Digital Commons Network^™

Cancer Treatment Decision Making In Aging Minorities, Patrice Kemp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cancer incidence is high for aging minority and underserved populations, yet research is limited about patient-provider communications with aging racial and ethnic minority populations. Achieving high-quality cancer care is crucial to reducing health disparities for this population. However, potential shortages in professional health personnel, the cost to treat cancer, a strained health care system, and large aging populations contribute to the problem. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the personal experiences of aging minorities during cancer treatment decision making when communicating with their cancer care providers. Purposive sampling methods were used to recruit 10 minority women and …

Accelerated Online And Hybrid Rn-To-Bsn Programs: A Predictive Retention Algorithm, Melissa Knight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Predicting retention and time to graduation within accelerated online and a hybrid RN-to-BSN programs are significant elements in leveraging the pipeline of qualified RNs with BSN degrees, but the literature lacks significant accounts of retention and time to graduation outcomes within these programs and predictive algorithm developments to offset high attrition rates. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the relationships between pre-entry attributes, academic integration, and institutional characteristics on retention and time to graduation within accelerated online RN-to-BSN programs in order to begin developing a global predictive retention algorithm. This study was guided by Tinto's theories of …

Racial Identity, Skin Tone, And Intragroup Racism Among African American Males, Carlton Deshawn Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Skin tone of an African American is a key primer for prejudicial attitudes among Whites,

with darker skin tones eliciting more negative reactions. No previous studies have

examined this phenomenon with African Americans as the evaluators. Social identity and

social categorization theories, and Cross' theory of nigrescence, provided theoretical

frameworks for this study. It was proposed that male African American observers'

evaluations of another African American male may depend not only on the skin tone of

the target (job candidate) and the quality of his credentials, but also on the observer's

own skin tone and stage of racial identity. …

Cultural Distance, Acculturative Stress, Social Support, And Psychological Adaptation Of International Students, Ariel Mitchell Ladum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

International students experience stress and adaptation difficulties as they study in a new culture. This study examined how cultural distance, acculturative stress, and social support interacted to influence positive and negative emotional responses among international students in the northern part of Cyprus. Acculturation models and the stress-buffering hypothesis served as theoretical frameworks. The 2 research questions involved understanding whether international students experienced more negative emotional responses compared to students from the home culture and whether social support moderated acculturative stress and reactions to being in the northern part of Cyprus. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine differences …

Social Support, Health Status, And Personality Factors In Coping Styles Of Gay Men, Mary Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Personality factors and coping styles may affect how individuals will respond to the lack of social support. The purpose of this descriptive design was to examine the relationship between social support and health risk implications in gay men, which is a population that is under-represented in the research literature in regard to this topic. The theoretical framework guiding this study was the social stress model, which posits that stress and support are related to mental health outcomes. A sample of 76 gay men were recruited from Craigslist ad to participate in this study. They completed self -report questionnaires anonymously online, …

A Phenomenological Examination Of Resilience In Adult Children Of Alcoholics, Marcy Martens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have identified adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) as being susceptible to substance abuse, intimate partner violence, mental health instability, and a myriad of psychosocial inadequacies. Growing up within an adverse childhood environment has also imprinted an unwanted stigma among ACOAs. Although there are many studies on the ACOA population, there is a significant gap in the literature between ACOAs exhibiting resilience and those who succumb to the negative characteristics of growing up within an adverse environment. The purpose of this hermeneutic, phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of adult children of alcoholics who have succeeded despite their …

Smoking And Surgical Site Infection In Orthopedic Patients' Lower Extremity Arthroplasty, Alicia Y. Mingo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cigarette smoking has been a public health concern for many years, and the possible impact of smoking on surgical site infection (SSI) has been studied broadly. However, a gap in understanding has persisted concerning whether there is an association between smoking tobacco and the development of SSI among patients who undergo lower extremity surgery, specifically total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to examine the association between smoking and lower extremity SSI. Andersen's behavioral model (BM) was used to understand the risk factors relevant to the interaction between smoking and SSI. Application of the BM categories of …

