Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Care Practices Among Geriatric Social Workers, Melissa Lozito

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within the social work profession, there is a lack of understanding about self-care practices of social workers working with older adults. This lack of knowledge is a concern for the profession because as the older adult population continues to grow, so will the need for social workers to address their needs. Using action research, a focus group of 7 female social workers working with older adults in the Pacific Northwest discussed the research questions related to their use of self-care practices and identifying strategies to increase the use of self-care. Self-compassion theory enhanced understanding the relationship between social workers' experiences …

Staff Education For Registered Nurses Using The Teach-Back Method, Mary Elizabeth Sizer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This purpose of this quality improvement project was to develop an educational training curriculum designed for staff nurses to use the teach-back method with patients with low health literacy during discharge instructions. Health literacy is associated with the ability to read, comprehend, and make appropriate healthcare decisions; the teach-back method asks patients to restate or explain health information in their own words, aiding retention and literacy. Effective staff education plays a critical role in the education of patients during discharge teaching: Nurses must help to ensure that patients and their families understand healthcare information and apply this information in their …

Mediating Effect Of Academic Self-Efficacy Between Teachers' Attitudes And Achievement Of Low-Income High School Students, Nickole Marie Cottrill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that low-income students have greatly suffered academically, yet there have been no advancements causing the academic achievement gap to close for any length of time. Using Bandura's social cognitive, self-efficacy, and academic self-efficacy theories as the foundation, this study explored the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between perceived teacher attitudes and perceived academic achievement in low-income high school students. Data were collected from 145 low-income high school students via an online survey geared towards their parents to ensure full parental consent. The survey included demographic questions, a perceived academic achievement question, the Classroom Teacher-Student …

Funding Strategies For Small- To Mid-Sized Enterprises, Dr. Emmanuel Ekop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small firms struggle to survive competition with limited resources, and about 50% of start-up organizations fail after 5 years. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies some beauty salon owners in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States use to access financial resources to support growth for longer than 5 years. The conceptual framework for the study was the resource-based view theory of the firm. Data were collected from 6 beauty salon owners who had succeeded for longer than 5 years. Semistructured face-to-face interviews and review of archival and transcript data yielded data saturation …

Effect Of Administrative Practices On Law Enforcement Officers' Emotional Intelligence Performance, Iberkis Faltas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2001 and 2017, the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) received 295,616 allegations of police misconduct involving New York Police Department (NYPD) officers' use of force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, and offensive language (FADO). The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of administrative disciplinary actions on officers' emotional intelligence and performance in relation to citizen complaints of police misconduct. The central research question addressed how administrative practices influence law enforcement officers' behavior in relation to emotional intelligence-based performance. The theoretical construct for this study is based on the emotional intelligence theories of Bar-On, Goleman, and Mayer, DiPaolo …

Increasing Organ Donations In Maryland: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis, Laura A. Gerlach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The state of Maryland has been unsuccessful in achieving its goal of registering all of its population as organ donors. The purpose of this correlational study was to understand if allowing registered donors to remain anonymous would increase donor registration rates.

The theoretical foundation of this study was the theory of planned behavior. Data were collected from the Motor Vehicle Administration of Maryland and the Division of Motor Vehicle of Virginia. The data were analyzed using regression displacement, interrupted time series analysis, auto correlation analysis, and Arima Box Jenkins methodology. According to the study findings, offering the option to remain …

Examination Of All Cause 30 Day Hospital Readmissions, Marianne Goodrow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Each year in the United States, thousands of people are readmitted within 30 days of being discharged from a hospital. Current research indicates that at least one-third of these rehospitalizations are preventable. The purpose of this project was to examine patient and environmental characteristics of those who were readmitted within 30 days of discharge for commonalities that may explain the gap in practice for a specific health care organization. The project was undertaken in response to the organization's need to improve a 50th-percentile ranking with the goal of reaching the top 10th percentile. A plan-do study-act framework was used as …

Strategies Small Business Salon Owners Use To Survive Longer Than 5 Years, Delita Netrice Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners are the primary initiators of innovation and economic growth but fail at high rates. Fifty percent of small businesses fail within the first 5 years of operations. Through the lens of systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies some small salon business owners use to remain in business for longer than 5 years. Using purposeful sampling, the 7 owners of small salon business owners in the southeastern United States were selected based upon evidence of their strategies to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. Data were collected through …

