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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Walking And Talking For The Elevation Of Mood And Satisfaction Levels, Lori Jean Kellner-Schoelles Jan 2018

Walking And Talking For The Elevation Of Mood And Satisfaction Levels, Lori Jean Kellner-Schoelles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study is important because of the high prevalence of mental and physical disorders experienced by American adults. These bring undue strain to those suffering them and to the health care system because research indicates that many of these disorders may be mitigated via supportive conversation, or through the practice of physical exercise. The purpose of this quantitative treatment-control study was to examine the relationship between the practice of walking/talking and resulting mood and satisfaction levels. Self-determination theory and biopsychosocial perspectives were used to provide a framework for the study. The research questions asked whether there was a mood response …


Women Of Intimate Partner Abuse: Traumatic Bonding Phenomenon, Meghan Koch Jan 2018

Women Of Intimate Partner Abuse: Traumatic Bonding Phenomenon, Meghan Koch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers indicate women succumb to relational abuse as seen with maladaptive attachment, identity enmeshment, and implicit maltreatment. Implicit violence and nonviolence, bonding victims to victimizers remains unstudied, although the domestic abuse phenomenon continues. Intimate partner abuse was examined through qualitative inquiry. There is much to learn about female victim perspectives describing attachment bonds, identity conflicts, and implicit maltreatment experiences. Traumatic bonding theory served as the lens through which female participant responses were examined in this study. Research questions were developed to focus on female attachment bond perceptions, views concerning self-esteem, self-identity, or self-reference, and implicit aggression, coercive control, or manipulation …


Exploring Sports Participation And Sexual Risk Behaviors In High School Males, Jessica L. Dupree Jan 2018

Exploring Sports Participation And Sexual Risk Behaviors In High School Males, Jessica L. Dupree

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Casual sex culture, also known as hook-up culture, is an experience adversely affecting teens in America. The intent of this study was to test the association between sports participation and sexual risk behaviors among high school males. For the purpose of this study, sports participation, the independent variable, was defined by having played on a sports team in the last 12 months. The sexual risk behaviors, dependent variables, were defined by sexual engagement with multiple partners, drug and alcohol use before intercourse, and sex without condoms. The ecological model provided the theoretical foundation for the study. Secondary analysis of the …


Empowering Cultural Competency In Healthcare Providers, Betty Antoinette Dement Jan 2018

Empowering Cultural Competency In Healthcare Providers, Betty Antoinette Dement

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial and ethnic health disparities are highest in communities of color; providing culturally competent care could address these disparities. Culturally competent communication between the healthcare provider and the patient is an essential behavior that may improve health in racially and ethnically diverse women. A quality improvement project was completed with guidance from the 5 constructs of the Campinha-Bacote model as the conceptual framework, and the method used was the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. The perspective of 20 Mexican American and 20 African American women in El Paso, Texas between ages 45 and 72 with menopausal symptoms …


Leadership, Organizational Turnarounds, And Gil Hodges's 1969 New York Mets, John Rebecchi Jan 2018

Leadership, Organizational Turnarounds, And Gil Hodges's 1969 New York Mets, John Rebecchi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The impact of the 2008 global financial crisis, shifting market demands, and prolonged underperformance has forced organizations to devise and implement turnaround strategies or risk business failure. Researchers have pointed to the importance of leadership in the turnaround process, yet there are a limited number of research studies identifying characteristics of successful turnaround leaders. Using the full range leadership model, the purpose of this nonexperimental, ex post facto study was to examine the leadership style of Gil Hodges, manager during the 1969 New York Mets successful turnaround season and explore the organization's culture and climate. Data were collected using the …


The Relationship Between Nurse Staffing And Quality Outcomes In Georgia Nursing Homes, Tamara Kathleen Stephens Jan 2018

The Relationship Between Nurse Staffing And Quality Outcomes In Georgia Nursing Homes, Tamara Kathleen Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quality of care in United States' nursing homes has been of concern to consumers, government agencies, and researchers for several decades. Nurse staffing has been identified as a key factor influencing the quality of care in nursing homes. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational research was to determine if relationships existed between nurse staffing levels and three quality care outcomes in the state of Georgia. Donabedian's quality conceptual framework guided the study. The framework encompasses three interrelated dimensions of quality including structure, process, and outcomes. Nurse staffing levels and facility bed size represented the structure of nursing homes and …


