Digital Commons Network^™

A Quality Improvement Evaluation Of A Hospitalist Telemedicine Program, Kelly Marie Awes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical access hospitals (CAHs) encounter unique challenges in terms of providingquality resources to their community, often lacking quality measures and continuity comparable to larger regional and tertiary hospitals. One CAH in rural Minnesota implemented an overnight hospitalist telemedicine service to address concerns with provider resources and quality practice. An evaluation of quality improvement implementation was completed to address data regarding ER transfers and inpatient length of stay (LOS). Following the triple aim framework to improve patient care, population health, and decrease costs, Donabedian’s model of quality improvement was utilized. Three months of pre and postimplementation data were collected one year …

The Association Between Teacher Attachment Style And Student Engagement, Susan Bonnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The teacher-student relationship is an important dynamic in student engagement. Higher education retention strategies include the teacher-student relationship as a focus. The present study focused on the attachment style of the teacher and the impact that it has on student engagement. The theoretical basis for this study was Bowlby’s attachment theory. Student engagement, both behavioral and academic, was measured after 9 weeks of a semester in general education classes. A quantitative design was used to determine the relationship between the teacher’s attachment style and student engagement. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze the results. Significant differences …

Parent Practices In Homeschooling Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Demonstrate Problem Behaviors, Cymantha Jewel Channey-White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThere is a gap in literature regarding parent practices in homeschooling children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who demonstrate problem behaviors during instructional sessions. Research literature showed that children with ASD demonstrate problem behaviors during instructional sessions in educational environments. The problem is a gap in the literature regarding how parents who homeschool their students with ASD address the same behaviors. The conceptual framework—social learning theory. The research questions were focused on parent practices of managing problem behavior during homeschool instructional sessions and the support they received. Qualitative research was used to explore the experiences of homeschool parent practices in …

Relationship Between Multiple Train Derailment Causal Factors And The Occurrence Of Train Derailment, Samantha Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Train derailments can result in loss of life, interruption of services, and destruction of the environment. Understanding the correlates of train derailments can help railway managers and safety managers reduce the occurrences of train derailments. Grounded in the Swiss cheese model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between train derailment causal factors, visibility, weather, number of crew members, crew members’ length of time on duty, and the occurrence of a train derailment. Data were collected from secondary data on 1,396 Class I and Class II railroad accidents during the 2019 calendar year. The results …

Designing Three-Dimensional Implementation Of Ngss To Support Science Education, Melissa M. Delaurentis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Next Generation Science Standards transitions science instruction to a strategic focus on students’ application of science content through sensemaking to deepen their understanding of naturally occurring phenomena. As an innovative educational initiative, NGSS requires a vast shift in how all stakeholders approach scientific learning in public education. New Mexico formally adopted NGSS in 2017 and promptly expected full implementation. The problem explored in this study is the perceptions of principals, instructional coordinators, and science educators on the implementation of NGSS, based on New Mexico’s abridged timeline, inadequate funding, and limited professional learning. The study used a qualitative exploratory case …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Nurses In South Carolina Emergency Rooms, Debra A. Dixon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underrepresentation of African American (AA) nurses in South Carolina (SC) emergency rooms (ERs) may affect quality patient care for AAs and all other patients in culturally diverse populations. This qualitative interpretive (hermeneutic) phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of AA nurses in several SC ERs concerning quality patient care in culturally diverse populations. Herzberg's two-factor theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory framed the study. The research question investigated the lived experiences of AA ER nurses in SC ERs concerning quality patient care in culturally diverse populations. Interpretive phenomenology was used to gain insight from a sample of 17 …

The Pre-School Teacher Experience Of Social Skills For Early Education Success, Cheryl Dorsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Pre-school is foundational to future academic success, and social skills have been recognized as a critical component of that foundation. How pre-school teachers facilitate social skills development is an area requiring further study. The purpose of this research was to describe the experience of social skills development from the perspective of early educators. Attachment and social learning theories were used as theoretical frameworks to explore how early education teachers describe the social skills for early education success in young children and how early education teachers facilitate the development of important social skills. This study used a generic, qualitative design …

Strategies Used By U.S. Biotechnology Companies To Attain Fda Quality Compliance, Peter M. Ovwiovwio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Up to 70% of U.S. businesses in the biotech industry received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noncompliance citations in 2015. The effective implementation of quality management strategies may lead to improved quality compliance. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that quality compliance managers in biotech companies use to integrate and apply FDA product quality compliance requirements into their products’ quality compliance metrics. Deming’s strategic models for developing and implementing quality provided the conceptual framework for the study. The study participants consisted of five biotech quality compliance managers in the West region of the …

