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Managing Hiv/Aids Outreach Strategies In The Black Church: A Case Study, Angela Gail Hicks-Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem under investigation is that there is little research about how church leaders develop and design HIV/AIDS education and support programs in selected counties of New York State. The gap in the literature is that there is little known about how church leaders support the educational process for the HIV/AIDS Black community in New York state. The theory of normative decision making was the primary conceptual framework for this research. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multi-case study was to discover how church leaders managed their HIV/AIDS outreach program strategies. The overarching question asked what programs and education do …

Experiences Of Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Leaders, Laketa Monique Hillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic conditions are public health threats. The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is an evidence-based disease management program that addresses personal self-management of chronic conditions. The CDSMP involves peer trainers who instruct and assist with chronic disease preventive measures. Although disease management demonstrates promise to improving patient self-maintenance, previous researchers have not evaluated how the program affects program leaders. The purpose of this study was to discover how self-help leaders feel about the CDSM program. The overarching research question asked about perspectives that self-help leaders had toward the program. Through a narrative qualitative approach, the perceptions of peer leaders were …

The Experiences Of Grade 4 Public Elementary School Teachers Regarding Multiculturalism, James Hill Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of multicultural students are attending U.S. public schools. At a Title I elementary school in a rural region of the southern United States, multicultural students had not met academic standards as measured by state exams, and state scores had been very low for 5 consecutive years. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the instructional strategies used by Grade 4 teachers in helping multicultural students pass state tests. The conceptual framework was Vygotsky's theory of cognitive and social constructivism and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. The foci of research questions were on identifying teachers' …

Using Nutrition And Fitness Awareness To Reduce Overweight And Obesity In Adolescents, Allissa.Johnson Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, adolescent obesity rates continue to increase unabated, yet there is a paucity of programs to address these conditions for this population. The current study evaluated an after-school program in California high schools that uses a mentoring model with youth to promote regular exercise and healthy food choices. It is grounded in Social Cognitive Theory which focuses on both the impact of the environment on shaping behaviors and the ability of an individual to construct his or her own suitable environment. A quantitative single-group pretest-posttest design using archived participant responses was utilized in order to determine whether …

Canadian Community College Faculty And Teaching And Learning Professional Development, Carol Ann Samhaber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many colleges have faced the challenge of engaging faculty in teaching and learning professional development. The purpose of this project study was to investigate why full-time school of business faculty at a small community college in Canada do not complete college course design and student assessment training. Faculty members are urged to complete these trainings in order to implement their courses to successfully prepare students to graduate from college and launch professional careers. The research questions in this study focused on faculty perceptions regarding factors that have prevented their completion of this college's course design and student assessment professional development. …

Performance Implications Of Fortune 500 Companies' Self-Interest In Corporate Social Responsibility Activities, Peter M. Neeves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous prior studies examining the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance have produced mixed results. Consumers expect alignment between corporation's CSR and business activities, yet a paucity of research examines the nature of CSR activities as related to corporate financial performance. Corporate leaders lack direction as to what CSR activities are most impactful. CSR is grounded in stakeholder theory, ethical work climate, and servant leadership theories. The relationship between self-interest in CSR activities, an index of alignment between business activities and CSR activities, and financial performance as measured by return on assets (ROA), return on equity …

Nurse Educators' Perspectives Of Supplemental Computer-Assisted Formative Assessment In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Jennifer Buehler Sugg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the implementation of various strategies to improve outcomes, the pass rates for the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for an associate degree nursing (ADN) program continue to decrease. This study examined the use of a supplemental computer-assisted formative assessment (SCAFA) as a strategy for NCLEX-RN success. A qualitative case study with a theoretical framework based on constructivism was designed to investigate nurse educators' perspectives of this particular strategy for successful outcomes. To explore these perspectives, data were collected from face-to-face interviews with nurse educators and from program documents from 1 ADN program in the southeastern United …

Practice Guidelines For Self-Management Of Osteoarthritis Pain In The Home-Based Settings, Oyesola Omowunmi Akintan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating chronic illness that can prevent older adults from accomplishing their activities of daily living or ambulate without pain. The project's purpose was to develop and disseminate multidisciplinary educational practice guidelines to nurses for use in older homebound male Veteran's Administration OA patients to improve home-based pain management and self-care preventative strategies. Orem's theory of self-care management constituted the theoretical framework. The design was a quality improvement project and involved formation of 6 panels of interdisciplinary teams who reviewed the American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) and Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) guidelines. The ASA and OARSI …

