Digital Commons Network^™

Child Abuse Reporting By Mandated Reporters In Schools, Kliche Adebanjo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child maltreatment has proven to be a mainstream issue in the United States, with millions of children being referred to state welfare systems for investigation or alternative response intervention. Research has identified mandated reporters as being responsible for reporting the majority of these cases. Amongst those identified as mandated reporters, education personnel refer the greatest number of children for suspicion of child abuse or neglect, partly because of their ongoing contact daily; however, many of the cases they report are unsubstantiated. Past research findings have concluded that mandated reporters in schools lacked proper child abuse training. The purpose of this …

Perceptions Of Correctional Practitioners On Contraband Prevention In Maryland Adult State Prisons, Patrick Orock Agbortarh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAlthough contraband trafficking has been a focus of scholars since 2013, researchers have yet been able to establish a more reliable contraband control strategy. The present study was based on the perceptions of correctional practitioners of Maryland State Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS). These perceptions were necessary in devising a strategy to prevent the flow of contraband items into Maryland’s adult state prisons. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of 10 correctional practitioners from Maryland correctional facilities, with the goal of providing insight into which efforts are most effective in preventing contraband from …

The Relationship Between Attachment Styles And Depression Among Lebanese Young Adults, Noor Alassadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a serious mental disorder that impacts the individual and community. It has social, economic, emotional, and physical outcomes. Many psychological studies found that testing and identifying the relationship between attachment styles and depression could help understand the development of depression. Existing literature also indicated that cultural norms could influence the relationship between attachment styles and major depression. The purpose of this quantitative survey study, grounded in bioecological theory, was to test the relationship between attachment styles and major depressive disorder among 69 young adults in a homogeneous Lebanese culture. Data were collected using the Revised Adult Attachment Scale, …

Medical Laboratory Scientists’ Perceptions Of Their Affective Domain Development, Tamera Mae Alpaugh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The affective and professional development of health care professionals, including medical laboratory science (MLS) professionals, is important for their employability and provision of effective patient care. The problem is that affective development is critical to graduate employability and the quality of care provided in health care settings, yet there is limited research about which activities and experiences are perceived by MLS students as beneficial for their affective domain development. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how MLS students describe the usefulness of program learning activities and experiences as supporting their affective development, within the framework of …

Service Members’ Perspectives On Veteran Homelessness In Maryland And Virginia, Olasunkanmi G. Amosu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homelessness among military veterans (HAMV) is a protracted problem. In November 2009, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pledged to end the issue, but almost 12 years later, HAMV persists despite various solutions proposed. In January 2020, 37,252 veterans were reported as experiencing homelessness in the United States. The creation of previous solutions did not include the perspectives of service members. The purpose of this study was to bridge this gap in knowledge by discovering the views of service members on why veteran colleagues experience homelessness. The theoretical framework for this study was Allport’s trait theory. A qualitative case study …

A Delphi Study On The Use Of Simulation In Undergraduate Nursing Education, Diana L. Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe lack of traditional clinical sites for nursing students has prompted a surge in simulation as an innovative teaching strategy in undergraduate nursing education. The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INASCL) developed the INACSL Standards of Best Practice: SimulationSM to direct schools of nursing in implementing high-quality simulations. As simulated experiences replace traditional clinical experiences, it is imperative that simulated experiences replicate real-life patient scenarios. The purpose of this Delphi study was to establish consensus on the use of the INACSL Standards of Best Practice: Simulation in undergraduate nursing education. The conceptual frameworks guiding this study were …

The Effectiveness Of Rape Prevention And Awareness Programs On Historically Black Colleges And University Campuses, Lucretia Rishelle Banks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As rapes and sexual assaults continue to occur on Historically Black College and University (HBCU) campuses, students remain apprehensive in reporting victimizations to law enforcement, despite the presence of sexual assault prevention and awareness programming. Research has shown that the lack of reporting to law enforcement is based on specific barriers. However, there is little knowledge on the perceptions of program facilitators and administrators on why victims decline to report to law enforcement. This qualitative phenomenological study gathered the perceptions of eight program facilitators and administrators on the effectiveness of rape and sexual assault prevention programming. The community readiness theoretical …

