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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Relationship Between The U.S. Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment And Healthcare Utilization, Elena Arushanyan Jan 2018

Relationship Between The U.S. Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment And Healthcare Utilization, Elena Arushanyan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Escalating health care costs in the military health system are not sustainable long term. Regular physical activity has been shown to improve health and reduce health care costs. Military members serving in the United States Air Force (USAF) are encouraged to maintain physical fitness year-round and undergo mandatory physical fitness assessments (PFAs) annually. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the nature of the relationship between the timing of the PFA and health care utilization (HU) by active duty service members assigned to the United Kingdom's USAF military treatment facility. Donabedian's framework and the logic process model …


Effective Strategies For Managing Continuous Consultant Turnover In It Project Teams, Nicholas K. Jury Jan 2018

Effective Strategies For Managing Continuous Consultant Turnover In It Project Teams, Nicholas K. Jury

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information Technology project managers have found that collective turnover of consultants lowers code quality, increases knowledge loss and negatively impacts team performance. Within the last decade, companies have begun to see that offshore consultants have a turnover rate greater than 26%, more than double the rates for the rest of the IT consulting industry. Collective turnover also puts additional pressure on the project team, causing work exhaustion and thus additional turnover. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that 6 successful project managers utilized to limit and reduce the impact of collective turnover of their hybrid …


Improvement In The Retention Of Graduate Nurses In A Long-Term Acute Care Hospital, Angie Lim Torres Jan 2018

Improvement In The Retention Of Graduate Nurses In A Long-Term Acute Care Hospital, Angie Lim Torres

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high turnover rate of graduate nurses is a challenge in the United States' hospitals because of high job dissatisfaction rates. The premature disaffiliation of the graduate nurses is costly for organizations and can significantly affect the quality and safety of patient care due to the inadequate supply of adequately prepared staff nurses, particularly in the long-term acute care hospitals. The purpose of the project was to decrease the turnover rate of graduate nurses in a long-term acute care setting from 40% to 20% through modification of the nurse residency program by applying an intervention based on Bauer and Erdogan's …


Gulf War Era Ii Veterans' Cognitive Information Processing And The Civilian Employment Transition, Denita Monique Oyeka Jan 2018

Gulf War Era Ii Veterans' Cognitive Information Processing And The Civilian Employment Transition, Denita Monique Oyeka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gulf-War-era-II combat veterans have made professional contributions to the civilian workforce since returning from Iraq and Afghanistan combat operations. Service members in California encounter transition issues related to employment and adjusting their self-identity in the civilian employment culture. These complexities have led to career problems. Using Peterson, Sampson, Reardon, and Lenz's theory of cognitive information processing and Mincer & Becker's theory of human capital, the purpose of this phenomenological study was designed to provide a holistic account of the lived experiences of 11 Gulf War era II veterans who have successfully integrated into civilian employment with a focus on mitigating …


Adults Aged 65+ And The Societal Pressure To Exercise, Susan Murphy Jan 2018

Adults Aged 65+ And The Societal Pressure To Exercise, Susan Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, by 2050, the older adult population will be larger than other age segments of the population. Government programs and health care guidelines are being put in place to help encourage exercise. However, there is little information on how the societal pressure presented in these government programs makes people feel, especially those over the age of 65. The purpose of the present study was to understand what the societal pressure to exercise means to adults over the age of 65 using a qualitative, phenomenological approach and employing in-depth interviews using the health belief model as the guiding framework. The interview …


Instructional Practices In Holistic Education For Patients With Cancer, Alicia Oberle Jan 2018

Instructional Practices In Holistic Education For Patients With Cancer, Alicia Oberle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the past few decades, holistic education has increasingly emerged in academia. However, limited research has been conducted on how holistic education impacts instructional practices in real life situations like the well-being of cancer patients. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how a holistic education program impacts instructional practices designed to improve the well-being of cancer patients. The conceptual framework was based on transformative learning theory and learner-centered teaching. This single case study was conducted at a non-profit cancer center in the Western United States which emphasizes multiple dimensions of well-being for cancer patients, including holistic education. …


