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2020

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Measuring Levels Of Posttraumatic Growth In Firefighters, Anna Lisa De Lima Jan 2020

Measuring Levels Of Posttraumatic Growth In Firefighters, Anna Lisa De Lima

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Firefighters provide essential lifesaving services to the community. They are at high risk for mental health issues due to their exposure to trauma in the line of duty. Moreover, adverse effects on mental health can affect their ability to provide appropriate care to the community resulting in a serious social problem. Researchers have explored the concept that individuals can also experience growth from trauma. However, there are few studies that explore the factors that can predict growth in firefighters. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the degree to which selected variables such as the level of posttraumatic …

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The Predictive Ability Of Self-Efficacy On Recidivism Among Adult Male Offenders, Marianne Kelly Jan 2020

The Predictive Ability Of Self-Efficacy On Recidivism Among Adult Male Offenders, Marianne Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With crime rates high and increasing numbers of offenders receiving community-based corrections sentences, factors related to risk of recidivism should be a high priority for researchers. The impact of crime on offenders, victims, and communities is costly. Traditional punishment has done little to reduce crime, particularly among repeat offenders. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive ability of self-efficacy on recidivism, based on social cognitive theory. The research design was quantitative and nonexperimental, using regression analyses. The nonrandomized sample consisted of adult males incarcerated on felony charges at a large urban jail in the Midwest of the …

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Education Toolkit On Restraint Reduction In The Intensive Care Unit, Sharon Watkins Jan 2020

Education Toolkit On Restraint Reduction In The Intensive Care Unit, Sharon Watkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of physical restraints in hospitals has been in practice for the better part of a century despite the many adverse effects it can have on patients. Socially, restraint use can strip the patient of their dignity in addition to their freedom. This evidence-based project was to build a toolkit to educate intensive care unit (ICU) nurses regarding the negative effects physical restraint use can have on their patients and to present alternatives to their use. Tools developed from prior research were included in the toolkit, and the Neuman systems model was applied to the overall education project. The …

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Factors Associated With Prostate Cancer Screening Among African American Men In California, Frank Ibe Agodi Jan 2020

Factors Associated With Prostate Cancer Screening Among African American Men In California, Frank Ibe Agodi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Los Angeles County, California, prostate cancer (PC) is the second primary cause of cancer-related death in men. Previous studies have focused on sociodemographic factors influencing racial and ethnic inequalities in health in the United States. However, research was lacking regarding if and to what extent social-ecological factors predict PC screening, specifically among African American men residing in Los Angeles County. The purpose of this quantitative study, using a cross-sectional design, was to identify the factors that may align with PC screening among African American men living in Los Angeles. African American men aged 45 and older were the targeted …

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Decision Making Process And Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy, Hala Alameddine Jan 2020

Decision Making Process And Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy, Hala Alameddine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased rate of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) among women with early stage unilateral breast cancer has raised concerns particularly with the lack of evidence for a survival benefit related to the CPM procedure and with the low risk of developing contralateral breast cancer among women with early stage sporadic breast cancer. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study, using normative decision theory as the framework, was to assess the influence of the partner, physician, and media on the decision of women with unilateral breast cancer who decided to undergo CPM. Women with stage 0 to III early stage unilateral …

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Reduce Postpartum Complications By Improving Postpartum Care Appointment Attendance, Shayla Tennille Buckler Jan 2020

Reduce Postpartum Complications By Improving Postpartum Care Appointment Attendance, Shayla Tennille Buckler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This evidence-based project (EBP) was developed to increase postpartum appointment attendance to improve maternal outcomes for postpartum women. The practice problem was that the postpartum women who received prenatal care failed to return for postpartum care at a community clinic in north east Texas. The practice-focused question explored whether an educational intervention with the nursing staff would increase postpartum appointment attendance. The framework used was Pender’s Health Promotion Model. The preintervention data were retrieved from an electronic medical record (EMR) generated report that provided the number of postpartum appointments attended 30 days before the intervention. The nursing staff received a …

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Strategies Leaders In The Retail Industry Use To Increase Employee Engagement, Yvonne Nicole Crawford Jan 2020

