Digital Commons Network^™

A National Mixed Methods Research Study: Defining Reasonable Accommodations In Higher Education For Adult Students With Disabilities, Anita Schwartz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that differ among university personnel and students with disabilities regarding the vagueness in the legal definition of the term reasonable accommodations. The theoretical framework that guided this study was the social model of disability. Using a sequential mixed-method design, the first strand surveyed 98 students and 93 personnel; then 10% of each group participated in an interview or focus group. The main research questions explored the different accommodations offered by university personnel versus those that were used by students and the different perceptions of the term reasonable accommodations in accordance …

Promoting Diabetes Self-Managment Eduaction And Training In Out-Patient Clinics, Inemesit Godwin Udo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a long term metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. T2DM is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney failure, lower-limb amputation, and other complications that are costly to patients and the U.S. health care system. Lack of knowledge and underdeveloped skills for self-management of diabetes continues to be the biggest problem for patients with T2DM. Using a team approach and Rosswurm and Larrabee's (1999) conceptual model as a framework, the purpose of this doctorate of nursing practice quality improvement project was to develop an …

Impact Of Medicare And Medicaid Beneficiaries With Selected Conditions On Emergency Department Utilization, John K. Amoh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) are conditions that represent significant and ongoing medical costs, including frequent emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, work absences, and disability. This retrospective cross-sectional study, examined the effects of the frequent ED visits due to COPD and CHF on the beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid in Maryland. The goal was to identify the factors that led these patients to visit the ED, the impact of these visits on Medicare utilization and costs across Maryland, and preventative intervention strategies to control this population's costs of care. Secondary data were analyzed from 2010-2012 …

Gestational Age, Birth Weight, And Incidence Of Adult Type 2 Diabetes Among Southeast Alaska Natives, Renee Elaine Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

American Indian and Alaska Native adults are 2.6 times more likely to have adult onset diabetes resulting from higher weight at birth. Pregnant women, providers, and Indian Health Service administrators may benefit from timely information during pregnancy to intervene and prevent Type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of birth weight in the development of Type 2 diabetes among Southeast Alaska (SEA) Natives. Guided by the socioecological model, this study examined the extent to which birth weight and gestational age predict the incidence of Type 2 diabetes. The study used a quantitative research design …

Effects Of Gender And Spirituality On Adults' Resilience To Daily Non-Traumatic Stressors, Lois S. Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted several studies of spirituality as it relates to individuals' coping strategies and resilience when facing life trauma. There is less research, however, on spirituality as it relates to adults' resiliency to daily non-traumatic stressors. The purposes of the current study were to examine the relationship between spirituality and adults' resilience to daily, non-traumatic stressors and assess whether gender has a moderating effect on this relationship. A quantitative correlational study based on Lazarus's transactional model of stress and coping using convenience sampling, an online survey (N= 94) was administered. Of the 94 participants ages 19 to 68, 66 …

Health Care Provider Perceptions Of High Blood Pressure Screening For Asymptomatic African American Teens, Juanita Braxton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care provider perceptions of typical practices play a significant role in evaluating the efficacy of screening and diagnosis of teen high blood pressure in African Americans. African American adults are more likely to develop high blood pressure than are any other ethnic group; however, there is a gap in the literature concerning high blood pressure in teens. Approximately 1 to 5 of every 100 children has high blood pressure. This purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perspectives of health care providers on high blood pressure screening and diagnosis of African American asymptomatic teens. The health belief …

Hostility Toward Dominant Culture Individuals And The Perceived Stability Of Power, Anne Kristine Pihl Gaddis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racism in the United States is persistent and its negative effects are widespread. The social hierarchy in the United States positions White people as the dominant culture and Black people, among other races, as a minority culture. Current literature provides insight into explicit and implicit individual expressions of racism; however, very little research clarifies the effects racism has on the continuance and structure of the social race hierarchy. This study utilizes social gender hierarchy research to investigate how racism-induced hostility toward the dominant culture relates to an individual's perception of the stability of the race hierarchy. This quantitative survey study …

