Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of Principal Leadership Practices To Support Gifted And Talented Programming And Academic Performance, Tiffany Deneen Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how elementary and middle school principals perceive their leadership to address the decline in the academic performance of gifted and talented students in their transition from elementary to middle school, addressing a gap in the literature. Transformational leadership served as the conceptual framework to inform the data collection and analysis. The three research questions focused on elementary and middle school principals’ perceptions of their experiences with gifted and talented education, their perceptions of the decline in gifted and talented student academic performance, and their perceived leadership practices to address …

Services For Homeless Veterans: A Study Of Access To Benefits, Sheryl Maddox Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHomelessness among veterans in the United States is a multifaceted social and health concern that has continued to increase despite immense efforts to minimize and eliminate this issue. Numerous organizations have dedicated resources; however, many veterans do not use benefits and resources that are available to them, and homelessness remains a health and social concern. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how individual and interpersonal barriers, community factors, organizational structure, and existing policies for assistance are perceived by support staff that work with veterans with mental disorders who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. …

How Transformational Leaders Increase Nurse Retention And Decrease Attrition, Charlie Henry Middlebrooks Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem of nurse attrition, which negatively impacted the lives of nurses, decreased patients’ perception of their healthcare, and increased the cost of healthcare. Facility administrators who lack strategies to decrease nurse turnover may lose their ability to provide quality nursing services in their facility and control their costs of care. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies private medical treatment facility administrators use to decrease nurse attrition. Five private medical treatment facility administrators located in Southern Texas completed semistructured, open-ended interviews, and three …

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Pessimism–Optimism Scale As A Predictor In Depression Change After Medication Treatment And Placebo, Donna J. Winsor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The field of positive psychology has included research on the personality traits of optimism and pessimism and how they predict depression; however, there has been limited investigation on whether these characteristics can predict treatment outcomes. This study used a quantitative nonexperimental design with archived data provided by Summit Research Network, to evaluate whether pessimism or optimism, as measured by the Pessimism–Optimism (PSM) scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, had an effect on depression and somatic symptom change in 98 adults with depression who were randomized into imipramine, alprazolam, or placebo treatment. Seligman’s explanatory style theory was used to guide …

Effective Workplace Stress Reduction Strategies In For-Profit Higher Education, Erin Kendall Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The idea that business leaders experience stress in the workplace has resulted in a demand for understanding the negative impact stress has on business. Business managers in for-profit higher education lack strategies to reduce employee workplace stress. Grounded in the job demands-resources model, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore how business managers in for-profit higher education in Arizona reduce employee workplace stress. The participants comprised of three business leaders at a for-profit higher education institution in Arizona who have successfully implemented strategies to reduce employee workplace stress. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with three …

Opioid Naloxone Education Clinical Practice Guideline, Tat'yana Sahleem Alethia Worthy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a result of an institution-wide campaign to train providers on the administration of opioid reversal agents within a large medical center in the northeastern United States, the practice problem emerged that there was no patient/family education document for healthcare providers to use as a guide to educate patients on opioid risk and proper administration of naloxone to prevent opioid overdose in the outpatient setting. This scholarly project used an interprofessional team to develop comprehensive opioid naloxone education guidelines to close the gap in clinical practice. The purpose of this project was to develop a patient education clinical practice guideline …

Teachers' Perceptions And Experiences Related To Preparing English Language Arts Students For American Literature End-Of-Course Exams, Felicia Wynter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students in the local school district have continued to score below the state average on the standardized American Literature end-of-course (EOC) assessment. It was unclear what 9th-, 10th-, and 11th-grade teachers in the district were doing to prepare students for success on the American Literature EOC. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the reason for the low assessment scores and their experiences implementing instructional strategies to prepare students for the American Literature EOC. The conceptual framework for the study was Hunter’s model of mastery learning and explicit instruction. The research questions focused on …

Assessment Of Multidrug Resistance Among Tuberculosis Patients In Lesotho, Jerry Yakubu Yahaya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) jeopardizes the tremendous efforts in the fight against tuberculosis in Lesotho. To understand the occurrence of MDR-TB, it is important to identify the associated risk factors and how to address them. There is a literature gap on the sociodemographic risk factors associated with MDR-TB in Lesotho. This study assessed whether there is any significant association between age, employment, income, sex, education, place of residence and MDR-TB. The association between HIV and MDR-TB was also evaluated. Guided by the health belief model and social cognitive theory, a retrospective case-control study design and a proportionate stratified …

