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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Sleep Among Young Adults Living In Rural Poverty, Susan Barber Skinner Jan 2017

Sleep Among Young Adults Living In Rural Poverty, Susan Barber Skinner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of restorative sleep is implicated in threats to public health and safety as well as negative individual health outcomes, which are more pronounced among those living in rural poverty. This study addressed the need for an approach to these problems that is sensitive to culture and community. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of sleep among young adults living in rural poverty to inform development of strategies to improve sleep behavior in this population. Research questions explored the lived experience of sleep, constructs of the theory of planned behavior which was used as …


Strategies To Retain Revenue Management Analysts In The U.S. Airline Industry, Curtis Raynard Williams Jan 2017

Strategies To Retain Revenue Management Analysts In The U.S. Airline Industry, Curtis Raynard Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The voluntary turnover of revenue management analysts in the U.S. airline industry is an issue, compelling revenue management leaders to implement retention strategies that successfully reduce employee turnover. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies revenue management leaders used within the last 15 years to retain revenue management analysts. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Maertz's 8 motivational forces of job attachment and voluntary turnover. The targeted population was comprised of revenue management leaders at an airline in Dallas, Texas who had demonstrated successful strategies to reduce employee turnover. Using criterion-based sampling, 4 …


Integrating The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics In A Secondary School, Danielle Holmes Campbell Jan 2017

Integrating The Common Core State Standards For Mathematics In A Secondary School, Danielle Holmes Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that anchored this study was district leaders' and administrators' lack of clarity regarding teacher concerns about the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) implementation in high school math. The purposes of the study were to (a) examine the perception of high school math teachers regarding the barriers for successfully implementing the CCSSM, and (b) to elicit recommendations for teacher preparation. Ely's theory of change was utilized to relate the entity of the CCSSM to this new shift in education. To better understand this phenomenon, 2 research questions accompanied this study. The research questions were geared to not …


Leadership Practices Supporting Retention In Head Start Nonprofit Organizations, Nannette Brown Phillips Jan 2017

Leadership Practices Supporting Retention In Head Start Nonprofit Organizations, Nannette Brown Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Head Start, the largest early childhood organization in the United States, was federally mandated to employ bachelor degreed operational employees, with no additional funds. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore effective strategies that successful leaders of Head Start Nonprofit Organizations use to retain operational employees. The population of this study included 5 Head Start CEOs/Program Directors in 5 Head Start nonprofit organizations in Alabama who successfully retained operational employees in their organization. Kouzes and Posner's transformational leadership theory provided a conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected via telephone interviews and employee records from the …


The Development And Validation Of A Novice Nurse Decision-Making Skills Education Curriculum, Joanne Stephanie Simmons Jan 2017

The Development And Validation Of A Novice Nurse Decision-Making Skills Education Curriculum, Joanne Stephanie Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Novice nurses (NNs) are entering critical care environments with limited knowledge, skills, and decision-making expertise. They are expected to care for complex patients in a dynamic healthcare setting. The research question for this project examined whether NNs improve their knowledge and skills by participating in a nursing decision-making skills curriculum. The purpose of the project was to develop and validate a nursing decision-making skills education curriculum working in an intermediate critical care unit. Taba's instructional theoretical model was used to guide the new curriculum development along with current evidence based practice found in the current literature. Scaffolding approach theory encouraged …


Noise In The Icu, Fay Goode Jan 2017

Noise In The Icu, Fay Goode

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Noise in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been associated with patients experiencing psychological and physical disorders such as anxiety, sleep deprivation, and worsening of hypertension and diabetes. Researchers have suggested that the use of a noise reduction protocol can result in a decrease in noise in the ICU and a subsequent improvement in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. The research question for this project examined the effectiveness of a newly developed noise protocol in minimizing noise in the ICU, since the patients at the facility of study reported noise as being a nuisance that …


Retention Of Minority Students In A Bridge Program: Student Perceptions On Their Successes And Challenges, Chadwick Biermeier Jan 2017