Examining The Achievement Gap Between Fifth Grade Girls And Boys In Writing, Phillip Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At the national, state, district, and building levels, girls outperform boys in writing. The purpose of this study was to examine the achievement gap between 5th grade girls and boys in the content area of writing. The research questions explored the perceptions of 5th grade teachers and building administrators and examined the instructional strategies that were used to teach writing to 5th grade students. Attribution theory was used as the theoretical framework to address the achievement gap. Using a qualitative instrumental case study design, data were collected from a building administrator and a 5th grade writing teacher in the form …

Development Of An Evidence-Based New Graduate Nursing Orientation Program For The Emergency Department, Mary Ellen Zaleski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The traditional new graduate nurse (NGN) orientation process places NGN with an experienced preceptor for 24 weeks and requires clinical skills checklists to be completed by the preceptor, a practice which is not an evidence-based practice for orienting NGNs. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to develop an evidence-based orientation to decrease time requirements and standardize the processes and evaluation of the NGN in the emergency department. The project was informed by Benner's novice to expert theory and focused on acquisition of clinical skills. The project team included 6 stakeholders: the Doctor of Nursing Practice student-leader, the unit …

The Impact Of Supervisor-Subordinate Exchange On State Government Employees, Jeffrey R. Zimmerman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interactions such as task assignments and communications between supervisors and subordinates have unintended negative consequences on subordinates such as alienation of subordinates that are not members of the 'in' group. These relations are determined by the quality of the leader-member exchange (LMX) between supervisor and subordinate. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of supervisor-subordinate exchange on state government employees by understanding the essence of these exchanges in state government agencies. The theoretical foundation of this phenomenological study was Graen and Uhl-Bien's conceptualization of LMX. Data were collected through 12 semi structured interviews with subordinates from the …

Assessing Clinical Software User Needs For Improved Clinical Decision Support Tools, Kimberly B. Denney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consolidating patient and clinical data to support better-informed clinical decisions remains a primary function of electronic health records (EHRs). In the United States, nearly 6 million patients receive care from an accountable care organization (ACO). Knowledge of clinical decision support (CDS) tool design for use by physicians participating in ACOs remains limited. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether a significant correlation exists between characteristics of alert content and alert timing (the independent variables) and physician perceptions of improved ACO quality measure adherence during electronic ordering (the dependent variable). Sociotechnical theory supported the theoretical framework for this …

Examining Biopsychosocial Factors In The Drive For Muscularity And Muscle Dysmorphia Among Personal Trainers, Beau J. Diehl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to assess the presence of muscle dysmorphia (MD) and a drive for muscularity (DFM) in 1,039 personal trainers using the Muscle Dysmorphia Inventory (MDI) and the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS). Muscle dysmorphia is considered a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder that can be exacerbated by an intense DFM, which may in turn lead to negative psychobehavioral outcomes. Because personal trainers are an unresearched population with regard to these 2 constructs, a multidisciplinary framework was used to ground the present research study. Independent variables were structured using a biopsychosocial foundation where the biological dimension …

Educational Intervention To Impact Parental Decisions To Consent To Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, Tawa Bimbola Ibikunle-Salami

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educational Intervention to Impact Parental Decisions to Consent to Human Papillomavirus Vaccine

by

Tawa B. Ibikunle-Salami

MSN, Indiana Wesleyan University, 2010

BSN, Indiana Wesleyan University, 2005

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

September 2015

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a global health issue that is transmitted sexually and affects both genders. Evidence shows that approximately 79 million people are affected in the United States with 14 million newly affected yearly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that teens and young adults under age 25 are at particular …

Consumer Perceptions Of Eco-Friendly Products, Sheik M. Isaacs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of failure to manage e-waste and the business sectors' failure to produce more eco-friendly products is high. These failure rates cause companies to lose profits on expanding an eco-friendly customer market. The central research question addressed by this correlational design examined the quality, price, and brand loyalty of eco-friendly products related to customers' willingness to recycle e-products. Consumer and buying behavior theories served as the theoretical framework in this investigation. SurveyMonkey was used to distribute the researcher-developed survey to the participants for the collection of the data. The collection data instrument was validated by performing a pilot test …

