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Palliative Care And Improving Quality Of Life With End Stage Renal Disease: An Integrative Review, Natoya Bender

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

End-stage renal disease is a rising health care problem effecting greater than 10% of the US population. there are 700,000 patients in dialysis in the U.S who are characterized by multiple comorbidities and increasing, distressing symptom burden. The need for palliative care for patient with end-stage renal disease is becoming standard of care due to their complex medical needs and high symptom burden. The aim of this integrative review investigated the incorporation of palliative care will improve the quality-of-life of patients with end-stage renal disease once introduced in their care. While palliative care provides an ideal opportunity to assess the …

Challenges That Clergy In Small Black Churches Face In The 21st Century During The Covid Pandemic, Samuel Paul

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership plays a critical role in any institution. Church leadership can guide the institution in the direction that it should go. In Small Black Churches (SBC), this research will identify the strategic leadership styles used in handling challenges. The intent is to identify the effectiveness of these styles in managing challenges in the 21st century church and their effect on personal leadership fulfillment. The study will interview pastors of local churches who had seminary training and those who did not. This author intends to record and transcribe the interviews for research purposes. By identifying the interviewees' leadership styles, the researcher …

Teaching In The Trenches: A Grounded Theory Study On The Recruitment And Retention Of Urban High School Band Directors, Juvon R. Pollard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The recruitment and retention of high school band directors in urban settings are unique challenges in the 21st century. Those who advocate for arts education present evidence that participation in fine arts programs enhances student learning. Significant correlations exist between involvement in the arts and standardized test scores, high school graduation rates, and overall school attendance. However, funding and support are essential concerns for arts programs today. Funding and support through necessary resources affect the recruitment and retention of band directors in urban settings. Little research exists to describe these views. Exploring band directors' lived experiences working in urban schools …

Perceptions Of General Education And Special Education Teachers Towards Inclusion: A Quantitative Study, Charity Leigh Kinneer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the attitudes of general education teachers and special education teacher of the inclusion classroom in the middle and high school levels. Using casual- comparative and survey methodology, the level of agreement or disagreement of these teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusive procedures was assessed in four areas: Planning, Classroom/School Environment, Collaboration/Team Partners, and Resources/Supports/Professional Development. The survey measured general education teachers and special education teachers in the middle and high school levels using a 19- item, five-point Likert scale. To address the research questions, an ANOVA was initially proposed. However, due to the low sample size of administrators …

The Responsibility Of Christian Church Pastors To Include Homelessness Awareness In Ministry Outreach, Joy Nicole Hale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Christian church pastor has a significant role in addressing homelessness within their communities. They must be willing to defeat this giant. This responsibility is further highlighted by the opportunity of outreach ministries within Christian churches working with community resources to identify the physical, financial, social, and emotional needs of the homeless. Understanding the pastoral leadership shapes and influences the Christian church is a critical component to comprehending how the church illustrates hope and the image of God to the homeless population. Many American individuals are faced with the debilitating stresses of homelessness without adequate emotional resources to address their …

Lived Discipleship Experiences Of Fourth- And Fifth-Grade Students In Christian Schools, Krystal Dawn Morrow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore and describe lived discipleship experiences of fourth- and fifth-grade students in Christian schools. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky's impact of social and environmental factors on development because of the connection between relationships and discipleship. The phenomenon of discipleship was explored through a theoretical lens as upper elementary students shared their lived discipleship experiences. Ten students who experienced discipleship in selected Christian school settings were selected for this study using criterion sampling. This study took place in three different Christian elementary school settings in the state of Kentucky, where …

Racial Reconciliation: A Theological Approach To Building Relationships, Calvin Glass

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Racism within the Christian community in America has resulted in social unrest and has plagued the Christian church in a way that mandates urgent solutions to this untamed malady. This research focus is centered on learning a practicable methodology based on biblical principles that address racial reconciliation (building God-approved relationships) that will combat racial disunity among Christians. The study method used BBR (Building Better Relationships) consisted of interviewing and teaching a focus group representing a Black pastor and five church participants on racial relations issues within the church context. From the recommendations of the senior pastor, a focus group from …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Principals Who Implemented A Schoolwide-Positive Behavior Intervention And Supports Framework, John P. Frias

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of principals who had implemented Schoolwide-Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (SW-PBIS) frameworks in New York State. The theory guiding this study was Situational Leadership Theory, as it focuses on the idea that leadership is contingent on the situation that is presented. The researcher sought to understand those varying leadership experiences which surround the implementation of this framework. Research data came primarily from interviews with 10 principals who had experience implementing this framework; however, data was also collected from timelines and from analysis of documents from the implementation process. Data …