The Impact Of Role Strain On Nontraditional Community College Students, Ruthie Igwe Mcgraw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nontraditional students have become the majority on community college campuses; however, a national report showed that 46.2% of nontraditional students were no longer enrolled after two years. Nontraditional students have competing life roles that affect their attrition rates as well as their academic performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand the relationship between the number of roles and the academic achievement and persistence of nontraditional community college students. The roles identified were student enrollment status (full-time or part-time), spousal roles, parental roles, and employment status (full-time or part-time). Goode's theory of role strain was used as the …

Graduate Nurse's Perspective Of Simulation To Address The Theory-Practice Gap In Nursing, Joset Elaine Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Graduate nurses are being employed to provide care in high acuity care areas, and this becomes a problem of significance as the literature suggests that graduate nurse's experience a deficit in integrating theoretical concepts in the clinical environment, described as the theory-practice gap; which can result in a risk to patient safety and the potential for negative outcomes. Cognitive constructivism was the conceptual framework that guided this study. A qualitative phenomenological design was used to explore the lived experiences of 13 graduate nurses employed at a community hospital in northern New Jersey. After recruiting the participants through purposive sampling, semi-structured …

Challenges In Discharge Planning With Adolescents Receiving Recurring Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment, Chastity Richey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health is a growing concern for adolescents. Billions of dollars are spent annually on mental services for youth. Many adolescents experience abuse, suicidal ideations, psychotic disorders, substance abuse, and other challenges. Recurring inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations are increasing among adolescents. The recurring admissions impact adolescents significantly socially, psychologically, and financially. Social workers are a vital part of this treatment process from admission to discharge. The research question asked what were the issues and challenges social workers encounter when conducting discharge planning with adolescents receiving recurring inpatient psychiatric treatment. The purpose for this doctoral project was to carefully examine the discharge …

Successful Strategies For Financial Sustainability In Nursing Homes, Renee Walthour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

From 2014 to 2015, deficiency fines cost Pennsylvania nursing homes more than $2.5 million. Costs associated with adhering to increased health care regulations can reduce profit and affect the financial sustainability of the nursing home industry. Some nursing home administrators (NHAs) lack successful strategies to improve state and federal regulation compliance and promote financial sustainability. Drucker's management by objectives theory was the conceptual framework for this study. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore successful strategies NHAs use to improve state and federal regulation compliance to mitigate deficiencies and derivative fines to promote financial sustainability of …

Exploring Management Practices Of The Health Care System For Contractors, Gary L. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that military members serving in war experienced changes in physical and mental health. Military members' healthcare is managed by the Department of Defense. The problem was that management practices of the system for providing long-term healthcare for employees of a contracting company working in foreign combat zones is either minimal or nonexistent. The purpose of this case study was to explore ways that contractor managers and government managers can work together to provide healthcare for those contract employees who will be deployed with the U.S. military. The primary research question was to determine what managers of contractors …

The Influences On And Impact Of Economic And Community Development Policies In A Micropolitan City, Anna M. Kautzman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the U.S. economy changed from industry to information, small cities suffered a decline in quality of life and an increase in poverty. The existing research has focused on demographics and descriptive attributes of micropolitan cities, but not on efforts to overcome these challenges. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand how a micropolitan city used economic and community development policies to rebuild its economy and improve quality of life. Using Holland's conceptualization of complex adaptive systems, research questions focused on triggers for policy creation and its use to create social change by improving the local economy …

Investigating Dropout From Mental Health Care Among Somali Immigrants In The United States, Apollo Wandera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African immigrants and refugees drop out of mental health care at a higher rate than other populations in the United States. However, there is a significant lack of research on mental health treatment or reasons for dropping out of mental health treatment among African immigrants and refugees. The purpose of this study was to investigate the lived experiences with mental health treatment of Somali immigrants and refugees living in the United States. Eight Somali immigrants and refugees living in a midwestern state, were interviewed, and their accounts with the mental health system in the United States were recorded. A phenomenological …