Teacher Perceptions About Sustaining A Successful School-Within-Aschool, Edward Meidhof

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attempts to restructure public high schools by establishing separate school-within-a-school (SWS) models have not endured beyond 3 to 5 years. This qualitative case study examined a SWS that has thrived for more than 12 years. The study investigated how teachers at the school explained the success of the SWS, their experience of working at the SWS, and their resilience in addressing the challenges that led to the lack of success of other SWS schools. The theories and models of educational change developed by Fullan, Hargreaves, and Giles and Hord provided a conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through …

Behavioral Operations Management In Federal Governance, Frederick Leonard Mobley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The environmental uncertainty of federal politics and acquisition outsourcing in competitive markets requires an adaptive decision-analysis structure. Practitioners oriented toward exclusively static methods face severe challenges in understanding qualitative aspects of organizational governance. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to examine and understand behavioral relationship attributes within intuitive, choice, judgment, or preference decision-making processes. The problem addressed in this study was the detrimental effects of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), compulsory citizenship behavior (CCB), and social exchange theory (SET) on the acquisition management relationship The OCB, CCB, SET dictates that sound business development, relationship acumen, emotional intelligence and perceptiveness …

Payroll Fraud: Effects Of Ghost Names On The Government Wage Bill In Ghana, Gilbert Nyaledzigbor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policy makers believe that there are ghost workers, persons who do not work yet receive salaries, on Ghana's public sector payroll. However, little is known about the factors that create opportunities for ghost workers. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to extend Cressy's conceptualization of the fraud triangle theory to test the applicability of Reinikka and Svennson's graft estimation model by using nonprobability quota sampling to select 85 heads of public agencies for participation in a cross-sectional survey. The research questions focused on the relationship between size of government agency, the estimated number of opportunities for ghost workers, and …

Crash Risk Associated With Cellular Phone Use While Driving, Tiffani Ann Fordyce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are inconsistencies in the published literature on the effect of cellular phone use while driving. The objective of this study was to estimate an adjusted nationwide crash rate associated with cell phone use while driving and to compare statewide crash rates prior to and following the implementation of legislation banning cell phone use while driving. Crash rates in nationally representative databases were calculated based on imputed values for cell phone use using the propensity score method. The imputed nationwide crash rate for fatal crashes (1.61 per 100 fatal crashes) and all crashes (1.409 per 100 crashes) represented a 2 …

Student Perceptions Of Biology Teachers' Interpersonal Teaching Behaviors And Student Achievement, Victor N. Madike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate student-teacher interactions in undergraduate courses have been linked to poor student performance. Researchers have noted that students' perceptions of student-teacher relationships may be an important factor related to student performance. The administration of a Mid-Atlantic community college prioritized increasing undergraduate biology student performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between students' biology achievement and their perceptions of interpersonal teaching behaviors and student-teacher interactions in introductory biology courses. Leary's theory on interpersonal communication and the systems communication theory of Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson served as the theoretical foundation. The Wubbel's Likert-scale questionnaire on student-teacher interactions …

Sociodemographic Predictors Of Medication Nonadherence Among Latinos Diagnosed With Diabetes Type Ii, Bianca L. Tristan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Latinos of low socioeconomic status are disproportionately affected by diabetes Type II complicated by poor adherence to diabetes Type II medications and management programs. Self-management of diabetes Type II is a tool used to teach health education to patients with diabetes. The objective of this retrospective quantitative study was to explore if there are predictors of nonadherence to diabetes Type II medications and programs among Latinos with diabetes Type II. Data from 200 patient records from a community clinic in Fresno County California were analyzed using both bivariate and multivariate analysis. Selected sociodemographic independent variables were age, gender, income, migrant …

Black Caribbean American Parents' Home-Based Literacy Activities For K-2 Religious School Students, Maureen Hyacinth Moncrieffe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that parental involvement plays a crucial role in the academic achievement of students. A parent's involvement in a child's literacy development, especially in the Black Caribbean American community, is important because it helps the child become a life-long reader. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to investigate the at-home literacy involvement of Black Caribbean American parents with their K-2 children in a small private religious school. Based upon Epstein's work on parental involvement, as well as Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's role construction theory, the current study explored these parents' at-home literacy activities with their children, their …