Well-Being Among Parents Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities When Transitioning From High School, Teshawnia Thompson Jan 2018

Well-Being Among Parents Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities When Transitioning From High School, Teshawnia Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transition out of high school for young adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs) has been described as a stressful time for individuals and their families, with increased demands for caregiving and parental support. A lack of research is associated specifically with those individuals with moderate IDs and their parents' experiences of well-being during the transition process. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how parents of young adult-aged children with moderate IDs experience well-being as their child transitions from high school to adulthood. Ryff's model of psychological well-being was used as the conceptual framework to better understand and explore …


Exploring The Multicultural Pedagogy Of Ces Faculty Through An Intersectional Lens, Jenae D. Thompson Jan 2018

Exploring The Multicultural Pedagogy Of Ces Faculty Through An Intersectional Lens, Jenae D. Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselor education and supervision (CES) faculty members are responsible for adequately preparing counselors-in-training (CIT) for their work with diverse populations. Current literature explains traditional multicultural counseling education in this way; however, little research is available exploring faculty members' personal and professional experiences with intersectionality and how those experiences contribute to their pedagogy. In this dissertation, CES faculty members' experiences with intersectionality theory and how they could use this theory in their multicultural pedagogy were explored. Research questions exploring CES faculty use of intersectionality in their multicultural coursework, how their personal experiences contribute to their pedagogy, and their experiences with privilege …


Competence Of Behavioral Health Clinicians In Integrated Care Settings, Agyenim Akuamoah-Boateng Jan 2018

Competence Of Behavioral Health Clinicians In Integrated Care Settings, Agyenim Akuamoah-Boateng

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collaborative efforts between medical and behavioral health professionals is required to simultaneously treat individuals with medical and mental health disorders. However, there is lack of focus on the competencies and trainings needed by behavioral health clinicians (BHCs) transitioning to integrated primary care (IPC) settings. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of BHCs who have transitioned from specialty outpatient behavioral healthcare settings to IPC settings. Semi-structured interview questions were used to collect data. Using interpretive phenomenological data analysis approach, themes and the shared meanings and experiences of 8 licensed BHCs were explored. Seven …


Gender, Social Support, And Resiliency In Suicidal Ideation Among U.S. Army Soldiers, John Franklin Ambrose Jan 2018

Gender, Social Support, And Resiliency In Suicidal Ideation Among U.S. Army Soldiers, John Franklin Ambrose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicidal behaviors have continued to increase in the United States (U.S.) Army population since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Suicide rates are higher in men compared to women; yet, the rate of suicidal ideation is higher in women than men. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between suicidal ideation and protective factors, if social support and resiliency are different for men and women within the U.S. Army population, and if gender acts as a moderating variable between suicidal ideation and protective factors. The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior was …


Understanding Feeding Style And Young Children's Consumption Of Food, Mary W. Bean Jan 2018

Understanding Feeding Style And Young Children's Consumption Of Food, Mary W. Bean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to increased rates of childhood obesity since 2010, researchers have examined family environmental factors and family influences on children's consumption of healthy foods. While previous research has examined how factors such as food presentation and the food intake of other family members can predict a child's body mass index, there has been little research examining whether parent factors predict the amount of healthy foods children eat. This quantitative survey study examined whether certain parent factors, specifically parents' attitudes about food, parents' feeding styles, and parents' attachment styles, predicted the amount of fruits and vegetables children ate. Understanding the extent …


Student Perceptions Of E-Assessment Tools For Sign Language Interpretation, Marc Boese Jan 2018

Student Perceptions Of E-Assessment Tools For Sign Language Interpretation, Marc Boese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American Sign Language (ASL) has grown to be the 3rd largest enrolled secondary language course in the United States, and colleges and universities seek to identify effective assessment methods for this visual-based language. Although much research exists on sign language e-learning programs, asynchronous video feedback, and sign recognition software, very few studies have been conducted on using technology to as a method of assessment for sign language courses. The purpose of this hermeneutical, phenomenological, qualitative study was to document the lived experiences of students using the electronic assessment tool, GoReact, in courses. The conceptual framework was guided by engagement theory …


After-School Mentorship Program And Self-Efficacy Beliefs In Middle-School Students, Atia D. Mark Jan 2018

