Digital Commons Network^™

Implementation Of The Clinician’S Guide To Spiritual Recovery From Fetal Loss, Donald K. Eckhardt Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Obstetricians and midwives care for a surprising number of patients experiencing perinatal loss each year, yet they lack formal training in grief support. Lack of training heightens their stress, anxiety, and burnout, especially when chaplain support is unavailable. Miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death profoundly affect families, and healthcare providers share in their pain as they deliver the deceased baby and offer comfort, counseling, and hope. This project’s creator hypothesized that enhancing providers’ knowledge of grief support and biblical Scripture as well as highlighting how God’s grace and love can ease guilt, grief, anxiety, and depression would reduce provider burnout while …

Walking With The Wounded: Chaplains As Agents Of Christ’S Healing Ministry, Fred Okechukwu Anucha

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctor of Ministry action research project evaluated the effectiveness of an eight-week Christ-centered training intervention designed to strengthen hospital chaplains’ confidence and clarify sacramental boundaries in end-of-life care at AdventHealth Celebration. Hospital chaplains frequently encounter situations in which patients and families request sacramental or spiritually significant practices during moments of crisis, yet chaplains often lack structured training that addresses how to respond with both pastoral sensitivity and theological clarity within a multifaith healthcare environment.

The project implemented an eight-week training program that integrated theological reflection, case-based discussion, and practical ministry applications intended to strengthen chaplains’ confidence in providing spiritual …

Exploring The Impact Of Cultural Beliefs On Death Anxiety: A Qualitative Study To Inform Healthcare Education And Practices, Sharon Sonnilal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A hermeneutic phenomenological approach framed this qualitative study, examining how cultural beliefs, spiritual traditions, and relational contexts shape death anxiety and meaning-making among adults from diverse backgrounds. Terror Management Theory and Culturally Sensitive Grief Treatment guided the conceptualization of death anxiety as a culturally mediated and relational phenomenon rather than an isolated psychological response. A purposive sample of 13 adults aged 18 and older represented diverse cultural, racial, gender, and spiritual identities. Recruitment occurred via Instagram, and participants completed an open-ended demographic and narrative survey. Participants who provided rich survey narratives received invitations to complete semi-structured Zoom interviews to deepen …

Reducing Burnout And Compassion Fatigue: Chaplain-Led Peer Support Group Among Clinical Staff At Choices Healthcare, Matthew Lehman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this Doctor of Ministry action research project was to help reduce burnout and compassion fatigue among the clinical staff at Choices Healthcare. Burnout and compassion fatigue are becoming a healthcare crisis, and hospice agencies are no different. The study was open to any member of the clinical staff, which included chaplains, social workers, nurses, home health aides, and the team leaders of each team in the organization. The study aimed to reduce burnout and compassion fatigue through a series of chaplain-facilitated group education and processing sessions. Humans are relational beings, and getting together to share experiences in …

Dementia Caregiver Support: Offering Spiritual And Emotional Guidance To Loved Ones Filling The Gap, William Reid Bishop

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem at Tremont Church of God is that members offering caregiver support to their loved ones with dementia are unaware of the coping skills needed for support. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to provide an 8-week training program to teach caregivers techniques for managing their emotional and spiritual needs. The sample population for this project is church members over the age of 18 who are actively caregiving for a spouse or close relative with dementia. The sample size is between 10 and 15 participants. The training is located at Tremont COG. The training is in …

A Phenomenological Study Describing The Lived Experiences Of Fire Chaplains With Clinical Pastoral Education (Cpe) Training Within The Federation Of Fire Chaplains’ Organization, Chaplain Cooper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of fire chaplains with CPE training who used CPE competencies when caring for firefighters. The foundation of spiritual care was based on the ten identified competencies used in CPE. The gap addressed in this research was the lack of spiritual care training for fire chaplains. Dr. Alan Wolfelt’s model of companioning served as the theoretical foundation guiding this research. This model of care emphasized a human-centered, heart-based approach, including active listening, empathy, and the practice of presence, which were essential components for fire chaplains providing spiritual care. This …

Evaluating Theories On End-Of-Life Dreams And Visions With Similar Phenomena In Trauma-Related Populations, Christopher Channy Vinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A grounded theory approach was used to conduct a study on participants (N=24) who were veterans with trauma-related dreams or who had a near-death experience. Research questions were designed to qualitatively examine the lived experiences of dreams and visions in a non-end-of-life setting. This allowed the data to give greater insight into the end-of-life phenomenon and deepen the body of knowledge on dreams and visions in general. A survey consisting of the PTGI-SF, LuCiD, NExS, and the Greyson NDE, along with open-ended survey questions designed to record dream narratives for a thematic analysis, was used. The dream narratives were coded …

