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Exploring Young Opioid Users’ Motivation To Seek Treatment For Substance Use Disorder, Patricia Gianotti-Avella

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past 15 years, the nonmedical use of opioids in the United States has reached epidemic proportions, resulting in a 21% increase in overdose fatalities. This surge in opioid use and dependence represents a shift in the demographic from inner-city populations over the age of 40 to young adults between the ages of 20 and 34 who dwell in primarily white suburban neighborhoods. Research has identified physicians’ liberal prescribing practices as one cause of this epidemic and has documented the ineffectiveness of current interventions with young addicts. The purpose of this narrative study was to gain insight into what …

The Impact Of Boko Haram Insurgency On The People Of Borno State, Chris Kaiser Granville

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although researchers have examined the causes and impacts of terrorism in Nigeria, there is no known research on the impact of Boko Haram’s insurgency on the people of Borno State based on their lived experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the social, political, and economic consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency on the people of Borno State. The study’s theoretical framework was based on the relative deprivation theory; the theory was used to diagnose the problem of the Boko Haram insurgency and articulate possible alternative solutions. The central research question concerned the adverse effects of the …

Alternative Therapy For Veterans Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Shannon Rae Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has led to an increased demand for treatment within the Veteran Affairs health care system. Presently, veterans diagnosed with PTSD receive psychotropic medications and intermittent therapy sessions. Nurses are challenged to educate veterans about other health care issues based on verbalized side effects from prescribed PTSD medications limiting veterans’ ability to focus. Identifying alternative treatment options may improve treatment choices, reduce side effects, and promote positive outcomes for veterans with PTSD. This systematic review provided evidence-based practice information by addressing whether alternative therapy such as biofeedback would improve the …

Comparison Of Social Interest Perceptions Of Homeless Youth, And Non-Homeless At-Risk Youth, Michele Cindy Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeless youth face serious obstacles related to obtaining education, healthcare and stable accommodations. Adler’s social interest theory states that an individual’s perceptions impact their motivations and willingness to contribute to society. No research was found that compared the perceptions of homeless youth with nonhomeless at-risk youth using Adler’s theory. The purpose of this mixed method study was to compare perceptions of homeless youth with nonhomeless at-risk youth regarding the impact of public policies in creating obstacles to education, healthcare, and stable accommodations. A quantitative social interest instrument followed by face-to-face interviews was administered to 55 homeless youth and 64 nonhomeless …

Parental Perceptions Of Family Communication Within The Context Of Modern Technology, Litermin Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing dependence or reliance on the usage of technology to connect with each other is influencing family communication today. Face-to-face family communication is becoming more and more devalued. Considering the value of family communication, parents should play the most important role of sustaining it to enhance family relationship. Using the family systems theory as a foundation, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand parental experiences concerning family communication within the context of modern technology. This study used purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews from 7 U.S. citizens, men and women aged 30-55, from St Lucie County, Florida. …

Implementation Of An Electronic Health Record-Keeping System, Deborah Jean Kilgore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2015, only 15% of behavior health hospitals in the United States had been converted from paper charting systems to electronic health records (EHRs) systems. Healthcare managers are concerned about the lack of EHRs because they need to meet mandated federal requirements to implement EHR systems. Using the technology acceptance model, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to identify strategies behavioral healthcare managers use to adopt their EHR system. The participants consisted of 5 behavioral healthcare managers working in a chemical dependency treatment facility located in the U.S. Midwest. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, a review …

Effect Of Society’S Political Ideology On The Long-Term Viability Of Drug Courts, Tiffany Kragnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug courts are programs for people who experience substance abuse disorders and have been accused of a crime and are perceived as being likely to reoffend. The purpose is to provide a therapeutic approach with reducing the risk of future offense by supporting treatment for the defendant. Drug courts are cost-effective for state and local governments and are often funded through a combination of state appropriations and federal grants. Little is known how political ideology may influence the state and local budget process that support drug courts. Using Shafritz’s power and politics theory as the foundation, the purpose of this …

Sexual Consent Perceptions Of Child Sex Offenders Who Experienced Childhood Sexual Abuse, Traci Lordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual consent is the necessary and mutual permission of 2 parties to engage in age-appropriate sexual activity. Child sex offenders (CSOs) target children, an age group who is not legally or ethically permitted to engage in or provide consent to sex. Yet, CSOs overstep all sexual, consensual, and moral boundaries to commit a sexual offense against a child. In this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study, CSOs’ perceptions of sexual consent and the experiences of their own childhood sexual victimization shaped their conceptualizations of sexual consent were explored. The conceptual framework of implicit theory was used to gain the detailed and …

