionals, Amy Rose Ashton-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in the United States has been firmly grounded in abstinence-only treatment approaches. Harm reduction as a treatment model has gained additional traction. With increased rates of opioid use, overdoses, and advancements in medications for SUDs, harm reduction treatment approaches are becoming more important to improve lives of people who use drugs. Little is known about how counselors who have been educated, trained, and deliver abstinence-based SUD treatment reconcile use of harm reduction into their practice. To address this gap in literature, a generic qualitative study was conducted using the social constructivism theory. A purposive …


Strategies To Use Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Programs To Increase Employee Performance And Profitability, Kecia Bailey Alexander Aug 2025

Strategies To Use Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Programs To Increase Employee Performance And Profitability, Kecia Bailey Alexander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of effective strategies for implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs to increase employee performance and profitability is a concern for leaders in the education industry. This problem is significant to educational leaders because, without effective strategies for implementing DEI programs, they cannot address the gap in practice that hinders improvements in employee performance and organizational profitability. Grounded in Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry identified and explored the effective strategies educational leaders used to successfully implement DEI programs to increase employee performance and profitability. Participants were six leaders from both for-profit and non-profit educational …


A Content Analysis Of Podcasts Exploring The Experiences Of Nba Players And Mental Health, Joanna D. Hedin Aug 2025

A Content Analysis Of Podcasts Exploring The Experiences Of Nba Players And Mental Health, Joanna D. Hedin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black male athletes are at a greater risk of not seeking treatment for their mental health issues due to cultural stigmas and expectations. The purpose of this qualitative secondary data research study was to understand the experiences of Black NBA players regarding their mental health and the sociocultural factors that influence their decision making regarding participation in mental health services, as revealed through podcast appearances. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was applied in this study to suggest that learning is an integral part of the social process and that culture contributes to how and what one learns. This study asked about what …


Difference In High School Geometry End-Of-Year State Exam Scores Between Three Different Retake Time Frames, Christina Noel Walton Aug 2025

Difference In High School Geometry End-Of-Year State Exam Scores Between Three Different Retake Time Frames, Christina Noel Walton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A grading policy was implemented in a Northeastern suburban public school district that left it to curriculum teams to define the amount of time between the original test and its retake resulting in a slight decrease in high school students’ geometry end-of-year state exam scores. Guided by Bloom’s theory of mastery learning, the purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to investigate if there were statistically significant differences between high school students’ geometry end-of-year state exam scores or between high school students’ geometry math growth scores when controlling for the preassessment score differentiated by three schemes of retake timing: short-term, …


Using Exercise To Treat Anxiety In Adult Patients With Addiction, Emmanuella N. Nnadozie Aug 2025

Using Exercise To Treat Anxiety In Adult Patients With Addiction, Emmanuella N. Nnadozie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary In this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project, I selected a staff education as the best intervention to improve staff knowledge in using exercise to treat anxiety disorders in adult patients at a recovery clinic for addiction. Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among individuals undergoing substance abuse treatment, often exacerbating withdrawal symptoms and increasing relapse risks; thus, integrating the use of exercise in addition to existing standard care for anxiety treatment in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) will lead to decreased anxiety, decreased alcohol use and drug cravings, improved quality of life and affect, increased abstinence, and improve …


Staff Education On The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, Nathlie Ndokame Aug 2025

Staff Education On The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, Nathlie Ndokame

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary This was a staff education project aimed at improving nurse knowledge on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) tool. The identified gap in practice was a lack of knowledge and confidence among psychiatric nursing staff in utilizing this evidence-based suicide risk assessment tool. This project question was as follows: Does the implementation of an education program for psychiatric nursing staff on the use of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale improve knowledge of patients at risk for suicide? The project employed the ADDIE framework and the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model. A comprehensive literature search was conducted, yielding 67 relevant …


Middle School Special Education Math Teachers’ Perceptions On The Use Of Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies, Lisa Williams Taylor Aug 2025