Music’S Transformative Power: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Christian Music’S Role In Enhancing Human Development, Crystal Ann Hubbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Music is one of the most fundamental expressions of art, communication, and worship, linking to the conscience and personalities across cultures. Music provides a pathway to human emotions where music manifests as a therapeutic component for psychosomatic change. Furthermore, Christian music has not been explored as a therapeutic component for individuals struggling with mental health or cognitive challenges. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Christian music may serve as a therapeutic component of wellbeing in everyday lives of individuals. Using a transcendental phenomenological approach, this study investigated the lived experiences of 10 individuals who have experienced Christian …

An Evaluative Study On The Relationship Between Caregiver Stress Of Adult Caregivers For Aging Parents With Chronic Medical Conditions And Life Satisfaction Moderated By Self-Compassion, Cristal Byrd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As of 2015, in the United States alone, approximately 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid (informal) care to an adult age fifty or older in the past twelve months Forty-two percent of these individuals are caring for a parent including 31% for a mother, and 11% for a father (Jones, 2015). Frequently, the impending challenges correlated with the aging process are discovered in concordance with each other; to which obligation or onus for caregiving of this demographic falls on the shoulders of their adult children. According to recent studies, approximately 1 in 3 adult children in the United States provide …

Enhancing Collaborative Care: A Training Manual For Improving Veterans Affairs Mental Health Chaplaincy, Eddie L. Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) launched a study to investigate the integration of chaplains in mental health care. This research expands on that study by focusing on the critical need for enhanced collaboration between chaplaincy and mental health services at local VA facilities. While existing literature affirms the integral role of chaplains in addressing the spiritual and emotional needs of individuals, significant gaps in awareness and effective collaboration practices were identified at the Marion, IL VA Health Care System (VHCS). This study aimed to assess and address the specific training …

Child Protective Service Workers And Burnout: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Various Types Of Factors That Contribute To Burnout In Rural Virginia, Laurel A. Parks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to describe the job difficulties that contribute to burnout for child protective service (CPS) workers at social service centers in Virginia. The theory guiding this study was the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, proposed by Arnold Bakker and Evangelia Demerouti. The JD-R model states that the more demands one has on the job and the fewer resources available to fulfill those demands, the more likely one is to experience burnout. This study utilized semi-structured interviews to answer the three research questions. Ten child protective service workers from three of the five regions of Virginia participated in …

A Chaplain-Specific Care Plan For Addressing Moral Injury And Promoting Holistic Well-Being In Nurses That Have Transitioned From Hospital Care To Hospice Care, Franklin Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project, “A Chaplain-Specific Care Plan for Addressing Moral Injury and Promoting Holistic Well-Being in Nurses That Have Transitioned from Hospital Care to Hospice Care,” addresses the lack of chaplain-led interventions for nurses suffering from moral injury. Many nurses who transitioned from hospital to hospice care reported ongoing moral residue from ethically distressing events in acute settings. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a spiritually grounded care plan, developed and facilitated by a board-certified chaplain, to address these moral wounds and promote holistic well-being among hospice nurses.

Twelve hospice nurses in West Tennessee participated …

The Meaning And Essence Of Depression And Loneliness In Widowhood: Discovering The Healthy Construct Of Self-Efficacy, Christine M. Ward

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study will be to describe the lived experience of widows aged 65-80 who lost their husbands within the past five years in one of three counties in Washington State: Pierce, Kitsap, or Mason. The two theories guiding this study will be Bowlby’s Attachment Theory and Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, (SLT), as they relate to post-loss identity and mourning. Both serve as vital tools for surviving and recovering from the impact of losing a spouse. When these affectional attachments are lost, a widow’s quality of life can be lessened or even damaged. A widow will go …

Hope As A Source To Strengthen Chaplain Resiliency In The Christian And Missionary Alliance, Javier M. Torres-Chinea

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research project intends not only to assess the levels of hope of the population of chaplains of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, but also to educate on how hope can strengthen resilience. Using Snyder's Theory of Hope (2000) provides a theoretical framework that allows a positive vision of the social and employment situation of millions of people. Snyder's Adult Hope Scale measures the hope trait in the chaplains, both male and female, between the ages of 25-65. For the participants, a questionnaire called the Hope Questionnaire was used. The SurveyPlanet website, to be distributed, answered, and collected data through …

Remind: Raising Awareness Of Nurse Burnout Using An Educational Intervention, Emily Louise Missimer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Burnout is an international occupational phenomenon that can negatively impact one’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. Although burnout affects all occupations, professionals working in the healthcare field are known to be at high risk for occupational burnout secondary to factors such as high-stress environments, critically ill patients, increased patient care requirements, frequent exposure to mortality, and shiftwork with long hours, among other factors. Of the subgroup of healthcare providers, it is also widely known that nurses who have a high exposure to death, such as hospice nurses, are at an even higher risk for occupational burnout. At a hospice care …

