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The Perceived Value And Utilization Of Occupational Therapy Models In The United States, Rhonda Davis-Cheshire, Kailey Davis, Lindsay Drumm, Sydney Neal, Emma Norris, Melanie Parker, Christina Prezzia, Colleen Whalen

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This study investigated United States (U.S.) occupational therapy (OT) practitioners’ perceived value and utilization of OT models in practice. In addition, this research explored correlations that might impact practitioner value and choice of models as related to entry-level OT educational program, practice setting, and frequency of model utilization. The study utilized a cross-sectional research design. A convenience sample of 219 OT practitioners completed an 18-question online survey capturing participant demographics, perceived value, and utilization of models. Practitioners indicated they used models (79.45%, n = 174) in practice with 77.63% (n = 170) reporting they somewhat or strongly agreed that models …

Using Case-Based Learning To Facilitate Clinical Reasoning Across Practice Courses In An Occupational Therapy Curriculum, Lynne F. Murphy, Jennifer C. Radloff

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Although occupational therapy educators have historically used cases as a means to prepare students for clinical practice, there is little evidence that this instructional method actually facilitates clinical reasoning. This convergent, parallel mixed methods study examined how the use of varied case formats, built on the tenets of case-based learning, facilitated specific components of clinical reasoning, and explored how the cases contributed to readiness for professional practice. Case formats included text, video, role-playing, simulated patients, and a client. Case-based learning activities included application of models and frames of reference, conducting assessments, planning and implementing interventions, clinical documentation, and identification of …

Application Of Theory To Guide Development Of A Rehabilitation Service-Learning Project In Guatemala, Mary Zadnik, Suzanne Trotter, Cindy Mathena

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

International community-based rehabilitation service-learning projects in physical and occupational therapy education programs may impact underserved communities internationally. The intentional inclusion of learning in service activities has been identified as service-learning. Extending the impact and education beyond the service project is necessary in order to provide a sustainable outcome for the community. Faculty at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences partnered with Potter’s House Association International to develop an interprofessional program to address the rehabilitation needs and continuity of care following a one-week project serving the community members of the Guatemalan City Garbage Dump. The purpose of this article …

Online Terms As In Terrorem Devices, Colin P. Marks

Faculty Works

Online shopping has quickly replaced the brick-and-mortar experience for a large portion of the consuming public. The online transaction itself is rote: browse items, add them to your cart, and check out. Somewhere along the way, the consumer is likely made aware of (or at least exposed to) the merchant's terms and conditions, via either a link or a pop-up box. Such terms and conditions have become so ubiquitous that most consumers would be hardpressed to find a merchant that doesn't try to impose them somewhere on their website. Though such terms and conditions are pervasive, most consumers do not …

Job Retention Of Childcare Workers In A Military Child Development Center, Janet Marie Hooten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the low retention rates of childcare workers at a military child development center in the northeast United States. The purpose of this case study was to explore the work experiences of childcare employees during their first year of employment at a child development center to discover the factors that influenced their decision to resign. The conceptual framework that guided this study was a 2-factor approach of motivator and hygiene factors associated with experiences and perceptions. Transcripts from interviews with 15 current and prior childcare workers and management team members were coded, triangulated, and thematically analyzed. The themes …

What Drives Underprepared Students From The First Year On, Shanetta S. Lillard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College students often enter college academically unprepared, as evidenced by low high school cumulative GPAs or poor SAT scores. In response to this problem, administrators at a 4-year university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Unites States implemented an intensive, semester-long program to introduce and acclimate conditionally admitted students to the rigors of collegiate life. The purpose of this study was to understand how to assist students in moving from Year 1 to full admission and beyond. In accordance with Bandura's reciprocal causation of social cognitive theory model, the research questions centered on conditionally admitted students' descriptions of their experiences …

Medication Reconciliation, Competency, Timely And Effective Care, And Hospital Readmissions, Perry Theodore Nichols

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge result in significant multimillion-€dollar penalties to thousands of Medicare-€eligible hospitals throughout the United States and are indicators of suboptimal patient healthcare leading to less than ideal health outcomes for previously hospitalized patients. The purpose of this correlation study was to examine the relationship between medication reconciliation, nursing workforce competency, timely and effective care, and Medicare-€eligible hospital 30-€day readmission rates. The sample of 269 hospitals came from the population of Medicare-€eligible hospitals throughout the United States. Complexity theory and the general model of readmission were theoretical frameworks grounding this study. Secondary data were from …

