Digital Commons Network^™

Advanced Nurses' Perspectives On The Drug Addiction Treatment Act, 13 Years Later, Dorothy L. Were

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States experiences opioid addiction at epidemic levels. In 2012, the National Institute of Drug Abuse reported that 23.1 million Americans were in need of addiction treatment services, although only 2.5 million were enrolled in treatment. Following an amendment to the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-310), advanced practice nurses were qualified as providers who could bridge the healthcare gap in treatment access. The purpose of this project was to determine the interest of advanced practice nurses in (a) prescribing buprenorphine and (b) establishing guidelines that would allow them to do so. This quantitative project used …

The Impact Of Common Core Professional Development On Teaching Practices, Elisabeth S. Kannenberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Mathematics represents a challenge for public educators due to the broad scope of required instructional change. This case study investigated the implementation of a professional development (PD) series across 11 elementary schools, designed to address the problem of insufficient teacher preparation in CCSS pedagogical shifts. Grounded in Vygotsky's social learning theory and constructivism, the training was intended to enhance teacher skills through collaborative, inquiry-based learning. The research questions included in the study examined math teaching practices before and after the implementation of the district training. Through questionnaires and interviews, perceptions …

Enhancing Strategies To Improve Workplace Performance, Francine Williams Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When employees become dissatisfied at an organization, they may develop negative behaviors that can impede profits and productivity. The purpose of this single case study was to explore what strategies are essential for organizational leaders to improve workplace performance. Maslow's hierarchy of needs served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection involved face-to-face, semistructured interviews of 20 managers, floor employees, and clerical staff from a business organization in Southwest Georgia. Participant selection was based on employees' tenure of at least 1 year of experience within the organization. Interviews were transcribed and then coded for common patterns and themes. …

A Case Study Of Teachers’ And Administrators’ Experiences Integrating Project-Based Learning, Gastrid Harrigan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implementation of project-based learning (PBL) has contributed to increases in students’ retention of concepts, engagement, and academic success. The problem for this study is that teachers’ and administrators’ experiences and perceptions have not been sought regarding the integration of PBL in the classroom at the school district. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to gain a deeper insight into the experiences of teachers and administrators implementing PBL. Centered on the theory of constructivism, the research questions focused on 10 teachers’ and 5 administrators’ experiences integrating PBL. Face-to-face interviews with participants and 10 classroom observations were conducted. Inductive …

Developing A Lifestyle Modification Toolkit To Prevent And Manage Hypertension Among African American Women, Julia Ugochi Ugorji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension is a global public health issue affecting many people in the United States. African American women remain the highest in percentage by race and ethnicity for developing hypertension with poor risk awareness. Hypertension has costly implications for the health care system. Through lifestyle modifications in the form of a nutrition plan called Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension and increased physical activity, hypertension could be prevented. Among African Americans, the incidence of hypertension increases in their late thirties. The purpose of the project was to develop a toolkit of resources for African American women between the ages of 20 to …

Direct-To-Consumer Advertising Of Drugs And Patients' Health Care Seeking Behaviors, Patricia Elaine Kennedy-Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Known as direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA), pharmaceutical companies in the United States are permitted to advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if an association exists between DTCA and health care-seeking behaviors. The theoretical framework for this study involved social learning theory, information integration theory, and prospect theory. The research questions identified if exposure to DTCA (a) is associated with physician office visits, (b) influences a patient/physician conversation regarding a prescription, (c) influences requesting a prescription, and (d) has an impact on patients' ratings of the overall interaction with the physician. Data were …

Oral Health Literacy Of Parents And Dental Service Use For Children Enrolled In Medicaid, Angel Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many people in the United States have untreated dental disease due to a lack of dental insurance, a lack of oral health knowledge, and a lack of priority placed on dental health. Despite an increase in dental service use by Medicaid recipients as a result of local programs, children enrolled in Medicaid often have low rates of use of dental services. Using the health literacy framework of the Paasche-Orlow and Wolf (POW) model, the purpose of this study was to explore to the relationship between oral health literacy of parents and dental service use for children enrolled in Medicaid and …