Impact Of Regulatory Burden On Small Community Banks In Pennsylvania, Teresa L. Gregory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community bank managers are struggling with the implementation of the many new regulations promulgated over the past several years. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies community bank managers in Pennsylvania use to implement new financial regulations. The population of interest included all community banks in Pennsylvania. For purposes of this study, a community bank was defined in terms of an asset size less than $500 million. Two community banks in Pennsylvania were selected, and 3 participants at each bank were interviewed. The participants included the chief executive officer, the compliance manager, and a mortgage …

Effects Of A Positive Psychological Intervention On Happiness In At-Risk Students, Pamela Harlan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have suggested an increased focus on positive psychological interventions to enhance college students' happiness levels; however, few studies have addressed positive interventions on at-risk college students. Based on the theoretical framework of positive psychology and impact of positive exercises on happiness, this study addressed whether a positive intervention would increase happiness as evidenced by scores on the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). The experimental design included random group assignment and pre- and posttest surveys to collect data from 135 at-risk community college students in Southeast Texas. The experimental group participated in …

The Relationship Between Health Risk And Workplace Productivity In Saudi Arabia, Sarah Lorraine Hayman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rising worldwide rates of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Middle East, principally Saudi Arabia, have put an increasing load on the health system and employers. Middle Eastern organizations have been slow to develop targeted health programs, which include an emphasis on employee productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship, if any, between employee lifestyle and workplace productivity. Productivity is the amount of work produced based on the time and cost required to do so. The underlying theoretical foundations of this research were the socioecological health model and the human capital model. The quantitative, ex post facto …

The Effectiveness Of Psychotherapy For Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders In Community Residential Settings, Joshua Thomas Beulke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to analyze the effectiveness of psychotherapy for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who reside in community residential settings. The present body of literature did not address the utility of psychotherapy treatment for this population. A key area of focus for this research was whether psychotherapy has an impact on psychiatric hospitalization rates for the target population. An additional research question was whether significant differences exist in psychiatric hospitalization rates between males and females for the target population. Data analyses were conducted using archival data from the Blossom Hill Corporation and Sunrise Farm Corporation …

Telehealth: Improving Quality Of Life In Veterans With Congestive Heart Failure, Marcia Callender Callender

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Congestive heart failure (CHF) affects an estimated 5.1 million Americans over the age of 20. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether there is a difference in the Quality of Life (QOL) for Congestive heart failure patients receiving care through telehealth compared to patients receiving face-to-face care (usual care). Guiding this project was the Self-Care Model of Chronic Illness because the primary outcome of the self-care model is illness stability, well-being, and quality of life. Seventy-seven veterans with Heart Failure (HF) from the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) participated in the project. Forty reported they …

The Impact Of Psychological Birth Order On Academic Achievement And Motivation, Alissa Jo Combs-Draughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, research in the field of birth order yielded inconsistent and at times contro-versial results. Researchers have long been interested in the impact of birth order on both social and cognitive development, in part due to the research of Adler. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if psychological birth order directly impacts stu-dent achievement and motivation. The resource dilution theory and confluence model were used to investigate the relationship between sibling perception of family roles within familial settings and academic performance and motivation within the college setting. The quantitative study used an online survey to assess psychological …

The Effect Of Cibs Participation And Gender On Adolescent Residential Treatment Duration, Tyler Maxwell Dority

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Additional out-of-home placement rates for adolescents in long-term regional treatment center (LTRT) programs in the United States are between 50% and 75%. There appears to be a failure to generalize treatment to home and community in programs that do not fully integrate family involvement. The collaborative intensive bridging services (CIBS) treatment model uses intensive family therapy and brief residential treatment center (RTC) placement to reduce or eliminate use of LTRT. Using family systems theory, the purpose of this study was to determine whether participation in CIBS provided better outcomes than LTRT programs. The study used archival data collected by Family …

Muliple Roles As Predictors Of Subjective Well-Being In African American Women, Sha-Rhonda Michea Green-Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The role strain caused by the multiple roles of some women can impact their stress levels and health outcomes, which negatively affects reported subjective well-being (SWB). The culture and race of African American women has a complex effect on how they experience stress and manage their health. Some research shows the harmful rippling effect of stress for African American women is distinct from other racial groups and men. The purpose of this quantitative archival study was to understand how the SWB of African American women can be predicted by their age, years of education, household income, number of children, and …