Retention Of Minority Students In A Bridge Program: Student Perceptions On Their Successes And Challenges, Chadwick Biermeier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an examination of the minority student retention rate in a year-long bridge program. The retention rate of these students is 25%. University administration was concerned about the retention rate and its impact on future enrollment. Using Jack Mezirow's transformative learning as a framework of understanding, the purpose of this study was to identify successes and challenges that minority students experienced in the bridge program and how those experiences affected future decisions on retention. A qualitative case-study design was implemented and 9 of the 140 bridge students were purposefully selected for individual interviews. Data analysis was conducted using …


Exploring Part-Time Teacher Professional Development And Best Practices On Adult Learners' Outcomes, Sandra Kay Brown Jan 2017

Exploring Part-Time Teacher Professional Development And Best Practices On Adult Learners' Outcomes, Sandra Kay Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issue of limited part-time teacher professional development and its effect on adult learners' success at an adult education center in the northeast United States was addressed in this study. At the research site, almost 50% of the teaching staff are adjuncts. Professional development opportunities have been limited, with only 1 opportunity recorded during the 2014-2015 school year. When teachers are provided appropriate and relevant support for the curriculum and student needs, they realize their own craft growth, with measureable student achievement as a result. Knowles's adult learning theory served as the conceptual framework and provided structure for exploring and …


Implementing Elementary School Next Generation Science Standards, Kathy Kennedy Jan 2017

Implementing Elementary School Next Generation Science Standards, Kathy Kennedy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards requires developing elementary teacher content and pedagogical content knowledge of science and engineering concepts. Teacher preparation for this undertaking appears inadequate with little known about how in-service Mid-Atlantic urban elementary science teachers approach this task. The purpose of this basic qualitative interview study was to explore the research questions related to perceived learning needs of 8 elementary science teachers and 5 of their administrators serving as instructional leaders. Strategies needed for professional growth to support learning and barriers that hamper it at both building and district levels were included. These questions were considered …


Role Of Midline Catheters In Patient Care, Tina K. Schlegel Jan 2017

Role Of Midline Catheters In Patient Care, Tina K. Schlegel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are responsible for 100,000 patient deaths per year, creating a critical need for prevention of these deadly infections that occur with central venous lines (CVLs). Alternative forms of IV access such as midline catheters (MLCs) may offer lower rates of infection than those seen with CVLs. MLCs were implemented at the practice setting in 2016; however, no evaluation of their effectiveness had been conducted. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of MLCs using a retrospective, pre- post- comparison of CLABSI rates and device utilization rates (DUR) obtained from the practice setting …


Attracting, Recruiting, And Retaining Qualified Faculty At Community Colleges In Sierra Leone, Gloria Betts Jan 2017

Attracting, Recruiting, And Retaining Qualified Faculty At Community Colleges In Sierra Leone, Gloria Betts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study was designed to explore policies that were in place to attract, recruit, and retain qualified faculty for 4 community colleges in Sierra Leone. The research was necessitated by the apparent inability of Sierra Leone educators to train and retain faculty possessing the required academic credentials. The research questions were designed to address the policies and strategies used to attract and recruit faculty, better prepare faculty, improve the quality of classroom instruction, and retain qualified faculty at community colleges. The literature review yielded results about the benefits of community colleges in developing countries, thus reinforcing the need for …


Body Piercing And Health Complications Among College Students In Puerto Rico, Elsie Goicochea Jan 2017

Body Piercing And Health Complications Among College Students In Puerto Rico, Elsie Goicochea

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence and prevalence of body piercing health complications among students is a public health matter that has not been researched in Puerto Rico. College students are the most consistent participants in body piercing activities and have reported health complications resulting in visits to medical offices and emergency rooms. Based on the health belief model, which is used to explain and predict health attitudes, the purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to analyze the health risks and possible complications occurring after body piercing and to investigate the association between sex and age and medical complications. Data were collected from …


