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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Parent And Principals' Perceptions Of Cyberbullying In 21st Century Rural Elementary Schools, Kathleen Virginia Hosterman Jan 2016

Parent And Principals' Perceptions Of Cyberbullying In 21st Century Rural Elementary Schools, Kathleen Virginia Hosterman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cyberbullying is a common form of harassment and aggression engaged in by today's youth. This phenomenon is affecting primary-school-aged children as technology devices are now made available to elementary school students in rural settings. Based on the framework of Bandura's social cognitive theory, this mixed methods project study included a survey to quantitatively investigate the associations between parental knowledge of the phenomenon of cyberbullying and children's grade levels, and a focus group to gather qualitative data from school principals regarding their perceptions of the extent and impact of cyberbullying in 4 rural elementary schools in Massachusetts. Due to highly skewed …

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Examining Barriers That Inhibit Student Achievement From A Teacher's Perspective, Taryn Everett Jan 2016

Examining Barriers That Inhibit Student Achievement From A Teacher's Perspective, Taryn Everett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers at an urban high school in the Southeast have failed to see an increase in classroom achievement or standardized test scores despite efforts to increase passing rates. If achievement rates do not increase, school restructuring will occur. While the site has implemented programs to reduce academic failure, data exists that external barriers may be affecting student achievement. Guided by Bandura's (1986) theory of metacognitive beliefs and self-efficacy as the conceptual framework, this qualitative case study explored teachers' perceptions about the root causes of poor student achievement. This study examines how to identify those causes to help students improve academically, …

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Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Reading And Language Arts Preparation And Preparedness For The State Subject Area Test, Ingrid Ahrens Massey Jan 2016

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Reading And Language Arts Preparation And Preparedness For The State Subject Area Test, Ingrid Ahrens Massey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since changes to the reading/language arts State Subject Area Test (SSAT) in late 2010, elementary education teacher candidates at a teacher training college in the Southern United States have experienced declining scores resulting in test failure and delaying student teaching and graduation. The purpose of this case study was to identify factors that students and faculty perceived as most beneficial in preparing students to pass the SSAT. Constructivism served as the conceptual framework for this study addressing the effects of collaboration, hands-on learning, and application of knowledge. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 6 elementary education students who had taken …

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Influence Of Talent Search Program On College Readiness And Success, Donitha Jones Griffin Jan 2016

Influence Of Talent Search Program On College Readiness And Success, Donitha Jones Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Precollege programs, such as Talent Search (TS), are widely used to increase college readiness skills, particularly among underrepresented students in higher education. The college examined in this study had implemented the TS program, but little empirical evidence existed about the efficacy of the program. The purpose of this ex-post facto quantitative study was to evaluate the effect that the local TS program has had on college readiness and success as measured by incoming freshmen placement exam scores and students' first-year grade point average (FYGPA). The theoretical framework for the study was Conley's 4 dimensions of college readiness designed to help …

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Privacy Concerns Regarding The Use Of Biometrics In Trusted Traveler Programs, Shari Merlano Jan 2016

Privacy Concerns Regarding The Use Of Biometrics In Trusted Traveler Programs, Shari Merlano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the objectives of the U.S. government is to balance the individual’s right to privacy and national security interests. Trusted Traveler programs create a risk-based security model where the traveling public is categorized into low or high risk. There are, however, some privacy concerns related to the acceptance of the use of biometric technology in the adoption of expedited security screening procedures in commercial airports. The theoretical construct of this case study of the TSA Pre-Check Program is based on Ajzen and Fischbein’s theory of reasoned action, specifically through Davis’ technology acceptance model. The purpose of this case study …

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Referral And Treatment Settings For Pregnant Women, Linda D. O'Daniel Jan 2016

Referral And Treatment Settings For Pregnant Women, Linda D. O'Daniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women is a significant public health issue. The purpose of this study was to assess drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women and the setting in which they sought service or treatment to determine whether U.S. census regions and race data could predict the type of addiction service or treatment that pregnant addicts chose. The theories of self-efficacy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and rational emotive behavioral therapy were used as the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions were used to examine whether there was a relationship between the source of addiction treatment referral …

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Effectiveness Of A Critical Care Nurse Residency Program, Pam Redman Jan 2016

