Digital Commons Network^™

Staff Education For Infection Control Prevention, Beatrice I. Cesar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project was a quality improvement staff education program to address the increase in hospital-acquired infections in the project facility. The hospital administrator identified that staff were overwhelmed and may not be consistently implementing appropriate infection control practices. If infection control practices are not addressed in hospitals system, there would be a much higher rate of hospital-acquired diseases among hospitalized patients and the staff. A staff education program about evidence-based strategies relating to infection control prevention was implemented to increase the nurses’ knowledge about strategies to decrease the spread of infection in the project facility. Eleven registered nurses participated in …

Strategies To Reduce Medicaid Fraud And Abuse In Health Care Billing, Tram-Anh Leeza Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medicaid fraud and abuse in health care billing is committed by licensed practitioners, patients, or criminal organizations and can pose a serious business problem. Health care managers are particularly concerned because fraudulent claims can result in lost revenue, legal consequences, and diminished resources for legitimate patient care. Grounded in the Complex Adaptive Systems Model, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the strategies some health care managers use to reduce fraud and abuse in health care billing. The participants included four health care managers in California who have successfully implemented strategies to mitigate fraud and financial abuse. …

Strategies For Identifying Entrepreneurial Opportunities In Small Business It Consulting, Oluwatosin Ogun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of effective strategies for identifying opportunities threatens the survival and growth of small IT consulting businesses. Without these strategies, owners risk struggling to sustain their businesses in a highly competitive market. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies that IT consulting small business owners use to identify business opportunities for growing their business. The project participants were six IT consulting small business owners in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States who led or significantly contributed to successfully recognizing business opportunities in firms at least 5 years …

Treatment-Seeking Behavior: A Quantitative Study Of Firefighters And Mental Health Literacy, Sarah Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The mental health of firefighters is a pressing concern, especially given the increasing suicide rates within this demographic. This quantitative nonexperimental study examined the impact of mental health literacy on the intention of firefighters to seek help for personal or emotional issues, employing the Mental Health Literacy Scale and the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire. Key variables, including years of service, rank, and age, were analyzed for their influence on this relationship. Grounded in the conservation of resources theory, the study aimed to answer two primary research questions: the predictive relationship between mental health literacy and help-seeking behavior, and the role of …

Parental Vaccine Hesitancy And The Decision To Vaccinate Children Against Covid-19, Jessica Mckee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While there is a significant body of literature regarding vaccine hesitancy, there is a gap in the literature on its impact to parents’ decisions to vaccinate their children against a pandemic pathogen. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parental vaccine hesitancy, measured using the health belief model (HBM) theoretical framework constructs of the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS; the degree to which an individual trusts in vaccine efficacy, safety, the reliability and trustworthiness of vaccine programs, community impact, perceived risks, and the importance of childhood vaccinations), and parents’ decision to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 with …

Addressing Assistive Technology Training Needs For Special Education Paraprofessionals In School Districts In A South-Central State, Presttee Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Paraprofessionals who work with students with disabilities in K-12 settings play a significant role in implementing assistive technology (AT); however, inefficient training often limits their ability to implement AT effectively. This training gap hinders inclusive education and equitable access for students with disabilities and may negatively impact their academic outcomes and independence. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the training needs and support requirements of special education paraprofessionals regarding AT in school districts within a South-Central U.S. state. Guided by the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, which describes the knowledge educators need to effectively integrate …

Community Stakeholders’ Perceptions On Growing A Nonprofit Donor Base Through In-Kind Donations, Brittany A. Heine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Northern Virginia alone, over 90,000 people are food insecure. The USDA has reported strong correlations between food insecurity and negative health outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine community stakeholders’ perceptions on engaging in strategic partnerships with Organization X using in-kind donations as a strategy to decrease the organization’s expenditures and grow its donor base. 14 community stakeholders were chosen through purposive sampling and participated in semi structured interviews. Using the conceptual framework of the unified theory of revenue generation for nonprofits, interview questions were developed to determine the variables that impact a stakeholder’s decision …

Staff Education To Improve Staff Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding Aggressive Patient Behaviors, Roya Khoshbakht

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Aggressive behavior among psychiatric patients threatens safety and quality in healthcare, causing physical and psychological harm to staff and contributing to burnout and high turnover rates. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project addressed gaps in staff knowledge and attitudes, particularly among nurses, regarding aggression management and de-escalation techniques through a comprehensive education program on the causes of aggression, warning signs, and effective strategies. The evidence-based practice (EBP) question was, Will staff education on evidence-based strategies for preventing and managing aggressive behavior improve staff knowledge and attitude? Project team members used the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice (JHEBP) model to develop …

