Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions And Experiences Of Black Young Adults Regarding Depressive Symptoms And Strategies Used To Cope With Adverse Experiences During Adolescence, Sherral Harding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adversity has been a topic of study among scholars who have highlighted the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms increasing over time because of childhood experiences and exposure to traumatic situations. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of Black young adults age 18–35 regarding depressive symptoms and strategies used to cope with adverse experiences throughout their teenage years growing up in a low-income community and later in life. The perspectives were examined through a retrospective lens of the young adults’ adolescent years. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was used as the framework to …

Experiences Of Cisgender Mental Health Professionals Providing Services To Transgender Or Gender Nonconforming Individuals Who Voluntarily Engage In Sex Work, Rachel Renee Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding mental health needs and increasing awareness of services is critical for the wellbeing of populations served in mental health treatment, including minority subpopulations such as transgender or gender nonconforming sex workers. Further exploration of this topic is needed and the lack of it is a critical gap in multicultural mental health service provision. The purpose of this heuristic study was to explore the meaning of cisgender mental health professionals’ experiences while working with transgender or gender nonconforming sex workers, identifying themes for potential education, training, and supervision topics to increase cultural competency when providing services to the population. Six …

The Relationships Among Economic Support And Hypertension And Diabetes Among The Adult Jamaican Population, Andrea Wolfe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A significant number of adult Jamaicans have been diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension, and individual socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to these health outcomes. SES included income, education and employment. Income may directly influence health; however, some individual’s income may not be sufficient to cover all financial obligations and income support may be necessary. Local or overseas family members may significantly augment an individual’s income and financial situation that could affect health outcomes. This quantitative cross-sectional study was used to examine whether there were relationships between health outcomes (hypertension and diabetes) and economic support (governmental and familial). The Jamaica …

The Lived Experience Of New Graduates Transitioning Through The Nclex, Kristie Lynn Harrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, thousands of seemingly qualified nursing candidates are unsuccessful at taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Given the ongoing nursing shortage and instability in healthcare personnel created by COVID-19, it is important to ensure that all qualified candidates enter practice promptly. Research related to the lived experience of the graduate nurse is limited. The purpose of this qualitative study was to extend the current understanding of graduate nurses’ experience in graduating from nursing school and preparing to take the NCLEX. This study is a thematic analysis of the graduate nurses’ lived experience as they transition from school to …

Evaluating The Qualitative Aspects Of A Community College Academic Success Program, Joselito Dacillo Coquilla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College academic success programs (ASP) frequently include both quantitative and qualitative key performance indicators (KPI). While the quantitative KPIs are typically programmed for evaluation within an ASP’s implementation, evaluating qualitative KPIs is resource intensive and therefore, sometimes overlooked. The problem addressed by this study was the need to evaluate the qualitative KPIs in a large community college system’s 2016 ASP (2016-2020). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to conduct a summative evaluation to determine the extent to which the college achieved its ASP’s qualitative KPI objectives from the perspectives of students. The study was guided by Tinto’s involvement …

Effective Strategies To Reduce Registered Nurse Turnover In Hospitals, Adrienne Cozart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Registered nurse (RN) turnover remains a problem for many healthcare organizations. Hospital nurse leaders are concerned with RN turnover because of its negative effect on the profitability of hospitals. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that hospital nurse leaders use to reduce RN turnover. The participants were four hospital nurse leaders who reduced RN turnover in two hospitals in Texas. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documentation. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in three themes: turnover reduction strategies, barriers or challenges to …

Public Elementary School Counselors’ Experiences Serving Military-Connected Students With Active-Duty Parents, Tiffany Archer Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most military-connected students (MCS) with active-duty parents attend public schools in the United States. Due to the highly mobile military lifestyles of MCS, some are at risk for academic, emotional, and social challenges. School counselors are often charged with supporting and advocating for MCS; therefore, it is vital to understand elementary school counselors’ experiences with these students. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of elementary school counselors who work with MCS with active-duty parents in U.S. public-schools. Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach served as a theoretical framework for this study. Semistructured interviews were …

Strategies Broadcast Television Producers Use To Retain Subscribers, Robert Ivkovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diminished network subscriber retention can have devastating consequences on the financial sustainability and profitability of television production companies. When the problem of reduced subscriber retention occurs, television producers become concerned about financial losses and operational sustainability. Grounded in Thaler and Sunstein’s nudge theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies television producers use to increase subscriber retention. The participants were five senior television producers from three production companies in the southeastern region of the United States, who possessed relevant experience and knowledge on how to retain subscribers. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, archived records, …