After-School Mentorship Program And Self-Efficacy Beliefs In Middle-School Students, Atia D. Mark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle-school students in Nova Scotia are perceived to have low self-efficacy for achieving learning outcomes. Strong self-efficacy beliefs developed through effective curricula have been linked to improved academic performance. However, there is a need for the formal evaluation of effective curricula that aim to improve self-efficacy. The purpose of this project study was to investigate a 10-week, after-school mentorship (ASM) curriculum that has never been evaluated. The outcomes of the curriculum design are to strengthen self-efficacy beliefs via relationship building exercises, public speaking training, and character education. Bandura's theory on self-efficacy, which states that treatment influences can alter the strength …


Predicting The Nclex-Rn Pass Rate At An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Dawne Devoe Olbrych Jan 2018

Predicting The Nclex-Rn Pass Rate At An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Dawne Devoe Olbrych

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) first-time pass rate for an associate degree in nursing (ADN) program was below the national mean, presenting a problem for graduates who failed the NCLEX-RN and could not enter the workforce as registered nurses. Knowles's assumptions of adult learning, Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve, and Zull's neuroscience research served as the theoretical frameworks for this study. The purpose of this study was to identify which academic and time-lapse variables predict the graduate's first-time passage for the NCLEX-RN. Archived academic records and NCLEX-RN results for all 786 graduates from one ADN program who took …


Experiences Of Counselors Who Work With Sexual Minorities With A Serious Mental, Anthony Zazzarino Jan 2018

Experiences Of Counselors Who Work With Sexual Minorities With A Serious Mental, Anthony Zazzarino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual minorities (SM) are at a greater risk for experiencing a serious mental illness (SMI) compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Furthermore, SM with a SMI continue to experience stigma and discrimination that leads to more negative outcomes and a greater need for counseling services. Current researchers have not adequately addressed the specific needs of SM with a SMI and how to prepare counselors to work with this population. Furthermore, most SM with a SMI find that counseling services are inadequate and do not meet their unique needs. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study, grounded in a Husserlian philosophical and …


Improving Advanced Practice Nurses' Knowledge Of Cerebral Hemorrhage Assessment And Management, Kimberly Marie Lombardo Jan 2018

Improving Advanced Practice Nurses' Knowledge Of Cerebral Hemorrhage Assessment And Management, Kimberly Marie Lombardo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cerebral hemorrhages are a type of stroke causing bleeding in the brain from a ruptured brain vessel or an aneurysm. In the emergency department (ED), advanced practice nurses (APNs') play a pivotal role in identifying cerebral hemorrhages. Many APNs' lack the skills necessary to assess, diagnose, and manage this type of stroke. A delay in diagnosis of cerebral hemorrhages carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality and can lead to lifelong disability or death. The framework of this project is the Patricia Benner theory of novice-to-expert, which is a 5-step approach designed to strengthen nursing skills with the goal …


Leadership Strategies To Improve Employee Performance In The Insurance Industry, Momodou K. Sonko Jan 2018

Leadership Strategies To Improve Employee Performance In The Insurance Industry, Momodou K. Sonko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of performance improvement strategies contributes to poor employee performance and increases the potential for business failure. Some insurance business leaders lack strategies to improve employee performance. The purpose of this case study was to explore strategies that successful insurance business leaders use to improve employee performance. The classical management and transformational leadership theories served as the conceptual frameworks for this study. Using a semistructured interview technique, 9 purposefully-selected insurance senior managers in Atlanta, Georgia were interviewed on how they successfully improved employee performance. Through open coding and thematic analysis, 4 themes emerged: goal setting and performance review; effective communication; …


Reducing Congestive Heart Failure Hospital Readmissions Through Discharge Planning, Lacy Rebaka Thomas Jan 2018

Reducing Congestive Heart Failure Hospital Readmissions Through Discharge Planning, Lacy Rebaka Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, thousands of congestive heart failure (CHF) patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. There is a gap in practice in the care continuum of patients with CHF within the transition from hospital to home. One of the factors known to increase a patient's risk for readmission is the lack of patient engagement and self-efficacy regarding the treatment plan. The purpose of this project was to implement a transition of care practice guideline that consisted of the use of a risk identification tool, a customized care plan for patients at high risk for readmission, and …