African American Race And Culture And Patients' Perceptions Of Diabetes Health Education, Linda Marie Keenan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans diagnosed with diabetes are less likely to self-manage diabetes-specific modifiable risk factors. As a result, utilization of healthcare services occurs at a greater rate than other racial groups, and thereby incurs higher than expected healthcare costs. This ethnographic study explored the elements of diabetes educational material African Americans in a large city in the southern part of the United States found most useful to facilitate self-management of their disease. Bandura's self-efficacy theory provided the theoretical framework. Research questions addressed the preferred educational content, layout of material, and methods for educational delivery and caregiver support. A purposive sample of …

Voice Over Internet Protocol (Voip), Video Games, And The Adolescent's Perceived Experience, Geoffrey J. Nugent

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Video games are an everyday experience for adolescents and have changed how adolescents interact with one another. Prior research has focused on positive and negative aspects of video game play in general, without distinguishing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIPing) as the mode of play. Grounded in entertainment theory, motivational theory, and psychological distress theory, this cross-sectional, correlational study examined the relationship between VOIPing and quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory), Yee's motivation to play video games, and resilience (Child and Youth Resilience Measure). A series of linear regression and multivariate canonical correlation models analyzed self-report responses of 103 …

A Developmental Disabilities Program: A Proposed Education Program For Direct Support Professionals, Yurlene Sales Dela Cruz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurses can play integral role in collaborating with community leaders and identifying health promotion strategies, such as physical activity and nutrition classes, for people with developmental disabilities (DD). This study identified a role that nurses can establish among Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who serve important functions in the daily supervision and care of clients with DD. The data reviews from the archival results from Association of Individual Development Health Matters Assessment Reports in August 2012 and September 2013 indicated DSPs' need for further training in their roles as health instructors. The Health Matters Assessment Report in 2012 indicated low scores …

Environmental Degradation: Key Challenge To Sustainable Economic Development In The Niger Delta, Christian Udogadi Duru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bold

Employee Locus Of Control And Engagement In Nonprofit Organizations, Jacqueline Myers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transformational leadership and employee engagement have been studied in the private sector, yet research in the nonprofit sector is scarce. Addressing this gap is important to improve nonprofit practices, as nonprofit organizations contribute to a myriad of social issues critical to positive social change. Using Burns's theory of transformational leadership, which places emphasis on motivating and inspiring performance through a shared vision and mission, the purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the effects of transformational leadership on employee engagement in nonprofit organizations. The study also assessed whether locus of control acted as a mediating variable on employee engagement. …

Supporting And Securing Personal Mobile Devices Within An Existing Information Technology Environment, George Allen Patton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Personal mobile devices are becoming integrated into the daily operations of business. Managers are realizing that employees who are allowed to use personal mobile devices to access corporate information systems may reduce costs as users buy their own devices. The problem was that managers have a limited understanding of the need to secure or support personal mobile devices. The purpose of this survey study was to examine the relationship between employees' desire to use personal mobile devices and corporation needs for security and support. Hypotheses were tested by examining the relationships between the requirement to support and secure personal mobile …

An Examination Of Perceived Discrimination And Stress In Interracial Relatinships, Sharon Sirmons Conger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An Examination of Perceived Discrimination and Stress

in Interracial Relationships

by

Sharon Sirmons Conger

MS, Troy University, Florida Campus, 2006

BA, Baptist College of Florida, 2003

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

General Psychology

Walden University

February 2015

There is a potential increase in stress for White women in interracial relationships with Black men due to perceived racial discrimination that may not have been previously experienced. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure stress before and after the relationship due to perceived racial discrimination for these women. Guided by …

Perceptions Of Teachers And Administrators In Private Christian School Settings Regarding Spiritual Formation Programming For Millennials, Anne Puidk Horan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One mission of Christian schools is to foster teenagers’ spiritual formation so that they are equipped to confront challenges and contribute to their communities as Christians after high school. A private Christian school identified inadequate spiritual formation in its teenagers and a need to implement a spiritual formation program. Using a nonexperimental, mixed methods study, the purpose of this study was to (a) investigate spiritual formation programs used by private Christian schools and (b) explore educators’ perceptions of the most effective ways to bolster spiritual formation. The framework that drove this study was adolescent Judeo-Christian spiritual development. A questionnaire containing …