Recommendations For Improving A Sense Of Community Between Online Contingent Faculty And Higher Education Administrators, Heather Lee Strafaccia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study is to solve the problem of a lack of a sense of community between online contingent faculty and higher education administrators for a private university in the Midwest and to design a solution to address the problem. A multimethod design was developed, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Online contingent faculty participated in individual structured interviews and a focus group to examine the current perception, problem, and preferred solutions to the problem of a lack of a sense of community with the participating institution. Higher education administrators and online contingent faculty participated in …

Recommendations To Improve Co-Teaching Strategies In The Secondary Inclusion Classroom, Linda A. Stephen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied research study was to improve co-teaching strategies at Belmont Middle School (a pseudonym), in north Georgia. The researcher used a multi-method design that included qualitative and quantitative data. Three data collection strategies were used in this applied research study; interviews from general education teachers, a focus group with special education teachers, and a survey completed by general education and special education teachers. The central question that guided the research study was: How can co-teaching be improved at Belmont Middle School located in north Georgia? Common themes that emerged revealed that co-teachers desired more time to …

The Impact Of Servant Leadership On God Attachment In Survivors Of Sexual Abuse By Clergy, Jennifer J. Schwirzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Survivors of sexual abuse by religious leaders experience unique forms of trauma demanding unique forms of treatment. Using a nonequivalent control group pretest posttest design, this study examined the effectiveness of one such treatment. The Abuse, Trauma, and Jesus workshop was designed to impart psychoeducation, coping tools, and support to survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. The treatment group added a servant leadership psychoeducation element. Before and after the intervention the participants completed the Primary Care PTSD Screen and the Attachment to God (ATG) Inventory. The research questions asked whether trauma symptoms and avoidant/anxious styles of God attachment would be …

An Exploration Into Public Health Experiences Of Rural Residents To Facilitate Understanding Of Chronic Poor Health Habits: A Phenomenological Study, Marybeth E. Mitcham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to interpret the public health education experiences of rural residents in one predominantly rural county. This county was identified by its pseudonym, Middlesex County, for the purposes of this paper. The research was done to identify causal factors contributing to the problem of non-compliance exhibited by many rural residents. The non-compliance has resulted in many of those residents choosing to not implement beneficial practices and information from public health education. The guiding behavioral theory for this study was Maslow’s behavioral theory of a hierarchy of needs. This theory describes the rationale behind …

Using The Fifth "P" In Purposeful Hourly Rounding To Decrease Falls And Improve Patient Experience, Brenda Hopkins Woodcock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Falls are on the rise at a facility in the Southern part of Virginia. Reducing falls and falls with injury is a goal for this facility. The falls metric is an important nurse-sensitive quality indicator that impacts mortality, the patient experience, and hospital length-of-stay. A pilot study conducted over two months included an interdisciplinary approach to purposeful hourly rounding and the incorporation of a purposeful pause to consider fall-prevention measures before leaving a patient's room. The intervention demonstrated an improvement in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) overall patient experience of care score as well as …

Church Leadership: Effectual Strategic Planning Towards The Congregational Growth And Maturation Of Go And Teach Christian Ministries, Christopher L. Kingdom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis action research project is comprised of the effectual strategic planning toward the congregational growth and maturation of Go and Teach Christian Ministries. The project was embarked upon to address what had seemed to be a problem within the church’s leadership. The focus on church growth in membership numbers, rather than the membership, had seemed to creep into the leadership of GATCM. It seemed that the programs and events of the church were geared more toward attracting outsiders and adding new members to the church rather than creating an atmosphere of growth within the church attendees. From a foundational …

Leadership Succession In The Missionary Baptist Church, Roger Bush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leadership succession planning is often overlooked in many church organizations. Failure to create succession strategies causes organizations to face uncertain futures during leadership transitions. An absence of succession planning can repress an organization’s financial growth, congregational morale, and spiritual growth, and in some cases, result in permanent dissolution. The purpose of this project is to examine the state of leadership succession planning within the Kenansville Eastern Missionary Baptist Church Association. This thesis project employs surveys and comprehensive interviews of senior pastors of local churches within the Kenansville Eastern Missionary Baptist Church Association to explore succession planning and leadership transitions perspectives. …