Impact Of Career And Technical Education Programs, Bradley Eric Gogan Jan 2017

Impact Of Career And Technical Education Programs, Bradley Eric Gogan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism spectrum disorder rates are climbing in the United States. Because this population is growing, research is needed to understand how to assist these individuals in pursuit of postsecondary educational and employment opportunities. The purpose of this qualitative study, as reflected in the central research question, was to investigate how a career and technical education program impacted the preparedness of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder for educational and employment opportunities beyond high school. The conceptual framework was based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological perspective of human development, Zhao and Frank's ecological perspective of technology, and Song's research about distributed cognition. This …


The Impact Of Transitional Justice On Conflict Resolution And The Maintenance Of Peace, Joe Lambongang Jan 2017

The Impact Of Transitional Justice On Conflict Resolution And The Maintenance Of Peace, Joe Lambongang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ethnic conflicts persist in Ghana despite the efforts of governments to resolve them. Governments are increasingly concerned not only about their massive human rights abuses and wide-scale destruction of property that characterize these conflicts, but also the difficulty of resolving them and restoring permanent peace. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to provide a deeper understanding of the processes and mechanisms of transitional justice implemented in Dagbon after war broke out in 2002 and explore the conditions under which these initiatives can be more effective in resolving the conflict and maintain peace. Data were collected through individual …


Sustainment Strategies Small Business Owners Use For More Than 5 Years, Son Thanh Nguyen Jan 2017

Sustainment Strategies Small Business Owners Use For More Than 5 Years, Son Thanh Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. Small Business Administration reports that small businesses are one of the pillars of the U.S. economy, providing employment, innovation, and productivity. However, these businesses are constantly faced with challenges resulting from limited resources and continuous technological advances. This qualitative multiple-case study was performed to explore the strategies that small business owners (SBOs) in Maryland use to acquire capital to sustain their businesses financially for more than 5 years. The study's framework, the strategic management theory, was applied to determine the most effective approaches for the small businesses. Face-to-face interviews with 6 recruited SBOs were performed. A qualitative thematic analysis …


Correlates Of Project Success In The Nigerian Real Estate Construction Sector, Augustine Ofodile Onyali Jan 2017

Correlates Of Project Success In The Nigerian Real Estate Construction Sector, Augustine Ofodile Onyali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project managers in the Nigerian real estate construction sector are facing challenges in delivering real estate projects profitably. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine how comprehension, motivation, skills, resources, and communication can predict project success in the real estate construction sector in Nigeria. Understanding these elements was necessary for developing project management strategies aimed at optimizing profitability. The population of the study was project management practitioners in the Nigerian real estate construction sector who are facing challenges in delivering real estate construction projects profitably. The duck alignment theory served as the theoretical framework for the study. Data …


Acculturation, Identity Formation, And Mental Health-Related Issues Among Young Adult Ethiopian Immigrants, Sam A. Wolde Jan 2017

Acculturation, Identity Formation, And Mental Health-Related Issues Among Young Adult Ethiopian Immigrants, Sam A. Wolde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Immigration is a contributing factor to population growth in the United States. Ethiopian immigrants who are residing in the United States constitute the second-largest African immigrant group next to Nigeria. The effect of immigrants' identity formation and acculturation process on their social and emotional wellness has drawn behavioral and social scientists' attention. Still, limited research has been devoted to exploring Ethiopian immigrants' acculturation and identity formation processes and how these processes shape 1.5- and second-generation immigrants' perceptions of mental health-related issues. This phenomenological study explored identity formation, acculturation processes, and mental health beliefs in 1.5- and second-generation Ethiopian immigrants. Face-to-face …


Reducing Delirium In The Hospitalized Elderly With A Nursing Prevention Protocol, Mari L. Fraire Jan 2017

Reducing Delirium In The Hospitalized Elderly With A Nursing Prevention Protocol, Mari L. Fraire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The aim of this project was to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the Clear Minds protocol for early detection and prevention of delirium in hospitalized, elderly patients. The protocol was used to monitor for delirium and improve sleep quality by reducing sleep disturbances caused by environmental factors in hospital settings. Due to the risk of delirium for patients in late adulthood, implementation of a delirium-prevention protocol was needed. Upon admission, patients 60 years and older or patients that screened positive for the Brief Confusion Assessment Method (bCAM) were placed on the Clear Minds protocol. The protocol consisted of establishing …


