Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Heart Failure Patients A Low-Sodium Diet, Karen Faye Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a progressive medical condition affecting more than 7 million people in the United States (US) with 700,000 new cases reported annually. More than half of those treated for CHF are readmitted at least once a year. The problem addressed by this quality improvement initiative was lack of adherence to low sodium diet (LSD) among CHF patients, knowledge and skill deficit, and excessive 30-day CHF readmissions. The health belief model and the self-care deficit theory guide nurses in acquiring the skills needed to teach LSD. Twelve months of data were selected from 93 CHF readmissions from …

Social Support, Psychological Distress, And Behavioral Outcomes Among Palliative Care Caregivers, Monique Lashone Aguirre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social support and acute care facility providers need information about how to help improve the practices and knowledge of caregivers related to the stages of palliative care. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there was a significant association between social support and psychological distress and behavioral outcomes among palliative care caregivers, and to determine to what extent social support buffered psychological distress and behavioral outcomes. The quality-of-life model guided the study. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional research design with secondary data analyses. The sample included 320 adult family caregivers who were part of a telephone survey …

College Teachers' Implementation Of Instructional Strategies To Support Students' English Language Skills, Ayman Mohammad Alhalawany

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The instructional strategies implemented by the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in an international technical college in Saudi Arabia did not prepare students at an intermediate level of proficiency on the Common European Framework of Reference. As a result, more than 77% of the first-year students were not progressing to the specialized diploma studies in the second and third years of their learning journey. Thus, the purpose of this exploratory case study was to better understand the instructional strategies adopted by instructors and the barriers to students developing their English skills. Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) served …

Juvenile Correctional Officers' Experience Using De-Escalation Strategies, Tania Yvette Appling

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile direct-care officers working in juvenile correctional facilities historically responded to critical and potentially aggressive incidents using nontherapeutic strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine and to understand the lived experiences of direct-care officers' use of de-escalation skills for managing violent and disruptive behaviors in juvenile correctional facilities. The findings from this study may add to the existing literature by describing juvenile correctional officers' experiences as well as to better understand their perceptions and attitude using de-escalation strategies in correctional environments. The social learning and self-efficacy theories provided the conceptual framework to examine and understand their experiences. The …

Overcoming Data Breaches And Human Factors In Minimizing Threats To Cyber-Security Ecosystems, Manouan Pierre-Marius Ayereby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This mixed-methods study focused on the internal human factors responsible for data breaches that could cause adverse impacts on organizations. Based on the Swiss cheese theory, the study was designed to examine preventative measures that managers could implement to minimize potential data breaches resulting from internal employees' behaviors. The purpose of this study was to provide insight to managers about developing strategies that could prevent data breaches from cyber-threats by focusing on the specific internal human factors responsible for data breaches, the root causes, and the preventive measures that could minimize threats from internal employees. Data were collected from 10 …

Engineering Leadership Competencies For Entry-Level Civil Engineers, Agha Bedar Bakht

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The general problem is that while technical engineering firms today require entry-level, full-time engineers to possess leadership skills, companies have failed to indicate which leadership competencies are most important in their recruitment and hiring process. This study's contributions could have implications for the long-term career prospects of engineers as well as the future outlook and sustainability of engineering companies. The specific problem is that various disciplines in the engineering profession, such as the construction sector, have yet to clearly define which leadership competencies are most important for the job market in their specific areas. Advancements in this regard are important …

Causes Of Recidivism Among Mentally Ill Prerelease Offenders From The Perspective Of Former Correctional Mental Health Professionals, Rina Desiree Deneice Bradley Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The move toward reducing the prison population was driven by an increase in the number of reentry programs that focused on the needs of the offender, such as the provision of stable housing, employment, education, and sustaining strong familial bonds. While the literature supported these areas as being effective in reducing recidivism, there was no consensus that they were effective for offenders with mental illness (OMI). The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyze the impact of prerelease services for the OMI population from the perspective of former correctional mental health professionals who provided these services. The research questions …

Middle School Students' Experiences In An Online Problem-Based Learning Environment, Teri A. Bradley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of implementing educational reform is to improve the academic achievement and social skills of graduating students, but evaluating the benefits of a particular instructional method or curriculum design can be complicated. In an online and problem-based learning environment that allows students to choose content and assessment projects and self-pace, the motivation of students to learn and their engagement in the learning process significantly influences the success of the program. This generic qualitative study focused on the experiences of middle school students participating in an online and problem-based educational setting. The study included interview data and self-evaluation questionnaires about …