Understanding How Individual Decisions Contribute To The Success Or Failure Of First-Generation Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Case Studies Of The Nepali Bhutanese In Pittsburgh, Jodi Greco Carver

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) began the process of resettling Bhutanese refugees in U.S. cities in 2008 after many had spent up to 17 years in refugee camps in Nepal. At that time, Pittsburgh became home to 1,000 of these refugees and more than a decade later, their community has grown to an estimated 7,000-8,000 with many entrepreneurs among them (BCAP, 2021). The study included six cases of Nepali Bhutanese entrepreneurs in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area which were compared to better grasp the operational links between decision making and business success or failure while considering how embeddedness …

Confidence Or Control: Using Theory Of Planned Behavior To Explore Medical Residents' Intentions To Address Religion And Spirituality In Patient Care, Vanessa I. Saylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore whether subjective norms moderate the relationship between perceived control and behavioral intention and between self-efficacy and behavioral intention to address religion and spirituality (r/s) in patient care among first- through fifth-year medical residents. The study used a non-experimental design and included a sample of medical residents working in a hospital system in southeastern Pennsylvania during the summer of the 2021 were gathered to respond to the survey questionnaire measuring subjective norms, perceived control and behavioral control and behavioral intention, and self-efficacy variables. The instrument used for this study, Assessing Residents' Intentions to …

Non-Executive Engagement In Strategic Projects, Melonie Johnson Kilby

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research case study explored the engagement of low-level employees in strategic projects in a nonprofit organization. The general problem addressed is the minimal non-executive employee engagement in strategic project implementation resulting in failed objectives. The purpose of the study was to add information to the body of knowledge concerning employee engagement and strategic decision-making. Research questions examined how employees were engaged in strategic projects within their organization and what motivated those individuals to participate. The study consisted of 23 interviews for primary data collection and 42 questionnaire participants for triangulation purposes. Six themes emerged from the data analysis. …

Understanding The Impact Of Intrinsic, Extrinsic, And Altruistic Motivation On Principal Persistence In An Urban School District: A Case Study, Kimberly Washington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the impact of intrinsic, extrinsic, and altruistic motivation on principal persistence in Aberdeen Public Schools (APS, pseudonym). Principal persistence is generally defined as a principal staying in each school for a longer period or the lack of change of a principal within a school. The theories guiding this study are Frederick Herzberg’s theory of work and motivation, Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and Self-determination theory. The study focused on the following central research question: What are principal descriptions of their efforts to persist in their administrative positions in Aberdeen Public Schools? …

The Cultural Relevance Model Of Worship, Mark David Brumagin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

n the early decades of the twenty-first century a new model of worship has begun to emerge in some North American evangelical churches. Significant events in North American church history combined with cultural ideologies inherent to the North American context have influenced particular churches resulting in new worship practices. Churches that are affected are often marked by the development of highly affective worship experiences, the production and consumption of goods, the involvement of the worship team in marketing, and an elevated use of technology. In examining the cultural values at work in this development, this study found a historical thread …

Creating Collaborative Missional Communities To Enhance Church Revitalization, Bradford William Reaves

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

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This project utilizes the revitalization efforts of Grace Community Church in Winchester, VA to examine the precedence of collaborative strategies for church revitalization. In this study contemporary literature, theological foundations, surveys of church leaders in the United States, and interviews with collaborative church and ministry leaders from around the United States are evaluated to determine the need for greater collaboration for the health and revitalization of church and ministries. The findings of this research argue that contemporary church growth strategies that emerged from the recent church growth movement may actually inhibit church revitalization efforts …

Examining The Relationship Between Crime And Major Weather Events And Disasters In The 10 Largest Cities In Texas, Daniel Augusto

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation uses Social Disorganization Theory as a foundation to examine the relationship between yearly days with a major weather event or disaster and crime in the 10 largest cities in Texas. Multiple regressions and moderation analyses were conducted, with models that incorporated total Days with Disaster or major weather event, Social Disorganization, Population Density, and Disaster Consequences predicting all Index Crimes other than Arson. Days with Disaster significantly predicted Robbery, Murder, Rape, Burglary, and Auto Theft, but did not significantly predict Larceny or Assault. Additionally, Social Disorganization and Population Density were often found to predict crime. Moderation analysis also …