Implementation Of A Standardized Approach To Diabetes Education, Stacey Williams Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that Type 2 diabetes

mellitus (T2DM) is a serious health issue affecting over 24 million Americans. Adults with T2DM are 2 to 4 times more likely to experience complications of the disease such as heart disease and stroke. Efforts are needed to control the condition and prevent the complications. At a local community hospital in the southeast United States, a 2-year assessment revealed over 10,000 patients admitted with diabetes or diabetes-related complications. Staff nurses at the site were responsible for diabetes self-management education for T2DM patients at discharge; however, no standardized …

Parent Aggression Level As A Predictor Of Attitudes Toward Bullying, John Bradley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was on parents of elementary and middle school age children and how the variables of age, gender, and level of education influence their attitudes toward bullying. The gaps in literature support the notion that additional empirical research on the different sociological factors that influence, support, and encourage bullying is required. The purpose of this study was to determine if parental level of aggression, as measured by the Modified Overt Aggression Scale, can predict a parent's attitude toward bullying as measured by the Parental Attitudes to Bullying (PAB) scale. In addition, this study investigated whether other …

Facebook, Parent-Child Relationships, And Emotion Regulation In An Adolescent Sample, Lauren Nicole Crandall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social networking has become an integral part of daily communication and information sharing. Although researchers continue to explore the fields of social networking and emotion regulation separately, there is a lack of research bridging these areas of interest, particularly in the adolescent population. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive relationship between the environmental and social variables of Facebook use, online social connectedness, and quality of parent-child relationship with adolescent emotion regulation. Fogel's social process theory of emotion provided the framework for this study and allowed for examination of the social networking environment. Research questions addressed independent …

Strategies To Implement Innovations In Hospitals, Schola Mutumene Kabeya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which promoted quality of care, started the transformation of healthcare systems in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore clinical practice innovation strategies used by hospital middle managers to improve quality of care and profitability. Pettigrew's theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Participants were 8 middle managers from 2 high-performing hospitals in the southwestern region of the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, personal notes, and review of the hospital's publicly reported documents and literature. Member checking and methodological triangulation increased the …

Strategies For Sustainability Of Nonfranchise Casual Dining Restaurants, Kristin Burke Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, over 50% of restaurants fail within the first 5 years of operations resulting in approximately $2.1 billion annually in lost national sales revenue. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by owners of nonfranchise, casual dining restaurants to ensure sustainability longer than 5 years. The study was grounded in Porter's 5 forces framework as a lens for identifying effective strategies that promote restaurant sustainability. The data collection process comprised gathering data and information via semistructured interviews with 3 owners of nonfranchise, casual dining restaurants in the mid-Atlantic region who sustained …

Healthcare Administrator Strategies For Nurse Engagement To Increase Patient Care, Nicole Sarah Morlock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare administrators can improve patient care and safety by stimulating nurse engagement as a means of improving internal relationships. The purpose of this case study was to explore engagement strategies that healthcare administrators use to stimulate nurse engagement. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 4 healthcare administrators in a Missouri hospital setting. The engagement theory informed the conceptual framework of the study. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5-step process that included compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. Analysis revealed 4 major themes: teamwork, nurse and administrator communication, nurse recognition, and nurse empowerment. Strategies were identified through the exploration and …

The Role Of Law Enforcement-Community Communication In Disaster Readiness, Amanda Perez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of effective communication structures within local communities could have devastating consequences during an emergency. Therefore, the key problem addressed in this study was that the most effective methods (channels) of communication between law enforcement officials and the general public in the event of a natural disaster has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to weigh the benefits of three types of communication media—social media, radio, and word-ofmouth— to provide a framework for promoting effective communications between local government emergency responders and civilians. This single case study focused on a large county in the State of …

Student Perspectives Of Alternative Schools As Facilitators And Barriers For Positive Disciplinary Outcomes, Chasidy Phelps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inconsistent findings within the existing literature tend to confuse the ability of behavior-focused alternative schools to address behavior problems of at-risk juveniles. Recent studies have suggested that juveniles who successfully commit to greater self-regulation skills display both academic success and positive classroom behavior. Although self-regulation skills have been positively associated with behavioral success among juveniles placed in behavior-focused alternative schools, it remains unclear as to what aspects of these programs that juveniles experience as facilitating the development of such skills. This phenomenological study used semistructured interviews of 5 students in Grades 10 through 12 enrolled in a behavior-focused alternative school …

