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Stewardship In Action: Reducing Unnecessary Antimicrobial Use In Long-Term Care, Mariatu Sulaiman Aug 2026

Stewardship In Action: Reducing Unnecessary Antimicrobial Use In Long-Term Care, Mariatu Sulaiman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antimicrobial overuse in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) contributes to antimicrobial resistance, avoidable healthcare costs, and adverse drug events, particularly when antibiotics are prescribed for asymptomatic bacteriuria rather than symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTIs). Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, including the McGeer Criteria, provide standardized approaches for differentiating true UTIs from asymptomatic bacteriuria and supporting appropriate antimicrobial prescribing. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to evaluate the development and implementation of a clinical practice guideline incorporating the McGeer Criteria into an antibiotic stewardship program in an LTCF. The practice-focused question examined what evidence supports strategies for reducing unnecessary antimicrobial use …


Patient-Reported Outcomes Of Effectiveness Of Esketamine For Treatment-Resistant Depression, Erica L. Marino Aug 2026

Patient-Reported Outcomes Of Effectiveness Of Esketamine For Treatment-Resistant Depression, Erica L. Marino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) affects approximately 30% of individuals with major depressive disorder who do not respond to conventional antidepressant therapies. TRD symptoms severely impact a patient’s quality of life (QoL) and impose a considerable burden on healthcare systems. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the impact of esketamine in decreasing depressive symptoms and improving QoL factors in patients diagnosed with TRD. The research aimed to determine whether there were statistically significant improvements in depressive symptoms, as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and changes in QoL, as measured by the Quality of Life in Depression Scale, over …


Improving Rsv Vaccination Uptake Through Nurse-Led Educational Intervention, Lawrence Onuorah Aug 2026

Improving Rsv Vaccination Uptake Through Nurse-Led Educational Intervention, Lawrence Onuorah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this quality improvement project, the DNP scholar explored the impact of a nurse-led staff education approach on improving respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine uptake. RSV disease results in negative health outcomes and even death among vulnerable individuals. Despite the availability of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vaccines, uptake remains low due to limited provider knowledge and inconsistent vaccine recommendations. Therefore, the project question addressed whether a staff education program would increase providers’ perceived knowledge of RSV vaccine recommendation and confidence to engage in patient education. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a nurse-led staff …


Nursing Staff’S Perception Of The Implementation Of The Obstetric Emergency Code Pink, Mareena Johnson Aug 2026

Nursing Staff’S Perception Of The Implementation Of The Obstetric Emergency Code Pink, Mareena Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local nursing practice problem addressed by this DNP doctoral project was the inconsistent and uneven response to obstetric emergencies within the health care setting. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the current implementation of the Code Pink protocol, identify any gaps or barriers in its effectiveness, and gather insights from nursing staff to propose refinements that would enhance its reliability and impact., The perception of nursing staff regarding obstetric emergency codes represents a critical dimension in the domain of maternal and neonatal health care, significantly influencing the efficacy of emergency responses and patient outcomes. Obstetric emergencies, such …


Influence Of National Policies In Addressing Intimate Partner Violence In Sierra Leone, Yatta Matilda Musa Aug 2026

Influence Of National Policies In Addressing Intimate Partner Violence In Sierra Leone, Yatta Matilda Musa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been shown to be a critical public health and human rights crisis in Sierra Leone driven by patriarchal sociocultural norms. However, despite legislative frameworks like the Domestic Violence Act of 2007, IPV incidents continue to rise, revealing a gap in policy implementation and real-world enforcement. Past research has documented IPV prevalence, yet an empirical evaluation assessing how stakeholders viewed the impact of national policies on prevention and response had not been conducted. The purpose of this study was to explore frontline stakeholders' perceptions regarding the operational influence of existing IPV policies. Grounded in the narrative …


K–3 Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding Learnable Intelligence As A Developmental Target And Their Advocacy For Students’ Cognitive Capabilities, Eleanor Nkechi Maduako Aug 2026

K–3 Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding Learnable Intelligence As A Developmental Target And Their Advocacy For Students’ Cognitive Capabilities, Eleanor Nkechi Maduako

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Extensive research shows the brain is malleable and, with experience and knowledge, intelligence can grow. The research problem addressed through this study was that the extent of early childhood educators' knowledge of learnable intelligence and their advocacy for advancement of children’s cognitive capabilities as a developmental goal were unknown. Guided by Perkins’s theory of learnable intelligence, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore K–3 teachers’ perspectives on learnable intelligence as a developmental target and how they advocate for children’s cognitive capabilities in their classrooms. In vivo and axial coding of data from semistructured interviews with 12 participants …