Integrated And Reducing Re-Entry Into The Criminal Justice System, Scott Huntington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous studies have focused on the effectiveness of integrated treatment services for people with cooccurring disorders (CODs) within the criminal justice system (CJS). However, there has been a paucity of research on the effectiveness of community-integrated treatment services with CODs and influences on decreasing their interaction within the CJS. This study quantitatively examined the possible relationships between integrated treatment services and CODs and their effect on decreasing interactions within the CJS. The sample (N = 320) consisted of people with CODs from a community-based facility. The statistical analysis was a 2-way (2 x 2) and 3-way (2 x 2 x …

Effect Of An Interactive Component On Students' Conceptual Understanding Of Hypothesis Testing, Sarah Anne Inkpen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Premier Technical College of Qatar (PTC-Q) has seen high failure rates among students taking a college statistics course. The students are English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in business studies and health sciences. Course delivery has involved conventional content/curriculum-centered instruction with minimal to no interactive components. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the effectiveness of an interactive approach to teaching and learning statistics used in North America and the United Kingdom when used with EFL students in the Middle East. Guided by von Glasersfeld's constructivist framework, this study compared conceptual understanding between a convenience sample …

Hospital Preparedness: Effects Of Designated Preparedness Coordinators On Hospital Preparedness For Special Hazard Classes, Rodney Sinelair Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 9/11, little statistical rigor has been placed on identifying the correlates of hospital preparedness. This quantitative study explores the research question: Is there a correlation between the employment of a designated hospital preparedness coordinator and the reported level of preparedness for: (a) general preparedness; (b) chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) events; (c) pandemic disease outbreaks; (d) mass casualty events; and (e) internal infrastructure failure, as assessed by an online survey. Alternative analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between access to resources and the 5 dependent variables. Using complexity theory as the theoretical framework, point biserial correlation and …

Nursing Distance Learning Course Comparison Of Assignments And Examination Scores, Jennifer Mundine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing programs have embraced distance learning in their curricula, but discussion is ongoing about course assignments and grading criteria to increase examination scores in nursing distance learning courses. Because course examinations are a predictor of success on the postgraduate licensing examination (NCLEX-RN), the purpose of this study was to determine whether differences existed in student examination scores between nursing distance learning courses with and without points aligned to assignments. The theoretical framework was Knowles's theory of andragogy, which highlights adults' motivation and self-direction to succeed. The quantitative causal comparative study included a convenience sample of 164 students to compare archival …

Impact Of Positive Youth Development Services On Resilience Among Adjudicated Girls, Shaunette Roberta Byers Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive youth development (PYD) frameworks that guide PYD services suggest at-risk youth need to develop resiliency attitudes and resiliency skills in order to prevent long-term failure in their adult lives. This concept is based on multiple developmental theories that suggest increased levels of resiliency make it easier to navigate challenging situations. Adjudicated youth have faced a major setback in their short lives, yet they still have an opportunity to become successful and avoid additional jail time, if they are able to display a strong sense of resilience. Many youth development programs geared toward serving adjudicated youth, lack the appropriate structure …

A Multiple Case Study On Leader Support, Breastfeeding, And Work Commitment, Lisa Marie Rancourt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, over 50% of women return to paid work after becoming mothers. Mothers who breastfeed are more likely to stop working than peers who chose to use infant formula. The purpose of this research was to explore work commitment among new mothers during the first year of their infant's life. Many of these mothers had skills that were imperative to organizational success, making their retention a priority. The relationship between leadership support for dual roles as mothers and employees had not received attention previously in the literature. This multiple case study analyzed the perceptions of new mothers …

The Relationship Between School Type And Mental Health Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Questioning Young Adults, Steven Vincente Spencer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gay-straight alliance (GSA) clubs may positively affect mental health for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBT) students, but little research has studied schools that primarily enroll LGBT students. Guided by neofunctional and sexual stigma theory, the purpose of this study was to determine if graduates of LGBT high schools have better mental health than LGBT and heterosexual graduates of mainstream high schools. A snow ball sample, of 183 graduates of high schools in the United States and 95 graduates from high schools in other countries, 80% who identified as LGBT, completed an online survey consisting of 5 short mental …