Effectiveness Of A Critical Care Nurse Residency Program, Pam Redman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The importance of nurse residency programs is addressed in the literature; however, a review of residency program outcomes and effectiveness is needed. Guided by Roy's adaptation model and Deming's plan-do-check-act model, the purpose of this quality improvement project was to assess the current state of a longstanding critical care nurse residency program in meeting organizational goals and objectives and to recommend modifications to the program related to external factors, internal challenges, and educational deficits of nurses entering the program. A review of the evidence-based literature and feedback from focus groups of leadership stakeholders were used to develop recommendations for residency …

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A Curriculum On Culturally Competent Practices To Prevent Retraumatization In Diverse Survivors, Luana Rodriguez Jan 2016

A Curriculum On Culturally Competent Practices To Prevent Retraumatization In Diverse Survivors, Luana Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This DNP project addresses the healthcare issue of intimate partner, domestic, and sexual violence (IPDSV), its impact on survivors, and reducing the potential for retraumatization by those who care for them in the clinical, behavioral, and social settings. Trauma-informed care interventions are designed to address the sequelae of trauma, promote recovery, and support resilience. Since IPDSV is a global health issue, supporting cultural needs of all clients is an essential aspect of trauma-informed care. This project was guided by a central research question that examined if trauma-informed, culturally competent curriculum be viewed by community stakeholders as an appropriate intervention for …

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Effects Of Direct Instruction Common Core Math On Students With Learning Disabilities, Joseph Ifeanyi Monye Jan 2016

Effects Of Direct Instruction Common Core Math On Students With Learning Disabilities, Joseph Ifeanyi Monye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. students with learning disabilities' math skills acquisition has been on the decline in recent years. Studies show that teachers using traditional methods of teaching math lack knowledge of task analysis, chunking, sequencing, mass practice, modeling, and repetition of instruction. These components of direct instruction or pedagogical activities are hallmarks of special education teaching and are collectively described as cognitive support pedagogy. The study evaluated direct instruction teaching strategies to teach Common Core math to middle school students with learning disabilities, to determine if the current downward trend in math skills acquisition amongst them can be reversed. The theoretical framework …

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Penalty Enhancement Laws And The Reporting Of Patient Assaults On Emergency Department Nurses, Thomas Runkle Jan 2016

Penalty Enhancement Laws And The Reporting Of Patient Assaults On Emergency Department Nurses, Thomas Runkle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Assaults on emergency department nurses by patients are higher than any other occupation in the private sector. Professional nursing organizations have lobbied for penalty enhancement laws that increase the categorization of assaulting a nurse on duty from a misdemeanor to a felony. As of 2015, 32 states have implemented these laws. Yet, low assault reporting rates by nurses remains a problem, and little is known about whether penalty enhancements improved reporting rates. The purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate the impact of penalty enhancement laws on self-reporting of assault on emergency department nurses in 6 Mid-Atlantic cities. Constructs …

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Characteristics Of Effective Reading Language Arts Teachers In Closing The Achievement Gap, Latasha Price Bassette Jan 2016

Characteristics Of Effective Reading Language Arts Teachers In Closing The Achievement Gap, Latasha Price Bassette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined an urban school district in the southern United States that continued to experience student achievement gaps despite the implementation of initiatives as the African American Success Initiative. The school leadership needed a deeper understanding regarding what strategies were successful with closing the achievement gap. Using Gay's theory of cultural responsive pedagogy, the purpose of this study was to identify inward attributes, outward strategies, and professional development perceptions of teachers with no achievement gap among ethnically diverse students. Employing an instrumental case study design, 8 middle school reading teachers who closed the reading achievement gap were interviewed; these …

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The Difference In Attitudes Of Regular And Special Education Teachers Toward Inclusion, Janice Lorraine Brown-Oyola Jan 2016

The Difference In Attitudes Of Regular And Special Education Teachers Toward Inclusion, Janice Lorraine Brown-Oyola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusion has been introduced throughout the educational community as a method to increase math and reading scores of underachieving schools on standardized tests. The problem was that teachers were not effectively implementing inclusion. Guided by Bandura's (1994) self-efficacy theory, which hypothesizes that a person's sense of efficacy provides information of their capability and the ability to assess their performance, the purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to determine if there was a significant difference in attitudes on inclusion between regular and special education teachers using the 4 subsections of the Scale of Teachers: Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms through an …