Strategies Leaders In The Retail Industry Use To Increase Employee Engagement, Yvonne Nicole Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of employee engagement increases expenses for organizational leaders. Retail leaders struggle with identifying successful engagement strategies to achieve performance outcomes. Grounded by the motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies retail leaders used to increase employee engagement. The participants comprised 5 retail leaders in South Florida who experienced an increase in employee engagement. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and documents that included publicly posted annual reports and strategic plans. The three themes that emerged using thematic analysis were employee incentives, effective communication, and affirmation from leaders. A key recommendation for business …

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Experiences Of Ptsd Sufferers Who Participate In Internet-Based Virtual World Activities In Desktop Virtual Reality Environments, Colleen Margaret Crary Jan 2020

Experiences Of Ptsd Sufferers Who Participate In Internet-Based Virtual World Activities In Desktop Virtual Reality Environments, Colleen Margaret Crary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatments for posttraumatic stress have remained largely static for 3 decades, resulting in low recovery rates, high degrees of retrogression, and noncompliance by patients, calling for new approaches for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of people with PTSD who participate in Desktop Virtual Reality Environments (DVREs). The research questions asked about the lived experiences of adults with PTSD who use the DVRE, and what they perceive as changes in their narratives about PTSD through their use of the DVRE. Twenty-three participants responded to a 10-item, open-ended questionnaire. Findings show that although each …

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Successful Marketing Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Jasmine Davis Jan 2020

Successful Marketing Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Jasmine Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses play a significant role in the health of the U.S. economy, but 50% of small businesses close before reaching 5 years of operation. Some small business owners do not utilize effective marketing strategies to guide them towards sustainability in business. Grounded in hybrid typology, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore marketing strategies small business owners use for sustainability. The participants comprised three small business owners located in the Midwest Region of the United States, with a business in operation for at least 5 years. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, public company documents, …

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Knowledge Management Assets Available To Mid-Level Managers During A Merger, Joy Nwulari Emole Jan 2020

Knowledge Management Assets Available To Mid-Level Managers During A Merger, Joy Nwulari Emole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure rate of mergers in the United States is high at over 70%. One of the contributing factors to merger failure is mid-level managers do not have sufficient strategies for knowledge management. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to understand the merger-related knowledge management assets used by mid-level managers in the retention of employees at recently merged medium-size information technology firms in California from 2014 to 2019. The conceptual framework was Nonaka and Takeuchi’s 4 modes of knowledge conversion: socialization, externalization, internalization, and combination. Twelve mid-level managers working in California were recruited from LinkedIn to participate …

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Information Technology Disaster Recovery Planning By Florida Nonprofit Organizations, Derek Keith Erfourth Jan 2020

Information Technology Disaster Recovery Planning By Florida Nonprofit Organizations, Derek Keith Erfourth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate information technology (IT) disaster recovery planning (DRP) by nonprofit organizations could lead to organizational failure post-large-scale natural disasters. Without proper funding and planning, organizations may not be able to withstand the effects of a natural disaster resulting in the closure and the community losing a critical need service. Grounded in resilience theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies utilized by Florida-based nonprofit organization technology managers to adopt and implement an IT DRP to aid in post-natural disaster recovery efforts. The data collection included interviews with 5 IT managers and reviews of 4 business …

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Project-Based Learning Implementation In Elementary School, Vehia Goo Jan 2020

Project-Based Learning Implementation In Elementary School, Vehia Goo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach that has been required by state and school-level leadership, but the teachers have not received formal training before implementing it in their classes. This study explored the perception of current PBL implementation among teachers and administrators at an urban elementary school, focusing specifically on fidelity and adaptations. The research questions guiding this study asked what administrators perceive as the intent of PBL instruction and what teachers perceive as the nature of implementation in their classrooms. This qualitative exploratory case study included an analysis of data from interviews, observations, and the relevant documents of …

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Emotional Behavioral Disability Students: How Emotional-Social Intelligence Empowers Mainstream Elementary Teachers, Christopher J. Hanna Jan 2020