Upper Elementary Teachers' Use Of Pedagogical Content Knowledge With Nonfiction Reading Instruction, Silke Piper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After a shift in upper elementary reading instruction that emphasized complex learning using nonfiction text, Texas schools showed low reading comprehension scores among upper elementary students. The purpose of this exploratory single case study was to examine the pedagogical content knowledge of Texas upper elementary teachers who teach nonfiction reading comprehension strategies to at-risk students who do not qualify for special education services. The central research question focused on how teachers view their pedagogical content knowledge while instructing students. The conceptual framework for this study was a combined Shulman's (1986) pedagogical content knowledge model and Thomlinson's (2000) differentiated instruction learning …

Influence Of Police Officer Fear And Use-Of-Force Outcomes, Michele D. Stafford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officer and community relations tensions have heightened with increases in publicized deadly use-of-force incidents on social media platforms. Though some deadly force encounters have been justified because officers stated they feared for their lives, little is known about the impact fear has on police officers' actions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact fear plays when officers implement use-of-force continuum practices during encounters with civilians. Schacter and Singers' two-factor theory of emotion was used as the conceptual framework for this study. The key research question examined the influence of police officer fear as a factor …

Perceptions Of Fatherhood Programs From The Experiences Of Uninvolved Fathers, Rahsaan Roland Turpin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past researchers have reported that father absence and low engagement affects 24 million children in the United States. African American fathers make up the largest group with low involvement. Fatherhood programs support men in their roles, yet little is known about why this group still exhibits low engagement. Using the family systems theory as a foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American fathers who participated in fatherhood programs and their engagement after these programs. This study used purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews to collect information from 9 African American men aged …

Secondary Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development's Role For Instruction In Inclusive Settings, Dwight Erving Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with disabilities (SWDs) are being placed in inclusive settings. The problem is that in many cases, teachers who are assigned to these students may not have necessary training in special education. Lack of such teacher training can lead to deficits in learning for SWDs. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify secondary general education teachers' perspectives on professional development (PD) regarding teaching SWDs in inclusion classroom settings. The conceptual framework for this study was Bandura's self-efficacy construct as presented in social cognitive theory. For teachers, self-€efficacy may influence instructional practices, classroom climate, and attitudes toward educational processes. …

Promoting Nursing Communication Competence On A Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Tishon L. Creswell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The power to communicate effectively and respectfully in the health care setting promotes job satisfaction, retention, and healthy relationships. Ineffective communication is one of the major causes of sentinel events, incivility, nurse turnover, and workplace hostility in the health care environment. This project examined a communication competence educational program on a spinal cord injury (SCI) nursing department and its potential to improve communication competence. The project question explored whether an educational series on incivility and creating healthy relationships would increase communication competence in nurses on the SCI unit. The project used the high reliability solutions for health care model communications …

Teachers' Evidence-Based Practices For Reading Deficiencies, Rebecca Ann Nugen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated in this study was that students at a rural elementary school in the midwestern region of the United States were not meeting achievement targets in reading on state standardized tests despite implementation of the district's evidence-based reading curriculum. With a conceptual framework based on Webb's depth-of-knowledge model and Piaget's sociocultural learning theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore teachers' perceptions regarding the use of evidence-based teaching practices and how those practices influence students' reading skills. Using purposeful sampling to select licensed, experienced participants, the insights of 7 elementary reading teachers were collected through …

Stakeholders' Explanations Of The State Of Cricket In Barbados, Derek Mcdonald Alleyne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policy processes influence decision-making and when processes are influenced by multiple stakeholders, individual interests can go against the general good of the organization or community. The multiple stakeholders of cricket in Barbados have governed the development of cricket. Over the last 30 years the sport has been on a steady decline evidenced by the low attendance at games and the number of teams and individuals playing the sport. At a time when the sport has been growing at the international level, the decline in the fortunes of the sport in Barbados had led to a climate of mistrust and blame …

Race Matters: Administrators Perspectives On Affirmative Action In Higher Education, Terry Hogan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Legal challenges and statewide bans regarding the use of affirmative action as an admissions policy have affected the way higher education administrators must comply with these mandates to receive federal funding. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives and experiences of college and university administrators at public and private U.S. colleges and universities regarding the implementation of race-based and race-neutral admissions policies. Critical race theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 9 administrators at U.S. institutions of higher education. Data were organized, sorted, and coded to reveal 4 themes: holistic …