Effect Of External Locus-Of-Hope On Acquired Capability For Suicide, Yitzchok Wagshul Jan 2018

Effect Of External Locus-Of-Hope On Acquired Capability For Suicide, Yitzchok Wagshul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have investigated the role of hope as a protective factor against suicide. Of the 3 factors posited by Joiner's interpersonal theory of suicide (IPTS) to be necessary before suicide can occur, increased hope has been shown to reduce 2 (thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness), but, counterintuitively, to increase the 3rd (acquired capability for suicide). A fuller understanding of this phenomenon may lie with Bernardo's locus-of-hope construct-pursuant to which hope may lie not only in one's own plans and capabilities (internal locus-of-hope) but in those of others (external locus-of-hope) but to date no study has researched the relationship between external …


Marital Status And Burdensomeness As Risk Factors Of Suicide Ideation In Poststroke Patients, Froso Andreou Jan 2018

Marital Status And Burdensomeness As Risk Factors Of Suicide Ideation In Poststroke Patients, Froso Andreou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide (SISAS) are increased in poststroke patients, yet not everyone who has suffered a stroke is at risk for SISAS. Two risk factors for SISAS, marital status and burdensomeness, may be of particular relevance to poststroke patients. The majority of poststroke patients have a disability that may require help from a family member with basic functions such as dressing and bathing. It was not known if being married decreases risk of SISAS for stoke victims as shown in studies with nonpoststroke subjects or increases risk for SISAS due to its influence on feelings of burdensomeness. …


Teachers' Participation In Learning By Design Activities, Their Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge, And Technology Integration In An Inner City School, Joan Bruner-Timmons Jan 2018

Teachers' Participation In Learning By Design Activities, Their Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge, And Technology Integration In An Inner City School, Joan Bruner-Timmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students at an inner city school have low test results despite making progress. The study examines the problem that technology plans implemented by the Board of Education could not improve student achievement. Educational policy recommends to increasingly sustain teaching by educational technology. Therefore, this research examines the teacher knowledge necessary for technology integration in classes, and the ways this knowledge can be fostered. The theoretical framework of this study integrates 2 prominent theories of instructional science: learning by design (LBD) and technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK). The relationship between LBD, TPACK, and technology integration in the classroom was examined. …


Effective Strategies To Sustain Small Businesses In Rural Areas, Nicole A. Dobson Jan 2018

Effective Strategies To Sustain Small Businesses In Rural Areas, Nicole A. Dobson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compared to their urban counterparts rural small businesses face unique socio-economic and environmental challenges including isolation, lack of resources, poverty, limited networks, and a smaller population of working age adults. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore effective strategies that rural small business managers have used to sustain a business in their area. The population for this study included a purposeful selection of 8 rural small businesses. Institutional theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data was collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews of participants. The data was analyzed and coded by using a modified Van …


Intensive Care Unit Nurse Education To Reduce Sepsis Mortality Rates, Corina Meade Jan 2018

Intensive Care Unit Nurse Education To Reduce Sepsis Mortality Rates, Corina Meade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sepsis causes major health care problems in the United States, resulting in long hospitalizations, complications, and even patient death. Lack of nursing knowledge regarding sepsis signs and symptoms is a significant problem at a hospital in the northeast. Local hospital data showed a high patient mortality rate for patients diagnosed with sepsis. The purpose of this project was to develop an educational module on sepsis for intensive care nurses. The educational module was developed using current sepsis evidence-based guidelines. The practice-focused question for the project asked whether an educational module on sepsis would increase the intensive care nurse's knowledge on …


Risk Management Strategies To Prevent And Mitigate Emerging Operational Security Threats, Nancy Page Larrimore Jan 2018

Risk Management Strategies To Prevent And Mitigate Emerging Operational Security Threats, Nancy Page Larrimore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dependence on technology brings security compromises that have become a global threat that costs businesses millions of dollars. More than 7.6 million South Carolinians incurred effects from the 162 security breaches reported in 2011-2015. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the risk management strategies small business leaders use to prevent and mitigate operational security threats that produce financial losses. The population for this study consisted of 6 business leaders in South Carolina who have demonstrated successful experience in preventing and mitigating operational security threats. Transformational leadership theory provided the conceptual framework for exploring the overreaching research …