Psychological Effects Of Testosterone Replacement Therapy For Secondary Hypogonadism, Minerva Spurlock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypogonadism negatively impacts various psychological aspects of a male’s life. Males under the age of 50 who experience symptoms of depression or a decreased sense of well-being may not be aware that secondary hypogonadism might be the underlying cause. A gap exists in the literature regarding the psychological effects of testosterone replacement therapy used to treat hypogonadism. The current research project was framed by Engel’s biopsychosocial theory, which encompasses the biological, psychological, and social aspects of a client’s life. The research objective was to determine the relationship between testosterone replacement therapy and the psychological effects of depression and quality of …

Clinical Practice Guidelines For Community-Based Resources For Substance Abuse Patients In An Emergency Department, Julie Ann Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Substance use disorder (SUD) has plagued the United States for decades and has been an ongoing issue in a Midwest hospital emergency department where SUD patients were provided discharge information that did not include SUD specific recovery and rehabilitation resources available in the community. The purpose of this project was to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for nurses to use when discharging a SUD patient with an accompanying evidence-based recovery and referral resource list including Narcan, medication-assisted treatment, crisis hotlines, needle exchange programs, and treatment options. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice framework was used to grade the levels …

Community College Student Persistence In The Online Learning Environment, Lori Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online course enrollment at community colleges has increased in recent years. Student persistence rates in online courses are lower than in traditional face-to-face courses. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore student perceptions of the external and internal factors that contribute to students’ persistence in online learning. Rovai’s composite persistence model was the conceptual framework used to explore the perceptions of eight students who were 18 and older and had completed a minimum of two online courses within the past 2 years at a Midwest community college in the United States. Findings from inductive coding analysis of …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Literacy Instruction With Autistic Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Heather Ann Marzenski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Families and educators have voiced concerns about the literacy skills of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the situation. Pandemic era studies have demonstrated the ramifications that students with ASD have faced, including regression of literacy skills, lower grades, lack of support services, and subpar instruction. Teachers' perceptions remained unexamined in the pandemic era studies. The purpose of this basic qualitative dissertation was to examine teachers’ perceptions about the materials and strategies used to deliver literacy instruction during the pandemic for students with ASD. The conceptual frameworks that underpinned this study were self-determination theory …

Educators' And Parents' Perceptions Of Family Engagement In A Head Start Program, Sondeania Marie Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Family engagement benefits children’s development and contributes to student academic success. However, educators feel that they are unprepared to engage families in the educational process, although they are encouraged to do so. The purpose of this basic qualitative study with interviews was to explore educators’ and parents’ perceptions of family engagement. The conceptual framework for this study was supported by Epstein’s ecological framework. A basic qualitative study and purposeful sampling were used to conduct semistructured interviews with 10 educators who were currently employed as teachers and with five parents who had a child enrolled in the Head Start program who …

Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge And Its Relation To Student Achievement, Michelle Emmalyn Peters-George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students' performance in national assessments of mathematics at Grades 2, 4, and 6 has been a cause for concern in the Eastern Caribbean. Researchers have called for studies to focus on primary mathematics teachers' pedagogies rather than on laptops and curriculum; however, it is unclear how primary mathematics teachers' pedagogical knowledge influences these student’s achievement. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between primary mathematics teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (mathematical knowledge for teaching, quality of instruction, and pedagogical qualifications) and student achievement, measured by national assessment scores in Grenada, controlling for teachers’ age, gender, and experience. …

Career Commitment Of Women In University Stem Leadership Roles: Professors, Chairs, And Deans, Denise Mariko Garretson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the increased numbers of women in STEM over the last 2 decades, women are more likely than men to leave a STEM career. It is important to have women’s perspectives within the workplace and to have female role models from different backgrounds to support and encourage female students to move into STEM careers. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to identify how female STEM university leaders perceive the influence of their personal vision and work-life balance on their career commitment. The framework included two concepts: Boyatzis’ ideal self and Poulose and Sudarsan’s work-life balance. The phenomenological design …

Metal Discovery By Highly Sensitive Microwave Multi-Band Metamaterial-Inspired Sensors, Ghaleb Al-Duhni, Nantakan Wongkasem

