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Interrupting The Sepsis Process With An Evidence-Based Education Intervention, Martha Olson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interrupting the Sepsis Process with an Evidence-Based Education Intervention

by

Martha Olson

MSN, Walden University, 2013

MS, Southwest Minnesota State University, 2003

BSN, The University of Iowa, 1998

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

May 2015

Abstract

Sepsis is a concern, especially for the vulnerable populations. The early signs of sepsis are vague and often difficult to detect, but when detected early, are treatable with antibiotics and fluid resuscitation. When a nurse is unaware of the early signs, treatment is delayed and multiorgan failure may progress quickly. To …

Internal Attributes That Mitigate Perceived Job Insecurity: Improving Employee Satisfaction, Shelly Leigh Rogers-Sharer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee satisfaction has been found to have a strong relationship with perceived job security. This study explored job insecurity in an unstable global economy. Specifically, it examined internal attributes of employees, hypothesizing that such attributes would enable employees to better cope with work-related stressors such as job insecurity. Specific attributes of personality and employability were assessed as potential moderators of job satisfaction and security, utilizing the theory of work adjustment and person-environment correspondence as theoretical frameworks. The specific attributes included facets of conscientiousness and neuroticism as well as dispositions of employability including openness to change at work, work and career …

Impact Of Fiscal Decentralization On Quality Financial Reporting At The Districts In Ghana, Abdul-Malik Seidu Zakaria

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the impact of fiscal decentralization on quality financial reporting at the local government level in Ghana. The study is important because it provides development partners with the assurance that Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) funds are used for their intended purposes. The study was based on the theory of local public expenditures, which posits that fiscal decentralization may enhance local capacities for service delivery. The key research question examined the extent to which fiscal decentralization has influenced quality financial reporting at the local level. The research design was quantitative, randomly sampling stakeholders in the local government …

Crash Risk Associated With Cellular Phone Use While Driving, Tiffani Ann Fordyce

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are inconsistencies in the published literature on the effect of cellular phone use while driving. The objective of this study was to estimate an adjusted nationwide crash rate associated with cell phone use while driving and to compare statewide crash rates prior to and following the implementation of legislation banning cell phone use while driving. Crash rates in nationally representative databases were calculated based on imputed values for cell phone use using the propensity score method. The imputed nationwide crash rate for fatal crashes (1.61 per 100 fatal crashes) and all crashes (1.409 per 100 crashes) represented a 2 …

Social Inequality: Cultural Racism As A Predictor Of Collegiate Academic Success, Natasha L. Ball

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The economic sustainability of an area is largely dependent on the education level of its population, yet little is known about the role cultural racism may play in academic success. The purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate the theory of cultural racism, defined as, the establishment of cultural institutions by whites/Europeans to the detriment of non-white people, as it relates to academic success at the college level. Data were collected from 100 participants from 3 predominately African American high schools in the Atlanta, Georgia area to explore whether the presence of cultural racism existed from the perspective of …

Contextual Factors And Direct Exposure To Hiv: Influences On Youth Sexual Intention, Hadiza Ladidi Osuji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth are having sexual intercourse at an early age and as such, are engaging in risky behaviors that are associated with adverse health outcomes, including HIV infection. Little research has been undertaken to examine the influence of contextual factors on youth intentions to delay sexual involvement. To address that gap, this study aimed to examine the influence of age, gender, race, immigration status, HIV knowledge, HIV-related stigma, concern about HIV, direct exposure to HIV/AIDS, peer pressure, and religious influence on youth intentions to delay sexual involvement. Delayed sexual involvement was conceptualized as youth attitudes towards abstaining from sex, their knowledge …

Agencification As A Strategy For Implementing Public Policy In Trinidad And Tobago, Sandra Juanita Wall Agarrat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Trinidad and Tobago is one of 15 small developing states that comprise the regional integration grouping known as the Caribbean Community. Several agencies were recently created outside of the government using a strategy known as agencification to support the implementation of public policy in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. However, there is little available information explaining the rationale for the choice of the strategy, no evidence-based scholarly evaluation found on the effectiveness of these types of agencies, and therefore limited information on whether this strategy results in effective public policy. The purpose of this case study was to gain …