Teacher Experiences With Increased Attrition Post-Covid-19 Pandemic, Stacy Catherine Baker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed was a post-COVD-19 pandemic increase in teacher attrition at an A-rated suburban middle school in a southern U.S. state. The increased attrition placed additional strain on local schools, teachers, and district personnel and affected the academic progress of students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school teachers’ experiences with the increasing attrition and obtain recommendations for improving teacher retention. The conceptual framework was the jobs-demands-resources theory. The two research questions concerned middle school teachers’ experiences related to the increasing teacher attrition and their recommendations for improving teacher retention, respectively. The study used …

Improving Nurses’ Communication Skills Using The Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation Model, Leslie Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of effective communication among health care providers results in negative health outcomes, low patient satisfaction, and compromised patient safety. An educational intervention to improve communication skills was implemented with staff including licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners. The project was implemented and evaluated for improved patient outcomes and satisfaction. The framework for the project was the situation-background-assessment-recommendation (SBAR) model. Pre- and postimplementation surveys were used to assess nurses’ knowledge of the effectiveness of SBAR on communication skills and patient satisfaction. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis, including the Wilcoxon sign test, were employed to analyze pre- and postintervention …

The Experience Of Remediation For At-Risk, Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Student Nurses, Nicole Jager

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At-risk students face academic challenges that can affect nursing program progression. Remediation strategies can increase student success. The research problem addressed through this study is a lack of information surrounding the students' remediation experience in an at-risk, pre-licensure baccalaureate student nurse population. Individualizing remediation to the student population can increase success; however, the student perspective is needed to correctly identify and tailor the remediation activities to fit the students’ needs. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore the experience of remediation among at-risk, pre-licensure baccalaureate student nurses. Mezirow's transformative learning theory grounded this study. The research design …

The Lived Spiritual Experience Of Aging Adults (≥65), Eddie Doron Soffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study explored the lived spiritual experience of aging adults (≥65), filling a gap in the literature relating to aging people’s spirituality in a variety of circumstances. The once-American youth-oriented society is growing older at an unprecedented rate as 76 million individuals of the baby-boomer generation (born 1946–1964) face retirement age. This demographic shift highlights a social problem of millions of aging baby boomers requiring a far-reaching change in the structure of society. This qualitative study aimed to gain insights into the lived experience of the spirituality of a sample of nine adults aged 65 and above by asking …

Mental Health Clinicians’ Experiences Of Treatment Length With Incarcerated Men In Therapeutic Community Substance Abuse Treatment, Crystal D. Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over half of the incarcerated population suffer from a substance abuse disorder; however, less than 20% of those incarcerated have access to substance abuse treatment while incarcerated. In those facilities where substance abuse treatment is an option, pressures of overcrowding and financial constraints threaten the length of treatment programming offered to move more people through treatment quicker. Therapeutic communities (TCs) have been shown to be the best substance abuse treatment option for those who are incarcerated, but TCs were designed to be a phase-based program based on developmental changes and signs of growth through the program. The purpose of this …

The Role Of Social Support In The Mitigation Of Social Worker Burnout During The Aftermath Of Hurricane Maria, Miguel Angel Soto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers are among the first responders to be activated during a natural disaster, and they remain aiding victims through the final stages of the recovery process. During the aftermath of natural disasters, social workers are required to work under extreme pressure and are at an increased risk of developing mental health issues that can affect their ability to provide adequate services. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of social workers who responded to Hurricane Maria regarding the role of social support and its relation to burnout. A purposive selection methodology was applied to …

Examining The Relationship Between Patient Engagement With Digital Inhaler Technology And Asthma Control, Tanisha D. Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that has significant public health and economic impact. Nonadherence to asthma medications can lead to poor treatment response and poor asthma outcomes. Digital health technologies have been shown to improve asthma medication adherence as well as asthma outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the relationship between patient characteristics and mobile app engagement and the relationship between patient engagement with a digital inhaler app and asthma control in adult patients with uncontrolled asthma who were assigned to use a digitally enabled asthma medication and accompanying app for asthma therapy. Several …

Probation And Pre-Trial Officers' Perspectives On The Impact Of Maternal Incarceration On Children, Shaniqua Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because of the mass incarceration of women, maternal incarceration has become a phenomenon within itself. This phenomenon has led to an increase in Black children with an incarcerated mother; however, there is a lack of information about how the cycle of the mass incarceration of Black women is perceived on the community supervision level. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to better understand probation and pre-trial officers’ perceptions of how the maternal incarceration of Black women impacts Black children. Three research questions explored how participants viewed the impact of maternal incarceration on Black children, recidivism, and positive reentry. …