Childhood Verbal Abuse And Its Psychological Effects On Adults, Lani Thomason Jan 2018

Childhood Verbal Abuse And Its Psychological Effects On Adults, Lani Thomason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have documented an increase in child abuse in the past 50 years. Child abuse is associated with many adult physical, emotional, social, and cognitive impairments. To date, physical and sexual abuse have received more attention than verbal abuse. There is a gap in the literature on the effect of verbal abuse on mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of verbal abuse in children on adult psychological functioning. A retrospective, casual-comparative design was used drawing a sample of adults (n = 224), ages 18 to 40, who reported verbal abuse as children as well …


Improving Care Transitions In Patients With Heart Failure: An Integrative Literature Review, Heather Mae Mclain Jan 2018

Improving Care Transitions In Patients With Heart Failure: An Integrative Literature Review, Heather Mae Mclain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heart failure (HF) hospital readmission reductions are linked to nursing interventions that include scheduling a hospital follow-up appointment with the patient's health care provider within a week of discharge. Yet, patients often leave the hospital without an appointment scheduled. The focus of this integrative literature review was on analyzing data that associated follow-up within 7 days with reduced 30-day readmissions. A search of articles using CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and ProQuest databases resulted in 4,813 articles retrieved using the following search terms: heart failure, readmissions, follow-up appointments, and heart failure guidelines. Scholarly articles selected for inclusion were …


Effects Of Simulated Clinical Experiences On Empathy, Self-Confidence, And Satisfaction In Nursing Students, Dawn Riess Jan 2018

Effects Of Simulated Clinical Experiences On Empathy, Self-Confidence, And Satisfaction In Nursing Students, Dawn Riess

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Empathetic communication enhances the nurse-patient relationship and improves patient outcomes and needs to be taught and evaluated during simulated clinical experiences. Experience in healthcare education has shown students' empathy levels decrease over time. The purpose of this quasi-experimental pretest posttest, study was to compare nursing students' empathy levels, self-confidence, and satisfaction with simulation between the use of the high-fidelity manikin simulator (HFMS) and a standardized patient (SP) used during their simulated clinical experience. Kolb's experiential learning theory was used to guide the study through the four phases specific to simulation and learning. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 135 nursing …


Discharge Calls And Avoiding Hospital Readmissions, Wanda Lee Cassavettes Jan 2018

Discharge Calls And Avoiding Hospital Readmissions, Wanda Lee Cassavettes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital readmissions are disruptive and costly for patients and hospitals. As hospital discharge instructions are a key nursing responsibility, this project implemented a nurse follow-up phone call intervention within 12-48 hours of patient discharge from an indigent care facility in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The project was designed to understand whether follow-up phone calls from nurses that clarified discharge instructions, symptom management, and medications would be associated with decreased readmission rates within 30 days post-discharge among chronic care patients. The theoretical framework was the health belief model, which proposes that the patient's knowledge of illness severity, …


Improving Attendance In An Undergraduate Business Program At A For-Profit College, Erica Schacht Jan 2018

Improving Attendance In An Undergraduate Business Program At A For-Profit College, Erica Schacht

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a small for-profit college located outside of New York City, declining classroom attendance over the last few years has become a serious concern in the business program. Poor attendance is one of the major causes for enrollment dropping and poor student retention. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify factors that influence student attendance. The study was based on Tinto's (1975) model of student integration and Nora and Cabrera's (1996) student adjustment model, which relates environmental influences on student retention. The research questions were used to investigate why students attend or do not attend classes, and …


How Fine Particulate Matter Modifies Preterm Birth Risks In Korea, Hyun Jin Choi Jan 2018

How Fine Particulate Matter Modifies Preterm Birth Risks In Korea, Hyun Jin Choi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the increasing interest in preterm birth risk associated with maternal exposure to the current level of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Korea, there is little information on differences in PM2.5 exposure and its impact on preterm birth. This study was designed to examine the effects of Korea's air quality on preterm birth, including the possibility of moderation and mediation. This work was also designed to investigate manipulable factors for PM2.5 exposure. The theoretical framework of this quantitative and observational study included the social ecological theory and systems theory. The conceptual framework of this partially ecologic and retrospective cohort study …