Primary Factors Affecting Breastfeeding In African American Communities, Lowest Jefferson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior research has shown that African Americans are less likely than are Hispanics and Whites to breastfeed their children. Compounding this problem is the scarcity of research that examines African American's culture, perceptions, and beliefs about breastfeeding. This study was conducted to gain a greater understanding of the phenomenon of breastfeeding through the perspectives of African American mothers. Guided by the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior, this ethnographic study elicited African American mothers' perspectives on breastfeeding by examining what influenced their decision to breastfeed or not. This study took place in Washington State. Ten women recruited through purposeful …

Genome-Wide Association Study On The Sleep Symptom Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tammy Pooler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that presents with 3 main symptoms're-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and hyper arousal'after an individual experiences a traumatic event. Recent evidence suggests a potential genetic basis for PTSD and a sub symptom of hyper arousal, sleep, as a potential pathway for PTSD development, but no study has identified candidate genes associated with specific symptoms such as sleep difficulty. Based on a conceptual framework in which specific genes are associated with the onset of PTSD, this study used a genome-wide association

study (GWAS) method with a case control study design to compare the genomes of individuals …

The United Nations Training Of The Liberia National Police: Effectiveness, Results, And Future Implications, Yarsuo Laezee Weh-Dorliae

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the United Nations' mission in Liberia (UNMIL) ends on September 30, 2015, effective policing will be a security concern for Liberians. Liberians have expressed fear that conflict could return if ongoing police training programs do not sustain public safety. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand how UNMIL's training affected public confidence in the Liberia National Police (LNP). The theoretical bases for this study included public choice theory and liberal democratic theory. Quantitative data were used to address impact of UNMIL's police training on the maintenance of law and order. These data were collected through a …

Mental Health Treatment Adherence And Minority Clients' Perception Of Clinician Cultural Awareness, Patricia Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychological counseling is known to be an effective option for people in need of emotional support. Previous research has shown counseling to be valuable among various age, sex, religious, socioeconomic, and racial groups. Despite its successes, members of certain demographic groups reportedly end supportive psychological therapies early. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of 10 self-identified African American and Hispanic clients who prematurely terminated therapy. A particular focus of this investigation was the clients' perceptions of clinician cultural awareness. This phenomenological study yielded descriptive data in a context sufficient for analysis with the use of broad …

Government Senior Executives' Perceptions Of Brain Drain On Leadership In The United States Virgin Islands, Shurla Jeffers-Knight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Highly qualified individuals are leaving the Caribbean and relocating to the United States and other developed countries. Researchers describe this resulting flight of human capital, or brain drain, from the Caribbean as a problem which has no clear definition or immediate solution. This phenomenological study explored perceptions of government senior executives in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) of the cause and impact of brain drain. Burns' and Bass's transformational and transactional leadership theories were used as the framework for this study. Data were collected through a demographic questionnaire and semistructured interviews with a snowball sample of 10 participants. Data …

The Experiences Of Successful Small Business Owners In Ghana, Michael Tetteh Alimo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high failure rate of small and medium enterprises that results in high unemployment rate and poverty in Ghana. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of small business owners in Ghana. The conceptual framework was based on the theory of disruptive innovation. Disruptive innovation describes a method that enables business owners to create a new market. Data were collected through interviews from 20 participants who owned small businesses and succeeded beyond 5 years in Accra, Ghana. Member checking was used to strengthen the credibility and trustworthiness of the interpretation of the participants' responses. …

The Influence Of School Leadership Practices On Classroom Management, School Environment, And Academic Underperformance, Lorna Novlette Wilson Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Influence of School Leadership Practices on Classroom Management, School Environment, and Academic Underperformance

by

Lorna Novlette Wilson Morgan

MSc, Florida International University, 2006

BSc, University of Technology, 2000

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Walden University

April 2015

School leadership requires the collaborative efforts of principals, teachers, parents, students, and other community members to achieve academic success. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the influence of school leadership practices on classroom management, school environment, and academic underperformance in Jamaica. The research was based upon distributive leadership theory. …

Resilience Among Immigrant Adult Learners: Experiences In Postsecondary Education--A Mixed-Methods Study, Sandra Lee Samuels

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A human being's resilience refers to his or her abilities to combine internal and/or external resources effectively in response to significant contextual challenges in order to best succeed in a given environment. As such, this concept is vital across the lifespan and has been widely researched. However, few researchers to date have studied resilience as it relates to adult learners, and, significantly, those with immigrant status. Immigrant adult learners are facing compounded risks, which create challenges in various societies to identify this group's unique needs and/or to fully understand their experiences in diverse contexts, such as the Cayman Islands. Informed …

Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity As Predictors Of Burnout In Special And General Education Co-Teachers, Cassandra L. Moss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act of 2004, special and general educators teach together in many classrooms. Co-teachers are subject to a variety of stressors, including role challenges for teachers who are accustomed to working independently. Research has shown that role ambiguity and role conflict are associated with burnout among special and general educators. However, no prior study has examined whether these role factors contribute to burnout among special and general educators in co-teaching roles. This study was based upon role stress theory in relation to the constructs of burnout. The sample included 72 special educators and 73 …

Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program In The Medical Office Clinic, Jovita Chibuzo Ezirim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The challenge of diabetes prevention is to reduce the financial and human costs of diabetes by preventing new cases and enacting social change. African Americans and Hispanics Americans have a high incidence of Type 2 diabetes because of factors that place them at risk for prediabetes. The purpose of this project was to plan the implementation and evaluation of a Type 2 diabetes prevention program in a medical office clinical setting. The clinic of interest was located in the downtown area of the city and provided care mostly to African American population. The Iowa model of evidence-based practice formed the …

Road Management System And Road Safety In Uganda, Paul Gudoi Zanule

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traffic collisions cost Uganda millions of dollars each year. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to describe the strategies and processes needed to implement a road management system. Such a system would significantly reduce the fatalities and accidents in Uganda, improve the transportation within Kampala's business district, and increase business profitability. Three conceptual theories framed the research study: management theory, strategic management theory, and criminology theory. Using a snowball sampling strategy, data were collected from open-ended interviews, questionnaires, observations, and archived documents from 20 administrative participants in the government and organizational leaders involved in the transport operations and …

Predictors Of Obesity Among Nigerian Immigrants In The United States, Olawunmi Obisesan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity has been identified as a significant risk factor for chronic diseases, contributing to health disparities in minority and vulnerable populations. Though research has identified an increased risk for obesity in the Hispanic immigrant population, there is little or no research on the heterogeneity of obesity predictors in specific immigrant populations in the United States. This study examined the predictors of obesity in the Nigerian immigrant population in the United States. Guided by the social ecological model and the segmented assimilation theory, this cross-sectional study collected primary data from 205 Nigerian immigrants in the United States using the CDC's Behavioral …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Migrant Women Farmworkers' A Qualit Ative Analysis Of Migrant Women Farmworkers’ Perceptions Of Maternal Care Management, Stacey A. Pilling

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine migrant women farmworkers' views of perinatal care management while working in the fields. Like men, women migrant farmworkers are exposed to many physical, chemical, and biological hazards that pose human health risks. However, women of childbearing age are at an increased risk of having reproductive health difficulties and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and the infant mortality rate among migrant farmworkers is estimated to be twice the national average. Perinatal care is a critical factor in reducing adverse outcomes for perinatal and newborn mortality. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 15 migrant women farmworkers …

Predictors Of Full Childhood Immunization Status In Owerri, Nigeria, Osuala Uzor Kelvin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Full (complete) childhood immunization against tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, yellow fever, measles, and the maternal retention of immunization documentation are the most cost-effective interventions against vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. The full childhood immunization rate in Nigeria has not reached the expected target level of compliance at 90%. Using the social ecological model, this study investigated the influence of maternal satisfaction with postnatal services and paternal support on full childhood immunization status; it also examined the association between maternal factors and the maternal retention of immunization documentation in Owerri, Nigeria. The hypotheses were that maternal satisfaction with postnatal services and …

Causes Of Low Voter Turnout Of The Hispanic Population In Southwest Texas, Shawn Steven Morrow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Hispanic population in central Texas tends to have low levels of civic engagement as compared to other groups in the same area, which leads to disproportionate political marginalization. Prior research has focused on characteristics of voters and nonvoters, but has failed to explore the lack of political mobilization among Hispanic voters. The purpose of this study was twofold; first to better understand the nature of Hispanic voters' political marginalization, and second, explore why participation levels are so low among this group. This general qualitative study applied critical race theory to explore the barriers perceived by Hispanic voters related to …

