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A Phenomenological Exploration Of Mindfulness Meditation And The Creative Experience, Sheryl Christian Morrissey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Creating is the highest level of intellectual functioning in the cognitive domain. As standardized testing has increased, U.S. K-12 education has shown a decline in creativity for students. Mindfulness meditation (MM) increases creativity and could serve as a solution to this dilemma. This study's purpose was to enrich findings regarding MM's role in enhanced creativity by conducting an exploration regarding lived experiences of creating for individuals who practice MM. A gap in the literature exploring the topics of MM and creativity together using qualitative methods was identified; therefore, research understanding lived experiences of creating within the experiential context of MM …

Sustainability Strategies Of Barber Salons, Kouassi Gilles Mevo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many barber salons and other small businesses in the United States fail to succeed beyond the first 5 years. The factors responsible for the low survival rate of salons may include the limited training and education levels mandated by state certification requirements. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify business strategies successful barber salon owners use to overcome the business management and staffing challenges associated with a small pool of skilled barbers and the high turnover in a low wage profession. The theory of transformational leadership served as the conceptual framework. The data collection included interviews of …

Guideline Development For An Adjunct Faculty Orientation In Prelicensure Nursing Programs, Pamela Ann Nehring

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A research study conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing noted adjunct faculty educators have significant learning requirements and that nursing education throughout the United States has not met the basic needs of novice adjunct faculty educators. Adjunct faculty at a local community college noted a deficit in the orientation process for new clinical faculty. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to develop a guideline for new clinical faculty orientation. The sources of evidence were a literature review and a survey using the Delphi process with an expert panel comprising a group of 7 interested …

Weight Management Toolkit For Patients On Methadone, Bolaji Olugboja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Methadone is a mu-opioid agonist used in the treatment of patients with an opioid use disorder in an outpatient addiction treatment clinic. A recognized knowledge gap exists among nurses managing overweight and obese patients in an outpatient methadone treatment center in the northeastern United States. The goal of this project was to develop a weight management toolkit to assist nurses in the identification, evaluation, and management of overweight and obese patients receiving methadone treatment at the center. The evidence-based weight management toolkit incorporated practice guidelines from the American Heart Association, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, America College of Cardiology, and …

Impact Of A Formal Mentorship Program On Frontline Nurse Managers, Tonya Ranee Roth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are numerous factors that influence a nurse manager's job satisfaction and intention to remain in a job. The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether a formal mentorship program for nurse managers impacted job satisfaction and intention to remain in a job. A pilot program was developed and 15 nurse managers from 2 hospitals in the Pacific Northwest participated in a 6-month mentorship program. The program was guided by mentorship enactment theory and Kouzes and Posner's exemplary leadership framework. Using the Leadership Profile Inventory (LPI) and the Nurse Manager Practice Environment Scale (NMPES), job satisfaction, intention to stay …

Care Intervention And Reduction Of Emergency Department Utilization In Medicaid Populations, Eno J. Rouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Expansion of Medicaid and private health insurance coverage through passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 was expected to increase primary care access and reduce emergency department (ED) use by reducing financial burden and improving affordability of care. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in utilization patterns that exist among the Medicaid population that participated in an optimal level of care (OLC) intervention inclusive of appointments scheduled to primary care providers. Using the integrated behavior model as a theoretical framework, the key research question focused on determining if there was a difference in ED use …

Late Adolescent Mothers' Homelessness And Pregnancy Experiences While Living In Transitional Housing, Beverly Vendryes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The numbers of homeless adolescent mothers have been increasing over the past decade. Previous studies have focused on homeless individuals, but no studies examined late adolescent mothers' homelessness and pregnancy experiences while living in transitional housing. Using a phenomenological methodology, this study explored the lived experiences of 7 adolescent mothers, 18 to 24 years old, who were homeless, pregnant, and living in transitional housing. The social construction of reality theory provided the framework and interpretive lens for this study. Social networking and snowball sampling were used for participant recruitment. Through in-depth interviews, data coding and analyses were conducted to identify …

Hypertension Experience Of Foreign-Born West African Immigrant Women In The United States, Assumpta Onyinye Ude