The Experiences Of Successful Small Business Owners In Ghana, Michael Tetteh Alimo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high failure rate of small and medium enterprises that results in high unemployment rate and poverty in Ghana. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of small business owners in Ghana. The conceptual framework was based on the theory of disruptive innovation. Disruptive innovation describes a method that enables business owners to create a new market. Data were collected through interviews from 20 participants who owned small businesses and succeeded beyond 5 years in Accra, Ghana. Member checking was used to strengthen the credibility and trustworthiness of the interpretation of the participants' responses. …

Strategies To Prevent The Unintentional Retention Of Foreign Objects In Surgical Patients, Leonard Harichand Ramdas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Institute of Medicine's report in 2000, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health

System, highlighted the seriousness of medical errors in the U.S. health care system. The unintentional retention of foreign objects in surgical patients is one of those errors. At the time of this study, there was no standardized counting policy and process across operating rooms in the United States. The purpose of this project was to develop a best practice educational counting program to help prevent the unintentional retention of foreign objects in surgical patients. The Logic Model was used to guide the design of the …

The Influence Of Power Distance On Csr Programs In Hainan China, Carol Ann Hoshiko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As China emerges as one of the world's top 5 economies, it attracts more multinational corporations (MNCs) that want to expand there and implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. Despite this emergence, since China entered the World Trade Organization, it has not perceived or welcomed MNCs in the same manner as in the 1970s to 1990s. Further, MNCs have had challenges adapting Western-style CSR programs in China's local communities. There is no widely-accepted multidisciplinary theory that integrates CSR, organizational culture, and culture. Hofstede's theory of cultural relativism classified China as a high power distance country where the population has a …

Strategies Utility Managers Used To Implement Renewable Energy Technologies In The Caribbean, Nneka Cori-Anne Archer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Government officials in the Caribbean are encouraging the production of electricity from renewable energy sources to reduce the impact of high electricity rates to customers due to region's dependency on imported fossil fuel. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore the strategies electric utility managers in the Caribbean used to implement renewable energy technologies. The diffusion of innovation theory served as the conceptual framework for the study. Three managers of an electric utility in the Caribbean, who had created strategies to implement renewable energy technologies, participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. These managers provided in-depth information on approaches used …

Fourth Year Teachers' Perceptions Of The Student Teaching Practicum In Abu Dhabi, Kabrina Rochelle Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A local college in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates began a Bachelor of Education program in 2008 to train prospective teachers to deliver a bi-literate education in Arabic and English to students in Abu Dhabi schools. Because there had been no examination of preservice teachers' perceptions of their practicum experience, a project study was designed to analyze the perceptions of a group of preservice teachers regarding the final practicum and whether that experience enhanced their ability to deliver educational practices to better serve students. This phenomenological study was guided by experiential learning theory, as preservice teachers learned from their experiences …

Health Literacy And Health Decision Making Attitudes In People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Christine Miranda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy has been recognized as a vital issue in the self-care management of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of functional, communicative, and critical health literacy dimensions on positive and negative attitudes toward health decision making. The transtheoretical model of health behavior change (TTM) provided the theoretical framework to explain this association. A culturally-adapted survey was used in this cross-sectional study to measure health literacy dimensions, positive and negatives attitudes toward health decision making, and other factors in 100 Puerto Ricans living with HIV/AIDS. Demographic factors and clinical and immunological …

Brazilian Women Entrepreneurs: Exploring Strategies For Building Sustainable Business Organizations, Maria Ana Church

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Brazilians create an average of 1.2 million new registered enterprises annually, but some struggle to keep their business in operation. Thirty percent of the new ventures are unable to survive the first year, and 58% go out of business after the first 5 years. The goal of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of Brazilian women entrepreneurs concerning the strategies needed to build sustainable business organizations in Brazil. The individual concepts of sustainable development, sustainability, business strategies, and business models served as the theoretical foundations for the study. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 20 women entrepreneurs …

Childhood Hearing Loss And Its Stress On Hearing Families, Julie Macker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood disability increases parental stress. Research on the laterality of childhood hearing loss or presence of a cochlear implant(s) as it relates to stress in hearing parents was limited before this study. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify relationships between the independent variables of laterality (unilateral and bilateral) of a childhood hearing loss or presence of a cochlear implant(s) and the dependent variable of stress in hearing parents. Family systems theory provided a framework for viewing each member of the family as a part of a whole, whose life events, feelings, and actions affect all of the …