Parental Perception Of Mobile Device Usage In Children And Social Competency, Christin Topper Jan 2017

Parental Perception Of Mobile Device Usage In Children And Social Competency, Christin Topper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents in the 21st century are concerned with the ubiquity of mobile devices and their effects on the progression of social development. A review of the literature indicated that although digital interaction has become more prominent, limited empirical data existed on whether children who spend more time interacting in the digital realm would develop the necessary competency to handle social situations in real-life settings. Using social constructivist theory and the Schramm model of communication as the theoretical foundations, the present study examined the relationship between mobile device usage and the level of social competency in young children as perceived by …


Nigerian Oil And Gas Industry Content Development Act's Perceived Performance Impact, Olakunle Thomas Ayoola Jan 2017

Nigerian Oil And Gas Industry Content Development Act's Perceived Performance Impact, Olakunle Thomas Ayoola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Petroleum-producing companies in Nigeria were forced to increase spending on Nigerian-sourced materials and services from $8 billion to $13 billion since 2010, due to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act. The act was enacted in 2010 to support local firms and improve the companies' performance. However, there is sparse research on how the act affected the companies' performance. This study was an examination of the impact of the act on the companies' performance. Bandura's social cognitive theory was the theoretical framework. The research questions of this descriptive correlational study were used to examine the act's effect on …


Developing Small And Medium Enterprises In The Nigerian Oil And Gas Sector, Blessing Ejiro Inubiwon Jan 2017

Developing Small And Medium Enterprises In The Nigerian Oil And Gas Sector, Blessing Ejiro Inubiwon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) participation in the Nigerian oil and gas industry has remained low despite their importance in income generation, employment, local capacity building, and poverty eradication. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies SME owners use to improve profitability in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The target population consisted of 5 business owners who had successfully managed SMEs in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria for more than 5 years. The resource-based view and Porter's 5 forces of competition served as the conceptual framework for the study. Data collection was through semistructured interviews …


Association Between Physician Characteristics And Surgical Errors In U.S. Hospitals, Obumneke A. Amadi Jan 2017

Association Between Physician Characteristics And Surgical Errors In U.S. Hospitals, Obumneke A. Amadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high incidence of medical and surgical errors in U.S. hospitals and clinics affects patients' safety. Not enough is known about the relationship between physician characteristics and medical error rates. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between selected physician characteristics and surgical errors in U.S. hospitals. The ecological model was used to understand personal and systemic factors that might be related to the incidence of surgical errors. Archived data from the National Practitioner Data Bank database of physician surgical errors were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Independent variables included physicians' home …


A Teacher Retrospective Of A Decade Of One-To-One Devices, Sarah J. Irish Jan 2017

A Teacher Retrospective Of A Decade Of One-To-One Devices, Sarah J. Irish

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One-to-one electronic devices have become commonplace in many educational settings across the globe, but it has been unclear how long-term teaching practices using such devices have evolved and how they relate to recognized best practices for using technology in the classroom. This study examined what a generation of teachers has over time identified as best applications of using these devices; their benefits, drawbacks, and challenges; and whether their use reflected previously identified best application of technologies in the classroom. This case study, conducted in one school system in New England, used the theories of Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition (SAMR) …


The Managerial Impact On Small Business Global Supply Chain, Silvia Nigh Jan 2017

The Managerial Impact On Small Business Global Supply Chain, Silvia Nigh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a global economy, companies that are able to engage in international trade may have a competitive advantage over others. Increased globalization is also increasing the demand for effective global supply management practices. Building on Lorenz's chaos theory, this instrumental case study explored the strategies that 4 senior managers from small and medium-sized enterprises in Indianapolis, Indiana used to reduce disruptive vulnerabilities in the supply chain continuum. Review of company documents served as the second data collection method. Rowley's 3-step analysis guided the coding process of the interview data, and the trustworthiness of interpretations was enhanced through methodological triangulation of …