Nurse Navigator Role Description And Processes For Best Outcomes Among At-Risk Patients, Judean Leroy Jan 2018

Nurse Navigator Role Description And Processes For Best Outcomes Among At-Risk Patients, Judean Leroy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nurse navigator role developed in the 1990s to support African American female oncology patients' access to services. Successful in oncology, the role has expanded to support patients with diabetes, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A unique cost-effective opportunity exists for nurse navigators to fill the gap in transitional care, between the acute care setting and home, for chronically ill and other at-risk patients who are often readmitted within 30 days for treatment of the same disease. The purpose of the project was to refine the job description of the nurse navigators in a Midwestern acute care hospital. …


Alcohol Consumption And Cervical Cancer Associations Among Women In Los Angeles, California, Tina A. Nmor Jan 2018

Alcohol Consumption And Cervical Cancer Associations Among Women In Los Angeles, California, Tina A. Nmor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alcohol consumption and cervical cancer caught in the early stages are preventive epidemics, though the incidence of cervical cancer has continued to rise in Los Angeles, California. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to better understand the association between alcohol consumption and cervical cancer incidence using the theory of relationism. California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data collected in 2005 was used to investigate alcohol consumption and cervical cancer incidence among women in Los Angeles, California. The CHIS 2005 surveyed 43,020 adults; of those surveyed, 441 participants reported alcohol consumption and cervical cancer out of 25,548 adult women. Chi-square …


Exploring How Women On Corporate Boards Cope With Gender Bias, Sharon Roberts Jan 2018

Exploring How Women On Corporate Boards Cope With Gender Bias, Sharon Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gender bias may cause organizations to lose the values that women bring to the workplace in leadership positions and may thwart women from reaching their personal goals. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive multiple case study was to explore gender bias and its influence on women on corporate boards, their roles, appointment, and the need to develop coping strategies to deal with gender bias to execute their roles. The conceptual lens used was Tajfel and Turner's social identity theory to explain the basis for intergroup discrimination, and Eagly and Karau's role congruity theory of prejudice to explain the exclusion of …


Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Single-Gender Grouping Instruction And Student Motivation In Middle School, Chundra Deondrea Haywood-Grisby Jan 2018

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Single-Gender Grouping Instruction And Student Motivation In Middle School, Chundra Deondrea Haywood-Grisby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A rural middle school in Mississippi has been labeled at-risk of failing or failing by the Mississippi Department of Education for the past 5 years, and the parents, students, teachers, and administrators have been looking for ways to improve academic achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of students, teachers, parents, and administrators about single-gender grouping that was used to raise achievement levels in this Mississippi middle school. The theoretical framework for this qualitative case study was Deci and Ryan's work on student motivation for learning. The research questions focused on perceptions of single-gender classroom instructional …


Practice Challenges Among Social Work Mitigation Specialists And Interprofessional Supervision Methods, Nicole Denise Jackson Jan 2018

Practice Challenges Among Social Work Mitigation Specialists And Interprofessional Supervision Methods, Nicole Denise Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social work supervision is a core component of the social work profession that is often absent for social workers in interprofessional teams. In capital defense practice settings, social workers are hired as mitigation specialists to work as members of the legal team. Informed by systems theory, the purpose of this action research study was to explore the practice challenges of social work mitigation specialists (SWMS) and how an interprofessional-focused supervision approach could be applied to resolve those issues. Six SWMS employed with capital defense agencies in Georgia and Texas were interviewed. Using a thematic coding analysis, several key themes emerged: …


Professional Counselors' Lived Experiences Of Counseling Gender Diverse Clients, Veronica Monea Kirkland Jan 2018

Professional Counselors' Lived Experiences Of Counseling Gender Diverse Clients, Veronica Monea Kirkland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gender diverse individuals experience stigma, discrimination, and transprejudice regularly, in response to daily interactions with society. These negative experiences lead to the development of physical, mental, and emotional instability. Gender diverse individuals experience transprejudice and discriminatory experiences in transpohobic counseling environments. Furthermore, current research highlights the need for counselors to increase training and knowledge to work with gender diverse individuals. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study, grounded in a Heideggerian philosophy, was to illuminate the lived experiences of professional counselors engaging in counseling with gender diverse clients and bridge the gap in the current literature. Data were collected from …