The Relationship Between Sense Of Coherence And Coping With Stress Among Emergency Room Physicians, Melina Masihi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physicians face different stressful situations daily when caring for patients in the emergency room (ER). The individual ER physician’s ability to cope with stressful situations varies considerably and affects patient care. Developing a sense of coherence (SOC) is thought to be one of the significant strategies for self-regulation in stressful conditions like those in the ER. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between SOC and coping abilities among emergency physicians in the United States. The study used a quantitative, cross-sectional design to assess physicians’ SOC and coping skills using an SOC scale and a coping scale, …

Effective Strategies Nonprofit U.S. Leaders Use To Assess And Mitigate Occupational Fraud, Fahim Mazumdar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of effective strategies to assess and mitigate occupational fraud can negatively impact nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizational leaders in the United States who lack the strategies to assess and mitigate occupational fraud are at high risk of incurring loss due to fraud. Grounded in Cressey’s fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies nonprofit officers use to assess and mitigate occupational fraud in a nonprofit organization. The participants comprised 2 internal auditors in the northeast region of the United States who effectively used strategies to assess and mitigate occupational fraud in the …

Prekindergarten Educators' Perspectives On Professional Development About Transgender And Gender-Nonconforming Children, Danita Marie Norris Mccray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Young children start to develop an understanding of gender and gender identity in prekindergarten. Early childhood educators require professional development in creating safe, supportive learning environments for transgender and gender nonconforming children. Limited research has focused on prekindergarten educators' knowledge, skills, and dispositions about supporting transgender and gender nonconforming children in their classrooms. Framed by Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory and Derman-Sparks antibias early childhood concepts, the purpose of this basic qualitative study with interviews was to explore prekindergarten educators' perspectives on professional development about transgender and gender nonconforming children. Data were collected using semistructured, in-depth interviews with 12 prekindergarten educators …

Servant Leadership And Job Satisfaction As Moderated By Workplace Spirituality, Shellie Kae Mcnabb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Job satisfaction has been the focus of scholars for decades. Employers must create a workplace where the employee receives more than a paycheck. Servant leaders speak directly to the decisive leader-follower relationship. Workplace spirituality is a place where the employee is a valued part of the membership. Combining the three elements may answer the current problem of the aligning of business goals with employee needs. Existing research supports that servant leadership enhances job satisfaction. Researchers have demonstrated that the employee lead by example is more content. Missing are the contexts where these workers excel. The purpose of this study was …

Examining Teacher Decision Making And Instructional Practice In Data Teams, Kelly Jo Moffett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administration in a mid-Atlantic elementary school in the United States mandated implementation of the Data Wise improvement process (DWIP) to address accountability and student achievement concerns. Leaders were unsure if elementary educators used the approved DWIP within their data teams and how the data were used to support instructional practices. The purpose of this bounded qualitative descriptive single case study was to explore teachers’ collaboration and planning using DWIP in data teams, teachers’ perceptions of the influence of data team participation on their instructional practices, and how teachers demonstrated the use of data in planning for classroom instruction. The data-driven …

Improving Care Of Patients With Asthma Through Staff Education, Nicholas Moscatelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic asthma is a health epidemic and an increasing problem in the pediatric population. The purpose of this project was to raise nursing staff awareness of symptom recognition, treatment protocols, preventive measures, and detrimental effects of asthma for children. Adult learning theory provided the framework to support the staff education program on asthma. The project site stakeholders and the DNP student identified educational opportunities to assist staff in meeting caregiver needs, improving symptom recognition, and improving asthma outcomes. Prior to presentation of the educational program to the clinic nursing staff, it was reviewed by an expert panel including the clinic …

Prior Military Combat Experience And Domestic Policing Use-Of-Force Decisions, Ernesto Munoz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Use-of-force decisions are made in both the military combat and domestic policing environments. In this phenomenological study I aimed to examine what, if any, the effect of military combat experience has on domestic policing use-of-force decisions for military combat veteran police officers. Schneider and Shiffrin’s dual process of automatic and controlled processing theory offered the theoretical framework that was applied to how military combat veteran police officers may be affected by their military combat experience in the application of domestic policing use-of-force decisions. This qualitative study was designed to collect lived experiences of military combat veteran police officers who transitioned …