Phenomenological Study Of The Educational Component Of The Formal Disarmament, Demobilization, And Reintegration Program Of Ex-Militants In Liberia, John Tamba Wollie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A significant number of Liberian ex-militants are unemployed and underemployed despite the job skills, formal education, and entrepreneurial training they received as participants in the Formal Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program that was established to reintegrate combatants into civilian society at the end of the two civil wars in Liberia in 2003. The purpose of this study was to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the vocational training offered by the DDR program. Informed by the theories of Human Capital, Peace Building, and Bronfrenbrenner, the research questions for this study assessed the benefits of the educational component of DDR. …

Teachers' Perspectives Of Balanced Assessment, Michele Branch Branch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current research indicates that when properly implemented, professional development (PD) can positively affect teaching practice and student academic achievement. However, teachers at Lincoln High School (pseudonym) questioned the effectiveness of their district's PD: Balanced Assessment. Given the paucity of research on teachers' viewpoints of PD and how it impacts implementation, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teachers' perspectives of Balanced Assessment as it relates to implementation in the classroom. Guided by Knowles adult learning theory, which states that adults need to make a connection to what they are learning to real life, this study examined 4 …

Examining Nurse Practitioners' Perceptions And Beliefs Regarding Hospice Referrals For African Americans, Karen Jackson Mcclary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Terminally ill patients often have difficult choices at the end-of-life, and electing to receive hospice services is one of them. Hospice has been linked to improved quality of life and death and is accessible to terminally ill patients. Despite the accessibility, African American patients often make the decision to forgo hospice services. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore perceptions and beliefs of nurse practitioners (NPs) regarding the lack of utilization of hospice for African American patients and the feasibility of NPs for initial referral for terminally ill African American patients. The research questions addressed whether an NP's …

Role Of Coping Self-Efficacy In Working Mothers' Management Of Daily Hassles And Health Outcomes, Sonya Kali Broadnax

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. working mothers experience frequent daily hassles, yet little is known about how working mothers have disproportionate abilities to handle stress. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the extent to which coping self-efficacy mediated the effect that cumulative daily hassles had on working mothers' health outcomes (i.e., physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health). The transactional model of stress and coping, social cognitive theory, and self-efficacy theory provided the theoretical foundations for this study. Daily hassles were used for this study as an additional theoretical approach for measuring stress. A …

Perceptions Of Employed People With Narcolepsy, Chantelle L. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many companies have used perceptions of their employees to understand how sleep disorders affect their working environment. Sleep disorders have had an undesirable effect on employee performance and often result in employee modifications to accommodate their condition in the workplace. Though information is available concerning employees' experiences pertinent to working with sleep disorders, research focusing on how employees with narcolepsy perceive their work environment appears to be missing from the literature. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of perceptions of employees with narcolepsy about their work environment and strategies that may influence others to promote positive health …

Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, And Intellectual Developmental Disorder: A Parent's Perspective, Wendy Marie Kellon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A consistent gap in previous studies was sexuality education and sexual orientation, as well as how to disseminate the sexual education material in a format that would be useful to individuals with IDD, parents, and caregivers. This biographical study addresses the understanding of sexuality and sexual orientation of an individual with intellectual developmental disorder (IDD), as reported by his parents. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, documents, and social media sites belonging to the participants. The theoretical framework for this study was social constructivism; a thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The six themes that emerged from this research …

Spirituality For Late Adolescents Coping With Grief And Loss, Dana Yolanda Matthews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Experiencing the death of a loved one is often life changing, and learning ways to cope is an important part of the healing process. Such a change can be particularly difficult for late adolescents (individuals between 18 and 25 years of age) who are already going through significant life changes. Spirituality and mental health has received increasing scholarly attention in recent years, and the Association for Spirituality, Ethics, and Religious Values in Counseling has developed competencies for counselors to use when working with clients who wish to incorporate spirituality in their treatment. Despite increased interest in the field, there is …

Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction In Nigerian International Oil Companies, Kingsley Chukwuemeka Onyebuenyi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of Nigerian international oil companies (IOC) were facing challenges developing efficient strategies for motivating demographically diverse employees. Some IOC leaders possessed limited knowledge of the extent to which demographic variables influenced job satisfaction and affected employee productivity. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee category (being a permanent or nonpermanent employee) and facets of job satisfaction after controlling for gender and nationality factors. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory was the theoretical framework for this study. A random sample of 104 senior employees (76 permanent and 28 nonpermanent employees) from 5 IOC located in Port Harcourt …