The Role Of Political And Media Narratives In Housing Affordability, Craig Anthony Bardo Aug 2026

The Role Of Political And Media Narratives In Housing Affordability, Craig Anthony Bardo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that persistent reliance on market-oriented affordability strategies continued despite evidence of declining housing affordability in Nashville. Understanding how policy narratives structured accepted solutions may help explain the persistence of existing policy approaches. Research has shown that housing affordability is a significant policy concern in many U.S. cities. Rising housing costs, displacement pressures, and persistent rent burdens have been indicated in studies as contributing factors. However, less attention has been paid to how political and media narratives shape the boundaries of recognized housing policy solutions within local discourse, specifically in Nashville, Tennessee. The purpose …


Staff Education To Improve Knowledge On Accurate Administration Of Medication, Deepu Pudasaini Aug 2026

Staff Education To Improve Knowledge On Accurate Administration Of Medication, Deepu Pudasaini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medication errors have been a significant problem, primarily due to a lack of continuous monitoring and inadequate training for personnel involved in managing or administering medications in non-healthcare settings. These errors often go undetected or unreported. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was a staff education project to improve staff knowledge of accurate medication administration of medication in a group home. The practice-focused question was: Will a staff education program on the accurate administration of medication improve certified medication technicians’ (CMTs) knowledge about the association between the medication administration process and medication error? The purpose of this DNP staff …


Exploring The Psychosocial Barriers To Kidney Transplant For African Americans In Southern Florida Diagnosed With End-Stage Renal Disease, Erica Lindsey Mitchell Aug 2026

Exploring The Psychosocial Barriers To Kidney Transplant For African Americans In Southern Florida Diagnosed With End-Stage Renal Disease, Erica Lindsey Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans experience disproportionately high rates of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) yet continue to experience disparities in access to kidney transplantation, the preferred treatment for ESRD. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore the psychosocial barriers to kidney transplantation for African Americans living with ESRD in south Florida. This capstone project was guided by the tenets of intersectionality theory. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with four human services professionals and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed six interconnected themes: a) social support, b) practical barriers, c) psychological and cognitive barriers to transplant navigation, d) …


Experiences Of Resilience During Divorce For Black Women Who Attend Church, Tracey Ann Grant Aug 2026

Experiences Of Resilience During Divorce For Black Women Who Attend Church, Tracey Ann Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Across the globe, divorce is a challenging situation that affects family relationships and disrupts social networks. Divorced women often experience a decline in their health and well-being immediately postdivorce. The problem addressed in this study is that divorcing women tend to experience more negative or undesirable impacts on their mental health (e.g., depression) postdivorce than men and often find involvement in church to be a source of support or added stress. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to investigate how recently divorced Black women describe how their involvement in church may have supported their mental health and resilience …


Staff Covid-19 Infections, Staffing Shortages, And Resident Deaths In New York State Nursing Homes, Arun Inayatullah Aug 2026

Staff Covid-19 Infections, Staffing Shortages, And Resident Deaths In New York State Nursing Homes, Arun Inayatullah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified existing staffing challenges in U.S. nursing homes. Although previous studies have examined the effects of COVID-19 in nursing homes, limited research has examined the association between staff COVID-19 infection counts, staffing shortages, and resident COVID-19 deaths in New York State nursing homes. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine whether staff COVID-19 infection counts were associated with staffing shortages and resident COVID-19 deaths in New York State nursing homes. The study was guided by the Donabedian structure-process-outcome model. Analyses of the four research questions examined whether staff COVID-19 infection counts were associated with …


Staff Education To Improve Staff Knowledge, Confidence, And Intent To Consistently Implement Medication-Assisted Treatment, Matilda Boachie Aug 2026

Staff Education To Improve Staff Knowledge, Confidence, And Intent To Consistently Implement Medication-Assisted Treatment, Matilda Boachie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice staff education project addressed inconsistent medication-assisted treatment (MAT) implementation in a masked crisis stabilization unit. MAT was available, but staff education was informal and inconsistent, contributing to variation in knowledge, confidence, patient education, documentation, and discharge planning. The practice-focused question that was answered through this project was whether structured staff education would improve knowledge, confidence, and intent to consistently implement MAT. The purpose was to develop, implement, and evaluate structured education for interdisciplinary staff. De-identified pre- and post-education surveys were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and aggregate averages were compared because individual surveys were not matched. …


Staff Education To Improve C-Ssrs Suicide Risk Screening Competency, Pearl Binka Aug 2026