Positive Experiences Among Dui Offenders In Court-Mandated Substance Abuse Treatment, Katarzyna Blanka Pilewicz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and other drugs puts communities' and individuals' safety at tremendous risk. The excessive use of alcohol, illicit drugs, and/or some prescribed medications causes cognitive impairment and the physical incapability of operating a vehicle. The court system penalizes drunken driving behaviors by placing DUI offenders in a variety of mandated interventions to minimize the risk of reoffense. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore DUI offenders' positive experiences and perceptions derived from DUI programs and how they impacted well-being and commitment to positive change using Seligman's well-being theory as a conceptual framework. …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Adoption Of New Pedagogies In Kazakhstan, Phillipa Schulleri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kazakhstan has used the Soviet system of education since its independence in 1990. Researchers have noted shortfalls in education reform efforts and documented factors of teachers' resistance to new pedagogies. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore local teachers' perceptions of the new pedagogies in the context of understanding the local-international teacher program in Agrenov international schools (AIS). Three research questions focused on teachers' perceptions of factors for adoption of new pedagogies in an educationally transforming school using the motivational and systems approaches and emotional intelligence conceptual frameworks. A conceptual framework constructed from three theories of motivation, …

Unmet Support Needs Of Informal Caregivers Of Older Adults, Julie Ann Smith Hinders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to projected growth of the 65-and-older population and concerns of an impending care gap, reliance on informal caregivers is expected to increase. Improving support for informal caregivers is viewed as a national priority, yet research related to the unmet support needs of informal caregivers is limited. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to examine predictive relationships between contextual factors (caregiving relationship and type of illness) and environmental factors (rurality) and the unmet support needs (classes, service access, support groups, counseling, and respite) of informal caregivers of older adults. The theoretical framework was Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Archival …

Interprofessional Intentional Empathy Centered Care (Ip-Iecc) In Healthcare Practice, Deepy Sur

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Training interprofessional healthcare teams continues to advance practice for patient-centered care. Empathy research is also advancing and has been explored in social work, psychology, and other healthcare areas. In the absence of understanding empathy in an interprofessional setting, educators are limited in preparing teams to develop empathy as part of core competencies This grounded theory study explored for a theory of how interprofessional healthcare teams conceptualize and operationalize empathy in their practice. Azjen's theory of planned behavior and Barrett-Lennard's cyclical model of empathy framed the study. Data were collected using 6 focus groups and 24 semistructured interviews of varied healthcare …

The Influence Of Spiritual And Emotional Intelligence On Romantic Relationships Of African Americans, Wanda Raquel Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of religion-based spirituality was examined as a factor in strengthening and increasing emotional intelligence and regulation, facilitating relationship choices and maintenance, and as a key factor in the decision-making process of dating and partner selection among African Americans. The theoretical framework for this study included Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, on which both theories of spiritual and emotional intelligence stand, and Bowlby's theory of attachment. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to analyze relationships between spiritual and emotional intelligences and attachment styles among African American adults. In a criterion-based purposeful sample of 98 African American participants aged 27 …

The Cost Of Treating Human Papillomavirus-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer, Karla Smalley Houston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection contributing to 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States. The incidence of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers is greater in Kentucky's population than in any other state. Research has demonstrated the cost of treating oropharyngeal cancer on a national level, but little information exists as to state-specific costs. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine radiation therapy costs for treating HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer in Kentucky in relation to age, gender, race, and insurance. A theory by Aday and Andersen was applied to explain the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. …

Clinical Nursing Faculty Competency, Christine Lee Kalt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing faculty are responsible for graduating competent students and being competent themselves; however, the required competencies of clinical nursing faculty who instruct students in the clinical area are unidentified. The practice problem addressed in this project was the lack of a structured, organized process for identifying initial and ongoing competencies of a clinical nursing facility. The purpose of this project was to explore nursing faculty clinical competency and provide a multimethod, multispecialty approach for implementing clinical nursing faculty competency. The target population was clinical nursing faculty (n= 30) in an academic setting. This project explored the impact of a multimethod, …

Female Correctional Workers:Perceptions Of Sexual Abuse Training, Tanya L. Bracey-Rowlett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Offenders return to the community after having been sexually abused by those who have been entrusted with the responsibility to protect them. The phenomenon of staff-on-inmate sexual abuse has become problematic within the criminal justice system. Research on the topic of sexual abuse in penal institutions reveals a lack of information pertaining to staff-on-inmate sexual abuse, and how correctional workers are trained in that area. Female correctional staff have been implicated in more incidences of staff-on-inmate sexual abuse than their male counterparts. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore sexual abuse training received by female correctional staff who …