The Role Of Empathy On Suicidality Among Adults Receiving Mental Health Services, Chelsea Lynn Wade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Efforts have been made to manage the phenomenon of suicide within the clinical setting; however, suicide remains a prevalent public health concern. The purpose of this research project was to explore the relationship between empathy and suicidality. The study was framed using Joiner’s interpersonal theory of suicide to determine the relationship between empathy, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belonging, and suicidality in participants receiving outpatient mental health services. The research study was conducted utilizing a quantitative cross-sectional correlational survey design. Suicidality was measured using the Beck scale for suicide ideation and suicide behaviors questionnaire–revised; empathy using the cognitive, affective, and somatic empathy …

Staff Education On The Use Of An Evidence-Based Practice Tool To Manage Alcohol Use Disorder, Anyinkia Forteh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project was a staff education on an evidence-based practice (EBP) tool used to manage alcohol use disorder (AUD). The staff at the project site demonstrated a lack of knowledge of an EBP tool to manage patients with AUD, which can lead to undiagnosed and untreated AUD and adverse health outcomes. Unhealthy alcohol use causes serious health, economic, and social problems, and it is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. The practice-focused question was, “Will staff education on the use of an evidence-based practice tool to manage alcohol use disorder increase staff knowledge of the …

Challenges Individuals With Mental Illness Encountered With Reasonable Accommodation After The Implementation Of Title I Of The Americans With Disabilities Act, Kristie Demarco

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policy makers often lack information associated with the perspective of those living with mental illness as to whether Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act is working as intended. When considering requests for workplace accommodations, the research literature has focused on the perspective of employers, and the impact on those with physical disabilities, yet few studies considered the impact on individuals with mental illness. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to obtain the perspective of individuals with mental illness who have requested reasonable accommodations. Using a conceptual framework comprised of narrative policy framework and critical disability theory, …

The Unique Experiences Of Black Women In Childhood School Discipline, Shakeyau Brionna Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have explored racial disparities in school discipline and revealed consistent gaps in the discipline rate of Black students compared to White students and other students of color. The problem of African American girls being disciplined at higher rates than that faced by girls of all other races/ethnicities was addressed in this essential qualitative study. The aim was to explore the perceptions of African American women regarding their experiences with discipline in school and its impact on their well-being in adulthood. Critical race feminism formed the conceptual framework guiding this study. The research questions focused on the perceptions and experiences …

Adults Ability To Trust After Chronic Cps Involvement As Children, Shaunya Richel Miller-Bright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abuse against children is an issue in the United States. The effects of being abused can follow children into adulthood. There is little to no research on the effects of adult's ability to trust others due to their chronic involvement with child protective services (CPS) as children. If an individual lacks trust, other issues can arise. Freud's psychodynamic theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. A generic qualitative approach was used to address the following research question: What are adults' perceptions and experiences regarding their ability to trust others later in life after chronic involvement with CPS as …

Strategies To Sustain Small Business Beyond 5 Years, Ashly Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business failures have a detrimental effect on both business owners and the communities they support. Small business owners are especially concerned with ensuring the sustainability of their enterprises beyond the first five years—a pivotal milestone for long-term success. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore sustainability strategies business owners use to remain operable beyond 5 years. The participants were six business owners of small businesses located in the Midwest of the United States who have operated successfully beyond 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, Small Business Administration (SBA) data, …

Strategies To Mitigate The Effects Of U.S.-Imposed Limits On Imports, Edmond Vincent Gray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some U.S. manufacturing managers lack strategies to mitigate the effects of U.S.-imposed limits on imports. Import restrictions have created significant challenges for manufacturing organizations, increasing costs, supply chain disruptions, operational inefficiencies, and increasing the cost to the consumer. Grounded in disruptive innovation theory (DIT), this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was an exploration of the strategies that U.S. manufacturing managers use to mitigate the effects of U.S.-imposed limits on imports. The participants were four manufacturing managers who had implemented strategies to mitigate the effects of U.S. import limits. Data were collected using an interview protocol and semistructured questions. Through thematic analysis, seven …