Psychological Uncertainty, Stress, Frustration And Their Relationship With Counterproductive Workplace Behavior, Joan M. Norwood Jan 2018

Psychological Uncertainty, Stress, Frustration And Their Relationship With Counterproductive Workplace Behavior, Joan M. Norwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The overall problem this research addresses is the costly impact of counterproductive work behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine whether uncertainty, stress, or frustration are related to variability, or in predicting counterproductive work behaviors. Wavering economic conditions have steadily altered work environments, and with continuous work changes are growing feelings of uncertainty, concerns of employee and organizational safety, performance, and overall wellbeing. The social exchange theory and the workplace social exchange network were used in this study to better understand employee relationships and response behaviors. Research questions compared the relationships among perceived uncertainty, stress, frustration, and levels …


Strategies For Success And Sustainability In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises Beyond The First 5 Years, Atem Emmanuel Ndeisieh Jan 2018

Strategies For Success And Sustainability In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises Beyond The First 5 Years, Atem Emmanuel Ndeisieh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Cameroon Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Regional Development, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ over 70% of the active population and contribute significantly to economic growth and development, yet the failure rate of SMEs in the region within the first 5 years remains at 72%. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that SME owners used to sustain their businesses for longer than the first 5 years. With the resource-based view as the conceptual framework, purposive sampling was used to select 5 owners of small food-processing enterprises in Cameroon who demonstrated successful …


How Social Identity Influences Social And Emotional Loneliness, Curtis N. Peterson Jan 2018

How Social Identity Influences Social And Emotional Loneliness, Curtis N. Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social identity theory (SIT) is a robust theory that explains in-group versus out-group behaviors. Two qualities of one's social identity include emotional connection and social connection with others, which someone who is experiencing loneliness tends to lack in their current situation. This dissertation explored whether when one's social identity becomes salient it results in a lower evaluation of one's current state of loneliness. An experiment was conducted in which college student participants, who were 18 years of age or older and currently enrolled in college courses, were randomly assigned to a social identity saliency group (college student) or 1 of …


The Experiences And Perceptions Of African American Women Who Reside In Nursing Homes, Lakeisha De Lon Riley Jan 2018

The Experiences And Perceptions Of African American Women Who Reside In Nursing Homes, Lakeisha De Lon Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of African American women who reside in a nursing home and to understand African American women's decisions for admitting to the facility. Social Learning Theory was applied to answer the question of how African American women's experiences and perceptions toward long-term care influence healthcare decisions and admission to a nursing home. Eleven participants interviewed in the study were at least 60 years old, admitted into the facility within the past two years and who had not previously resided in a nursing home. Yin's five step approach …


Antibiotic Prescribing Habits Of Urgent Care Providers, Mellisa Thompson Jan 2018

Antibiotic Prescribing Habits Of Urgent Care Providers, Mellisa Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed and requested for viral illnesses despite evidence-based research studies and societal guidelines that advise against this practice. Literature has indicated that antibiotic decision-making comes from a provider's experience or exposure to illness, uncertainty of illness, or from being pressured by the patient. Nurses and advanced practice nurses are important participants in the antibiotic stewardship initiative. The purpose of this project was to examine potential knowledge deficits responsible for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing at a rural urgent care clinic in the southeastern United States, which when addressed could promote an educational in-service to decrease the number of antibiotics …


Correlations Between Current And Expected Relocation Quality Of Workplace Factors, Edward Rachny Jan 2018

Correlations Between Current And Expected Relocation Quality Of Workplace Factors, Edward Rachny

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High-quality hospitality education is important to bring to international locations because it is a foundation for business and tourism. An international network of hospitality schools (HS) has a problem of convincing faculty to relocate to international locations, which limits expansion efforts and the quality of faculty available at less desirable locales. The purpose of this correlation study was to investigate the relationship between varies workplace factors that faculty expect to be of the highest quality, allowing senior management to ensure relocations. The theoretical foundation that grounded this study was Authors' expectancy theory, which stipulates that what people expect to occur …