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A simple, compact, contactless, and high sensitivity metamaterial-inspired sensor has been developed to detect and classify precious transition metals in the S- and C-band regime, using reflection coefficients. A multi-band metamaterial, quadruple concentric circular split ring resonator, is specifically designed as a sensing enhancer, where the additional bands can effectively trigger the electromagnetic properties, as well as enhance the differentiation between the testing metal samples. The proposed sensor was tested on precious transition metals, silver, platinum, and gold thin slabs of various thicknesses, from 0.5 µm to 3 mm. Five resonances were established in the frequency range of 2–8 GHz. …

Degradation Issues And Stabilization Strategies Of Protonic Ceramic Electrolysis Cells For Steam Electrolysis, Hanrui Su, Yun Hang Hu

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Protonic ceramic electrolysis cells (PCECs) are attractive electrochemical devices for converting electrical energy to chemicals due to their high conversion efficiency, favorable thermodynamics, fast kinetics, and inexpensive materials. Compared with conventional oxygen ion-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cells, PCECs operate at a lower operating temperature and a favorable operation mode, thus expecting high durability. However, the degradation of PCECs is still significant, hampering their development. In this review, the typical degradations of PCECs are summarized, with emphasis on the chemical stability of the electrolytes and the air electrode materials. Moreover, the degradation mechanism and influencing factors are assessed deeply. Finally, the …

Copyright Silencing, Cathay Y. N. Smith

Faculty Law Review Articles

Copyright has been weaponized to suppress speech,1 frustrate competition,2 punish third parties,3 and silence criticism and erase facts.4 This Essay highlights one form of copyright weaponization I call “copyright silencing.” Copyright silencing is a form of copyright weaponization where owners assert copyrights to silence criticism or suppress facts instead of to protect copyright owners’ legitimate interests5 in their works. This Essay identifies recent or notable instances of copyright silencing, examines the harm copyright silencing perpetrates, and explains why it is increasingly difficult to stop the assertion of copyright to silence, suppress, and censor facts, information, and criticism.

Relationship Between Employee Perception Of Work Experience, Employee Perception Of Supervisors, And Intent To Leave, Kathryn F. Denning

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover can be costly; estimates for recruiting and training new hires are between 90% and 200% of the employee's annual salary. Understanding employee intent to leave is critical for managers to reduce turnover rates. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between federal government agency employees' perception of their work experience, employee perception of supervisors, and employee intent to leave. Secondary data from 359,120 completed surveys from the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) were analyzed. The results of the binary logistic regression were significant, X2 (359,120) = 17609.539, …

Maritime Cybersecurity Strategies For Information Technology Specialists, Angela Mizelle Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dependence on digital technology increases cyber-related risks for maritime industries. As a result, the U.S. Coast Guard network is challenged with maritime cybersecurity, both economically and for national security. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies information technology (IT) specialists use to implement standard practices for ensuring cyber security. The participants included six IT specialists who have successfully implemented standard practices for maritime organizations in Virginia and West Virginia. Data were collected from individual semistructured interviews and a review of 12 external organizational documents available to the public from IT …

Associations Between The Use Of Bed Nets And Malaria Infection On The School Performance Of Juveniles In Ghana, Ans Bumbokuri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Millions of malaria cases are reported yearly in sub-Saharan Africa, events which adversely influence children’s school performance. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to investigate the effectiveness of major malaria control policies in reducing malaria cases as a means of improving academic performance among school children in the greater Accra region of Ghana. A secondary data set was obtained from the 2014-2016 data from the Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey (GMIS). Findings indicated that bed net use and malarial episodes in children of participant recorded a p-value of 0.43 which is a significant association between the variables. The likelihood …

Barriers In Implementing A Unified Collaborative Policy To Combat Female Sex Trafficking In Edo-State,Nigeria., Grace Chikaodili Uzochukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHuman trafficking has been a historical and global concern as well as a global crime against humanity that violates individual rights, freedom, and privileges. Human trafficking has become a growing phenomenon in Edo State, Nigeria, while the existing policy to combat it has proved ineffective. There was a gap in understanding strategies for the unification of the policies at the level of Edo State, Nigeria, and the level of the United Nations (UN) to ensure better outcomes in the fight against human trafficking. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceived barriers to implementing collaborative policy unification …