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Foreign-born African immigrants (FBAI) have a high rate of severe hypertension (HTN) and psychosocial-cultural factors have underlying roles in this, as in other chronic diseases. Literature lacks studies on FBAI women living with HTN. This study explored the HTN experience of FBAI women in the Washington Metropolitan area. This qualitative phenomenological study, was guided by a theoretical framework that included the Health Belief Model, Patient Centered Access to Health Care and the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. Highly educated health care professional of 15 women participated in in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Key findings included …

The Relationship Between Parents' And Caregivers' Demographics And Their Knowledge About Congenital Heart Disease, Adeola Barakat Animasahun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of knowledge regarding congenital heart disease (CHD) among the Lagos populace is leading to late presentation, late diagnosis and poor outcomes. The purpose of the research was to document the level of knowledge of parents and caregivers regarding CHD using the Leuven questionnaire for assessing knowledge of parents on CHD (LKQCHD). A quantitative correlational cross-sectional study, with purposeful convenience sampling strategy, was used. Health belief model was the theoretical framework used. Primary data of demographic information such as gender, age, the level of education, and the number of years of accessing care were obtained using a survey. The …

Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring Reimbursement Post International Classification Of Diseases-10, Cindy A. Akkerman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

International Classification of Diseases the 10th Revision (ICD-10) was implemented October 1, 2015, and there was little knowledge how the transition to ICD-10 would impact the revenue cycle for intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring medical practices in Oklahoma. This correlational quantitative study examined the changes in dependent variables of reimbursements due to the change from ICD-9 to ICD-10 for independent variables of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring procedure codes. The reimbursements from 2014 were compared to reimbursements from 2016. Prices were adjusted for inflation to 2016 dollar values. Annual reimbursements decreased for all intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring procedures examined except the remote monitoring code. The …

Multicultural Competency In Online Counseling Courses: Before And After A Multicultural Counseling Course, Sheryl Attilee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The importance of multicultural counseling training received much attention for decades, however, studies on effective training focused on multicultural counseling training in a face-to-face environment with minimal focus on online training environments. These studies found that face-to-face interactions had the most impact on multicultural training. Therefore, the current study was an evaluation of online master's counseling students' and graduates' multicultural attitudes to determine the effectiveness of online multicultural training using Banks' transformative approach. The research questions focused on the significant difference in participants' recalled multicultural attitude scores (know, care, and act) before an online multicultural counseling course as compared to …

Political Control And Accountability In Ethiopian Rulemaking, Esayas Kassa Araya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrative rules have played a central role in Ethiopian public administration since 1994 when the current constitution was adopted. However, if the formulation and implementation of the rules are not politically controlled, and proper accountability is not applied, these same rules could become threats instead of assurances of the rule of law and order. This case study explored what strategic controls and accountability measures are in place to regulate the rulemaking process. To inform the study, the political control of bureaucracy framework in general and the principal-agency model, in particular, were used. The central research question focused on strategies that …

Stress Preparedness For Law Enforcement Officers Via Academic Training, Matthew Ridgeway Burke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most law enforcement officers experience a traumatic event within the first 3 years of duty but may not receive proper mental health training in the police academy to prepare them for a career in law enforcement, and little is understood about police academy training regarding mental health. Using secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the perspective of law officers on the usefulness of academy training to prevent or manage mental health issues that may arise from law enforcement duty. Data were collected from 35 law enforcement officers in a …

African American Women's Understanding Of How Family Values Contribute To Social Aggression, Elsa Bernice Butts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that social aggression has increased among African American females. Researchers have reported that the family value systems of many African American families endorse aggressive behaviors. Beliefs of fighting verbally and physically for self-worth and equality have been embedded in the socialization process for some African American females. It is important to explore the influence of family values on socially aggressive behaviors among this population. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American females in early adulthood and to understand how their socially aggressive behaviors are influenced by their family values. …

Evaluating The Frequencies Of Self-Reported Mental Health Conditions In Affluent Youth, Philip Bondurant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American youth are facing a mental health crisis. Rates of depression and suicide continue to rise among all children ages 12-17. While there is considerable research on the mental health of underserved children, much less is known about the mental health status of youth from affluent communities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of community health assessment (CHA)-driven mental health interventions on the youth of affluent communities. Using a pre and post evaluation model, this study compared the frequencies of self-reported depression and suicide ideation for students in Grades 8, 10, and 12, and geographic location …