Emotional Behavioral Disability Students: How Emotional-Social Intelligence Empowers Mainstream Elementary Teachers, Christopher J. Hanna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A district in Southwestern Pennsylvania was experiencing disruptive behaviors with students with emotional behavioral disabilities in the elementary mainstream classroom. Grounded in the Bar-On 10-factor structure emotional-social intelligence model, the purpose of the study was to gain understanding of how emotional-social intelligence competency empowered regular-education teachers to maintain positive relationships with students with emotional behavioral disabilities. The qualitative naturalist-constructionist research approach involved implementing the responsive interview technique for data collection. The study involved purposeful sampling for participant recruitment for 10 elementary regular-education teachers. The elementary teachers who taught first through fifth grades were observed by their building principals as maintaining …

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Acknowledging And Addressing Adolescent Depression, Johnsie Burke Hughes Jan 2020

Acknowledging And Addressing Adolescent Depression, Johnsie Burke Hughes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A family practice was found to inconsistently screen adolescents for depression even with the necessary Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) screening tools being readily available in their electronic medical record. The development of a practice guideline that offers a systematic approach to screening using the PHQ2 and the PHQ9 will potentially result in an increased guidance and provider willingness to screen for adolescent depression in the family practice setting. The purpose of this DNP project was to determine if an algorithmic practice guideline would increase provider willingness to assess for adolescent depression and identify any barriers to the use of the …

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Child Welfare Workers Perceptions Of Their Competencies At Detecting And Reporting Abuse Of Foster Children, Shameka Angela Manigault Jan 2020

Child Welfare Workers Perceptions Of Their Competencies At Detecting And Reporting Abuse Of Foster Children, Shameka Angela Manigault

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child abuse is a national issue in the United States. Past research has revealed that child welfare workers competency at detecting and reporting child abuse comes with challenges and barriers. Poor recognition and reporting of suspected maltreatment are problematic because a lack of action on the part of child welfare workers may leave children vulnerable to continued abuse, which could result in increased morbidity and mortality for the children. This generic qualitative study examined child welfare workers perceptions of their professional competencies at detecting and reporting abuse of foster children during out-of-home placements. Bandura's principles of self-efficacy as presented in …

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Administrators' Conceptions Of Corporal Punishment On Elementary School Students, Betty Jean Marshall Jan 2020

Administrators' Conceptions Of Corporal Punishment On Elementary School Students, Betty Jean Marshall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a considerable gap in practice between research on the negative aspects of corporal punishment and its continued use by public school administrators on elementary school students in educational settings. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographic study was to understand the conceptions of administrators’ practices specific to the use of corporal punishment in public elementary schools. The research questions addressed the conceptions of administrators about the efficacy of corporal punishment and the infliction of physical punishment in 4 elementary schools in the southeastern United States. Bandura’s social learning theory and Hirschi’s social control theory were used to form the …

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Risk Factors For Polysubstance Abuse: A National Secondary Data Analysis Study, Dakota Mcmurray Jan 2020

Risk Factors For Polysubstance Abuse: A National Secondary Data Analysis Study, Dakota Mcmurray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Substance abuse is a serious public health problem in the United States and globally. Abuse of more than one substance is considered polysubstance abuse and can cause more harm than abuse of only one substance. Polysubstance abuse compounds the problems of addiction because of the variety of substances that may be used and the resulting side effects. This quantitative cross-sectional secondary data analysis, guided by the socio-ecological theory, assessed patient characteristics and how predictive they were for polysubstance abuse. The study sample of 986 patients was analyzed by binomial logistic regression to assess the association between patient-related factors and polysubstance …

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Middle And High School Teacher Perceptions Of Training To Manage Disruptive Students, Kelly Elizabeth Mero Jan 2020

Middle And High School Teacher Perceptions Of Training To Manage Disruptive Students, Kelly Elizabeth Mero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Schoolteachers report a lack of resources and training to manage disruptive student behavior that presents as antisocial, problematic, and/or symptomatic of mental illness. Disruptive student behaviors have a negative impact on students socially and academically. The social cognitive theory and social learning theory guided the research questions to examine differences in perceptions of 195 urban general and special educators in middle and high school regarding their skills to manage disruptive student behavior and teachers’ need for professional training to manage disruptive student behavior. A 2X2 between-groups nonparametric survey research design was used, and the two dependent variables were measured using …