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Hospitality Students' Perceptions Regarding The Role Of Paid Employment In Academic Performance, Ruth Annette Smith Jan 2016

Hospitality Students' Perceptions Regarding The Role Of Paid Employment In Academic Performance, Ruth Annette Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between January and December 2014, 68% of full-time hospitality management students at a southeastern university in the United States worked for pay more than 15 hours each week. Fifty percent of these students had a GPA of 2.5 or below, reflecting poor academic performance as benchmarked by the institution. The purpose of this study was to achieve an understanding of how full-time undergraduate hospitality students perceived the role of paid employment in their academic performance. The study was grounded by Astin's student involvement theory that requires an investment of psychosocial and physical energy by students for a successful college experience. …

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Improving Perinatal Team Communication To Decrease Patient Harm With Team Strategies And Tools To Enhance Performance And Patient Safety Training, Raquel Maria Walker Jan 2016

Improving Perinatal Team Communication To Decrease Patient Harm With Team Strategies And Tools To Enhance Performance And Patient Safety Training, Raquel Maria Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During childbirth, multiple providers deliver care at the bedside that requires optimal teamwork and communication to prevent patient harm. The complexity of caring for obstetrical patient demands a well-coordinated team to relay information and respond to conditions that can change quickly during childbirth. A patient safety strategy to prevent perinatal harm is Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) training. TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based program based on crew resource management (CRM) principles developed in the aviation and military industries. This process improvement project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework and Kotter's change theory to implement TeamSTEPPS training after …

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A Modified Program Evaluation Of Training For Employer Compliance With Health Insurance Requirements, Joanneandi Davenport Jan 2016

A Modified Program Evaluation Of Training For Employer Compliance With Health Insurance Requirements, Joanneandi Davenport

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A training program was established in the Midwestern United States to help employers understand compliance requirements of the health insurance industry. The purpose of this study was to conduct a modified program evaluation of the effectiveness of Pay or Play, a portion of a larger Benefit Compliance Program. The reason for the evaluation was the high percentage of remediation needed for administrators of employee health insurance following Pay or Play seminar sessions, which posed the question of program effectiveness in education of participants. This study is important because administrators of employee health insurance are responsible for understanding compliance regulations and …

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Validation Of Parsons' Structural Functionalism Theory Within A Multicultural Human, Sandra Simone Minott Jan 2016

Validation Of Parsons' Structural Functionalism Theory Within A Multicultural Human, Sandra Simone Minott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Shared values and norms are at the core for unifying different cultures socializing or working to fulfill the goals and mission of organizations. Researchers have not examined how employees representing different cultures socialize via shared norms and values in human service companies. The purpose of this ethnography study was to explore the process of 8 culturally different employees working together at a human service organization. Using purposeful sampling, multicultural employees were selected from 4 departments within the human service company. Face-to-face interviews, field notes, questionnaire, and participant observation were the tools for collecting the data. Descriptive coding, value coding, and …

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Oppression, Manifesting From A Government Mission Of Positive Social Change, David Palmer Ramstad Jan 2016

Oppression, Manifesting From A Government Mission Of Positive Social Change, David Palmer Ramstad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Government social interventions hold considerable power over what choices and opportunities impoverished households have available to escape the oppressive socioeconomic trappings of poverty. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is one such program. While there are many positive mission statements of social governance, this study focused on the regressive potential for oppressive institutional policies and practices. Theoretical frameworks guiding the study were Pierce’s 1979 model of oppression and Crenshaw’s 1989 intersectionality theory. The quantitative design’s hypothesis and research question focused on whether significant relationships exist between LIHTC project placement and highest concentrations of six commonly …

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Type 2 Diabetes In Offspring Of Diabetic African American Women, Toby Valentino Yak Jan 2016

Type 2 Diabetes In Offspring Of Diabetic African American Women, Toby Valentino Yak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is greater among African American women and their offspring than it is among Caucasian women and their offspring. In Iowa, there has been a gap in public health knowledge regarding risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes in African American women and their offspring. The behavioral change wheel model was used to guide this study. This research study was a quantitative, retrospective cohort using primary data to investigate the association between a sample of diabetic African American and the occurrence of diabetes in their offspring. The sample included 105 diabetic African American women between …

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Determining Small Business Cybersecurity Strategies To Prevent Data Breaches, Jennifer Saber Jan 2016