Strategies Construction Project Managers Use To Create Environmental Sustainability In Construction Projects, Harold Kenneth Branch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior construction project managers who fail to create strategies for environmental sustainability risk losing their competitive advantage in the business environment. Based on stakeholder theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that senior project managers use to implement environmental sustainability in their construction projects. Data were obtained from semistructured interviews with 4 senior project managers from 4 construction companies located in the midwestern region of the United States who implemented environmentally sustainable practices in their project processes. The data analysis process included methodological triangulation. The interviews were transcribed, interpreted, and coded to generate themes, …

Strategies Of Minority Female Technology Entrepreneurs To Obtain Venture Capital Funding, Tamu Petra Browne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Less than 1% of minority women receive venture capital funding for technology enterprises. The purpose of the multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by Black female entrepreneurs to obtain venture capital funding for their technology businesses in the United States. The conceptual framework for the study was the social network theory of entrepreneurship. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 5 Black female entrepreneurs who founded technology ventures in the United States. Journaling before and after each interview aided the methodological triangulation, which ensured validation. Yin's data analysis process was used, and the data were reviewed, codes …

Relationship Between Employee Wages, Number Of Employee Referrals, And Employee Turnover Intention, Robert Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a significant contributor to the overall loss of hundreds of billions of dollars in profitability for many business organizations in the United States and abroad combined. Grounded in Maslow's theory of human motivation, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee wages, number of employee referrals, and employee turnover intentions. The population was composed of employees working in the Southeastern region of the United States. A convenience sample of 92 participants answered questions regarding their wages, number of employee referrals, and completed the Turnover Intention Scale. Results of the multiple regression analysis …

Successful Human Resource Outsourcing Strategies, Michael L. Bullock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human resource outsourcing (HRO) is a strategic choice that managers implement because of a variety of anticipated benefits. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify HRO strategies managers used to reduce operating costs while maintaining human resource (HR) effectiveness. Data were collected from semistructured interviews using open-ended questions and a review of company documents. Study participants represented 3 midwestern firms with 50 or more employees. The participants drawn from the population consisted of a minimum of 2 participants per organization who had increased their organization's strategic value using HRO strategies. The transaction cost economics (TCE) theory was …

Strategies To Improve The Youth Programs Of Nonprofit Organizations, Joseph Conteh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of nonprofit organizations and researchers who focus on organizational performance affirm that improved youth programs are a crucial component of performance excellence and organizational sustainability. As seen through the lens of transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this single-case study was to explore the strategies used by 3 executive-level leaders/managers of a nonprofit organization in the southwestern region of the United States to equip families to overcome poverty, conquer homelessness, and achieve self-sufficiency. Data collected from semistructured interviews, organizational documents, and publicly available resources were manually coded and then analyzed. The 2 key themes that emerged were effective collaboration …

Physical And Psychological Health Outcomes Of Pregnancy-Related Intimate Partner Violence, Darrlyn Waynette Cornelius-Averhart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health issue that transcends cultures and nationalities. Women and men have been impacted by sexual violence through rape and other types of IPV. Each year, women experience IPV before and during pregnancies and are impacted by physical and psychological outcomes as a result. The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of IPV on the health outcomes of diabetes (Types 1, 2, and gestational), high blood pressure before pregnancy, and depression/anxiety among adult women before and during pregnancy. The social ecological model provided the framework for this quantitative cross-sectional study that …

Interpreting Middle And High School Teacher Concerns Toward Rti Implementation, Kim E. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research exists about secondary school Response to Intervention (RTI) models, but little is known about the concerns of middle and high school teachers who are working together to implement RTI practices as a shared responsibility. The extensive body of documentation on RTI at the elementary level has not helped educators develop systematic RTI implementation practices across all levels (Ehren, 2013). The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether there were differences in practice concerns, if any among middle school and high school teachers' RTI practice concerns when measured by the Impact Stage of the Stages of Concern Questionnaire …

Strategies For Improving Correspondent Banking Cross-Border Remittances, Titilola Olufunke Falaiye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over $25 billion have been levied against banks annually in recent years for infractions and noncompliance with cross-border regulations. Huge costs affect banks' performance, and implementing working strategies that reduce significant costs is valuable. This single case study using systems theory was designed to explore strategies that bank leaders with correspondent banking relationships adapt to reduce costs from penalties and fines in cross-border remittances.Through the process of methodological triangulation, data collected from internal policy and procedural documents supplemented data collected from semistructured interviews. Yin's 5-step qualitative data analysis process of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding was applied to collected …