Role Of Primary Care Providers And Integrated Disease Surveillance In Chad, Dhoud Stave Gischel Samba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the Republic of Chad, primary care physicians play a central role in the detection and control of outbreaks and are critical actors in the integrated disease surveillance system through mandatory reporting. Feedback on such surveillance must reveal the needs and perceptions of these physicians. These needs and perceptions were examined using a questionnaire survey distributed to a sampling of 20 physicians in Chad. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the role of primary care providers in the integrated disease surveillance to identify factors that impact complete, quality, and timely reporting. The theory of planned behavior was …

Diffusion Of Innovations And Labor Market Challenges: A Multiple Case Study From Angola, Édney Marco Cardoso Dos Santos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap exists in the literature between general diffusion of technological innovations and socioeconomic development that results in an ambiguous connection between theory, academia, and professional practice. To inform governments in sub-Saharan Africa on how to achieve the diffusion of innovation for economic development through the voices of regional stakeholders, this qualitative multiple case study was conducted to gain deeper understanding on the views of stakeholders on rapid technology diffusion and its implication on labor market challenges within their regions of Angola. Information from semistructured interviews with 8 adult participants, male and female, born and residing in impoverished communities in …

Female Persistence In Fully Online Allied Health Programs At A Career College, Melissa A. Wertz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Persistence to program completion is critical for online students. Retaining online students is a struggle in higher education with online persistence rates being significantly lower than nononline students. In this qualitative case study the perceptions of female graduates who persisted in a fully online allied health program at a career college were investigated. Using Tinto's theory of student departure and self-determination theory, the characteristics, attitudes, and motivations of female online learners explored to discern their perceived success in the online classroom. The research questions focused on participants' perceptions, skills, and attitudes that contribute to their success, experiences with support services, …

Regulatory Effects On Traditional Financial Systems Versus Blockchain And Emerging Financial Systems, Samuel Edwin Addo Baidoo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The expansion of the Internet led to disruptive business and consumer processes, as existing regulations do not cover the scope and scale of emerging financial technologies. Using organization economic theory as the foundation, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine and compare the financial regulatory impact on traditional and emerging financial systems across a variety of factors including organizational type, predicted users, operational concerns, reasons for cost increases, and changes in business practices as a result of the regulatory environment. Data were collected through a survey of 227 adult Americans who engage in the financial sector and are …

Exploring How Managers Increase Employee Performance Within Organizational Supply Chains, Angela B. Freeman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders and the strategies they employ to enhance employee performance are essential to retaining an organization's competitive advantage. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by supply chain management managers to improve employee performance in the workplace. The conceptual framework for this study combined elements from Vroom's expectancy theory of motivation, Adams's equity theory of motivation and leadership, and transformational leadership theories. Participants were selected via the purposeful sampling of 6 successful supply chain managers in the District of Columbia's metropolitan area. Data were obtained using semistructured face-to-face interviews, interview notes, transcripts, and a …

Preventive Strategies To Reduce Discrimination Lawsuits Against Restaurants, Kenneth James Welch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Discrimination lawsuits can bankrupt organizations and are a continuous problem for many organizations. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies restaurant managers used to deter discrimination lawsuits. The conceptual framework for this study was a theory of 4Cs, which represent critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. The targeted population consisted of 10 restaurant managers who have implemented successful strategies that reduced discrimination lawsuits, work in the Boston metropolitan area, and have 10 years of recent experience in the restaurant industry. Data were collected from face-to-face semistructured interviews, direct observation, and review of company document. Data analysis …

Anti-Fat Bias Of Occupational Therapy Students, Carli Friedman, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Anti-fat biases in healthcare providers can result in substandard and decreased care, and also result in health disparities. There are very few studies that examine occupational therapists’ attitudes towards fat people and implications on practice. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the implicit fat prejudice of occupational therapy students. The authors also sought to understand how this prejudice related to the occupation-based models/frames of reference with which students professionally identified. To do so, 58 occupational therapy students from three Midwestern universities, all of whom recently completed their first year of professional occupational therapy education, completed the Weight …

100 North Street Bridge Over Logan River Project Rubber Bridge Engineering, Chandler Baird, Evan Capron, Micah Rasmussen, Derek Walker

