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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 …

Antenatal And Postnatal Care Services And Maternal Mortality In Nigeria, Lucy Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigeria has had a high maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births since the 1990s. A possible contributing factor is that many Nigerian women are not aware of prenatal and postpartum pregnancy care-related services. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between pregnancy-related care (access to antenatal services, maternal health education, and knowledge of prenatal and postpartum care) and maternal mortality in Nigeria. The theory of planned behavior forms the basis of this study. A cross-sectional quantitative study design was used to determine whether maternal mortality is influenced by pregnancy-related care. Secondary data collected by the Demographic …

Strategies For Call Center Employee Retention, Tracion Evette Flood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOrganizations with leaders that fail to implement strategies to retain knowledgeable employees risk maintaining a competitive advantage in the industry. The turnover rates in call centers are relatively high because of the stressors of offering different services and addressing dissatisfied, irate customers in a fast-paced environment while providing quality customer service. Organizations with leaders who fail to retain knowledgeable employees risk maintaining a competitive advantage in the industry. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies call center leaders implemented to reduce voluntary employee turnover. The participants consisted of three call …

New York City Police Officers’ Experiences Of 9/11, Christine Fiore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPolice officers were some of the first responders to the World Trade Center bombings on September 11, 2001. Longitudinal studies have revealed that some New York City (NYC) police officers were better able to cope than others, yet the long-term effects of officers’ coping strategies are unknown. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the coping strategies used by NYC police officers during 9/11 and how these police officers continue to cope with their experiences today. Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping provided the foundation for this study. The participants included nine NYC police …

Synthesized Grounded Theory Expansion Of The Quadruple Aim In Acute Care Nursing, O. Ann Ann Fuller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractConflation of moral and compassionate healthcare within the business model that is focused on customer service, disempowers, dehumanizes, and destabilizes nursing as well as the financial stability of healthcare. The purpose of this research was to determine nurses’ perceptions of how their work environment supported or contradicted a potential expansion of the quadruple aim. The quadruple aim was the primary conceptual framework for this research. The overarching research question was about how the environment of care supports professional nurses’ provision of high-quality person- centered care and bolsters meaningful and purposeful careers. The synthesized grounded theory methodology was used to collect …

Lived Experiences Of Adults Using Emotional Support Animals To Cope With Anxiety, Kenneth Patrick Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anxiety is a clinical disorder affecting nearly 40 million adults in the United States. Treating anxiety symptoms has been most effective when clinicians combine medication and therapy intervention. Still, treatments for anxiety varies among clinicians to determine which one may be the most effective. Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide one kind of intervention that clinicians use to treat anxiety in adults. However, existing research literature has not fully explored the phenomenon of lived experiences of coping with anxiety among adults with an ESA. Social cognitive theory provided a basis for this study’s theoretical framework for understanding this phenomenon. This study …

Continuing Education And Predictors Of Self-Reported Professional Competency Among Trauma Counselors, Desiree Lynn Grin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractContinuing Education and Predictors of Self-Reported Professional Competency Among Trauma Counselors by Desiree Lynn Grin

MS, Walden University, 2019MA, Capella University, 2009 BS, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 2003

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Counseling Psychology

Walden University November 2021 Abstract Currently, there is limited research about outcomes for therapists who choose to engage in professional trainings for ongoing education. Although other professions track this kind of information, there is a dearth of information for mental health counselors. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of counselors’ motivations, …

Clinical Practice Guideline On Childhood Obesity, Catherine Nanyongo Manga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFamily care practitioners (FCPs) are important players in the treatment of childhood obesity. However, the evidence-based literature shows that practitioners lack both knowledge of how to diagnose the condition as well as the confidence and education to care for patients with obesity. The primary care setting for this project has a 77% obesity rate among the clinic pediatric population compared to a national average of 19%; the FCPs at the target clinic lacked sufficient knowledge on the diagnosis and treatment of obesity, limiting their ability and confidence to counsel families on weight control measures. Following the Walden University Clinical Practice …

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 …

Employee Retention Strategies In The Fast Food Industry, Patrick C. Umezurike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe annual employee turnover rate in the fast-food industry is 73%, resulting in significant financial losses to the fast-food industry across the United States. The fast-food managers who lack strategies to improve employee retention; risk reduced organizational performance and effectiveness. Grounded in the eight motivational forces of voluntary employee turnover, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify strategies managers in the fast-food industry used to improve employee retention. The participants were five senior fast-food managers in Baltimore, Maryland, who successfully improved restaurant employee retention. Data were collected through semistructured interviews; and documents (e.g., employee handbook, training …