Staff Education To Improve C-Ssrs Suicide Risk Screening Competency, Pearl Binka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This staff education doctoral project addressed inconsistent administration and documentation of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) in an acute care mental health setting. The practice problem was important because inconsistent standardized screening could delay identification of patients who required timely safety interventions. The practice-focused question examined whether structured C-SSRS education improved nursing staff competency, screening consistency, and documentation compliance. The project was developed and implemented to strengthen nurses’ knowledge, confidence, and skill in applying the C-SSRS as part of routine suicide risk screening. Evaluation strategies included comparisons of pre- and posteducation knowledge scores, competency checklist completion, chart audit findings, …


Hospital Operational Strategies For Reducing 30-Day Acute Myocardial Infarction Readmissions In The Southeast United States, Heather Smith Aug 2026

Hospital Operational Strategies For Reducing 30-Day Acute Myocardial Infarction Readmissions In The Southeast United States, Heather Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Thirty-day readmissions following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain a significant challenge for health care organizations due to increased health care utilization, costs, and adverse patient outcomes. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify effective operational strategies for reducing 30-day readmissions among patients with AMI in the Southeast United States. An integrative review of literature published between 2019 and 2026 was conducted using Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE/PubMed, UAB Lister Hill Library, Walden Library, Scopus, American Heart Association, and Google Scholar. Twenty-five articles were appraised using the Johns Hopkins appraisal process, and 15 studies meeting …


Staff Education Project To Increase Nursing Staff Knowledge Of Falls Prevention In Long-Term Care Facility, Oludele Olagoke Aug 2026

Staff Education Project To Increase Nursing Staff Knowledge Of Falls Prevention In Long-Term Care Facility, Oludele Olagoke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls among residents in long-term care facilities are a concern for families and facility management. Falls inflict pain, discomfort, and head trauma, causing fractures. In nursing practice, falls are nursing-sensitive indicators that reflect the quality of nursing care and patient safety. There is a need to bridge the gap and increase staff knowledge on how to prevent falls in the facility. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project focused on increased nursing staff knowledge through an evidence-based education program and the implementation of an evidence-based practice education program. The DNP project practice question was about nursing staff in long-term care …


Staff Education On Psychoeducation Delivery To Enhance Medication-Adherence Education For Adults With Bipolar Disorder In An Outpatient Psychiatric Mental Health Facility, Bibiana Chinwe Ndula Aug 2026

Staff Education On Psychoeducation Delivery To Enhance Medication-Adherence Education For Adults With Bipolar Disorder In An Outpatient Psychiatric Mental Health Facility, Bibiana Chinwe Ndula

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project addressed inconsistent delivery of evidence-based medication-adherence psychoeducation for adults with bipolar disorder (BD) in an outpatient psychiatric mental health facility. The project question was whether an 8-week structured module, in relation to existing staff education practices, would increase staff knowledge and confidence. The intervention was guided by the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice (JHEBP) model and comprised a PowerPoint presentation, a facilitator guide, a handout, a checklist, a toolkit, and anonymous pre- and post-training assessments. Eight out of ten invited staff completed the project. The mean knowledge rose from 6.1 to 8.9 …


Improving Glycemic Control And Self-Care Among Adult Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus At A Community Health Center, Lydia Asabea Lartey Aug 2026

Improving Glycemic Control And Self-Care Among Adult Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus At A Community Health Center, Lydia Asabea Lartey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant practice concern in community health settings, where adults often encounter barriers to effective self-management, including low health literacy, socioeconomic challenges, and limited access to Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES). At the project site, inconsistent staff preparation, high patient volume, and limited standardized teaching resources contributed to gaps between evidence-based standards and routine diabetes education. To address these gaps, the project implemented a standardized, culturally responsive diabetes-education workflow to strengthen care quality, patient safety, and responsible resource use. The practice question guiding the project was: How does implementing a standardized, culturally responsive …


Staff Education To Improve Depression Screening Adherence Using The Patient Health Questionnaire-2/Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Jeremiah Umeh Aug 2026

Staff Education To Improve Depression Screening Adherence Using The Patient Health Questionnaire-2/Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Jeremiah Umeh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a common mental health condition that frequently goes undetected in primary care because of inconsistent screening and follow-up practices. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project was to develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based staff education program to improve adherence to standardized depression screening using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in a primary care clinic. Eighteen clinical staff members, including registered nurses, medical assistants, and primary care providers, participated in a structured educational intervention focused on standardized screening, documentation, scoring, and referral procedures. Project outcomes were evaluated using pre- …


Life Skills Counseling Services Needed For K-8 Self-Contained Students In Essex County, New Jersey, Faith Arianna Healy Aug 2026