Determining Small Business Cybersecurity Strategies To Prevent Data Breaches, Jennifer Saber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cybercrime is one of the quickest growing areas of criminality. Criminals abuse the speed, accessibility, and privacy of the Internet to commit diverse crimes involving data and identity theft that cause severe damage to victims worldwide. Many small businesses do not have the financial and technological means to protect their systems from cyberattack, making them vulnerable to data breaches. This exploratory multiple case study, grounded in systems thinking theory and routine activities theory, encompassed an investigation of cybersecurity strategies used by 5 small business leaders in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The data collection process involved open-ended online questionnaires, semistructured face-to-face interviews, …

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Novanet's Effect On The Reading Achievement Of At-Risk Middle School Students, Alice Harris Jackson Jan 2016

Novanet's Effect On The Reading Achievement Of At-Risk Middle School Students, Alice Harris Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At-risk and special education students in the 7th and 8th grades in a rural middle school in western Alabama, in the years following the introduction of the No Child Left Behind federal legislation in 2002, failed to achieve adequate yearly progress in reading. School districts are increasingly implementing flexible computer-based intervention programs to improve their students' reading achievement. Using a between-group design, the purpose of this study was to determine whether NovaNET, a newly adopted reading intervention program, enhanced the reading attainment of at-risk and special education students. Guided by constructivist theory, archived reading achievement data from the 2009-2013 Alabama …

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Small Business Leaders' Perceptions Of Strategies Facilitating Positive Performance In Government Contracts, Tamara P. Williams Jan 2016

Small Business Leaders' Perceptions Of Strategies Facilitating Positive Performance In Government Contracts, Tamara P. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past performance ratings of government contractors are becoming a critical pathway to the $300 billion of contract dollars Congress sets aside for small businesses annually. This was a descriptive study exploring leadership strategies small business leaders use to attain positive performance ratings in government contracting, viewed through the lens of the principal-agent theory. The exploration occurred by interviewing 21 small business leaders located within 30 miles of Washington, DC, with favorable performance ratings on at least 3 government contracting opportunities. Clustering themes according to Moustakas's modified van Kaam helped organize, analyze, interpret, and provide meaning to participant accounts of the …

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Workplace Violence Prevention Program To Improve Nurses' Perception Of Safety In The Emergency Department, April Hough Brown Jan 2016

Workplace Violence Prevention Program To Improve Nurses' Perception Of Safety In The Emergency Department, April Hough Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The literature claims that workplace violence (WPV) in the health care setting is among the highest, with the majority of that violence taking place in the Emergency Department (ED). The significance of WPV in reference to nursing is that it leads to burnout, absenteeism, and the risk of nurses leaving their job all together. Leaving the nursing profession intensifies the present critical shortage. With the success of an evidence-based WPV prevention program (WPVPP), hospitals could improve the quality of work for nurses, which consequently will improve retention rates, as well as provide an environment that will be more conducive to …

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The Relationship Between Cultural Intelligence And Work Outcomes Of Expatriates In China, Barbara Joanna Diemer Jan 2016

The Relationship Between Cultural Intelligence And Work Outcomes Of Expatriates In China, Barbara Joanna Diemer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

International assignment failures cost an organization roughly 3 to 4 times an expatriate's annual salary with the most expatriate failures cited for work assignments in China. Previous scholarly research identified cultural intelligence (CQ) as being influential to expatriate work outcomes. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationships among a subset of CQ predictor variables and work outcome related dependent variables. Quantitative analysis regarding the relationship between CQ and work outcomes for U.S. nationals working in China does not currently exist in the scholarly research. Improvement of expatriate work outcomes and reduction of failed assignment costs is …

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Type Of First Term Course Failure And Community College Degree Completion, Jill Stearns Jan 2016

Type Of First Term Course Failure And Community College Degree Completion, Jill Stearns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community colleges are the largest segment of higher education institutions in the United States providing access to historically underserved populations and growing numbers of first generation college students. Increasing college degree attainment is a national priority with new expectations of accountability. Despite decades of educational research, community colleges have startling low completion rates. Within the framework of Tinto's theory of retention, a predictive analytics model could provide community colleges the opportunity to drive custom intervention and support services to students. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of Biglan's taxonomy for categorizing courses for potential use in …