Social Consequence, Stakeholder Influence, And Resource Needs For Marcellus Shale Communities, Mary Kathleen Gorman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The process of natural gas recovery by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, is a major scientific advance in unconventional energy development. Attention has largely been focused on its economic advantages and potential negative environmental repercussions, while less consideration given to its social dimensions. The purpose of this study was to explore the social consequences of fracking for communities in the Appalachian Basin's Marcellus shale. Research questions focused on the role of stakeholders and the resource needs of localities in shaping public policy. This study was guided by the tenets of the Boomtown theory along with key issues …

Preoperative Education Needs In Ear, Nose, & Throat Clinic: A Patient Perspective, Jonathan Edmun Ramos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A medical center specializing in ear, nose, and throat (ENT) services noted an increase in the number of postoperative ENT complications compared to the national average. The purpose of this mixed-methods project study was to examine ENT patients' preoperative patient education (PPE) needs regarding postoperative care. Grounded in Knowles's model of learning, core adult learning principles were applied as guidelines in facilitating patients' PPE learning. Data were collected from 58 ENT patients who were selected using a convenience sampling method and who responded to a PPE survey using a 5-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using …

High School Athletic Participation Effects From Teacher Perspectives, Chris W. Starostka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies of the effects of students playing sports in high school vary but results are mostly positive. This qualitative case study examined the perceptions of 15 teachers at a small rural Iowa high school to assess how they viewed the effects of sports participation on student athletes in the classroom and why the setting experienced a decline in participation numbers. The framework that drove this study was based on Pajares's concept that teacher expectations may influence students and their academic performance and behaviors. The data included individual interviews from 15 teachers and teacher/coaches who had a minimum of 5 years …

Teachers' Expectations And Reading Achievement Of African American Middle School Students, Gloria Denise King Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A local and national concern in education is the persistent achievement gap between African American and Caucasian middle school students. Despite numerous reforms, the gap continues to show African American middle school students performing lower in reading. The purpose of this mixed methods study, framed in the theoretical perspective of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, was to examine teachers' expectations and the relationship between those expectations and the educational outcomes of African American middle school children. Data were collected to identify pedagogical practices, examine teacher expectations, and determine the relationship between those expectations and student Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores. Nineteen …

Beginning Teachers' Perceptions Of A Teacher Mentoring Program, Irish Phaletta Mccollum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The decline in teacher retention is a growing problem in the 21st century. Beginning teacher turnover rates have grown by 50% over the past decade, with the national rate increasing to over 20%. Beginning teachers entering the profession are leaving within their first 3 years, with half leaving the profession in the first 5 years. To meet their growing needs, districts and states spend billions of dollars to recruit, hire, and try to retain new teachers. The purpose of this case study was to examine beginning teachers' perceptions of their teacher mentoring program located in an urban school district. Bandura's …

A Mixed Methods Evaluation Of New Teacher Support Systems At An Urban Elementary, Dracaena Mosley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An urban elementary school in the northeast was lacking formal methods to evaluate its

support systems for teachers. This formative evaluation of the school's support systems for new teachers and staff was conducted using a mixed methods design to address the problem. The purpose of this evaluation was to determine the indicators of progress or need of improvement of effectively supporting teachers through mentoring, professional development, and collaboration. The theoretical framework for the study was Kirkpatrick's 4 levels of evaluation: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. The evaluation was also guided by questions about the extent, perceived effectiveness, strengths, and weaknesses …

Increasing Hpv Vaccination Rates Among Adolescent Males: A Toolkit For Parents, Lance Everette Hadley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 14 million new cases of HPV diagnosed each year (men and women combined). The rate of vaccine administration among adolescent males is much less than it is among females. As a result, the CDC has urged health care providers to work with state and local health care providers to improve the utilization of the HPV vaccine. The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop an educational toolkit, one guided by Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of reasoned action, regarding the value of the HPV vaccine. The toolkit …

Collaborative Trust: A Case Study Of Trust Evolution In A Public/Nonprofit Partnership, Maria Stella Odumodu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of trust between nonprofit organizations and the communities in which they are located is a well-documented problem in the academic literature. The nature of this mistrust is far less understood, and little is known how community-nonprofit collaborations can overcome these gaps in trust. Guided by Simmel's theory of trust, this study examined the role of collaborative trust between public and non-profit organizations with a focus on better understanding how trust evolves. The research questions focused on how trust was defined and the factors that enhanced and inhibited trust evolution within the context of collaborations between nonprofit organizations and communities. …