Middle School Special Education Math Teachers’ Perceptions On The Use Of Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies, Lisa Williams Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study was that middle school special education math teachers’ use of quality-plus teaching strategies (QPTS) is not known at a large Georgia school district (GSD, a pseudonym). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school special education math teachers’ perceptions about using QPTS to improve standardized test scores for students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) at GSD. The study was grounded in Piaget’s theory of constructivism, which holds that knowledge is best gained through a process of action, reflection, construction, and the interaction of experiences and ideas. For this basic qualitative …


Adolescent Social Media Use During Covid-19 Isolation And Subsequent Loneliness, Anxiety, And Depression, Nadine Dalheim Aug 2025

Adolescent Social Media Use During Covid-19 Isolation And Subsequent Loneliness, Anxiety, And Depression, Nadine Dalheim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents spent time in social isolation from their peers due to periods of mandated lockdown. It was unclear how social media use during lockdown could have influenced adolescents’ mental health after the pandemic. Psychosocial development theory and self-socialization theory formed the theoretical framework for this study. This study examined 158 adolescents aged 13-17 who experienced lockdowns and movement restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The independent variables were a) the social media sites most frequented during lockdowns, and b) the purposes of their use. The RCADS and the UCLA Loneliness Scale provided participants’ levels of anxiety, depression, …


A Qualitative Study Exploring The Prenatal Care Experiences Of Pregnant And Postpartum Women In Arochukwu, Nigeria, Esther Ejim Aug 2025

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Prenatal Care Experiences Of Pregnant And Postpartum Women In Arochukwu, Nigeria, Esther Ejim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This basic qualitative research study explored the perceptions and lived experiences of pregnant and postpartum women in Arochukwu, Abia State, Nigeria, where access to quality prenatal and maternal healthcare is limited. Nigeria records the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, largely due to weak healthcare systems, poverty, and entrenched sociocultural norms. Grounded in the Health Belief Model (HBM) and guided by the lens of social constructivism, the study explored how health beliefs, perceived risks, benefits, barriers, and cues to action shaped women’s healthcare decisions. Using semistructured, open-ended interviews with 13 purposefully selected women, the study captured how …


Elementary Teachers’ Experiences With Addressing The Social Emotional Needs Of Students, Yolanda Barba Aug 2025

Elementary Teachers’ Experiences With Addressing The Social Emotional Needs Of Students, Yolanda Barba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers in a Midwestern U.S. school district faced persistent challenges in implementing social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies and responding effectively to students’ SEL needs. Framed by the SEL core competencies from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of the district’s elementary teachers when addressing student needs through SEL and what supports are needed to better support students. Data were collected via semistructured interviews with 10 certified elementary teachers in the district with SEL experience. Thematic analysis, using a priori and open coding resulted in five themes that …


Self-Distraction As A Positive Coping Mechanism For Adolescents Of Incarcerated Parents, Tysha Deve' Ushry Aug 2025

Self-Distraction As A Positive Coping Mechanism For Adolescents Of Incarcerated Parents, Tysha Deve' Ushry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children of incarcerated parents have been an increasing area of scholarly focus, especially considering that the United States holds one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world. The purpose of this qualitative basic study was to explore the perceptions of adolescents, ages 18-21, whose parents are incarcerated in prison, and their use of self-distraction from parental incarceration as a positive coping mechanism. The study was grounded in Hill’s family stress theory. Purposive and snowball sample strategies were employed in this study to obtain participants from a private Facebook group. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 12 participants …


Staff Education To Reduce Compassion Fatigue Among Emergency Department Nurses, Ruth Anne Dirschuweit Aug 2025

Staff Education To Reduce Compassion Fatigue Among Emergency Department Nurses, Ruth Anne Dirschuweit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

I created this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project as a staff education initiative to inform emergency department (ED) nurses about the emotional toll of caring for patients in distress. This condition, known as compassion fatigue (CF), is characterized by emotional exhaustion from ongoing exposure to trauma and can lead to increased stress, reduced job satisfaction, and a decline in care quality. A gap in staff support and coping strategies was identified among frontline nurses in a large, urban healthcare environment. I developed the project to increase nurses’ knowledge and self-awareness of CF through an evidence-based educational session. The guiding …