Effectiveness Of 7-Day And 30-Day Interval Aftercare To Reduce Psychiatric Readmissions, Aldrick Dwight Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The results for psychiatric readmissions and 7- and 30-day follow-up care post psychiatric discharge are mixed. Psychiatric readmissions of psychiatric patients are costly. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the association between 7- and 30-day follow-up care percentages and 30-day readmission rates for an inpatient psychiatric facility (IPF). The transtheoretical model was used to assess patient readiness for behavior change and a patient-centered guide that provides strategies for patient progression during hospital readmission and post psychiatric hospital discharge. In this study, a quantitative, correlational research design utilizing public secondary data retrieved from the Centers of Medicaid and …

Effective Physician Engagement Strategies For Improving Healthcare, Auriesheaua Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle and senior-level healthcare managers lack physician engagement strategies to help avoid physician burnout. Many physicians leave the healthcare profession due to disengagement, which could cause a significant healthcare crisis. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the engagement strategies healthcare middle and senior-level managers used to help avoid physician burnout. Participants comprised seven middle and senior-level healthcare managers with a minimum of five years of employee management experience who effectively used physician engagement strategies to help avoid physician burnout at a Central Pacific United States healthcare organization. Data were …

Developing A Clinical Practice Guideline For Colorectal Cancer Screening In Primary Care, Michelle Janise Berkley-Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States for both men and women combined. CRC screening is an effective way to reduce mortality and morbidity related to the disease. Practitioners within primary care practices can play an essential role in encouraging people to be screened. Yet, CRC screening rates remain low in primary care practices. Evidence-based strategies are available to help practitioners improve CRC screening activities and improve screening rates. The lack of a clinical practice guideline (CPG) with strategies to help improve CRC screening interventions was identified as a practice gap for …

The Glass Ceiling: Effects Of Motivation And Morale On Women In Emergency Management, Becky Bernat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Large emergency management organizations are organizations in which women are known to be hindered from becoming leaders. However, the effects that lack of opportunities for advancement has on women’s motivation and workplace attitude have not been thoroughly addressed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of women working at a large emergency management organization, specifically how perceptions of the glass ceiling affected their motivation and attitude in the workplace. The research questions were focused on gender limitations in career advancement, motivational factors, including extrinsic and intrinsic, and the morale of women who had experiences with gender …

Insecticide Treated Nets And Malaria Control Strategy In Sierra Leone, Henry Nk Biayemi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMalaria is a deadly disease and endemic in Sierra Leone. It is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality amongst children younger than five years in Sierra Leone. Insecticide treated nets (ITNs) are not used widely despite free distribution, low health risks, and proven ability to reduce malaria. The purpose of this quantitative crosssectional study was to investigate the association between a set of independent variables (parental education, parents' economic status, household size, and residence) and the use of ITNs among children under five years of age in Sierra Leone. The study used a secondary dataset from the Ministry of …

Educators’ Perspectives On Strategies To Close The Achievement Gap For African American Elementary Students In Mathematics And English Language Arts, Keamber Denise Booker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a persistent academic achievement gap between African American and European American elementary students in mathematics and English language arts. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore third through fifth-grade elementary educators’ perspectives on strategies used to narrow the gap in achievement for African American students in mathematics and English language arts from a school located in the southeastern region of the United States; consequently, the research question was developed to focus on these perspectives. The conceptual framework for this study was Ladson-Billings’s culturally relevant pedagogy. Purposeful sampling and snowball sampling were used to select study …

Strategies To Reduce Fall Rates In A Long-Term Care Facility, Kimberly H. Brewer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFalls among residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) pose significant threats to their health and quality of life, as falls often lead to life-threatening injuries such as traumatic brain injury and hip fractures. The etiology of the falls is multifactorial and complex; thus, interventions to reduce the falls typically combine two or more evidence-based interventions. The objective of this doctorate project was to develop an evidenced-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) outlining a multifaceted, evidenced-based bundled set of interventions for a fall prevention program to reduce falls for elderly patients living in the LTCFs. Lewin’s 3-step model of change was used …

Mss0500. John P. Bakke Collection Finding Aid

Special Collections Finding Aids

The collection comprises issues of Memphis, Tennessee, newspapers, predominantly from 1968, as well as a number of publications about Elvis Presley.