Bereavement In Online Graduate Students: Perspectives On Academic Success And Interventions, Edythe Marie Bouldin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative study was to fill an existing gap in research on bereavement and graduate students. The study explored how bereavement and grief affect a person physically, mentally, and cognitively. Prior studies have addressed bereavement in undergraduate college students, but little research has focused on online graduate students and bereavement. This study fills that gap in the literature allowing university personnel and the public access to an understanding as to how online graduate students' bereavement affects their academic performance and how they perceive their university supports them during their time of bereavement. This exploration used a case …

Promoting Infant Safe Sleep Through Staff Education, Maryann Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) is a sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age that cannot be explained after an investigation or an autopsy. SUID is the leading cause of infant deaths in the United States; SUID is considered a sentinel event to the birth hospital. Birth hospitals are held accountable for education, training, and role modeling of infant safe sleep practices (SSP) to reduce infant sleep-related deaths up to 1 year of age. This educational project was designed to answer the project-focused question of whether the implementation of an evidence-based, safe sleep training program for nurses …

Controlling Hypertension Among Young Black Men In America: A Prescription Medication Alternative, Winston Charles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the evident improvements in the awareness of hypertension among the adult population in the United States, disparities remain in the burden of the disease, its treatment efficacy, and its control when data are compared along age, gender, and race. The purpose of this study was to determine the strength of the relationship between blood pressure control and prescription medication and lifestyle modification (smoking cessation, changes in eating habits, and weight loss). The target population were adult young Black men, and the control variables were age, low socioeconomic status (SES), and disparities in health care. A convenience sample of Black …

Determinants Of Cervical Cancer Screening In Hiv-Positive Young Women In Swaziland, Marianne Calnan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Swaziland, cases of cervical cancer among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-positive adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are increasing, but there is low uptake of cervical cancer screening. This study was conducted using the systems thinking theory to explore the relationships between the uptake of cervical cancer screening among HIV-positive AGYW in Swaziland and the availability of trained health providers, cervical screening services, and the provision of referrals for cervical screening. The study also investigated any differences in uptake of cervical screening based on age group. For this quantitative cross-sectional study, secondary HIV program data that were collected routinely between …

Strategies Healthcare Managers Use To Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infections, Yohannes Debesai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, 2 million patients in the United States suffer with at least 1 hospital-acquired infection resulting in an estimated 99,000 deaths annually. The purpose of this exploratory single case study was to explore strategies healthcare managers in U.S. hospitals used to reduce hospital-acquired infections. The study included face-to-face, semistructured interviews with 5 healthcare managers from a hospital in Maryland who were successful in reducing these infections. The conceptual framework was human capital theory. Field notes, hospital documents, and transcribed interviews were analyzed to identify themes regarding strategies used by healthcare managers. The data analysis and coding process resulted in …

The Relationship Between Workspace And Office Placement And Workforce Productivity And Wellbeing, Mladen Cvijanovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quality of the physical workspace environment has been widely debated in research and corporate communities. Inadequate workspace conditions have been associated with elevated levels of work-related stress, productivity, and job satisfaction. However, scholarly literature offers very little on the relationship between workspace and office placement, and workforce productivity and wellbeing. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to examine the impact of customized workspace and strategic office placement on work related stress, productivity, and job satisfaction. Optimal distinctiveness theory and cognitive-motivational-relational theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. Nine research questions in this study were designed to …

Success Factors For Minority Small Business Sustainability, Tawny Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Minority small business owners significantly contribute to national and local economies. Only 50% of small firm owners sustain their businesses longer than 5 years. The purpose of the multiple case study was to explore the management strategies that minority small business owners used to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. The study's population consisted of 4 minority small business owners in the midwestern region of the United States to explore management strategies necessary for maintaining minority small firm operations. The conceptual framework for the study was general system theory. Data sources included semistructured interviews, social media information, company …