Women's Perceptions Of Flourishing Through Quilting As A Leisure Activity, Cathy Lynn Ferrarese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Quilting is a self-chosen leisure activity for millions of women in the United States. Previous research on quilting suggested that quilting is influenced by the emotional state of the quilter. However, the emotional experiences generated during quilting have not been fully explored. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore quilters' perceptions of what quilting as a leisure activity does to enhance their well-being and increase flourishing. Positive psychology well-being theory was the theoretical foundation for the study. Semistructured interviews with 12 adult women who quilt as a leisure activity were the basis of the narrative inquiry. Data …

A Service-Learning Project And Civic Engagement For At-Risk Elementary Students, Jennifer Flores

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An urban elementary school in the city of Phoenix showed little evidence of using active learning even though active learning is a best practice to create engaged citizens. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether participating in a 3-week service-learning project improved civic engagement among at-risk elementary students. The theoretical foundation for this study was the constructivist learning theory, which states that students learn and create meaning by being active participants in their own learning. The research questions asked if completing a 3-week service-learning project showed a statistically significant difference in civic engagement for at-risk tutorial students at …

Queueing Variables And Leave-Without-Treatment Rates In The Emergency Room, Joy Jaylene Gibbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospitals stand to lose millions of dollars in revenue due to patients who leave without treatment (LWT). Grounded in queueing theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between daily arrivals, daily staffing, triage time, emergency severity index (ESI), rooming time, door-to-provider time (DTPT), and LWT rates. The target population comprised patients who visited a Connecticut emergency room between October 1, 2017, and May 31, 2018. Archival records (N = 154) were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. The results of the multiple linear regression were statistically significant, with F(9,144) = 2902.49, p < .001, and R2 = 0.99, indicating 99% of the variation in LWT was accounted for by the predictor variables. ESI levels were the only variables making a significant contribution to the regression model. The implications for positive social change include the potential for patients to experience increased satisfaction due to the high quality of care and overall improvement in public health outcomes. Hospital leaders might use the information from this study to mitigate LWT rates and modify or manage staffing levels, time that patients must wait for triage, room placement, and DTPT to decrease the rate of LWT in the emergency room.

Perceptions Of Faculty Using Mymathlab In Traditional, In-Seat Math Classes, Kathleen Gromilovitz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

MyMathLab, an online interactive and educational system by Pearson Publisher, was implemented in 2 lower-level, traditional in-seat algebra courses to provide supplemental, instructional support to students in the fall of 2015 at the college under study. After the first year of use, no significant change in student success was reported, although more students passed intermediate algebra without first taking elementary algebra. The problem addressed in this study was that student results suggested there might be benefits to using MyMathLab that should be investigated. Knowles' theory of andragogy was used in this qualitative case study to gather perceptions of 7 2016-2017 …

The Role Of Parents In Literacy Development During Kindergarten, Jason Eugene Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental involvement contributes to the improvement of student achievement. Although children entered kindergarten with varying levels of literacy development, parents might perceive kindergarten literacy instruction as a panacea for any lacking skills, therefore lessening their involvement in their children's literacy development. Thus, there was a need to understand parents' perceptions of the importance of (a) their involvement in the education of their children, (b) their role in their children's literacy development during kindergarten, and (c) their role in their children's early literacy development as influencing their children's overall literacy development. Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model of human development served as a guide …

Etiological Perspectives Of Abdl Behavior From Members Of An Online Abdl Community, Jennie Marie Hilleren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Atypical sexual behavior is often viewed from a perspective of pathology and non-clinical samples are not typically used in research. The current exploratory research is a qualitative study that examined the etiological perspectives of Adult Baby/ Diaper Lover (ABDL) behavior from members of an online ABDL community. Archival survey data from an online sample (N = 1,795) of ABDL participants were used. The theories informing this research included attachment theory and the sexual health model. Research questions included an examination of: (a) what we can be learn from the way an ABDL individual perceives the origin of ABDL behavior, (b) …

Medication-Assisted Therapy Interventions And Prescription Opioid Misuse, Stella Kiah Jefferies