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Small Business Social Media Marketing Strategies In The Retail Industry, Mari E. Mew Jan 2020

Small Business Social Media Marketing Strategies In The Retail Industry, Mari E. Mew

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small business owners lack social media marketing (SMM) strategies to generate sales growth. Small business owners are concerned with increasing sales growth to ensure sustainability. Grounded in Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore SMM strategies some small business owners in the women’s retail apparel industry use to generate growth in sales. The participants comprised 3 small business owners in the women’s retail apparel industry in South Carolina with successful experience using SMM strategies to generate sales growth. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, archival organizational documentation, and physical artifacts. …

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Demand For And Impact Of Performance Audits On Public Administration In Kazakhstan, Almagul Mukhamediyeva Jan 2020

Demand For And Impact Of Performance Audits On Public Administration In Kazakhstan, Almagul Mukhamediyeva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Demand for and impacts of performance audits (PA) on public administration in Kazakhstan have not been studied. This information gap increases risks of missed government opportunities to improve public sector performance. Using new public management theory and the principal-agent model as guiding lenses, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the demand for and effects of PA on Kazakhstan’s public administration. The research question explored the lived experiences and perceptions of the key participants and users of PAs, i.e., auditors, managers of auditees, and parliamentarians, and included reviews of over 200 official documents including audit reports and 14 …

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Elementary Content Teacher Perceptions Regarding Their Ell Instructional Practices, Collier Wesley Owens Jan 2020

Elementary Content Teacher Perceptions Regarding Their Ell Instructional Practices, Collier Wesley Owens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional practices of elementary content teachers of English language learners (ELLs) and their alignment with improved ELL academic performance need to be explored. The purpose of this case study was to explore the instructional practices of elementary teachers of ELLs and how those practices are perceived by the teachers to be aligned with improved ELL academic performance. The study is grounded in Ladson-Billings’ theory of culturally relevant pedagogy which holds that student academic achievement and cultural identity should be affirmed. The research questions focused on exploring instructional practices used by teachers to support ELL learning and the teachers’ perceptions regarding …

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Counterterrorism Investigator Perceptions: Homegrown Violent Extremists With Mental Illness, Jeffery Brandon Perez Jan 2020

Counterterrorism Investigator Perceptions: Homegrown Violent Extremists With Mental Illness, Jeffery Brandon Perez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Terrorism endures throughout the world. Some individuals who engage in it may suffer from a cognitive disorder. For those who investigate terrorism, preconceptions exist both toward extremists and toward people with mental illness (MI). A review of the literature has shown how counterterrorism (CT) investigators perceive terrorists’ motivations, and how law enforcement perceives people with MI. In filling a gap between the two, this study aimed to research whether based on their lived experiences, do the understandings, perceptions, and attitudes of CT agents inform their biases and influence their decision-making and ultimately investigations of homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) with MI. …

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Understanding Retention Issues Among African American Males In A Community College Setting, Angee Ponder Jan 2020

Understanding Retention Issues Among African American Males In A Community College Setting, Angee Ponder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Efforts to improve retention and graduation rates of African American male students in higher education have largely been unsuccessful despite the design and delivery of special courses. During the 2017 academic year, after completion of a college success seminar (CSS), the retention rates for African American male students at a Midwestern community college was only 14% compared to 33% for Hispanic and 60% for Caucasian males. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of African American male students engaged in a CSS course to discover what they perceived to be a major influence on the retention of …

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First Responders' Experience During The Initial Chaos In A Large-Scale Event, Amanda Jo Reese Jan 2020

First Responders' Experience During The Initial Chaos In A Large-Scale Event, Amanda Jo Reese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little focus on how first responders (e.g., firefighters, police officers, medical staff) experience the initial chaos immediately following a large-scale disaster. Previous research indicated that understanding the initial chaos of disaster response is imperative to keeping first responders safe and healthy. First responders may also reduce the perception of chaos by implementing situational awareness skills. This research study explored (a) how first responders experienced the initial chaos immediately following a large-scale disaster, (b) how first responders experienced their emotions (good or bad) and what, if any, emotions were present, (c) how their emotions affected job performance, and (d) …