Experiences Of Spanish-Speaking Patients Using Interpreter Services With Their Physicians, Rafael Raul Caycho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, many patients cannot speak English well enough to communicate with their medical providers. Many of these patients use professional interpreter services offered by their medical organizations to help with communication, which can lead to miscommunication due to the translation process between patients, interpreters, and physicians, and to incorrect diagnosis and poor health outcomes for the patient. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Spanish-speaking patients who used interpreter services with their physicians. The transmission model was the theoretical framework used to explore the experiences and outcomes for the participants. In this study, …

The Predictive Relationship Between Probation/Parole Officer Factors And Recidivism Rates Among Female Offenders, Crystal Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe purpose of this quantitative, longitudinal, correlational study was to examine if probation officers’ (POs) knowledge of the post release needs of the female offender, their use of positive feedback with the offender, and their supportive relationship with offender were significantly predictive of recidivism at 3 years post release in a sample of 363 female offenders under probation/parole in the state of Michigan between 2011–2014. The study was guided by the PO as coach theory. Data obtained from archival data sets from the Probation/Parole Officer Interactions with Women Offenders, Michigan, 2011–2014 study were utilized in the study. One binomial logistic …

Strategies To Mitigate Natural Disaster Impact In The Auto Maintenance Business, Charles Oluande Ogutu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small business owners lack strategies to mitigate natural disasters. Damage caused by natural disasters usually costs millions of dollars in injuries or lost lives, disruption to operations, and property damage. Small business owners who fail to plan and prepare for disaster frequently face closure when disasters strike. The goal of this study was to explore strategies independent auto maintenance business owners use to mitigate natural disasters. Holling’s organizational resilience theory grounded this qualitative multiple case study. Five purposively selected participants who implemented disaster mitigation strategies from Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana participated in this study. Semistructured interviews were used to …

The Lived Experience Of Quality Of Life Of Older Adults In Rural Ghana, Benjamin Arthur

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quality of life (QOL) of older adults in rural Ghana is of growing concern, locally and throughout the country. In Ghana, it is the tradition for family members to take care of older adults without any government support, but research has shown that changing economic and social structures make this tradition less optimal, so older adults suffer physically and emotionally. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of QOL for older adults in rural Ghana. The ecological systems theory was used to explore the integral role of family support and QOL in the microsystem, …

Strategies To Retain Call Center Employees, Michele Boston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Call center executives who lack effective strategies to retain employees face a disruption in service, employee performance and productivity, as well as an increase in operational expenses. Ineffective retention strategies can negatively impact call centers by increasing cost, decreasing talent quality and loss of the customer experience. Grounded in Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore employee retention strategies that call center executives use to maintain employees within their organizations. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, and physical artifacts. The interview participants comprised five call center executives, managers, or team leaders in …

How The Rise In Student Loan Debt Affects Residential Real Estate, Heather Nicole Dufour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student loan debt has increased significantly over the past several years. At the same time, there has been a historic drop in first-time home buyers. What remains uncertain is if these two trends are related. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between student loan debt and home ownership for young adults in the United States. The theoretical foundation focused on consumer behavior through Maslow’s motivation-need theory. Individual-level longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 was used to examine more than 3,000 participants’ responses regarding their student loan debt and home ownership status, …

Predictors Of Cancer Information Seeking Among Adults With A Family History Of Cancer, Oluwakemi Akindeju Fawole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cancer is a significant cause of illness and mortality in the United States. A family history of cancer is a valuable factor for assessing disease risk and increasing cancer information-seeking behaviors for prevention. Guided by the health belief model, this quantitative study addressed the predictors of cancer information seeking behavior among adults with a family history of cancer. In this study, data from 8,473 participants in the 2017–2019 Health Information Trends Analysis Survey were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. This analysis addressed whether there was a statistically significant difference in sociodemographic factors, measures of health status, and health care engagement …

Investigating The Needs Of Homeless Individuals Living In Transitional Housing, Tonya Hambrick-Mcclain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeless individuals are a disadvantaged and vulnerable population. Some of the issues contributing to homelessness are mental illness, medical problems, substance abuse, domestic violence, and lack of education and affordable housing. Homelessness continues to be a major social issue in the United States, and it profoundly affects individuals ages 25–35 years old. There is limited research identifying the needs of homeless individuals between the ages of 25 and 35 who live in transitional housing in the Chicago area. The purpose of this generic qualitative research study was to explore how homeless individuals ages 25-35 years old describe their lived experiences …