Psychological Experiences Of Medical-Surgical Nurses Who Cared For Covid-19 Patients., Cecilia Dapilah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

: The outbreak of COVID-19 caused unparalleled pressure that brought healthcare facilities and healthcare staff to their knees across the globe, causing multiple deaths and economic despondency. Several studies have documented the effects of COVID-19 on healthcare workers and facilities, but none have addressed the problem from the psychological perspectives of medical-surgical nurses, especially in developing countries. This study explored the psychological experiences of medical-surgical nurses who cared for COVID-19 patients in developing countries. The theoretical foundation that informed this study was the Schachter-Singer’s theory of emotions. A descriptive qualitative design used purposeful sampling to interview 10 medical-surgical nurses. Their …

Supporting First-Generation College Student Counselors-In-Training To Overcome Systemic Barriers: A Participatory Action Research Study, Randolph Connell Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The need for mental health professionals is increasing rapidly, and the United States is facing a critical shortage of mental health counselors. Concurrently, one of the largest and fastest-growing graduate student populations is first-generation (FG) college students. But this marginalized population is less likely to persist to graduation than their continuing education peers. FG college students have many strengths that make them well-suited to become mental health counselors; however, counseling programs and counselor education and supervision (CES) faculty do not have the information about the challenges faced by these students or the supports that would help them persist to graduation. …

Counselor Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Competency: Christian And Non-Religious Addiction Counseling Programs, Kelly A. King, Corinne W. Bridges, Sidney L. Shaw

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This study compared levels of professional competency working with self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients among graduates and field experience students of Christian and nonreligious-affiliated CACREP-accredited addiction counseling programs. Applicants completed an instrument to measure the dependent variables of awareness, knowledge, and skills to work with LGB clients. The sample consisted of 84 master’s students in field experience and unlicensed counselors within 2 years of graduation. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to test the hypotheses. Participants from nonreligious-affiliated addiction counseling programs scored higher on the awareness (M = 68.82, M = 63.03), knowledge (M = 50.22, …

The Moderating Role Of Spiritual/Religious Struggle On The Relationship Between Negative Life Events And Spiritual/Religious Coping For Evangelical Christians, Lynae Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patterns of spiritual/religious coping (S/R coping) and spiritual/religious struggle (S/R struggle) have an impact on wellbeing after experiencing a negative life event (NLE). These impacts can have significant implications for the person after experiencing a NLE, particularly for evangelical Christians. However, little is known about how S/R struggle interacts with S/R coping after experiencing NLE. This study was guided by spiritual/religious coping theory and the general orienting system, theoretical orientation and conceptual framework, respectively. Research questions explored the moderating role of S/R struggle on the relationship of NLE both by number and mean stress level of NLE and S/R coping …

Assessing Barriers To Upward Mobility In The Cape Fear Region, Sabrina T. Cherry, Christopher R. Prentice

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Researchers explore upward mobility to better understand how economic and employment factors drive or undermine social justice and equity in the United States. This scholarship can inform activists and researchers seeking to design solutions that help overcome systemic challenges to upward mobility. Therefore, as an interdisciplinary team of scholars in a public university, we collaborated with community partners to conduct a case study in which we assessed the barriers to—and the drivers of—upward mobility in a medium-sized city in Southeastern North Carolina. We conducted key informant interviews and focus groups with a cross-section of local residents to learn about their …

An Effective, Robust, And Strategic Succession Plan For A Primary Law Enforcement Agency In Guyana, South America, Nicola Denise Kendall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The client organization, Guyana’s principal law enforcement agency, lacked a robust, effective, and strategic succession plan to fill vacancies for senior leadership and management. The current qualitative case study was to ascertain the appropriate strategies that could be employed for this organization, and by extension public organizations and law enforcement agencies, to have a robust, effective, and strategic succession plan. The conceptual framework was based on the succession planning model, which focused on key concepts such as strategy, knowledge management, talent management, organizational culture, leadership development, and management commitment. Data were collected from interviews, with 23 participants and a review …