Experience Of The Obese Population With Weight Bias/Stigma, Gary Mathew Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity management has been identified as an important issue in health promotion, and some researchers have also reported that people who are obese often do not seek health care. Yet, current research is lacking on the complexities of weight stigma from the perspective of people who are obese. The purpose of this qualitive descriptive study was to understand the perceptions of weight bias/stigma of obese individuals. Guided by Goffman’s Theory of Social Stigma and the Health Belief Model, purposive sampling was used to recruit 10 participants who had a body mass index greater than 30 and who lived in West …

Exploring Organizational Values Of The Organizations And Employee-Owners In Worker-Owned Cooperatives, Mary Anne Broner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearchers have documented a variety of challenges that worker-owned cooperatives experience as a result of poor management. Most cooperative literature is focused on agriculture economics and cooperative organizations in other countries. The lack of attention in the social science literature on worker cooperatives in the United States reflects a need for further exploration of this business model. Accordingly, this qualitative case study was conducted to explore mismatches in organizational value between the organization and the employee–owners. The goal was to gather the perceptions of employee–owners and managerial personnel that could be leveraged to increase member commitment for a successful worker-owned …

Hospice Social Workers In The Death With Dignity Process, Lisa M. Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospice social workers are in an ethical conundrum due to the contrast between honoring clients’ self-determined life closure and hospice organization prescribed non-participation in requests for physician-assisted death. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Association and the International Hospice and Palliative Care Association have issued position statements that the hospice philosophy of care is to provide comfort and reduce suffering, not to hasten death. Social workers are bound by a code of ethics to honor patient choice in end-of-life decisions. This generic qualitative study gives voice to hospice social workers in the Pacific Northwest regarding their motivations and responses to …

Preservice Teacher Efficacy To Teach Informational Text Comprehension Through Literature Circles, Amy J. Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preservice teachers in an elementary education teacher preparation program are tasked with teaching informational text comprehension through literature circles during a literacy field experience. The problem addressed is that even after receiving explicit classroom instruction on this topic, preservice teachers expressed apprehension and self-doubt and may not have the self-efficacy to effectively teach informational text comprehension. The purpose of this project study was to explore preservice teachers' perceived self-efficacy to teach informational text comprehension. This study was grounded in a constructivist paradigm centered on Bandura’s concept of self-efficacy. The research questions concerned preservice teachers perceived self-efficacy to teach informational text …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Response-To-Intervention Reading Strategies In Middle Schools, Judy Bernadette Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As students enter middle school, many lack literacy skills, especially English language learners (ELLs). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine what supports middle school teachers perceived they needed to be effective using response to intervention (RTI) strategies with ELLs. This basic qualitative study was framed by the RTI framework as described in the Individual with Disabilities Education Act and by Hall and Hord’s concerns-based adoption model. Interviews were conducted with eight teachers with a minimum of 3 years of service who used RTI practices in their classrooms in middle schools in school districts from the Northeast …

Elementary School Administrators As Instructional Leaders For Improving Student Reading, Charmain Day-Heggie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSchool administrators not only lead and manage a school, but are also required to be strong instructional leaders. In the Sunnybrook Public School District [pseudonym], elementary administrators of Title I schools were challenged to support teachers’ reading instruction for students. The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to understand how elementary administrators in rural Title I school described the strategies they use to improve reading achievement for students. Data were collected using semistructured interviews from eight elementary school administrators; six were women, and two were men. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis using a priori, open, and axial …

Increasing Fall Awareness Through Nursing Staff Education, Evelyn Ahiante Dennis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patient falls are a significant healthcare concern, with the highest risk being among older adults aged 65 and older. A lack of nursing knowledge can contribute to patient falls. This DNP project was conducted in the medical-surgical trauma unit of a 137-bed local rehabilitation center in Northern Georgia. The intention of the project was to understand if a nursing staff education program would increase knowledge regarding falls prevention. Kurt Lewin’s change theory provided the framework for the project. The project participants were nine medical surgical nurses. Using the analysis, design, development, implementation (ADDIE) model, a falls prevention education program was …

Mss0048. Civil War Collection Finding Aid

Special Collections Finding Aids

This collection of American Civil War materials includes letters, diaries, official documents and other published items.