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rubber Bridge Engineering is over the 100 North Bridge Project used in the Logan River Restoration Project. The100 North Street Bridge is being replaced and the implementation of the proposed new bridge will improve the safety and aesthetics of the surrounding area. The new bridge will also accommodate a new and improved floodplain for the Logan River. Rubber Bridge Engineering designed a pre-engineered steel girder for the superstructure of the bridge and steel reinforced concrete piles for the foundation of the bridge. The transportation detour for the project uses the Conifer Place to Pointe Place detour route and roadway improvements. …

Austin Bridge Design Team Sr-118: Bridge Replacement Over The Sevier River, Wyatt Nielson, Chad Withers, Patrick Campana, Jonathon Reynolds, Andy Erickson

Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Austin Bridge, D-272, spans the Sevier River along SR-118, in Sevier County, Utah. The bridge was built in 1935 and is structurally sound. However D-272 is deteriorating slightly and is too narrow, presenting a traffic hazard. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) wants to replace the bridge. Our group chose to design a replacement bridge.

Courthouse Wash Pedestrian Bridge: Moab, Utah, Wyatt Hansen, L. Kade Flake, Josh Kerkvliet, Trygve Mccrea

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Arches Engineering (AE) is a team of four civil engineering students at Utah State University (USU). The team has selected to work in conjunction with Jones & DeMille Engineering (JDE) to design a pedestrian bridge over Courthouse Wash in Moab, Utah. After analyzing the conditions, AE determined a prefabricated steel bridge with a modified bowstring truss style would best suit the 130-foot crossing.

A modified bowstring truss has a relatively low cost, is aesthetically pleasing, and is simple to construct. AE specifies to use a prefabricated bridge to reduce cost and simplify on-site construction. A drilled shaft foundation would best …

Crockett Diversion Rehabilitation Project, Philip Duncan, Zackary Pali

Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Crockett Diversion is an irrigation diversion structure on the Logan River. This diversion serves the little Logan Canal and provides irrigation water to the valley. The diversion is operated using horizontal stop logs. Operators must manually install or remove these stop logs to maintain upstream water surface elevation as flow conditions change. The stop logs also cause a lot of build up of run off material such as logs, twigs, and other debris. The cleaning, maintenance, and manual operation of this current set up is tedious and requires a lot of extra work for the city. It can also …

Fishhook Sunrise Bed & Breakfast Expansion, Carter Johnson, Andrew Lecheminant, Heather Nielsen, Erika Parsons, Tyler Searle

Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Willardsons, owners of Fishhook Sunrise Bed & Breakfast, located near Palmer, AK, demonstrated interested in expanding their existing bed and breakfast to accommodate future visitors. The expansion includes three new cabins on the northwest side of the property, across Wasilla Creek, which has no existing infrastructure. The expansion, therefore, includes the installation of a drinking water well, access road, septic system, and bridge. Fishhook Engineering proposed providing a site layout for the expansion with high level recommendations for the septic system and roadway material. The project scope also included the complete design of a one lane bridge to span …

Laytona Subdivision Storm Drain System, Tyler Roberts, Mitchell Wagner

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Laytona Subdivision, located in Layton, UT, currently uses traditional curb and gutter to transport storm runoff. This system is no longer adequate due to lack of slope and aging curb and gutter. Layton City will replace the current system with an underground storm drain system. Storm water runoff will be collected and transported to an existing detention pond.

• Alternatives Three other alternative storm drain systems were considered for this project.

• Cost Estimate The estimated cost of completion is $831,710.00.

• Design Software To complete this project ASE used AutoCAD Civil 3D, Excel, and Autodesk Storm and Sanitary Analysis. …

Logan River Restoration (Downstream), Drew Bassett, Amanda Blair, Brooklyn Morgan, Dakota Sparks

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Historical projects by local landowners attempted to improve the passage of flood flows through the Logan River by channelizing the river. The removal of foliage in this process resulted in unforeseen bank erosion and channel scouring. This project analyzes existing river conditions and proposes changes to a section of the Logan River from the Crockett Diversion to Center Street to improve the floodplain, reduce river temperatures, and add recreation.

Mendon Historic Barn Restoration, Andrew Flake, Jaison Hardman, Kaleb Nelson, Taylor Reese

Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Hardman Family owns a historic barn located on the West side of Mendon City backed by the scenic Wellsville Mountains. The barn is currently in a dilapidated condition and is likely to collapse at any time. The Hardmans would like to evaluate the feasibility of reconstructing the barn with the goal of retaining the original barn’s aesthetic value. The reconstructed barn would serve as an events center that would be rented out as a source of income for the family.