Demographics, Self-Autonomy, And Relationships As Predictors Of Substance Use Among Community College Learners, F. Lashell Robertson Jan 2018

Demographics, Self-Autonomy, And Relationships As Predictors Of Substance Use Among Community College Learners, F. Lashell Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abuse of prescription and over-the-counter substances other than alcohol is becoming a prevalent issue; therefore, it is important to identify factors that may help predict risk for this abuse. Some demographic and situational factors have been identified for traditional 4-year college students. However, less is known about community college students, who enter college less academically prepared and may be still enmeshed with family and peer groups from high school. In this correlational study, predictors of substance abuse other than alcohol were explored among a convenience sample of 118 students from an American community college. The research question was developed based …


Toward Excellence: Exploring Leader Strategies In Chronic Wound Care Centers, Geraldine Rosol Jan 2018

Toward Excellence: Exploring Leader Strategies In Chronic Wound Care Centers, Geraldine Rosol

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of chronic wounds is rising in the United States, and health leaders face the economic and health burdens these wounds pose to the U.S. health care system. Many investigators have documented the importance of leadership in promoting excellence and reducing health care costs in chronic disease. Yet, the literature lacks information regarding leader strategies used to promote wound treatment cultures of excellence directed toward improved quality and reduced health costs. This study examined leader strategies used to promote excellence in chronic wound treatment to address the problem of the economic and health burdens associated with chronic wounds. The …


Efficacy Of Methods Available To Remove Environmental Tobacco Smoke In Vehicles, Brian Albert Nielson Jan 2018

Efficacy Of Methods Available To Remove Environmental Tobacco Smoke In Vehicles, Brian Albert Nielson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a serious public health threat. Residual ETS in vehicles unknowingly exposes future occupants to environmental tobacco smoke. Reducing or removing exposure to ETS has been proven to reduce long-term health complications. This quasi-experimental study investigated 5 cleaning methods and their effect on air particulate matter2.5 (PM2.5) along with the correlation between air nicotine levels and PM2.5 levels. Study variables included cleaning methods as the independent variable, and changes in air nicotine and PM2.5 levels as the dependent variables. This study is framed within primary prevention and risk reduction based on the harm reduction theory. The …


Minority Stress And Mental Health Among Transgender Persons, Elizabeth Alice Sapareto Jan 2018

Minority Stress And Mental Health Among Transgender Persons, Elizabeth Alice Sapareto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transgender people, a minority population, are at increased risk for negative health and mental health consequences. Profound societal discrimination and stigmatization lead to systemic institutional barriers and lack of access to health care services. Research with lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations shows a strong association between minority stress and mental health; however, there is a gap in research for the transgender population. This study, based on theories of minority stress, positive psychology, the biopsychosocial model, and the transgender model, was conducted to clarify this relationship for the transgender population. Four research questions were proposed. A final sample of N = …


Strategies For Improving Profitability Through Effective Internal Controls, Melissa M. Washington Jan 2018

Strategies For Improving Profitability Through Effective Internal Controls, Melissa M. Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2007 and 2009, the United States experienced a financial crisis. Many businesses experienced difficulties obtaining funds for projects and working capital due to the great recession. As a result, many business owners filed for bankruptcy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small business owners in the construction industry used when implementing internal control processes to improve profits. The study population entailed 6 individuals in the southeast region of the United States who successfully implemented internal control processes to improve profits. The data collected were from face-to-face interviews, analysis of company documents, and …


Nursing Self-Efficacy In The Acute Care Setting With The Neighborhood Staffing Model, Laurie Swaney Berghoff Jan 2018

Nursing Self-Efficacy In The Acute Care Setting With The Neighborhood Staffing Model, Laurie Swaney Berghoff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to changes in health care, along with increasing technological demands, nurse's experiences increased stress. Nurses who are asked to staff another area other than their own have increased stress that can lead to increased nurse turnover, absences, and nursing dissatisfaction scores. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to assess whether limiting what units a nurse works on can reduce nurse stress, improve self-efficacy, and improve nurse job satisfaction. The design of this pilot placed like nursing units within a neighborhood staffing model for floating. The plan-do-check-act model was used as a framework to implement a change in …