Life Skills Counseling Services Needed For K-8 Self-Contained Students In Essex County, New Jersey, Faith Arianna Healy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students in special education may experience a variety of barriers to gaining cohesive and consistent life skills training programs. A lack of life skills training for special education students may lead to a lack of social-emotional skills, social awareness, and an overall lack of independence once students have graduated. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the charter school human service professionals’ perceptions of the life skills counseling services needed for K-8 self-contained students in Essex County, NJ. Botvin Lifeskills Training program was used as the framework for the study. Using a qualitative research model, semistructured …


Exploring The Lived Experiences Of African American Couples: Narcissism, Marital Quality, And Spousal Distress, Lindella Lenise Mcdowell Aug 2026

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of African American Couples: Narcissism, Marital Quality, And Spousal Distress, Lindella Lenise Mcdowell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Narcissism is a global phenomenon that is manifested across cultures. Despite research on narcissism and relationships, there is limited literature focusing on diverse cultural backgrounds, particularly African American couples, where one spouse has been diagnosed as exhibiting narcissistic tendencies or traits. Addressing the research gap may foster cultural understanding and encourage recognition of the effects of narcissism within the African American culture and the significance of social support. The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge and awareness of grandiose and vulnerable narcissism’s impact on African American couples. A qualitative phenomenological research design was used. The hierarchical two-dimensional view …


Effective Strategies For Retaining Nonofficer Talent In Retail Banking, Janique Johnson Aug 2026

Effective Strategies For Retaining Nonofficer Talent In Retail Banking, Janique Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retail banking organizations lose billions of dollars annually to nonofficer employee turnover, disrupting operations, degrading customer service, and burdening human resource (HR) leaders with repeated recruitment costs. When retail bank HR leaders experience nonofficer employee turnover among their frontline workforces, it can influence profitability and community trust. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective strategies used by retail bank HR leaders to retain nonofficer talent. The participants were 10 HR leaders in U.S. retail banking institutions who had successfully implemented nonofficer retention strategies. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and …


Staff Education To Reduce Stress In Assisted Living Nursing Staff, Cherechi Onyenso Aug 2026

Staff Education To Reduce Stress In Assisted Living Nursing Staff, Cherechi Onyenso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this staff education doctor of nursing practice (DNP) project, I addressed a practice gap associated with inadequate staff knowledge of workplace stress-management strategies in an assisted living facility. Workplace stress in nursing practice is a contributing factor to burnout, reduced job satisfaction, poor teamwork, and a decline in the quality of resident care. The practice-focused question for this project was about whether staff knowledge would be enhanced over an 8-week period in comparison to baseline knowledge as a result of their participation in a structured staff education program on workplace stress management. The purpose of the project was to …


Staff Education To Address Verbal De-Escalation Skills In Correctional Mental Healthcare, Mary L. Goodman Aug 2026

Staff Education To Address Verbal De-Escalation Skills In Correctional Mental Healthcare, Mary L. Goodman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This staff education project evaluated the effects of a structured verbal de-escalation training program on self-efficacy among staff in a federal correctional mental health unit. Staff at the site often reported uncertainty managing escalating behaviors, leading to frequent use of restrictive interventions like restraints and seclusion—practices that can compromise safety, quality of care, and raise ethical concerns. To address this gap, an evidence-based curriculum was implemented for 41 multidisciplinary staff, including nurses, certified nursing assistants, and correctional officers. The curriculum included a PowerPoint presentation, role play, and group discussion. A pre–post design measured changes in staff confidence using a modified …


Prenatal Health Factors Of Pregnant People Associated With Second Degree Postpartum Hemorrhage Across The United States, Elizabeth Simpler Aug 2026

Prenatal Health Factors Of Pregnant People Associated With Second Degree Postpartum Hemorrhage Across The United States, Elizabeth Simpler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Secondary postpartum hemorrhage (SPPH) is a significant contributor to maternal morbidity in the United States and occurs after hospital discharge during the postpartum period. Persistent disparities in terms of maternal outcomes suggest access to prenatal care alone may not adequately address clinical and social factors associated with SPPH. Guided by the Social Ecological Model, which recognizes that health outcomes are influenced by a collective approach to examining health. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between SPPH, prenatal care access, and social determinants of health from 2019 to 2022 while controlling for maternal age, race, and delivery type. …


Reducing Copd Readmissions Through An Evidenced-Based Clinical Practice Guideline, Courtney Rye Aug 2026