The Effects Of Process Management On Stakeholder Performance: A Meta-Analysis, Donna Pulliam-Brown Jan 2017

The Effects Of Process Management On Stakeholder Performance: A Meta-Analysis, Donna Pulliam-Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2012, there were over 500,000 business management degrees conferred at the undergraduate and graduate level; however, the assessment of student performance has not kept pace with the growth of courses offered in both an online and traditional format. One of the objectives of teaching is to ensure that all students regardless of mode of instruction are receiving a quality education. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to measure the efficiency of learning in a business discipline by evaluating final course grades of 1,051 students. Ten traditional and 10 online course grades provided final student outcomes that were used to …


Relationships Between Job Satisfaction, Supervisor Support, And Profitability Among Quick Service Industry Employees, Joseph Carl Vann Jan 2017

Relationships Between Job Satisfaction, Supervisor Support, And Profitability Among Quick Service Industry Employees, Joseph Carl Vann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low profit margins threaten the sustainability of quick service restaurants (QSRs). In the United States, low levels of employee job satisfaction and low employee perceptions of supervisor support decrease organizational profitability by as much as $151 million annually, depending on the size and type of organization. Guided by the 2-factor theory of motivation, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee job satisfaction, employee perceptions of supervisor support, and organizational profitability. A convenience sample of employees from 86 QSR franchise locations in Houston, Texas completed the Job Satisfaction and Perceived Supervisor Support surveys. Multiple linear …


Ask A Busy Person? A Reexamination Of Cognitive Performance Under Load, Graham Watson Jan 2017

Ask A Busy Person? A Reexamination Of Cognitive Performance Under Load, Graham Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A longstanding folk belief suggests that 'busy' people possess the ability to get more done than others. Busyness, defined as the demands of everyday life, has been shown to generate cognitive load, which has been called 'cognitive busyness.' Although most cognitive theory would deny the possibility that cognitive load may enhance performance, some recent research may support the possibility. Cowan's 1988 information-processing model was used to study how measures of everyday busyness correlated with performance on cognitive tasks. The research question addressed whether any combination of such measures, in combination with working memory, could predict performance on such tasks. 92 …


Low Health Literacy And Preoperative Instruction Compliance Among Patients Undergoing Surgical Procedures, Mariefel Casino Paqueo Jan 2017

Low Health Literacy And Preoperative Instruction Compliance Among Patients Undergoing Surgical Procedures, Mariefel Casino Paqueo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In addition to cancelations and delays of needed surgical procedures, serious or fatal complications can occur when patients with low health literacy do not comply with preoperative instructions. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to provide more insight about ways to decrease on cancelled and delayed surgical procedures in low health literacy patients' due to noncompliance with preoperative fasting instructions. The project was informed by the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance model (King, D. K., Glasgow, R. E., and Leeman-Castillo, B. (2010). The project question centered on whether health literate preoperative fasting instructions could decrease cancellations and …


Relationship Between Project Managers’ Age, Years Of Project Experience, And Project Success, Luli Hoxha Jan 2017

Relationship Between Project Managers’ Age, Years Of Project Experience, And Project Success, Luli Hoxha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project failures are costly to businesses and are increasingly present in the news. In many industries, projects have a 40% failure rate, and 90% of venture capital projects fail even to start. Project managers play a key role in delivering successful projects. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between project manager’s age and years of project experience and project success. The population of this study consisted of 108 active or former project managers working in Albania or Kosovo who were LinkedIn members. The study was not grounded in a named theory; rather, based on the …


Retention Of The Experienced Nurse, Tina Melissa Brinegar Jan 2017

Retention Of The Experienced Nurse, Tina Melissa Brinegar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nursing profession is facing a potentially devastating shortage of nurses by the year 2020. Contributing to the shortage is the retirement of experienced nurses who are over the age of 45, and an aging baby boomer population. The loss will place a considerable strain on the overloaded health systems. As a result, it is important to identify successful strategies for addressing the problem of experienced nurse retention. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to conduct a systematic review of literature to answer the question of what retention strategies have been used to prevent the loss of the experienced …