Staff Education On The Use Of The Teach-Back Method To Decrease Nonadherence To Psychotropic Medications Among Inmates, Moradeke Okunoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This staff education project focused on improving nurses’ and mental health clinicians’ knowledge about the teach-back method (TBM) to improve psychotropic medication adherence. The practice problem was psychotropic nonadherence among inmates in a county jail in the Southeast region of the United States. The practice project question for this project was the following: For nursing staff and mental health clinicians in the jail, will training on the use of the TBM increase knowledge toward the goal of decreasing nonadherence to psychotropic medications among inmates? Psychotropic nonadherence is a significant issue in the jail that can lead to serious consequences including …

High School Teachers' Perspectives On The Components Of A Quality Online Structure For Remote Learning In Digital And Media Art Classes, James E. Marone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that there were inconsistencies in the research literature and a gap in practice regarding teachers' perspectives on the components of a quality online structure in a digital and media art class during the post-COVID-19 era. Despite evidence of the benefits of remote learning, there was a gap concerning implementation of improved quality online structures. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of digital and media art teachers on their needs for a quality online learning structure in the post-COVID-19 era. The conceptual framework was Davis’s technology acceptance model. …

The Overlooked Experience: Black Females Seeking Mental Health Services On Hbcu Campuses, Shanta' Atkinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have identified a variety of invisible barriers, including Strong Black Woman (SBW), stigma, and religion, that exist for Black females who would be seeking mental health services. There is minimal qualitative data to identify the treatment barriers that Black females experience when seeking mental health services. The experiences of Black females seeking mental health services on HBCU campuses have not been the sole focus of research. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to fill the gap in the literature by exploring the lived experiences of Black females on HBCU campuses who have sought mental health services on …

Insights Into School Administrators' Perceptions: Navigating The Role Of School Counselors Through Lived Experiences, Veronica Renee Martin-Perkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The role of school counselors in K-12 education is critical to fostering student success; however, their effectiveness is frequently undermined by role ambiguity, administrative misperceptions, and the misalignment of duties with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. Few studies have explored the lived experiences of K-12 school administrators and how these experiences shape perceptions of counselor roles and responsibilities. This qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study examined how administrators' perceptions influence school counselors’ deployment, responsibilities, and collaboration within school settings. The research was guided by two questions: (1) How do K-12 administrators make meaning of their lived experiences with the …

The Effect Of School Classification And A Veteran-Friendly Rating On U.S. Veteran Graduation Rates, Melton Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. colleges, universities, or trade schools enroll and graduate several veterans each year and receive extensive federal funding for doing so. Currently, there is little research on the difference between educational outcomes of veterans that attend publicly supported and private educational institutions or the potential impact of a veteran-friendly rating system. Grounded in Vincent Tinto's theory of retention, the purpose of this quantitative non-experimental study was to examine the effect of school classification and a veteran-friendly rating on veteran graduation rates among colleges and universities using descriptive statistics. The initial study design featured the gathering of archival data from the …

Effective Professional Education And Training Program In A Long-Term Acute Care Hospital, Matthew Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The determinants contributing to successful professional development programs in long-term acute care (LTAC) facilities, which enhance clinical staff performance and healthcare outcomes, remain unclear. Guided by Bandura’s social learning theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore clinicians’ perspectives on the key determinants of an effective professional education and training program in an LTAC hospital in a Northeast U.S. metro area. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 clinicians who were recruited from an LTAC facility. Thematic analysis, following Saldaña’s framework, identified institutional barriers, financial constraints, time limitations, and unmet training needs as major challenges. Participants emphasized the …

Strategies That Nursing Home Owners Can Use To Increase Revenue In The Northeastern United States, Donald G. Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The frequency of nursing home closures in the Northeastern United States left owners and operators of nursing homes panicking. The elderly, and their families, are concerned about the delivery of care in their communities, while owners and operators are concerned about the negative financial impact this may cause on daily operations. The business problem is that some nursing home owners have a limited understanding of strategies to source revenue to improve the financial sustainability of their nursing homes. Grounded in a dynamic capabilities framework, this qualitative multiple-case study aimed to explore the strategies that some nursing home owners use to …

Strategies To Improve Recruitment And Retention Of Nurses In Rural Emergency Departments, Thomas Allen Ortiz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of rural emergency departments (EDs) in the United States face persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining RNs. The aim of this integrative review was to identify strategies to mitigate these challenges. The review question focused on best practices leaders can implement to decrease problems with the recruitment and retention of rural ED nurses. A review of the literature published within the past five years yielded 31 empirical and non-empirical articles, which were analyzed using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) appraisal tool. Overarching themes and subthemes were subsequently identified. The Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Human Resource Management frameworks …