Relationship Between Skilled Nursing Facility Nurse Staffing Levels And Resident Rehospitalizations, Crystal Spring Bowens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Readmission of skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents has become a financial and quality-of-care concern for facility leaders. SNF administrators do not know whether nurse staffing levels are impacting readmission rates. The Affordable Care Act included measures to monitor and improve quality and to penalize SNFs that have high readmission rates. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between SNF nurse staffing levels and readmission rates using the Skilled Nursing Facility Readmission Measure (SNF RM). The theoretical framework for the study was Donabedian's structure, process, outcome model. The research questions addressed the relationship between nurse staffing …

Strategies For Managing Employee Self-Expression In The Workplace, Heather A. Cavise

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that 50% to 70% of higher education employees in the United States are disengaged in the workplace. Some higher education institutions are negatively affected by imposing strict guidelines restricting employees' freedom of self-expression in the workplace. Using Herzberg's 2-factor theory of motivation as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by higher education institution leaders to manage workplace self-expression without negatively affecting motivation and work productivity. The population was 9 leaders from 3 higher education institutions in central and northern New Jersey. Data collection was conducted through semistructured interviews and …

An Exploration Of Mental Health Practitioners' Perceptions Of Ethical Requirements And Self-Care As Means To Maintain Professional Competence, Ebony Denise Coleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A mental health practitioner must refrain from partaking in any mental health work if personal problems interfere with his or her ability to provide services in a competent manner. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how mental health practitioners manage personal problems to stay ethically compliant. Previous research has indicated that a significant amount of literature has revealed the causes and damaging effects of burnout among mental health workers. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature that links burnout directly with competently providing quality care. Ethical compliance, self-care, and mental health practitioners' perceptions were …

A Phenomenological Examination Of Heterosexual Men Who Experience Psychological Abuse, Raymond Carson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although sexual and physical abuse have clear definitions, psychological abuse is difficult to define and conceptualize. Though men can and have experienced psychological abuse, there is limited research on heterosexual men's experiences with psychological abuse and much of the research on abuse has been on women. Therefore, this qualitative phenomenological study, grounded on control theory, the social choice framework, and narrative theory, was conducted to investigate how heterosexual men describe their experiences with psychological abuse. A phenomenological qualitative approached with purposeful sampling was used to draw a sample of heterosexual male participants (N = 6), ages 30 to 42 were …

Awareness, Stress, And Income As Contributors In Medicare Part B Late Enrollment, Bishnu Hari Dhaurali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medicare Part B is one of the federal health insurance programs available to senior citizens in the United States. Unlike Medicare Part A, Part B enrollment is not automatic, and those missing their initial enrollment period are assessed a 10% or more penalty in addition to their monthly premium rate for the rest of their lives. This problematic enrollment policy has impacted senior citizens who have missed Part B enrollment windows, creating for them an added financial burden when many are transitioning to fixed incomes. Guided by social construction theory and using a nonprobability, convenience sampling approach, the likelihood coefficient …

Work Engagement, Job Satisfaction, And Nurse Turnover Intention, Yolanda Marie Edwards-Dandridge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, the high turnover rate of registered nurses and indications of a future shortage of registered nurses is detrimental to healthcare organizations. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine whether, in hospitals, work engagement and job satisfaction predicted registered nurse turnover intention. The theoretical framework was Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action. Probability sampling was used to identify 155 participants, all full-time registered nurses with 2 or more years of employment in New York hospitals. Data, obtained from surveys, were analyzed via multiple linear regression. The results revealed that only job satisfaction predicted turnover …

African Americans' Perceptions Of The Impact Of The War On Drugs, Tammy Drayton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The War on Drugs has been a contested issue in the United States for decades. Many believe that African Americans are targeted by the government and become victims of the penal system as a result of anti-drug policies. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore the impact of the war on drugs on African American men, women, and young adults from their perspectives. Racial threat theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected through interviews with and observations of 30 African American participants who had experiences directly and indirectly with the War on Drugs. Participant were …

Strategies To Diversify Funding Sources In Nonprofit Organizations, Alan Lee Gunnerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although nonprofit organization (NPO) leaders play crucial roles in society, financial distress and vulnerability are common for many NPO leaders, with some NPOs closing as a result of these conditions. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore the diversification strategies used by 10 leaders and senior staff of an NPO in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States through the conceptual lens of Markowitz's modern portfolio theory. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews and analysis of organizational documents, internal archival data, social media, literature, and online databases. Through thematic analysis, 7 revenue diversification themes emerged: adding revenue …