Risk Perception Of Terrorism And Individual Preparedness In Thailand, Pinida Neenlapathna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2001, terrorist incidents in Thailand have caused more than 6,600 deaths and nearly 13,000 people have been injured. The Thai government has employed various counterterrorism measures, but there is little attention paid to terrorism awareness and preparedness. Following the tenets of social cognitive theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the predictive relationship between the risk perception of terrorism (i.e., perceived probability, perceived seriousness, perceived impact, perceived coping efficacy, perceived government preparedness, and perceived frontline responder preparedness) and individual preparedness among Thai people. The study was conducted with a convenience sample of 327 Thai adults who …

Association Of Working Therapeutic Alliance And Psychopathy In Civilly-Confined Sex Offenders, Kearie Ann Newman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past decade, researchers have focused attention on the therapeutic alliance (TA) and its impact in treatment outcomes. The literature on TA has been focused primarily on its impact on the client’s participation, the accomplishment of goals, and treatment completion. However, very little of this research includes individuals who have psychopathy. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative survey study was to explore the relation between the level of psychopathy (high versus low) and TA ratings of 16 therapists and 64 clients in the population of convicted civilly-confined male sex offenders. Bordin’s theory grounded the study. Data were gathered from …

Impact Of Kenya’S Public Debt On Economic Stability, Liston Willy N. Njoroge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kenya’s public debt has grown rapidly, precipitating debate on its impact on economic performance and causing public anxiety. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to investigate the long run and causal relationship between Kenya’s public debt and economic growth. Keynesian theory, Ricardian equivalence theory, and neoclassical theory provided the framework for the study. Research Questions 1 and 2 addressed the causal relationship between public debt and select covariates as independent variables and real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate as the dependent variable. Research Question 3 addressed the relationship between primary budget balance and public debt. …

Exploring Gender Dysphoria Among Active-Duty Transgender Service Members In A Right-To-Serve-Openly Military, Ralph Ogburn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Defense’s June 2016 directive-type memorandum 16-005 permitting transgender service members to serve openly in the U.S. military disqualifies transgender personnel with a history of gender dysphoria from serving in the military unless a licensed medical doctor certifies that they have been free from significant distress for 18 months. Research has illuminated the prevalence of gender dysphoria among military veteran transgender members due to their military experiences, but not in active-duty military. Informed by role theory and minority stress theory, the purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis study was to explore role conflict and stress in the …

Fall-Related Patient Education: An Essential Feature Of A Fall Prevention Program, Immaculata Okonkwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project documented the evaluation of a voluntary patient falls prevention education

program (VPFPEP) of a rehabilitative facility in a Mid-Atlantic US state and ascertained

its sustainability. The project was designed using the customized Moore et al. evaluation

model and Lippitt’s planned theory of change to encourage patient engagement in

physical activity (PA) through fall prevention education to allay patients’ fear of falling.

The sample included patients who opted into the facility’s VPFPEP. Evaluation was

performed using run charts to visually and quantitatively monitor trends and patterns of

fall incidents over time. Run charts also facilitated comparison of injuries sustained …

Adult Attachment For African American Women Who Have Mothers With Borderline Personality Disorder, Elizabeth Uchechi Onyeali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects that borderline personality disorder (BPD) can have on the loved ones of those who suffer from the mental illness is significant and can be deleterious and enduring. Maternal BPD can adversely impact mother-daughter relationships by fostering abnormal connections and insecure attachment bonds. This is particularly the case for African American mothers, of whom research suggests that the early attachment bond between them and their daughters significantly shapes how their daughters behave, perceive themselves, and relate to others. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore how the experiences of being raised by a mother diagnosed …

Previously Incarcerated Individuals’ Perceptions Of Decision-Making Leading To Their Solitary Confinement, Rita Pavone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the issue of communication in prison systems in conjunction with an overextended utilization of isolation confinement methods. Using Sexton’s conceptualization of the penal subjective consciousness model as a guide, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand the experiences of confined offenders related to their experiences regarding the perspectives of prison officials based on a variety of factors including criminal background, social status, and programming needs. Data from semi-structured interviews with 25 participants addressed the process of communication between prison personnel and inmates from the time of incarceration through placement in isolation confinement, and then …