A Qualitative Look At How Sibling Bereavement From Unnatural Causes Of Death Affects Surviving Siblings, Michael David Gilvin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the study is to fill the gap in the literature regarding sibling bereavement. This study explored how sibling bereavement from unnatural causes of death affects surviving siblings. Bereavement affects millions of Americans every year. Most grieve naturally, but some experience complicated grief or depression. Many studies address parental and spousal bereavement, but few focus on sibling bereavement. This study fills that gap in the literature so that mental health care professionals and the general public understand what bereaved siblings experience after the death of a sibling. The study was a phenomenological study using social constructivism as a …

Cultural Competence To Decrease Advanced Stage Breast Cancer Diagnosis In An Appalachian Kentucky Population, Deborah Heard Stakelin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite American College of Radiology guidelines for breast cancer screening, the Appalachian Kentucky population has an increasing number of advanced stage breast cancer diagnoses related to a delay in mammogram screening initiation. A potential contributing factor for the delay in screenings is a lack of culturally competent care to support the need for early detection of breast cancer in the identified population. The purpose of this staff education project was to improve the knowledge base and skill set of health care employees concerning the most advantageous practice to increase cultural competence in the health care setting. A practice-focused question related …

Strategies For Reducing Employee Turnover In Retail Outlets, Dewayne Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover in the retail industry is costly, difficult, and problematic, affecting organizational wages, benefits, and schedules in relation to serving clients, customers, and stakeholders. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore effective strategies used by retail store owners in the southeastern region of the United States to reduce employee turnover. The target population was 6 successful business owners of 6 small retail businesses in the southeastern United States who had effectively reduced employee turnover. The conceptual framework for this study was the Herzberg 2-factor theory related to workplace job satisfaction. Data were collected through face-to-face, semistructured …

Relationship Between Victims Of Urban Violence And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Jashon Anthony Banks Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Urban violence has become common in lower-income communities that have high rates of shootings and African-American victims. Urban violence causes victims and their family and friends to experience trauma and puts them at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) injuries. However, there is a gap in knowledge in the framework of urban communities and their range of needs to address PTSD. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether a relationship exists between reinforcement of needs, membership, influence, shared emotional connection, and post-traumatic stress symptomology (PTSS) of urban violence victims in a large metropolitan city. Albert Bandura's self-efficacy …

The Impact Of A Transformative Intercultural Experience On Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Teachers' Instructional Practices, Alison Binger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers are being asked to implement cultural awareness into their instruction in the 21st century classroom, yet many lack the requisite knowledge and skills to accomplish this. The purpose of this inquiry was to explore the perceptions of teachers who are returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCV) regarding what in their long-term international experience influenced them to include cultural awareness in their instruction. Bennett's developmental model of intercultural sensitivity and Mezirow's transformative learning theory were the conceptual frameworks. The research questions for this qualitative study asked how a long-term international volunteering experience impacts teachers' pedagogy and what instructional practices RPCV teachers …

Effects Of Menafrivac® Introduction In The African Meningitis Belt, 2010-2017, Andre Arsene Bita Fouda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Meningococcal meningitis is a burden in the African meningitis belt. Before 2010, Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A (N. meningitidis A) was the predominant pathogen causing deathly epidemics. MenAfriVac® vaccine protects against N. meningitidis A. It was introduced in 2010 into highest meningitis risk health districts. There was limited data on the effects of MenAfriVac®, mainly on the degree of relationship between N. meningitidis A and the MenAfriVac® immunization. The social ecological model was used as a theoretical framework for this study. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the effectiveness of MenAfriVac® from 2010 to 2017 in 21 out …

Predictors Of Conviction: An Examination Of Arson Trial Outcomes In Florida, Timothy York

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The influences that crime control, due process factors, and individual demographic characteristics have on the criminal trial outcomes of accused arsonists was unknown. Absent this knowledge, it was not clear if public policy ensures justice for the accused, particularly for the disadvantaged. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate, using Packer's due process and crime control model as the theoretical framework, the relationship between time to trial, number of defense and prosecution witnesses, access to fire origin and cause experts, legal representation type, age, race, education, and gender and criminal arson case outcomes. A sample size of 165 …