Individuals Who Sell Drugs Placed In Treatment: The Perspective Of Their Counselors, Natasha Herbert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who sell drugs are often mandated by legal forces to substance abuse treatment because of their criminal offenses and the belief they may have a drug problem. Previous researchers have noted this population may be disruptive in the treatment process, but it has not been explored in depth. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn the lived experiences of counselors who work with individuals who report a primary problem of selling drugs, not substance abuse, who are mandated to a substance abuse treatment program. Thirteen semi structured interviews were conducted with counselors who have worked with individuals …

Barriers To Timely Activation Of Rapid Response Teams, Lajuanah Jean Herdrich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Timely activation of the rapid response team (RRT) depends on the nurse's willingness

and ability to make a rapid decision. The practice-focused questions for this DNP project

sought to identify barriers that contribute to delays in activating the RRT when needed in

medical-surgical patients. The self-efficacy theory was the guiding theory and was used

to examine self-confidence and performance along with Donabedian's health care model.

Qualitative data were obtained through focus groups and identified 2 prominent thematic

barriers among nurses with less than 3 years' experience: a lack of self-confidence and

the of lack of knowledge and experience. Results of …

Self-Efficacy, Decision Latitude, And Work Ethic Among Educated Women, Elisa Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although women are more likely to seek advanced degrees, there are substantial gaps between men and women in terms of employment rates, wages, and positions of power. This cross-sectional study aligned with the social cognitive career theory and investigated how specific demographic variables (age and education level) interacted and influenced work-related characteristics (decision latitude, self-efficacy, and work ethic) to address issues women experience in the workplace. Females who identified as working a minimum of 15 hours per week and over the age of 18 were contacted via social media or in person. A snowball effect occurred when participants invited peers …

Influence Of Organizational Culture And Leadership Styles On Nonprofit Staff Members' Commitment, Simone Hinds

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational culture and leadership styles of a leader are important to staff members' commitment in a nonprofit organization, yet little is understood about the role of leadership style and the degree to which staff are committed to organizational effectiveness in nonprofit organizations. Using Avolio and Bass' conceptualization of transformational leadership as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the organizational culture, leadership styles, and nonprofit staff members' commitment in 1 large organization in the United States. Survey data were collected (N = 100) through an instrument that combined Cameron and Quinn's Organizational Cultural Assessment and …

Strategies To Reduce Risks Associated With Corporate Social Responsibility Lending, Victor Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bank managers have transacted six trillion dollars of new loans in low and moderate income (LMI) communities because of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) mandate. CRA originated mortgages accounted for over 42% of the defaulted loans because of limited risk strategies. Based on the Aguilera conceptual framework, the purpose of this exploratory single case study was to explore the strategies CSR bank managers used to reduce the risks associated with lending in LMI communities. Data were collected and analyzed from semistructured interviews of five bank managers working in one financial organization located within the U.S. Northeast. Data also included the …

Cultural Integration In Newly Formed Public-Private Partnership Organizations, Scotty O. Izevbigie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) formed public-private partnerships (PPPs) with local and international private companies during the construction of the Port of Miami Tunnel (POMT) project. These PPPs had employees from different cultural backgrounds who brought new cultures, ideas, innovation, and experiences to their PPPs. The limited PPP literature did indicate that different cultures should be properly integrated to avoid challenges and conflicts in the new organization. If not properly managed and integrated, cultural conflict can create communication problems, increased employee dissatisfaction, higher turnover, and poor employee performance. Using Risberg's communication theoretical foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study …

Surgical Perioperative Leadership: The Association Between Leadership Style And Team Job Satisfaction, Corey Louise Jamison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

The perioperative operating room (OR) is a highly complex, fast-paced environment where countless transactions must be executed with efficiency, speed, and accuracy, and where mistakes of any kind could lead to adverse patient outcome, injury, or death. The surgeon, as leader of the procedure and the OR team, sets the overall climate of the OR and determines how willing (or unwilling) team members are to speak up about potential errors or unsafe patient conditions. This exploration of the relationship between perioperative surgeon leadership style and OR team member job satisfaction fills a gap unaddressed in the literature using items …