Physician Well Being And Patient Satisfaction Among Employed Physicians, Deanna Santana-Cebollero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding physician well-being may help prevent physician burnout, improve the quality of care they provide to their patients, reduce medical errors, and improve patient satisfaction. Using the biopsychosocial-spiritual theory as the conceptual framework, this quantitative study examined the relationship between: (a) physician well-being and patient satisfaction, (b) physician gender and physician well-being, (c) primary care providers' and specialists' well-being, (d) patient satisfaction based on physician specialty, and (e) the duration of practice and physician well-being. All of the 87 employed physicians in a Florida regional hospital were invited to respond to a physician well-being questionnaire; a response rate of 58.4% …

Evaluation And Improvement Of An Advisory Program, John Walter Van Ornum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Evaluation and Improvement of an Advisory Program

by

John W. Van Ornum

MS, Brigham Young University, 1989

BS, Brigham Young University, 1987

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Education

Walden University

December 2014

This project study investigated the effectiveness of a student advising program at a rural high school in Hawaii. The advisory program was implemented to help students track their progress and prepare them for post-high school college and career choices, yet the program's implementation had not been evaluated. Guided by Erickson's theoretical framework, this quantitative study examined advisory participants' …

The Impact Of Vaccination Schedules On Infants' And Children's Physio-Psychological Health: A Qualitative Investigation, Dina A. Alsalih

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many people may have become increasingly concerned about the risks associated with vaccines. At the same time, there is a lack of qualitative research on the impact of various vaccinations schedules on individuals' physio-psychological health. In addition, "mandatory" versus "nonmandatory, but recommended" vaccines are still under debate in some Western countries. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the beliefs, experiences, and perceptions of adolescents, parents, and health care providers regarding different vaccination schedules. The health belief model was used as the theoretical framework. The sample consisted of adolescents and parents from different vaccination …

Employing Provider Mentoring/Coaching To Improve Preventive Quality Ordering, Julie Knox-Woodward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preventive quality ordering is a provider intervention aimed at disease prevention through the ordering of industry-recommended health maintenance tests. This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of provider mentoring/coaching to improve preventive quality ordering using the 2014 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality best practice preventive clinical services guidelines. Literature indicates provider inconsistency in preventive and quality ordering as the primary cause of disparate health outcomes. Guided by theories of modeling and role-modeling, as well as the theory of cognitive continuum, this pilot study offered provider mentoring/coaching to encourage timely preventative quality ordering. Routinely monitored historic provider practice patterns in a …

Mission Statement Clarity And Organizational Behavior At An Art-Focused High School, Michael Allen Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many new institutions struggle with issues of identity and purpose, which can create instability and lack of growth. Mission statements are often used to clearly identify the characteristics that make an organization unique. This study was informed by theories of organizational management, art integration constructivism, and Bronfenbrenner's cultural ecology. The literature indicates that there is a strong connection between a clear and concise mission statement and the organization's behaviors. This study examined a small Southeast Michigan charter school devoted to integrating arts and academic curricula to determine how the stated mission was understood and implemented by its stakeholders. An applied, …

Correlates Of Asthma Among The Minority Population In South Bronx,New York, Veronica Chibumma Uwanaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Asthma among children has become an inherent problem in many communities in the United States, especially among the minority population. The South Bronx has a large minority population and a high prevalence of asthma. However, no study to date has explored the factors associated with this high prevalence rates in this population. Drawing from theories of social ecology and environmental health, the objective of this quantitative cross-sectional study is to investigate the correlates of asthma among children in the South Bronx by studying the sociodemographic and environmental risk factors, including parental occupation; neighborhood and housing characteristics, air quality, and poverty. …

Motivations For Volunteering In A Faith-Based Mentoring Program, Trudy Weatherspoon Willis-Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Adolescent males are being suspended or expelled at high rates. Faith-based organizations have developed programs to address these problems by using adult male volunteers to mentor high-risk youth; however, recruiting sufficient mentors is a problem because organizers lack an understanding of the factors that motivate men to volunteer. If this problem can be alleviated, then faith-based organizations will be better able to recruit volunteers to serve students. Guided by the functionalist theory, the purpose of this study was to determine what demographic characteristics and motivating factors discriminated between volunteers and non-volunteers. A causal comparative design was employed and the …