A Phenomenological Study Of High School Academic Subject Teachers’ Experiences Differentiating For English Language Learners, Valerie Jean Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of core academic subject high school teachers with differentiating instruction and assessment for English language learners (ELLs) in central Virginia. Two theories provided the theoretical framework for this study including the socio-cultural theory by Lev Vygotsky (1978) and the social cognitive theory by Albert Bandura (1989). These two theories explain learning as an interaction of social and cultural experiences between teacher and student and address the role of efficacy in teacher expertise. The central research question that guided this study was “How do select high school academic content …

The Challenges Of Balancing Personal And Professional Relationships Among Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus) Band Directors, Rodney Deshun Chism

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify common challenges and provide strategies for band directors at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), who face work-life balancing issues. HBCU band directors typically experience a high level of stress, burnout, and professional and personal role conflicts. There is a significant gap in the literature regarding how HBCU band directors maintain work-life balance (WLB) when dealing with administrative pressure, protecting the band program's reputation, and serving as a leader role-model, teacher, and mentor to their staff and students. Band directors commonly identify with or experience issues related to these research questions: …

Generational Learning Styles: A Phenomenology, Amy Marie Baxley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the unique learning styles of American college students from five of the six living generations (for the purpose of this study, it was assumed that members of the GI Generation, born 1901-1926, are not attending college nor are they an active part of the full-time workforce). The theories guiding this study are behaviorism and generational learning theory as it applies to adult learners. The theorists considered are B. F. Skinner and Karl Mannheim. As this study was designed to understand patterns of learning, communication styles, and pedagogical data as it pertains …

Ethical Decision Making In Nursing Practice: The Impact On Moral Distress, Anthony W. Green

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is significant research that indicates nurses working in a hospital setting experience moral distress while caring for their patients. While there are many barriers that prevent nurses from overcoming moral distress and moving toward moral resilience, this research project focused on eliminating barriers that nurses face in making good ethical, moral, biblical decisions. The research methodology for this project was qualitative, interpretive, and longitudinal. There was an initial interview with five participant nurses at Ellis Medicine regarding their knowledge of ethics in healthcare and moral distress. The researcher then provided an education program for participant nurses to increase their …

Transitioning From Clinical Practitioner To Educator Within The Field Of Dental Hygiene: A Phenomenological Study, Kay Porter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study describes the lived experiences of clinical dental hygienists transitioning from clinical practitioners to dental hygiene educators. The theory guiding this study is Schlossberg’s (1981, 2011) transition theory as it relates to career transition. The focus of this study was based upon the central research question, “How do clinical dental hygienists describe their transition into dental hygiene education?” Educators reflected on the essence of their transition, including preparational methods, pedagogical practices, orientation, mentoring programs utilized during their transition, and staff development since becoming dental hygiene educators. This study took place in the School of Health Sciences …

A Framework For Utilizing Narrative Theory And Life Review In Healthcare Chaplaincy, Joshua M. Fagin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In healthcare chaplaincy, narrative theory can help the patient separate themselves from their grief or terminal illness. It has been said that chaplaincy is a “ministry of presence,” however, just showing up is a low-level intervention. The purpose for this Doctor of Ministry thesis is to equip chaplains with a comprehensive framework for apply narrative theory and life review in the healthcare chaplaincy context. This thesis seeks to explore and define biblical models of storytelling and spiritual narratives. This thesis will encourage chaplains to have meaningful, engaging and longer visits in individual and group visits. If the spiritual care department …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Adjunct Faculty Perceptions Of Job Satisfaction With Multi-Year Teaching Appointments, Nestor Montilla

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Grounded in the extant literature, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore adjunct faculty perceptions of job satisfaction with multi-year teaching appointments at two campuses of a public urban university system in the Northeastern United States. The study utilized Herzberg et al.'s motivation-hygiene theory, also known as two-factor theory, and Husserl's transcendental phenomenological research design. The central research question was "What are adjunct faculty perceptions of job satisfaction with multi-year teaching contracts?" The data collection consisted of a demographic questionnaire, open-ended semi-structured interviews with twelve adjunct faculty who taught under multi-year contracts from 2017 to 2020, a focus …

The Impact Of National Board Teacher Certification On School Capacity, Sandra Kaye Michels

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this ex post facto causal-comparative study is to examine whether a greater number of National Board certified teachers on a school staff has an effect on school-wide standardized assessment outcomes. National Board teacher certification has been examined by researchers as a potential school improvement initiative to address persistent gaps in achievement as measured by state-mandated standardized assessments. The impact of National Board teacher certification on student outcomes has been examined at the individual classroom level and at the statewide level through analysis of scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This study explored the impact …