Using Nurse-Assisted Telemedicine To Reduce Healthcare System Utilization By Rural Congestive Heart Failure Patients, Melissa Diehl Weidner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is among the most common reasons for emergency room utilization and hospitalizations in those over age 65. With the rapidly aging population in the United States, the number of CHF patients is projected to continue to rise, disproportionately affecting rural communities. This research study evaluated an innovative nurse-led telemedicine program developed by one rural healthcare system to address the care and economic influence of rural CHF care. The purpose of this causal comparative analysis was to determine the impact a nurse-assisted telemedicine program had on the number of emergency room visits and hospital admissions for CHF …

Strategies Employed By School Social Workers In Virginia To Help Children Cope With Parental Death, Jamitta Covington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has indicated that school social workers employ a variety of strategies or interventions that affect the child’s adjustment in school. The psychological, physical, and social issues impacting children after the death of a parent can have long term effects on their development. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding strategies that provide support for children’s adjustment to the grief process following a parent’s death. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to identify strategies to improve, enhance, and contribute to social work practice. The study was guided by Kubler-Ross’s grief theory, ecological systems theory, and assumptions of …

Nursing Faculty Engagement Perspectives In Online Courses, Deidra Boodoo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As nursing faculty transition to online education, faculty roles and responsibilities have shifted from face-to-face to online courses. Nursing faculty need to implement instructional approaches that are relevant and engaging to online nursing students, as this leads to student learning. The problem is undergraduate online nursing faculty are inconsistently implementing instructional approaches when engaging with online nursing students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nursing faculty’s perceptions of engagement approaches to establish social, cognitive, and teaching presence in online nursing courses. The study’s conceptual framework was Garrison’s community of inquiry framework. The framework was used to …

Danish 0–9 School Leader Perceptions Of School Leadership During The Covid-19 Pandemic Shift To Online Learning As Guided By The Seven Fields Of School Leadership, Daniel Martin Palomares

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the gap in the literature pertaining to Danish 0–9 school leader perceptions, experiences, and efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions during the 2020–2021 shift to online learning, guided by the Danish Ministry of Children and Education’s seven fields of school leadership. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Danish 0–9 school leader perceptions and experiences of the role of school leadership during the shift from face-to-face to online learning during the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic as guided by the seven fields of school leadership. Edmondson’s psychological safety theory offered a framework …

Leadership Development Strategies For Enhanced Corporate Leadership Capability, Amanda J. Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some business leaders lack leadership development strategies to enhance corporate capability. Without these strategies, business leaders may be over or underspending on leadership training without clear or relevant outcomes. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore leadership development strategies used by businesses to enhance corporate capability. Participants comprised six business leaders from the state of West Virginia who developed leadership strategies for enhanced corporate leadership capability. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews as well as a review of public websites and program documents. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. …

Factors That Influence African American Millennials’ Knowledge Of Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Disease, Ta'leitheia K. Boutin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Findings have begun to identify that millennials have predispositions that significantly increase their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This quantitative study, grounded in the socioecological model (SEM), addressed a gap of African American millennials' knowledge about CVD risk factors and the relationship of this knowledge to sociodemographic factors. Utilizing Survey Monkey, primary data was obtained through personal connections and social media such as Facebook, and participants were directed to a Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire (HDKQ). The requirement to participate was that they had to be African American, born between 1981 and 1996, and reside in Louisiana; the total number of …

Quality Measurement Of Blended Learning Model In Higher Education: Scale Development And Validation, Rajeshwari Panigrahi, Khaliq Lubza Nihar, Neha Singh

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: This study aimed to develop and test a scale for measuring the quality of blended learning models in higher education.

Methods: This research adopts a sequential mixed-method approach to construct a new measurement scale. The first phase consisted of the inductive approach to identify the items, followed by exploratory factor analysis. The identified dimensions were tested for reliability and validity in the second phase.

Results: The Blended Learning Quality Assessment (BLQA) contains 4 dimensions: Technology Integration, Pedagogy and Curriculum, Physical Infrastructure, and Educator Proficiency. The scale is comprised of 26 items assessing the quality of blended learning programs in …

Hospital Staff Members’ Lived Experiences Of Facilitating Yalom Focus Groups With Inpatient Adults In Psychiatric Units, Yemisi T. Abiona

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increase in inpatient psychiatric admissions across the United States with a decrease in funding necessitated a need to investigate clinical and cost-effective interventions to meet the demands. Research indicated that therapeutic group interventions are clinically sound and cost-effective. However, there are few evidence-based group interventions designed for acute and chronically ill psychiatric patients. The objective of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Yalom group facilitators to determine whether the group could be further researched and adopted as a specialized group intervention for this population. Existential theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. …