Case Management And Social Work Practice In Public Schools, Grace Charriez Rivera Jan 2018

Case Management And Social Work Practice In Public Schools, Grace Charriez Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, 66% of elementary and secondary school students experience academic difficulties. Evidence-based implementation and data-driven practices in the field of school social work to address these academic difficulties are lacking. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of school social workers in a public school division in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States regarding the use and effectiveness of case management strategies with at-risk students. Ecological theory and social constructionism theory provided the framework for the study. Qualitative focus group discussion involving 8 social workers in the division was used to collect …


The Underrepresentation Of Low Socioeconomic Status Children In Gifted And Talented Programs, Teresa Clark-Massey Jan 2018

The Underrepresentation Of Low Socioeconomic Status Children In Gifted And Talented Programs, Teresa Clark-Massey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem is children from low socioeconomic status households are often underrepresented in gifted and talented programs. Only a small percentage of these students is selected to participate in the district's gifted program. The purpose of the study was to help appropriately identify and include low SES children in the district's gifted program. The social constructivist foundation was applied for a better understanding of how the environment affects a child's learning and how social factors contribute to cognitive development, which could possibly alter the perceptions of how successful children can be. The guiding questions revolved around the teachers' perceptions of …


Improving The Care Of Patients With Urinary Catheters Through A Quality Improvement, Ashley Nicole Holmstrom Jan 2018

Improving The Care Of Patients With Urinary Catheters Through A Quality Improvement, Ashley Nicole Holmstrom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) significantly increases patient morbidity and mortality, length of stay, and organizational cost. In the 2 years prior to project implementation, the incidence of CAUTI increased by 15% in the local acute care, inpatient facility that served as the project site. Nursing leaders at the project site linked the increase in CAUTIs to a nursing knowledge deficit related to CAUTI prevention principles. The clinical question focused on the impact of CAUTI prevention staff training on the incidence of CAUTI, length of stay, and cost to the local acute care organization. After a review and critical appraisal …


Resiliency Factors In African American Female Students In Single-Gender Educational Settings, Phyllis Lynette Hill Jan 2018

Resiliency Factors In African American Female Students In Single-Gender Educational Settings, Phyllis Lynette Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Resiliency is a critical factor in educational success; the gap exists in the research regarding the effect of resiliency in the educational success of African American female students. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological research (IPR) study was to explore and describe the lived experience of single-gender education through African American female student alumnae to capture and distill their shared experience of educational resilience and competence. Framework drew on gender-relevant education, social capital, racial identity and socialization. Research perspective that participants were viewed consisted of critical race feminism theory and competency versus deficit or risk perspective. Research questions focused on …


Citizen Perceptions Of Institutional Disparities And The Reintegration Of Nonviolent Drug Related Offenders, Terrance Hinton Jan 2018

Citizen Perceptions Of Institutional Disparities And The Reintegration Of Nonviolent Drug Related Offenders, Terrance Hinton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2017, Louisiana had the highest incarceration rate in the nation with 1,420 of every 100,000 adult males being placed in a state or local penitentiary. To address this issue, a series of criminal justice reforms were passed within the Louisiana legislature that released thousands of former offenders back into the community. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the attitudes, thoughts, and opinions of citizens in a single Louisiana city regarding ex-offender re-integration and disparities within the criminal justice system. March and Olsen's Rational Choice Institutionalism was used to explain how environment impacts individual perception and choices …


Validating A Home Health Care Staff Educational Module For Wound Treatment And Documentation, Kimberly Sanders Hebert Jan 2018

Validating A Home Health Care Staff Educational Module For Wound Treatment And Documentation, Kimberly Sanders Hebert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although guidelines and minimal standards for the care and documentation of wounds in home health care settings in the United States are available, there is a lack of compliance among many home health care agencies (HHAs) with regard to the accuracy of wound documentation and care of wounds. Failure to follow guidelines for wound care according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Home Health Outcome and Assessment Information System standards could result in loss of revenue for HHAs, improper treatment of wounds, and legal ramifications. The purpose of this doctoral project was to develop and validate a staff …