An Exploratory Examination Of Profiling Techniques In Criminal Cases, Marilou Verburg Erb Aug 2025

An Exploratory Examination Of Profiling Techniques In Criminal Cases, Marilou Verburg Erb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Profiling is a vital process in criminal investigations that facilitates not only the proper identification of offenders in the fight against crime but also the quick apprehension of said individuals. Finding viable techniques to investigate criminal activity has been a significant focus of research on crime and related fields. The objective of this qualitative study was to examine the primary techniques involved in geographic profiling, crime scene profiling, suspect-based profiling, psychological profiling, and psychological autopsies in order to assist academics and professionals in the profiling field as well as law enforcement and criminal justice officials in identifying and apprehending offenders …


Role Of Perceived Social Support And Knowledge Of Postpartum Depression Among Women In Anambra State, Eastern Nigeria, Raphael Oluwasina Babatola Folorunsho Aug 2025

Role Of Perceived Social Support And Knowledge Of Postpartum Depression Among Women In Anambra State, Eastern Nigeria, Raphael Oluwasina Babatola Folorunsho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Postpartum depression (PPD) is an increasingly pressing public health issue, particularly in low-resource settings like Nigeria, where maternal mental health tends to receive limited attention. This study explored the relationship between maternal awareness of PPD, perceived social support, and prevalence of depressive symptoms among postpartum women in the Nnewi North Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State. Grounded in the social support theory, health belief model, and socioecological model, the study used a descriptive cross-sectional research design. A total of 406 postpartum women attending primary healthcare centers were surveyed using validated instruments, including the PHQ-9 and MSPSS. Statistical analyses included …


Cardiometabolic Outcomes In The Obese African American Population With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cecilia Jillo Walan Aug 2025

Cardiometabolic Outcomes In The Obese African American Population With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cecilia Jillo Walan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disproportionately impacts African American adults, particularly those with obesity, due to overlapping cardiometabolic risks and health care disparities. The intersection of RA, obesity, and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension underscores the need for targeted public health interventions. This study investigated the association between RA and cardiometabolic outcomes among African American adults with obesity, aiming to identify significant predictors within this high-risk population. This quantitative study employed a cross-sectional design to analyze data from the 1999–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey undergirded by the social ecological change framework with N=23644 African American adults …


The Lived Experience Of Bariatric Patients During The Pre-Surgical Evaluation, Nathan Paul Wharton Aug 2025

The Lived Experience Of Bariatric Patients During The Pre-Surgical Evaluation, Nathan Paul Wharton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients undergoing bariatric surgery have no standard of care for the pre-surgical evaluation process (PSE). Often, these patients look at the PSE as just another hurdle to jump through before reaching surgery. The PSE, however, offers an opportunity for mental health professionals to prepare the patient for the challenging lifestyle changes necessary for weight loss maintenance in the long term. The problem being studied is whether patients feel they are prepared for the unique mental health challenges, eating disorder challenges, and strict lifestyle changes during the PSE. The study followed a qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis approach to explore the lived …


Perspectives Of Black Male Administrators On Gaining Administrative Roles At Community And Technical Colleges, Marcusantonio Gunn Aug 2025

Perspectives Of Black Male Administrators On Gaining Administrative Roles At Community And Technical Colleges, Marcusantonio Gunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed in this study is that there is a low number of Black male administrators at community and technical colleges (CTCs) throughout the United States, despite widespread organizational practices of adopting diversity and equity policies, implementing mentoring programs, and providing professional development. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Black male administrators’ perceptions of hiring barriers and their recommendations to improve the professional pathway to employment at CTCs. Guided by critical race theory in education, data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight Black male administrators who are serving or have served in …


Educators’ Perceptions Of Multitiered Systems Of Support For Improving Reading And Math Achievement In An Urban School District, Denice Yvonne Garrett Aug 2025