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Predictors Of Likeliness To Engage In Radical Animal Rights And Environmental Activism, Patsy Mckenzie Jan 2016

Predictors Of Likeliness To Engage In Radical Animal Rights And Environmental Activism, Patsy Mckenzie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Radical animal rights and environmental activism is considered domestic terrorism under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. Traditional models of terrorism purport that there is a path to radicalization that is influenced by an individual's sense of identity and ideological beliefs. Using collective identity theory and cognitive experiential self-theory as the framework, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether social identity, cognitive processing mode, and ideological beliefs were predictors for engagement in radical animal rights and environmental activism. The Three Factor Model of Social Identity Scale, the Rational Experiential Inventory, and the Activism Orientation Scale were used to …

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Title: Parents And Teachers’ Perceptions And Clinical Diagnosis Of Autism Among White And Non-White Groups, Margaret Gopaul Jan 2016

Title: Parents And Teachers’ Perceptions And Clinical Diagnosis Of Autism Among White And Non-White Groups, Margaret Gopaul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The pervasiveness of autism has significantly increased over the past 2 decades with the 2014 Center for Disease Control and Prevention report indicating 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Early intervention is recommended as the most effective treatment approach. Nevertheless, previous research has indicated that White children are diagnosed with ASD about 1.5 years earlier than are Non-White children. A current gap remains in literature regarding ASD and different racial groups, and evidence has been inconclusive regarding disparities in identifying and diagnosing ASD. To fill this gap, this study investigated the relationship between child race, …

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Cultural Influences On The Weight, Diet, And Physical Activity Of Pregnant Immigrant Latinas, Martha Eugenia Dominguez Jan 2016

Cultural Influences On The Weight, Diet, And Physical Activity Of Pregnant Immigrant Latinas, Martha Eugenia Dominguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this phenomenological study is how culture and acculturation can potentially influence gestational weight during pregnancy, leading to overweight and obesity among immigrant Latinas. To understand the possible influence of culture and acculturation on the diet, exercise, and weight of pregnant immigrant Latinas, the experiences of immigrant Latinas who had undergone a pregnancy in Mexico and were pregnant in California were examined. The ecological model theory was applied as a framework for exploring the participants' experiences regarding nutrition, physical activity, and weight gain. Semistructured interviews with 10 qualified participants were conducted. Data analysis entailed an inductive approach …

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Staff Perceptions Of The Effect Of The Leader In Me On Student Motivation And Peer Relationships In Elementary School, Charlene Tidd Jan 2016

Staff Perceptions Of The Effect Of The Leader In Me On Student Motivation And Peer Relationships In Elementary School, Charlene Tidd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Staff and student surveys at Lane Elementary School (pseudonym) confirm that students lack motivation to complete class work and often struggle to interact appropriately with one another. Similar concerns are reported across the United States as indicated by national Gallup Poll results on student motivation, peer relationships, and feelings of connectedness in schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine if elementary school personnel believe than an initiative called The Leader In Me has had a positive impact on student motivation and peer relationships. Underpinning this study were Perrin's student motivation theory and research on social and …

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The Value Of Customer Relationship Management In The Service Industry In Egypt, Rasha Ahmed Negm Jan 2016

The Value Of Customer Relationship Management In The Service Industry In Egypt, Rasha Ahmed Negm

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have demonstrated that customer centricity strategies, including customer relationship management (CRM), contribute to 33% of the formula for organizational success. Relationship management theory was used to frame this single case study focused on the factors contributing to successful CRM strategies used by business leaders in a multinational organization in the service industry in Egypt. This company was chosen for its successful implementation of CRM strategies, as shown by online reviews, the company website, and market reputation on its effective campaing results. The population consisted of managers working in the marketing department for more than 5 years. Data collection included …

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U. S. Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Safe Medication Administration, Kathy F. Johnson Jan 2016

U. S. Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Safe Medication Administration, Kathy F. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medication errors are a global concern that may affect patients' hospital stays, patients' lives after discharge, treatment costs, and mortality rates. Understanding medication errors among nursing students may help in preventing these errors as nurses are responsible for safe medication administration. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to examine upper-level nursing students' understanding of and experiences with medication administration and patient safety. Benner's nursing theory of novice to expert and Dreyfus's model of skill acquisition comprised the conceptual framework. Research questions focused on students' perceptions of safe medication administration. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 7 upper-level nursing students …

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