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 …

Diabetes Management And Self-Perception Of Health Among Adults In The United States, Moses Ajoku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The burden and complications of diabetes have been a public health concern and societal challenge for decades, and the rate of prevalence is projected to increase in the future. The study aims to examine the association between blood glucose monitoring, glycated hemoglobin test, and self-perceived health status among diabetic adults in the United States. Guided by the chronic care model, the study used data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to investigate diabetes management practices among diabetic adults in the United States. Quantitative and cross-sectional methods were used to assess the associations between diabetes management practices and self-perceived …

Retired Military Officers’ Length Of Service And Loss Of Social Identity In Second Careers, Moriah Elizabeth Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many past researchers have reported problematic issues and challenges with militarypersonnel transitioning to civilian life and to the civilian workplace. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of 20 retired military officers who had between 24 and 42 years of military service regarding how they may have experienced the losses of social identity and organizational socialization and how those losses may have impacted their second careers in civilian organizations. Data for this study were collected via semistructured interviews and the use of interview protocols. The conceptual framework consisted of a combination of social identity theory …

Principal Servant Leadership Effects On Relationships With Teachers In Underperforming Schools, Marta Georgina Vasquez-Mcnamara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that a leaders’ behavior can impact employee organizational outcomes and how employees engage at work. The primary purpose of this qualitative, interpretive, phenomenological study was to interview a purposeful sample of teachers and a principal at an underperforming school to examine and understand their lived experiences and the meaning of principal–teacher relationships in underperforming schools using a servant leadership framework. The goal was to describe principals/teachers’ experiences, perceptions, and meanings associated with servant leadership in building relationships. Data were collected by conducting semistructured interviews. Following an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach, the data were transcribed and coded for …

Evidence-Based Hospice Care Education For Healthcare Clinicians, Nonie E. Weir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vulnerable populations with a terminal illness, who reside in a nursing home setting, continue to experience psychological, physical, and emotional effects that lead to end-of- life (EOL) suffering and discomfort. Globally, millions of individuals receive care from a hospice provider. By 2030, this figure will triple due to the increased lifespan of the geriatric population. The literature review has revealed that the practical problem is the lack of hospice care education received by healthcare clinicians. It is, therefore, important to prepare and educate healthcare clinicians about a peaceful death through an individualized plan-of-care (POC) from a holistic approach. The purpose …

Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Of Administrator Support, Teacher Retention, And Attrition, Tonya Kabia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition has been an issue in the local urban area resulting in students being taught by teachers and substitutes who may not be knowledgeable about the content. The attrition of experienced teachers is a concern for administrators, fellow teachers, parents, and students. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of administrator support, teacher retention, and teacher attrition. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory served as the conceptual framework that guided this study. A basic qualitative research design was used to capture the insights of 10 middle school teachers in an urban district in the eastern United States through …

Self-Efficacy, Motivation, And Academic Success: Learners With Adhd In Online Universities, Kareta Lewin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on traditional or brick and mortar universities suggests that there is an association between self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation (IM), extrinsic motivation (EM), and academic success in higher education. What is not yet clear is whether self-efficacy and motivation (IM and EM) are associated with academic success in online universities. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there is an association between self-efficacy, motivation (IM and EM), and academic success for learners with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who attend online universities. The possible role of self-efficacy in mediating the relationship between IM and EM and academic success was …

Relationship Between Cultural And Religious Practices And Ebola Virus In Freetown, Sierra Leone, Richmond Samuel Kpange

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in the West Coast of Africa was a historically unprecedented epidemic with a sustained spread in multiple West African nations, including Sierra Leone. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified Sierra Leone as a high Ebola-affected country as it reported the highest number of deaths (14,124) during the last Ebola outbreak compared to other Ebola-affected countries. Public health experts have given little attention to the impact of sociocultural factors on infectious diseases, especially Ebola. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether there is a relationship between the spread of EVD and a patient’s gender, …

Conceptualization Of College Students' Covid-19 Related Mask-Wearing Behaviors Using The Multi-Theory Model Of Health Behavior Change, Robert E. Davis, Manoj Sharma, Kayla E. Simon, Amanda H. Wilkerson

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Recommendations and policies, regarding the use of face coverings, have been instituted to control transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Understanding of psychosocial factors related to the use of face coverings within the context of COVID-19 is needed. This study aimed to conceptualize mask-wearing behavior among students using the Multi-theory Model (MTM) of behavior change.