Resiliency And Maternal Self-Efficacy Of Single African American Mothers: A Qualitative Study, Danielle Beatrice Massey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditionally, research involving single African American mothers (SAAMs) has been conducted using problem-focused or cultural deficit models with the emphases on the disadvantages. Consequently, little is known about how these women view their experiences as single mothers concerning their resilience and maternal self-efficacy. Using a snowball sampling method, 15 SAAMs were recruited to participate in this phenomenological study. This study employed a subject-intensive theoretical framework. Face-to-face interviews (using a questionnaire), participant observation, and a focus group were the methods used to capture the essence of the SAAMs' abilities to thrive despite the challenges associated with single parenting. All encounters were …

Acceptance And Uptake Of Influenza Vaccination By Health Care Workers, Leshonda Wallace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Influenza is a preventable infectious disease, against which vaccination is the primary means of protection. Health care workers (HCW) are among the most vulnerable to the illness and are likely to be sources of infection transmission while caring for patients. Circumstantial evidence suggests higher rates of vaccination coverage by HCW will coincide with a lower incidence of influenza transmission, yet a gap remains in the literature regarding governing health agencies' (i.e., licensing boards, medical and nursing associations) influence on the influenza vaccination practices of their constituents. Moreover, discrepancies exist between governing health agencies' and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee's recommendations …

Educational Intervention To Impact Parental Decisions To Consent To Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, Tawa Bimbola Ibikunle-Salami

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educational Intervention to Impact Parental Decisions to Consent to Human Papillomavirus Vaccine

by

Tawa B. Ibikunle-Salami

MSN, Indiana Wesleyan University, 2010

BSN, Indiana Wesleyan University, 2005

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

September 2015

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a global health issue that is transmitted sexually and affects both genders. Evidence shows that approximately 79 million people are affected in the United States with 14 million newly affected yearly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that teens and young adults under age 25 are at particular …

Consumer Perceptions Of Eco-Friendly Products, Sheik M. Isaacs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of failure to manage e-waste and the business sectors' failure to produce more eco-friendly products is high. These failure rates cause companies to lose profits on expanding an eco-friendly customer market. The central research question addressed by this correlational design examined the quality, price, and brand loyalty of eco-friendly products related to customers' willingness to recycle e-products. Consumer and buying behavior theories served as the theoretical framework in this investigation. SurveyMonkey was used to distribute the researcher-developed survey to the participants for the collection of the data. The collection data instrument was validated by performing a pilot test …

Hiv Testing Among Young African American Men Who Have Sex With Men, Tayo B. Awopeju

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Young African American men who have sex with men (AAMSM) are at greater risk of being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and less likely to seek HIV testing than are members of other demographic groups. This behavior results in a significant public health threat because young AAMSM with an unrecognized HIV infection are less likely to practice safer sex and, therefore, more likely to pass the infection on to their partners. This study is an examination of the social and personality factors that influence HIV testing rates among young AAMSM, using Aday's model of the social determinants of …

Nclex-Rn Predictor Test Scores And Nclex-Rn Success, Annie Ruth Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care professionals and nurse educators are concerned about increasing percentage of first time test takers failing the NCLEX-RN exam. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine predictive accuracy of the Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) RN Comprehensive Predictor for passing or failing the NCLEX-RN exam in a cohort of nursing students (N = 195). South Eastern Technical College in South Carolina is in jeopardy of losing accreditation for their nursing program because of the low percentage of first time test takers failing. The college's pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam has been below the national and state averages …

Transforming Vulnerable Interactions To Effective Communication: An Application Of Evidence For The Tele-Intensive Care Unit Nurse, Bethann Mendez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tele-intensive care collaboration in care of critically ill patients improves both the safety and quality of nursing care. However, the full benefits of the telemedicine service may not be realized unless tele-critical care nurses have the ability to communicate clearly with their remote nursing peers. The purpose of this DNP project was to create and validate an acronym style communication tool to assist the tele-critical care nurses with their communication. The relational coordination theory was the primary communication theory utilized for tool development. The tool creation phase of the project included informal observations and discussion with a convenience sample of …

Conducting A Needs Assessment At Outpatient Medical Clinic, Fidelia Ijeuru Ukah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States and confronting its challenges has remained a problem to the United States health sector, especially among outpatient clinics. Guided by health belief model, the purpose of this needs assessment was to identify patients age 50 and older in outpatient clinic located in a large metropolitan city in Texas who should receive information on the need for colorectal cancer screening based on their risk for developing colorectal cancer as outlined by American Cancer Society. A sample of 70 charts of patients age 50-75 years was randomly selected and …