Successful Staff Retention Strategies For Small Businesses In The Childcare Sector, Cheneta Marie Yates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a significant issue for many organizations since it frequently results in more extraordinary training expenses, poor performance, and low morale, negatively affecting the bottom line. Small business owners in the childcare industry are especially concerned about employee turnover because it results in the loss of skilled workers and harms children's well-being and educational experiences. Grounded in Vroom’s expectancy theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies childcare business owners use to reduce employee turnover. Participants were five business owners in the childcare sector that implemented retention techniques. Interviews with a semi-structured format and …

Childhood Anxiety And Roles Of Parents, Educators, And Pediatric Healthcare Providers In Addressing Protective Factors, Gabriela Zamora-Ahlstrom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChildhood anxiety affects over 32% of youth in the United States, and when left untreated, contributes to poor school performance, social difficulties, truancy, school dropout rates, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and family and community difficulties. Preventing childhood anxiety by implementing effective protective factors for children can eliminate many of these outcomes. Using the biopsychosocial theory and social work systems theories, this study involved exploring the beliefs and attitudes of parents, educators, and pediatric healthcare providers in an affluent suburban community of Detroit (Rochester/Rochester Hills, MI), regarding their roles in providing protective factors against childhood anxiety. A generic qualitative research design …

Exploring The Significance Of Digital Skills Training For Accountants, Limin Zhu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Accounting firm leaders face a challenge with employees who lack digital skills. Employees without relevant digital skills put the accounting firm at a competitive disadvantage. Grounded in human capital theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies regional accounting firm leaders used to help employees improve digital skills. Data were collected from six semistructured interviews with partners, directors, and managers with three years or more of experience who participated in the training and professional development process at four regional accounting firms in the Houston, Texas area. The review of company documents and company website postings …

Gestational Weight Gain, Level Of Education, And Infant Mortality Among African American Women, George Lee Amanambu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

African American (AA) women in Mississippi have a higher burden of infant mortality, especially those with low income and educational levels, as compared to other regions of the country. However, it is unknown if abnormal gestation weight gain (GWG) is contributing to this increased burden. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined the association between GWG (25-35lbs), level of education, income, and infant mortality among AA women with normal prepregnancy body weight who were between 30 to 47 years old in the state of Mississippi from 2016 to 2018. Biopsychosocial and ecosocial models were used as the theoretical foundation to design …

Strategies Of Successful Project Managers Leading Virtual Teams, Allison Harris Bean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some project managers lack strategies to effectively lead virtual project teams, which can result in a lack of clear project direction, collaboration and communication, and empowerment to solve problems within the team. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies project managers use to lead virtual teams effectively. The participants were three project managers in. the United States who worked exclusively with virtual teams and had a minimum of one year of experience leading a virtual project team. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: …

Economic Models Of Church Life: Three Nudges Towards Better Behaviour, Stephen Bullivant

Theology Papers and Journal Articles

Economic ideas have long shed light on diverse spheres of social and cultural life. Religion is no exception and has spawned a large and thriving subfield. However, whereas recent decades have famously witnessed a ‘behavioural’ turn in economics – with Nobel prizes going to two pioneers of the field, Daniel Kahneman in 2002 and Richard Thaler in 2017 – there has yet to be significant work done in the ‘behavioural economics of religion’. This is a shame; there are good reasons for thinking that behavioural-economic theories and findings might be particularly well suited to illumine several areas of practical church …

Developing A Tai Chi Education Module For Nurses, Edna Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. population is living longer, which leads to challenges with chronic conditions that attack their health and well-being. Chronic diseases also cost $ 3.8 trillion dollars every year in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are four behaviors that cause many of the chronic preventable diseases: lack of physical activity, excessive alcohol, smoking, and diet. Alternative strategies including physical activity like Tai Chi can improve health outcomes for older adults with chronic disease. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to develop a Tai Chi education module for nurses who provide …

Case Managers’ Perspectives Of Hospital Postdischarge Services For Patients Diagnosed With Coronary Artery Disease, Brian Alexander Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States lacks postdischarge services, which can negatively impact hospital readmissions within 30 days. It is important for case managers to effectively leverage outpatient services to enhance patient care and reduce readmission rates. Grounded in the practice change model framework, this qualitative single case study explores the perspectives of case managers involved with postdischarge services for patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD). Participants included 13 case managers from two metropolitan hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia. To address the research problem and study purpose, data collection techniques included semi-structured interviews, case management discharge summaries, and reflective journal notes. The thematic …