Reducing Copd Readmissions Through An Evidenced-Based Clinical Practice Guideline, Courtney Rye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and hospital readmissions, with rural critical access hospitals (CAHs) facing unique challenges in delivering consistent, evidence-based care. At the pilot CAH medical–surgical unit, local chart review and practice observation revealed an approximately 18% 30-day COPD readmission rate and significant variation in discharge education, written action plans, inhaler technique assessment, and structured post‑discharge follow‑up. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to develop and appraise an evidence‑based, Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) and Institute of Medicine–compliant COPD clinical practice guideline (CPG) to …


Effective Strategies To Implement Energy-Efficient Practices In Enterprise Cloud Data Centers: A Qualitative Pragmatic Inquiry, Joshua Tremayne Campbell Aug 2026

Effective Strategies To Implement Energy-Efficient Practices In Enterprise Cloud Data Centers: A Qualitative Pragmatic Inquiry, Joshua Tremayne Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cloud computing has increased electricity use in data centers, leading to higher costs and a larger carbon footprint. Information Technology (IT) leaders need to address this, as such inefficiencies will increase operational costs, undermine sustainability commitments, and leave companies unprepared for future regulatory pressures. Energy-efficient technologies can reduce data center energy consumption by 40-60%, yet few studies examine the qualitative processes behind IT leaders' practices. The specific IT problem is that some IT leaders lack effective strategies to implement energy-efficient practices in enterprise cloud data centers. Grounded in the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was …


Exploring The Effectiveness Of A “How-To-Teach” Book Club For Preservice Teachers, Rina Bousalis, Eden Greene, Robyn Klein, Abigail Woods, Isabella Mandoeng Aug 2026

Exploring The Effectiveness Of A “How-To-Teach” Book Club For Preservice Teachers, Rina Bousalis, Eden Greene, Robyn Klein, Abigail Woods, Isabella Mandoeng

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

As teacher training programs continue seeking ways to prepare their preservice teachers to teach, many have turned to “how-to-teach” books written by veteran teachers, viewing them as a valuable source that could offer teacher candidates additional support. This study, which developed from the idea of creating a book club with instructors and members of a university’s future educators’ organization, used a qualitative textual analysis approach to explore concepts that emerged from how-to-teach books, how participants’ perceived those concepts, and how the books benefited participants. The study revealed that although authors’ perspectives often conflicted with participants’ beliefs, the authors’ engaging activities …


Psychosocial Experiences Of Secondary School Students Living With Sickle Cell Disease While In School In Lagos State, Nigeria, Toluwalope Yetunde Onuwe Aug 2026

Psychosocial Experiences Of Secondary School Students Living With Sickle Cell Disease While In School In Lagos State, Nigeria, Toluwalope Yetunde Onuwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a lifelong genetic condition significantly impacting the physical, emotional, and social health of those affected. Nigeria has one of the highest global burdens of SCD, yet there is limited research on the psychosocial experiences of secondary school students living with SCD in educational settings. This qualitative study explored these experiences among students in Lagos State, Nigeria. Using the social ecological model and interpreted through the social model of disability, the study examined how school environments, educational practices, and institutional support influenced students' psychosocial well-being and perceived health. Twenty secondary school students participated in 4 in-person …


Improving Recognition And Communication Of Early Patient Condition Changes Through An Evidence-Based Staff Education Program, Raymond Mwanje Aug 2026

Improving Recognition And Communication Of Early Patient Condition Changes Through An Evidence-Based Staff Education Program, Raymond Mwanje

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctoral project is a staff education project aimed at enhancing recognition and communication of early changes in patients' conditions in a long-term care rehabilitation environment. Delayed recognition of patient deterioration is a major challenge in nursing practice, as subtle changes in a patient's condition may go unnoticed, leading to delayed intervention, avoidable complications, and unnecessary hospital transfers. Poor communication among staff can also hinder the escalation of care, impacting patient safety and quality of care. There is evidence that structured communication strategies and education interventions can help enhance communication between clinicians and aid earlier detection of patient deterioration. Resolving …


Kindergarten Teachers’ Challenges Embedding Play-Based Learning In A Standards-Based Curriculum, Anna Catalan Aug 2026

Kindergarten Teachers’ Challenges Embedding Play-Based Learning In A Standards-Based Curriculum, Anna Catalan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that kindergarten teachers in a Western United States elementary school were challenged by standards that have become heavily focused on teaching academic skills at a younger age, instead of teaching with developmentally appropriate practices that allow for play-based learning (PBL). Framed by Vygotsky’s theory of PBL, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore what challenges local kindergarten teachers had when embedding PBL in a standards-based curriculum. Data were collected through 15 semistructured interviews with Kindergarten teachers who had at least 2 years' experience embedding PBL in instruction. Using thematic analysis …