Emotional And Spiritual Support Assessment For Clinical Outpatient Staff At Lower Cape Fear Lifecare, Jamie Champion

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action project in the field of pastoral counseling is designed to assess the level of emotional and spiritual support that clinical outpatient workers receive at Lower Cape Fear Lifecare. The problem is that clinical outpatient workers do not utilize spiritual care services for themselves, and the purpose of this study is to create and implement tools to increase chaplain utilization amongst team members. This action project utilizes qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data including surveys and interviews and a workshop, newsletters, and videos to disseminate to team members for education and encouragement. This project will help to identify …

Exploration Of The Congruence Between Environmental Concerns And Eco-Spirituality Programming At Retreat Centers As Experienced By Participants, Jean Golicz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple-embedded case study was to explore the role of environmental awareness and concerns in influencing engagement in retreat practices that were organized around the theme of eco-spirituality and the impact on organizational leadership and program development at two retreat centers in the northeastern region of the United States. Roman Catholic retreat centers were the focus of the study as they endeavored to fulfill leadership directives reflected in the papal encyclical Laudato si’. The centers examined offered immersion in nature, reflection on the interdependence of organic systems, and the development of action plans to address environmental issues. …

Care And Resource Support For Surrogate End-Of-Life Decision-Makers, Evelyn L. Globe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Surrogate end-of-life decision-makers are family members facing the emergent task of making end-of-life care decisions for their loved ones many times without prior knowledge of what their family members would want. Afterward, the surrogate decision-maker is often without support to process their experience and grief. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to provide a faith-based support group for those who have had the experience of being a surrogate end-of-life decision-maker and through an advance care planning and advance directives seminar and workshop provide an informational resource for individuals who have not had the experience and want to …

Using Technology Responsibly To Align Church Ministry With God's Plan, Sandra Rolon-Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The proliferation of digital technologies, including live-streaming services, online community platforms, and virtual events, is revolutionizing the operational dynamics of church ministries. Churches of all sizes are embracing these changes to expand their influence, engage with members in new ways, and enhance the impact of digital technology on their ministry. Implementing digital transformation has led to innovative approaches in worship services, outreach programs, and community engagement, enabling churches to meet the evolving needs of their congregation and the broader community.

This dissertation-in-praxis explores the broader biblical and theological significance to gain a deeper understanding and demonstrate the practical application of …

Palliative And End-Of-Life Care Education In Undergraduate, Pre-Licensure Nursing Program Curriculums: The Lived Experience Of Students, Whitney Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study with a transcendental phenomenological approach is to investigate and describe nursing students’ experience with palliative and end-of-life care education within their undergraduate, pre-licensure nursing program curriculum. The study utilizes Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory as its theoretical framework to answer the central research question and three sub-questions. The central research question is: what are nursing students' lived experiences with palliative and end-of-life care education within their undergraduate, pre-licensure nursing program curriculum? Twelve senior level nursing students participated in the study. The data collection methods included one-on-one interviews, observations, and journal entries. Data was analyzed using …

Empowering Kansas City Veterans Administration Chaplains: A Spiritual Leadership Toolkit For Nursing Staff Support, Leonard Gicheru

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This doctoral research project addresses the critical issue of burnout among nursing staff at the Kansas City Veterans Administration (KCVA). Burnout is often worsened by a lack of spiritual support, thereby negatively impacting both the well-being of nurses and the quality of patient care. This project study aims to mitigate these challenges by implementing a spiritual leadership resource toolkit, tailored to equip KCVA chaplains with creative strategies to provide spiritual care for nurses.

Based on Spiritual Leadership Theory and guided by biblical principles, this project explores how structured spiritual direction can improve the resilience and emotional well-being of nursing staff. …

A Phenomenological Study Of Forgiveness Following Infidelity Focusing On Robert Enright's Forgiveness Model, Delondria R. Hines

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the experiences of women who chose to forgive their partner’s infidelity using Robert Enright’s Forgiveness Model. The study explores the motivations for forgiveness after infidelity, focusing on women aged 25–70 in heterosexual relationships from various racial and ethnic origins who have decided to remain with their partners. Extending Robert Enright's Forgiveness Model, this study examines the benefits of forgiveness. The study uses thematic analysis to identify common themes in the participants’ stories, enhancing understanding of their motivations for forgiveness. Semi-structured interviews served as the main method for data collection, offering a …