Baccalaureate Nursing Students’ Beliefs About Peer Feedback In The Nursing Skill Lab: Value, Quality, And Importance, Danielle Elizabeth Fleming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Peer feedback is an instructional method used in nursing education to support student success in the nursing program and professional practice. While a large body of evidence supports the merits of peer feedback as an instructional method, there is limited research on its use in nursing students, especially within the skill lab. The purpose of this study, guided by the feedback intervention theory, was to examine nursing students’ beliefs about peer feedback in the nursing skill lab and how those beliefs change over time. Archival data from the Beliefs About Peer Feedback Questionnaire (BPFQ) from a public midwestern university was …

Strategies For Integrating Data Analytics In Accounting, Alisa C. Disalvo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased need for data analytics proficiency requires accounting program directors and faculty to explore strategies to reduce the technology skills gap between education and professional requirements. Grounded in the technology acceptance model, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies that program directors use to integrate data analytics into the accounting program curriculum. The participants were 8 program directors and 2 faculty with over 2 years of program change experience in the accounting department. Data were collected through semi structure interviews with 10 participants and comparative data analysis with the AICPA & NASBA report. Through a …

Mitigating American Wealth Inequality With Universal Basic Income: Perceptions From Social Service Professionals, Caitlin Dinneen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Extreme wealth disparities between the richest and poorest Americans are a problem in the United States. Although the existing literature has established mixed results regarding the efficacy of universal basic income as a tool to alleviate income inequality, no one has studied the perspectives of social service professionals in Minnesota. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of Minnesota based social service professionals regarding universal basic income through the lens of Benet’s polarities of democracy framework. The research question for this study was what are the perceptions of Minnesota based social service professionals regarding the potential impact …

Experiences Of Bhutanese Refugees Receiving Services From Outpatient Mental Healthcare Centers In The United States, Kul B. Dahal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Refugees coming to the United States may encounter difficulties when receiving mental healthcare services from outpatient mental healthcare centers because of lack of awareness about services. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore experiences of Bhutanese refugees involving receiving services from outpatient mental healthcare centers in the United States. The health belief model was used as a conceptual framework to provide insights regarding Bhutanese refugees’ perceived benefits and barriers to increase awareness. Using convenience sampling, 10 Bhutanese refugees aged 18 or above who received outpatient mental healthcare services currently or in the past and lived in the midwestern …

Location Tracking Applications And Emerging Adult Relationship Quality: Moderated By Rejection Sensitivity, Michelle Lee Hayes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Location-tracking applications promise increased connection, safety, and closeness among romantic partners. However, persistent monitoring in romantic relationships has been associated with heightened feelings of intrusion and mistrust, particularly among individuals with insecure attachment. Such surveillance can exacerbate rejection sensitivity, leading to jealousy, conflict, and deteriorating relationship quality, or monitoring may alleviate fears of rejection and enhance relationship satisfaction. From the lens of attachment theory, this quantitative research study examined whether rejection sensitivity moderates the relationship between the use of location-tracking applications and relationship quality among emerging adults. I collected information from an online survey using four instruments to collect data …

Exploring Potential Correlation Of Resiliency And Multifamily Support With Psychological Distress Among Hispanic Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Eliz Marie Centeno Ortiz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were found to have lower psychological distress in comparison with other ethnicities or races despite having additional challenges such as immigration issues, language barriers, or others. However, research on why Hispanic parents of children with ASD tend to have less psychological distress is lacking. This study addressed the extent to which multifamily support and resiliency affect psychological distress among parents of children with ASD, as explained by the family system theory. For this study, 75 Hispanic parents of children with ASD were recruited via Facebook posts. The participants were directed to …

The Impact Of A National Crisis On Academic Research Productivity: Experiences Of Program And Department Heads In Israel, Emanuel Tamir

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The research examined the impact of a national crisis on the research output of academic program and department heads in Israel, investigating how these leaders functioned in the face of prolonged uncertainty and exploring whether their administrative role resulted in personal costs.

Methods: Data were drawn from interviews with 27 heads; then 133 heads answered a questionnaire.

Results: The findings revealed factors restricting research during the crisis: overload relating to students, overload relating to administration, family difficulties, and inaccessible research infrastructure. Some heads developed successful strategies to sustain their research during the crisis.

Conclusions and Implications: Critical insights into …