Effects Of High-Fidelity Simulation On The Critical Thinking Skills Of Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Janine Roth Blakeslee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the decline in successful passing rates for the National Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in a nursing program at a private university in the Midwestern United States. There is support from the literature for a connection between critical thinking skills of nursing students and successful passing of the NCLEX-RN. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether significant differences existed in mean critical thinking skill scores across time within groups (pretest to posttest) and between groups (simulation versus written case studies), as measured by the Health Science Reasoning Test. Cognitive learning theory as …

A Systematic Review Of The Effectiveness Of The Nln Jeffries Simulation Framework, Angela Feeler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Simulation theoretical frameworks serve as guidelines for the development, planning, implementation, and evaluation phases during nursing simulation activities. Simulation frameworks provide a substantive foundation for research, education, and practices that contribute to the science of nursing education. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to evaluate and synthesize evidence-based research that can be used to recommend the National League for Nursing (NLN) simulation education framework for simulation activities. The Academic Center for Evidence-Based Practice star model of knowledge transformation and descriptive theory were used as frameworks to guide this systematic literature review. The practice question for this systematic literature …

Incorporation Of The Caring Moment In Scripting, Anita E. Barker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A large healthcare system in Texas mandated scripting as way to improve patient satisfaction. The purpose of this project was to incorporate a caring moment into scripting by the nursing staff to improve patient satisfaction. The project was guided by Watson's caring theory, the adult learning theory, and Lewin's planned change theory. All 35 nurses from the primary care and specialty care outpatient clinics of the Texas healthcare system participated in a staff development training to learn how to incorporate a caring moment into their script. Of these 35 nurses, 13 (37%) chose to complete the pre-education and postproject surveys. …

Staff Education Project Using The Stop Elderly Accidents Deaths And Injuries (Steadi) Toolkit, Carla Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls are a major public health concern and contribute significantly to mortality and morbidity in the older adult population. Each year, approximately 3 million older adults are treated in emergency departments for fall-related injuries and at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures. The purpose of this project was to improve the participants' knowledge and highlight interventions to reduce the incidence of falls and injuries as a result of falls. The project was developed using the Stop Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) toolkit, the Iowa model of evidence-based practice to promote quality of care, and the Lewin's change …

Electronic Health Record Implementation Strategies For Decreasing Healthcare Costs, Christopher A. Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some managers of primary care provider (PCP) facilities lack the strategies to implement electronic health records (EHRs), which could decrease healthcare costs and enhance the efficiency and quality of healthcare that patients receive. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore the strategies PCP managers used to implement EHRs to decrease healthcare costs. The population consisted of 5 primary care managers with responsibility for the administration, oversight, and direct working knowledge of EHRs in Central Florida. The conceptual framework was the technology acceptance model. Data were collected from semistructured face-to-face interviews and the review of company documents, including training …

Impact Of Stress Inoculating Training On Police In Aftermath Of Critical Incidents, Russell Ford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical incidents (CI) have increased over the last several decades, with police officers experiencing more trauma and a rise in psychological problems. Stress inoculation training (SIT) could possibly lower symptoms of posttraumatic stress experienced by the police officers who have responded to CIs. To date, little research exists specific to using SIT to lower symptomatic effects of CIs in police officers. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to examine and compare symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety for police officers who have or have not received SIT prior to a CI. The theoretical foundation was …

Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices Recommendations, Socioeconomics, Demographics, And Influenza Vaccine Uptake, Jennifer Gadarowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Seasonal influenza outbreaks are associated with morbidity and mortality in the United States. Though children are the most susceptible to influenza infection and are most likely to transmit the illness to others, many children are not vaccinated. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between seasonal influenza vaccination Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations, demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and vaccine type among children over 3 consecutive flu seasons. This quantitative cross-sectional study was guided by the social ecology of health model. Secondary data from 3 consecutive flu seasons (2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017) provided by the National …

An Aging Workforce And The Technology Gap: An Exploratory Multiple Case Study, Julie Sulene Francis-Pettway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap exists in the literature on the actual experiences of older workers with information and communication technology adoption in technology-infused workplaces. To inform organizations on how to more effectively support this employee group's adoption of technology, the purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was designed to gain a deeper understanding of the daily experiences of older workers when adopting and adapting to information and communication technologies in a technology-infused workplace. This study is framed by, first, the selection-optimization-compensation framework for successful aging and, second, the age-inclusive training design framework. Semistructured interviews with 8 participants, observational field notes, …