Educators’ Perceptions Of Multitiered Systems Of Support For Improving Reading And Math Achievement In An Urban School District, Denice Yvonne Garrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Multitiered systems of support (MTSS) has been shown to benefit students’ academic and behavioral performance in schools. However, despite 4 years of MTSS implementation in one local urban school district, English language arts (ELA) and math underachievement among students remained evident. Guided by Hall and Hord’s concerns-based adoption model, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore educators’ perceptions of MTSS for improving ELA and math achievement in the local urban school district. Ten educators purposively sampled from the local district participated in semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis using inductive, open coding of the interview data was conducted. Themes …


Counselors’ Competency Development In Suicidal Ideation Assessments Of Black American Adolescents, Salita Mcclelland Wynn Aug 2025

Counselors’ Competency Development In Suicidal Ideation Assessments Of Black American Adolescents, Salita Mcclelland Wynn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black American adolescents have increased rates of suicidal ideation above what is noted in the general U.S. youth and adolescent population. An in-depth literature supports the notion that many counselors and mental health clinicians, post-graduation from their training programs, feel ill-equipped to assess suicidal ideation in Black American adolescents. The purpose of this qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences and competence of counselors who have clinical experience working with Black American adolescents who have suicidal ideation. Prior to the inception of this research, no other documented study addressed counselor competence with assessing suicidal ideation in Black …


School-Based Peer Mentoring Programs To Support New Teacher Retention, Denisha Logan Aug 2025

School-Based Peer Mentoring Programs To Support New Teacher Retention, Denisha Logan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increased rate of attrition among new educators underscores the urgency of addressing the challenges faced by early career teachers. The problem addressed in this study was the high attrition rate of new teachers in middle-low-income urban schools in Maryland. Guided by Kram’s mentoring theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of new teachers regarding how the school-based peer mentoring program contributed to them remaining at their schools. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 novice teachers who had fewer than 3-years of experience teaching at the study site. Thematic …


The Lived Experiences Of Clinically Licensed Counselors During Covid-19, Deirdre F. Haynes Aug 2025

The Lived Experiences Of Clinically Licensed Counselors During Covid-19, Deirdre F. Haynes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be an equal opportunity crisis. There is substantial research to better understand how individuals have reacted to crisis experiences like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about the lived experiences of clinically licensed counselors during COVID-19. This gap in the literature is important because the increase in the number of individuals seeking counseling to deal with their fears and concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic may have put a strain on counselors that were also experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to bridge the …


Addressing And Recognizing Secondary Traumatic Stress In Hospice And Palliative Care Clinicians, Laquisha La Chelle Jackson Aug 2025

Addressing And Recognizing Secondary Traumatic Stress In Hospice And Palliative Care Clinicians, Laquisha La Chelle Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the emotionally demanding field of hospice and palliative care, the well-being of clinicians is critical. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project focused on implementing a staffing education initiative to address secondary traumatic stress (STS). I designed this staffing education project to enhance clinician awareness, resilience, and coping strategies while informing organizational leadership on how improved staffing models and support systems can mitigate STS. Hospice and palliative care clinicians are uniquely vulnerable to STS due to constant exposure to trauma, death, and grieving families. The guiding question for this project was: In hospice and palliative care clinicians, how does …


The Impact Of Tuition Assistance On Employee Retention: Cybersecurity Employee Perceptions Of National Security Agency’S College Tuition Assistance Program, Marta I. Benitez-Guzman Aug 2025

The Impact Of Tuition Assistance On Employee Retention: Cybersecurity Employee Perceptions Of National Security Agency’S College Tuition Assistance Program, Marta I. Benitez-Guzman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. employers spend considerable sums on employee skill development, including investments in college tuition assistance programs (CTAP). Based on a review of recent literature, measuring employer return on investment can be difficult. The literature contained varying results on the effectiveness of employer-provided incentives on retention decisions and provided insufficient empirical or evaluative data on employee perceptions and the influence on retention. The purpose of this qualitative evaluative case study was to examine how cybersecurity employees at the National Security Agency (NSA) who participated in CTAP (2019–2023) perceived the program's effect on their career development and retention decisions. The theoretical framework …