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View the collection's transcriptions

Workplace Spirituality, Organizational Ethics, And Conscious Leadership, Tasha Dufrene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem of organizational ethics was addressed by examining the relationship between organizational ethics, workplace spirituality, and conscious leadership as a catalyst for positive social change. Spiritual leadership theory and social learning theory provided the theoretical frameworks for this study. Both theories provided a theoretical understanding of how learned social behaviors and leadership have an impact on organizational culture. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to understand the relationship between workplace spirituality, organizational ethics, and conscious leadership. It is important to understand the relationship between workplace spirituality, organizational ethics, and conscious leadership because the negative effects of low …

The Perspectives Of Parents Who Are Obese On The Standards Of Health For Their Children, Ingrid Facey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a burdensome and preventable noncommunicable disease that annually claims the lives of approximately 5% of the global population. Initially, the disease affected only adults, but the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has become an ongoing concern to health officials and world leaders. Childhood obesity may persist into adulthood and may become a precursor to Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and socioeconomic complications. Some parents who struggle with obesity may miss signs that their children are obese, which hinders their children’s growth at many levels. Research on the lived experiences of parents who are obese and their coping strategies …

Nonprofit Resource Development From Individual Donors For General Operating Expenses, Zanetta Ford-Byrd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Virginia Community Action Agency (VCAA) provides several programs to meet the needs of low-income families and individuals. There are 31 community action agencies in Virginia. Each agency is independently governed to meet the needs identified within its respective community. For example, if food insecurity is an issue, low-cost food subsidy programs are provided for local community constituents. Since 1965, the mission of the organization, has been to provide the means necessary to enable those who have fallen on hard times to receive assistance and lead quality lives. The purpose of the agency is to provide this assistance, and the …

Strategies To Improve The Survival Rate Beyond 5 Years For Small Business In Guyana, Wayne Forde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn Guyana, small business entrepreneurs with less than 25 employees without a success strategy fail at a high rate. These entrepreneurs need to develop strategies to improve survivability beyond 5 years. Grounded in Porter’s five forces theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies used to assist small business entrepreneurs in Guyana to sustain profitability beyond 5 years. Participants were four business owners in the manufacturing and accounting sectors who sustained their business beyond 5 years of operations. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents, including websites and meeting notes. …

Strategies For Mitigating Voluntary Employee Turnover In Small Businesses, Eric Regneco Gant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractVoluntary employee turnover costs businesses significant resources in training and recruitment. An employee’s voluntary turnover could cost small business owners $3,000 to $10,000 in training and recruitment costs and reduce company performance, profitability, and competitive advantage. Grounded in Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that owners of small businesses in the eastern United States use to mitigate voluntary employee turnover. Data were collected from semistructured telephone interviews with five small business owners with at least three years of experience mitigating voluntary employee turnover. Data were analyzed using Yin’s five-step approach. …

The Lived Experiences Of Employees Identifying As Belonging Outside Of Workplace Cliques, Patricia O'Neil Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cliques are a naturally occurring phenomenon and have been demonstrated to have adverse outcomes. Workplace cliques can lead to negative behaviors that affect organizational effectiveness. Although the effects of cliques have been studied extensively, a deeper understanding is needed by managers of the experiences of employees identifying as belonging outside of workplace cliques. The research question of this transcendental phenomenological study focused on the lived experiences of employees identifying as belonging outside of workplace cliques formed within their organization’s culture. Using convenience sampling, 15 people who identified as having worked in a situation where there was a clique agreed to …

Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards In Washington, Wade W. Gough

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The federal government created the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program in 2007 to keep terrorists from weaponizing hazardous chemicals. The CFATS program did this by targeting high-risk chemical facilities and adding additional regulations, but this has added an additional burden on the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) that could negatively impact their capacity to prepare and collaborate to prevent chemical disasters. The present study was conducted to evaluate the CFATS program from the perspective of LEPCs to fill an existing gap in the literature. The study was conducted using the theoretical frameworks of contingency theory of organizations by Donaldson, …