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Development And Validation Of A Sepsis Course For Burn Intensive Care Unit Nurses, Colleen Melisa Reid Jan 2020

Development And Validation Of A Sepsis Course For Burn Intensive Care Unit Nurses, Colleen Melisa Reid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sepsis is the most common cause of death in burn patients. Optimal recovery from sepsis requires early recognition and prompt treatment. When sepsis is suspected or detected, the 2016 Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines endorse immediate initiation of the Hour-1 Sepsis Bundle. Unfortunately, a random audit of hospital system compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sepsis core measure was less than 50%. A 2019 performance improvement project uncovered delays in antibiotic administration, and a search of scientific and burn center literature did not elucidate a course that educated burn intensive care nurses about sepsis. The purpose of this …

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Implementation And Sustainability Of Emergency Department Wait Time Management Strategies, Arnold F. Resto Del Valle Jan 2020

Implementation And Sustainability Of Emergency Department Wait Time Management Strategies, Arnold F. Resto Del Valle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of excessive wait time in the Emergency Department (ED) is a barrier to receiving access to assessment and treatment for patients seeking care in the United States. This project sought to understand the success factors that help implement and sustain wait time management strategies (WTMS) and ensure reduction of wait times in hospital Emergency Departments. This study addresses the gap in practice of few documented success factors that are proven methods in clinical practice for reducing patient wait time or sustainability. Retrospective studies, randomized controlled trials, and prospective observational studies were included in this project. An exhaustive comprehensive …

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The Relationship Between Flexible Work Environments And The Engagement Of Healthcare Information Technology Employees, Mosella Andrea Rouse Jan 2020

The Relationship Between Flexible Work Environments And The Engagement Of Healthcare Information Technology Employees, Mosella Andrea Rouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of employee engagement can adversely impact the profitability of businesses. Healthcare information technology leaders who lack information about the relationship between flexible work environments and employee engagement are at risk of decreased employee engagement, adversely impacting companies’ performance. Grounded in the social exchange theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between flexible work location, flexible work hours, and employee engagement among millennial healthcare information technology (HIT) workers. Data were collected from archival records of millennial employees (N = 2,184) who work at a HIT organization in the southeastern United States. The results of …

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Management Strategies Used By Construction Managers To Reduce Employee Absenteeism, Kevin Paul Ruane Jan 2020

Management Strategies Used By Construction Managers To Reduce Employee Absenteeism, Kevin Paul Ruane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee absenteeism results in millions of working days lost in the United Kingdom, which reduces employee productivity and profitability for small construction companies. Construction managers lacking strategies to reduce employee absenteeism experience lowered organizational profitability and employee productivity. Grounded in Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, the purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore strategies middle managers use in the construction industry in South Wales to reduce employee absenteeism. The participants consisted of 6 middle managers from 3 small construction companies who successfully reduced employee absenteeism. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, and training materials. Data …

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Childhood Religious Stress As A Predictor Of Adult Substance Use Disorders Among Sexual Minorities, Jennifer A. Schindler Jan 2020

Childhood Religious Stress As A Predictor Of Adult Substance Use Disorders Among Sexual Minorities, Jennifer A. Schindler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have taken considerable interest in the relationship between religious stress in childhood and substance use disorders in adulthood among sexual minorities because more individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, and bi/pansexual have a substance use disorder compared to heterosexuals. However, researchers have not yet completed an integrated analysis of religious stress, mental health, and age of awareness among sexual minorities. This study was important now because the societal climate has shifted to more extremes of intolerance and less acceptance for sexual minorities. The purpose of this study was to examine religious stress as a predictor variable for substance use …

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Clinical Practice Guideline For Transitions Of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Thomas Stewart Jan 2020

Clinical Practice Guideline For Transitions Of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Thomas Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a public health challenge and a leading cause of readmissions in the United States. Research suggests that many patient readmissions could be prevented by using a multidisciplinary approach to develop quality, evidence-informed clinical practice guidelines. A retrospective review of the electronic health record by the project site’s quality committee revealed a lack of consistency in adhering to best practice recommendations, as evidenced by increased readmission rates. The purpose of this project was to develop a clinical practice guideline with input from a collaborative expert advisory committee for the discharge care of COPD patients. The …

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