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Opioid drug misuse and dependence are a social and public health problem in the United States. Prescription opioid abuse and misuse have been associated with substantial morbidity and mortality rates as well as social and economic costs. The purpose of this project was to provide a systematic review of literature on the effectiveness of medication-assisted therapy interventions in addressing the problem of prescription opioid misuse in health care settings. The systematic review was completed through a literature search conducted across five electronic databases. The review was guided by the health belief model and eligible studies were rated using Johns Hopkins …

Effect Of Professional Development On Achievement Of Fourth Grade Emotionally Distirbed Students, Willette Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

This study investigated the low literacy and math achievement of 4th grade students with emotional disturbances (ED) in an urban school district in Pennsylvania. Researchers have speculated that teachers possess limited knowledge of the behavioral health needs of students with ED needed to support their behavior and achievement. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effect of behavioral health professional development (BHPD) on the Pennsylvania School System of Assessment (PSSA) achievement of 4th grade students with ED. The theoretical framework of this study was Dewey's educational philosophy, which focused on educating the whole child. This study used a …

An Autoethnographic Examination Of Personal And Organizational Transformation In The U.S. Military, Marjon K. John

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large-scale transformational change, such as the integration and acceptance of gays in the U.S. military, necessitates a long-term effort by management to mitigate unanticipated consequences. Suboptimal implementation may not account for damaging consequences among individuals expected to live the change. The purpose of this autoethnographic study was to examine the individual experiences of a closeted gay personnel member living through a transformational change in identity, which paralleled an organizational change in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The conceptual framework included elements of general systems theory, Kotter's theory of change management, Ostroff's change management for government, and Maslow's self-actualization theory. …

Teachers' Perceptions About Reading Instruction In Elementary Inclusion Classrooms, Elizabeth Ann Kempf

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers argued that special education students should learn alongside regular education students because involvement with peers affects special education students' ability to assimilate information. However, inclusive elementary classroom teachers in a local Texas school were struggling to meet the learning needs of their diverse student populations in reading instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions about reading instruction in an inclusion setting and to investigate what teachers believe was needed to improve the effectiveness of their practice. King-Sears's inclusion instructional model served as the conceptual framework to guide this study. The research questions were focused on …

Teacher's Implementation Of Engaging Activities In Online High School Courses, Daniele Ann Massey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student engagement is critical to student success, graduation rates, and retention in both face-to-face and online learning environments. In an online environment, the teacher is responsible for implementing engaging instructional activities. The problem examined in this qualitative case study was the inconsistent teacher implementation of engaging instructional strategies in online courses at a school serving U.S. military-connected students. The purpose of the study was to investigate the motivation of teachers to support student engagement opportunities. Self-determination theory (SDT), which has autonomy, competence, and relatedness as main constructs, was used as the conceptual framework and the basis for the research questions. …

The Need For De-Escalation Techniques In Civil Disturbances, George Raymond Mccord Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The response to civil disturbances has historically been the aggressive use of force or escalation with tactics such as the use of police dogs, armed federal troops during war protests, and police field forces. These types of tactics can escalate tensions between protestors and police and only add to the violence and destruction of the incident. To reduce the violence between protestors and the police and the destruction often associated with civil disturbances, it is necessary to examine the need to include de-escalation techniques in the responses. This study utilized 3 theoretical frameworks, the chaos theory, the behavioral decision theory …

Impact Of Violent Rapes Among Women In Eastern Democratic Republic Of Congo, Benoit Munganga Mirindi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For the last 22 years, systematic rapes and punitive violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were utilized as weapons of war and a control strategy. This quantitative study built upon the ecological model of impact of sexual assault on women's mental health to investigate the relationship between the health impacts and chronic pain and depression among women survivors of sexual rape in eastern DRC. The sample included 156 female rape survivors, between 18-80 years old, and raped between 2010 and 2014 while residing in the conflict area. The research questions focused on the association between fistulas, …

Black Lives Matter Members' Perceptions Of Police Attitudes Towards African Americans, Sergio Manuel Montolio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The relationship between the police and African Americans has been fraught for some time. In the 2010s, amid the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the relationship between African Americans and the police was marked by serious tensions including racism, White privilege, and perceptions of police brutality. The purpose of this case study was to explore the current relationship between the police and the Black Lives Matter social movement and assess movement activists' perceptions of police actions. The theoretical framework for this qualitative case study was based on procedural justice and the reason of actions component of Derrick Bell's …