Program Evaluation Of A Black Barbershop Health Outreach Campaign, Berkina Denise Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black-owned barbershops in the Black community lack barber administered interventions to provide education and health screenings to Black men. Increasing knowledge of health assessments in a black barbershop setting increases the number of health screenings and preventative care among Black men. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative summative program evaluation was to explore the extent to which a nonprofit Black barbershop health program aligns with the Health Research (HR) program objectives. The evaluation was performed for a nonprofit organization located in Maryland, 6 years after the organization implemented the HR Program Network of barbers and salon …

Predictors Of Condom Use Among High School Students In North Carolina, Danielle Cierra Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The spread of sexually transmitted diseases is a major ongoing public health issue in North Carolina. Adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years have consistently contributed to this trend. Researchers have found that condom use among high school students has decreased. High school students continue to engage in sex with multiple partners, with lack of knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, even though sex education and prevention programs have been recommended. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the predictors of condom use among adolescents. The socioecological model theoretical framework was applied to guide this research involving …

Reducing Payment-Card Fraud, Chares R. Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical public data in the United States are vulnerable to theft, creating severe financial and legal implications for payment-card acceptors. When security analysts and managers who work for payment card processing organizations implement strategies to reduce or eliminate payment-card fraud, they protect their organizations, consumers, and the local and national economy. Grounded in Cressey’s fraud theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies business owners and card processors use to reduce or eliminate payment-card fraud. The participants were 3 data security analysts and 1 manager working for an international payment card processing organization with 10 …

Evidence-Based Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis Education, Sonya Sandhu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pediatric patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) are a unique subset of patients who arrive to the emergency department (ED) for care, and differ from adults regarding symptomology, treatment, and adverse effects. Nurses who will encounter this patient population must have adequate knowledge and confidence to care for them, yet research continues to show a gap in practice. The purpose of this doctoral project was to determine if a staff education project would increase ED nurse knowledge and confidence in caring for pediatric emergency patients with DKA. Utilizing Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model, an evidence-based staff education program was formulated, reviewed by an …

Culture And Hiv/Aids-Related Psychological Distress, Ndayiziveyi Constance Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The over-representation of HIV infections among Black populations relative to the mainstream population continues to be documented in Canada. Previous research has implicated cultural factors in the transmission of HIV in addition to linking HIV/AIDS to psychological distress. Some studies established a link between awareness of increased HIV/AIDS risk and vulnerability to distress, and others indicated cultural differences in the experiences of cognitive dissonance as a function of cultural variations in beliefs and practices. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine cultural variables associated with cognitive dissonance (dependent variable) arousal as a function of cultural sexual gender-role socialization …

Stress And Coping Methods In Law Enforcement Personnel, Brandon M. Sheard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A notable problem exists within law enforcement due to the lack of mental health assistance offered for police officers, as well as little to no literature available pertaining to officers in law enforcement who may have mental health issues. Without proper coping methods, there is a higher possibility of suicide among police officers. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to investigate why officers were choosing to not seek mental and behavioral health assistance, as well as determine factors that could both prevent as well as encourage officers to seek mental health assistance if needed. Grounded in the …

Factors Affecting The Customer Relationship Management System Implementation Process, Enshrah Shashoug

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managers in the telecommunications industry face a high failure rate of customer relationship management (CRM) system implementations. The dynamic culture of employees’ resistance to and readiness for CRM system implementation may contribute to successful implementation in U.S. commercial organizations. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship among employee’s resistance to and readiness for CRM system implementation, the culture of the organization, prerequisites for successful CRM system implementation, age, and gender. Using Rogers’s innovation-decision process theory, an online survey was created and sent to a random sample of all customer service employees using CRM systems in …

Differences In Financial Literacy Across Generations, Audra R. Sherwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States federal government allocates $670 million annually towards financial literacy despite the fact 73 million adults are struggling financially, and over 65% of Americans are financially illiterate and unable to manage their finances. The specific management problem addressed in this study was the awareness of the differences in financial literacy between Millennials and Generation Xers who have and have not taken personal finance courses in high school in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, causal-comparative study was to test the self-efficacy theory and goal-setting theory in determining the differences between the two generational groups of …