The Impact Of Religious Music On Psychological Well-Being: A Survey Study Of Chinese Christians In Hong Kong Churches, Ka Man Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This cross-sectional survey investigates the relationship between listening to religious music and psychological well-being among Chinese Christians in Hong Kong, addressing a critical gap in Asian studies. Data were collected from 243 participants through a survey comprising demographic questions, music-listening habits (weekly frequency, average duration, and music era preference), and the 24-item Chinese Ryff Psychological Well-being Scale. Multiple linear regression and ANOVA analyses reveal that the average duration of listening to religious music positively associates with overall psychological well-being and its six dimensions, while frequency shows a negative relationship. Traditional religious music (composed in or before 1980) is associated with …

The Differences In Perceived Stress And Coping For Prelicensure Nursing Students After A Positive Reappraisal Coping Intervention, Deanna Lynne Walborn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Academic stress has become a common problem among nursing students, which can lead to undesirable student outcomes if their stress goes unabated. The purpose of this quasi-experimental pretest/posttest study is to determine if an intervention using a positive reappraisal coping intervention (PRCI) can reduce student nurse stress. Knowles’ theory of adult learning along with Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping (TMSC) provided a foundation for the study. Olejnik’s (1984) table was used to determine the minimal total sample size required for this research. A sample of 26 nursing students from those who are enrolled in a public …

Middle School Teachers’ Experiences In The Virtual Co-Teaching Setting: A Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Suzette A. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the collaborative planning, instruction, and evaluative practices of middle school co-teachers working in a virtual setting within a southeastern state. This study's theory stems from Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory. A sample population included twelve co-teachers in different middle schools throughout a school district in the Southeast. Data was obtained using the semi-structured interviews from 12 participants, 11 participants participated in the focus group sessions, and all 12 participants participated in the guided writing approach. All transcription were analyzed and coded, which led to the to identification of common …

Adding Video Teaching To The Standard Of: Oral And Written Discharge Instructions, Pamela Austill Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adding video education to a patient’s discharge instructions on a rehabilitation unit of a skilled nursing facility (SNF) is researched for its use in decreasing the 31-day readmission rate from the community back to the hospital or SNF. A quasi-experimental method was used. There was a mean of 6 readmissions per month before the video intervention and during it was 0.6. Adding video education may be useful in an SNF to decrease the readmission rate from the community back to the hospital after discharge.

A Phenomenological Research Study Of The African American Male And Grief: The Need To Communicate, Theresa E. Ellis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This is a dissertation on death, grief, and the communication styles of African American males after the loss of a loved one. It will speak to the limited amount of literature reviews surrounding death, culture, race, gender, and the social determent of death. This dissertation will issue a summation of the limitations of older studies and how to fill the need to conduct newer studies. This dissertation offers suggestions on the need to encourage future researchers to take up the mantle and use their lived experiences on death, grief counseling, mental health counseling, and how spiritual counseling can be used …

Investigating The Perceived Efficacy Of Support Groups As A Secondary-Organization Stress Intervention Measure For Hospice Nurses, Sade A. Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigated the perceived efficacy of support groups as a secondary organizational intervention measure for hospice nurses. Workplace stress is a common issue in hospice care that impacts workers negatively. It results in declining mental, physical, and social wellness. While research indicates significant benefits of support groups, they are not commonly applied in hospice care. Support groups have been widely used in mental health for years to share information and experiences and discuss problems. This dissertation interviewed eight participants using a qualitative case study approach. The participants were recruited from an online hospice nurse group on Facebook. The information …

Care Providers Caring For Military Members Struggling With Grief, Clara Altagracia García

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research aims to address the lack of grief support services for service members (SMs) and veterans, which affects them and the wider community. The mission is to uncover the needs of SMs and veterans and devise effective strategies to support them. The literature review will provide the foundation for the need for research and create a reasonable solution for a healthier grieving process for SMs. This research aims to determine how complicated grief goes undetected and how counseling can help SMs and veterans. The thesis project will impact the grief counseling process of others in this field and bring …

Planning In Advance (Pia): Teaching London Seventh-Day-Adventist Church Leaders In Providing Spiritual Care For Dying And Mourning Parishioners, Walace Saint Louis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The London Seventh-Day Adventist Church (LSDAC), Maybee, Michigan, grapples with the lack of trained leaders in EoL to provide pastoral care for dying and mourning African American parishioners. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to educate LSDAC leaders in providing spiritual care for their congregants as lay chaplains. The city of Maybee contains 612 people, with 95 % Caucasians and 5% other racial groups. The LSDAC membership is 99% African Americans and 1% Caucasians. It has around 30 members.

The philosophical concept of this research lies in the presuppositions that African Americans prefer spiritual EoL care from …