Methods: In October 2020, students (n = 595) enrolled in a large public southeastern US university were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional survey, using a valid and reliable instrument. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate techniques described mask-wearing behavior and differentiated theoretical drivers of mask-wearing …

Antiracism, Reflection, And Professional Identity, Andrew King-Ries, Monte Mills, Eduardo R.C. Capulong

Faculty Law Review Articles

Intent on more systematically developing the emerging professional identities of law students, the professional identity formation movement is recasting how we think about legal education. Notably, however, the movement overlooks the structural racism imbedded in American law and legal education. While current models of professional development value diversity and cross-cultural competence, they do not adequately prepare the next generation of legal professionals to engage in the sustained work of interrupting and overthrowing race and racism in the legal profession and system. This article argues that antiracism is essential to the profession’s responsibility to serve justice and therefore key to legal …

Food Insecurity In Community College Students In The Central Valley Of California, Leah Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany college students struggle with having enough money to pay for the costs of college and basic necessities, such as adequate food, which leads to food insecurity. Food insecurity results in a more challenging time focusing on studying and less success in school. This study addressed the lack of a profile of a food-insecure California community college student at Hiker’s Community College (HCC; pseudonym) in the Central Valley of California. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the profile of a food-insecure student and to determine relationships between food insecurity and ethnicity, gender, being a first-generation college student, …

Ambivalence Over Emotion Expression And The Effects Of Religious Coping In African American Christians, Anya Loraine Dobbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are 10% more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to report having serious mental health issues from psychological stressors. Mental health concerns, such as depression and anxiety, that arise from psychological stressors, are more than likely to go untreated in African Americans. African Americans are more likely to turn to religion- their church, their pastors, and fellow parishioners to address these concerns. Religion and religious coping has influenced African Americans’ attitudes regarding help-seeking and mental health treatment, with the “Black Church” historically being a source of many things, including mental health care. Pargament’s theory of religious coping served as a …

Leader Strategies That Increase Employee Performance In The Nigerian Public Sector, Oluwashola Martha Elias-Fatile

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLow employee performance can hinder productivity in the Nigerian public sector. Leaders of public sector organizations in Nigeria who lack strategies to increase employees’ performance experience decreased productivity. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies leaders in the Nigerian public sector used to increase employee performance. Participants were four public sector leaders in Nigeria who successfully developed and implemented strategies to increase employee performance. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and internal and external documents, such as training programs, training calendars, meeting agendas, staff letters of recommendation, and staff handbooks. …

Secret Keeping And Subjective Well-Being In Nurses, Augustina Marie Frazier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Studies suggest that “secret-keeping,” the act of maintaining confidences or personal information, is a problem in the nursing population. Secret keeping may cause depression and anxiety, which might bring about isolation and reduce the ability to provide patient care. The purpose of this study was to address the gap in the literature concerning the relationship between secret-keeping and subjective well-being among early- and late-career nurses. Nurses are those who primarily work at the bedside and who supply the nursing labor force in health cares. I used Seligman's well-being theory to focus on the nurses’ happiness based on positive psychology. The …

Effective Postdischarge Communication From Nursing Staff To Mental Health Patients, Paula Renee Garrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMental health patients have a history of decreased follow-up appointments, poor diet, and medication noncompliance after discharge from inpatient facilities in addition to multiple co-morbidities, making a return to the community difficult. The practice problem was an increase in hospital readmissions of mental health patients within 30 days postdischarge due to inadequate post-discharge education and follow-up communication. Using Rodgers’s recovery on mental health theory and Revan’s action learning theory, a staff education program was developed to educate 10 nursing staff and two social workers on how to effectively implement postdischarge communication at 3 days and 30 days after discharge from …

Employee Retention Strategies In The Quick Service Restaurant Industry, Jason Gorham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations whose managers cannot retain their employees often experience additional hiring and training costs, a loss of continuity and productivity, and risk damaging employee morale. Some managers in the quick-service restaurant industry (QSRI) lack strategies to retain employees, thereby adding to an organization’s expense. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore employee retention strategies in the QSRI. The eight participants were managers of two restaurants in the QSRI located in the Midwest who have successfully implemented employee retention strategies. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of company documents …

Spirituality In Treatment For Domestic Violence Victims, Sylvia A. Holley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Domestic violence continues to be a health problem that affects women’s rights, physical health, and well-being. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the barriers and challenges that counselors are faced with in addressing spirituality as an aspect in treatment for domestic violence victims. Current literature addresses how or whether the integration of aspects of spirituality into a support group has been a source of strength and resilience for positive healing. The problem is that the lack of training or the appropriateness to integrating aspects of spirituality has hindered the counseling profession from addressing spirituality with their …