The Impact Of Telemedicine Availability On Fatal Opioid Overdose Rates In Texas, 2020, Cara W. Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSubstance use disorders (SUDs) and fatal overdoses are a significant problem in the United States. A viable and effective method for treating SUDs is through telemedicine (tele-SUD) visits. Tele-SUD visits are an effective means of meeting with patients virtually, especially in the post-COVID-19 environment; however, a problem in health care exists concerning the availability of tele-SUD services in middle America. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of tele-SUD availability on rates of opioid overdose deaths in the state of Texas. Donabedian’s model of health care quality evaluation was used as the theoretical framework. A quantitative, independent …

Staff Education For Identifying, Assessing And Managing Pain In Patients With Dementia, Nadia S. Handspike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pain is a common symptom in healthcare settings, especially among patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). AD patients have cognitive and communication impairment making it difficult or impossible for them to communicate their pain to their caregivers or healthcare practitioners. The purpose of this project was to implement a staff education program for healthcare professionals on evidence-based practices for assessing, recognizing, and managing pain in patients with AD. The practice-focused question explored if a staff education program on identification, assessment, and management of pain in patients with AD improves the staff's knowledge, skills, and attitude towards timely and effective pain assessment …

Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Implementation Of E-Learning To Increase Students’ Mathematics Proficiency, Gladstone Faulknor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There had been prolonged poor performance of Grade 11 students in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate mathematics examinations. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore secondary mathematics teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of e-learning to teach mathematics and the support they receive to implement e-learning in the classroom. The technological pedagogical content knowledge conceptual framework grounded this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with a purposeful sample of six mathematics teachers implementing e-learning in the classroom with students in a secondary school in Jamaica. Inductive data analysis was used to code the interview transcripts. The main …

Mental Health Professionals Working In Prisons: Their Perspectives On The Quality And Availability Of Treatment And Therapy For Mentally Ill Inmates, Tara Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The perspectives of mental health professionals who work with inmates who have serious and persistent mental illnesses is largely unknown. Prisons, law enforcement, and the courts may all benefit from understanding these perspectives regarding how to treat the mentally ill in the criminal justice system (CJS). Many studies (mostly quantitative) have been conducted to address the increase of mentally ill inmates and have focuses on different areas of this phenomenon. However, to date, no qualitative studies have been located that depict the perceptions of mental health professionals working in prisons and their viewpoints regarding this population’s access to quality and …

Policies That Support Emergency Department Staff In Providing Behavioral Health Care, Lizabeth Lepp Hennig

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A significant portion of individuals with a behavioral health (BH) condition return to emergency departments (ED) seeking care, resulting in reduced quality of care, and contributing to disproportionate healthcare costs. Care can be improved and return visits to the ED reduced where behavioral health care and follow-up care planning are provided as part of their treatment. However, policies expected to create declines in ED use for behavioral conditions are typically in short duration or are difficult to use given other funding and policy constraints. With little known about how policy is supporting the engagement of ED staff who are critical …

The Influence Of Race And Ethnicity On The Prevalence Of Social Stigma For People With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Donielle Hyde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Various studies attempting to evaluate the prevalence of health-related social stigma in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) identified themes that coincide with increased prevalence including anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, fear of judgement, anger, and feeling ashamed. This phenomenon is believed to be due to the lack of knowledge and understanding about the differences between the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies for T1DM and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The Resilient, Empowered, Active Living intervention dataset (n=115) was utilized to further examine this phenomenon by determining whether race and ethnicity influence the prevalence of the following health-related social stigma …

Influence Of Knowledge Sharing Behaviors On Global Virtual Team Performance, Robert Nolen Goodson, Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Global virtual teams (GVT) are increasingly important in organizations. Barriers to knowledge sharing behavior (KSB) could negatively impact GVT performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover the extent of predictive power of KSB on GVT performance and how Leader-member exchange (LMX) moderates this relationship. Research questions investigated the extent that KSB influences GVT performance and the extent that LMX moderates the relationship between KSB and GVT performance. LMX theory focuses on individual relationships between superiors and subordinates and ways each relationship impacts team dynamics and performance provided theoretical foundation for this study. Online survey measured the influence …

Former Female Sex Workers’ Perceptions Of Spirituality In Exiting Sex Work, Lisa Diane Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Exiting sex work is extremely difficult. Women trying to exit sex work experience cycles of exit and reentry until they finally succeed. Spirituality has been identified as one of the factors that contribute to the exiting process or that help in the decision of not returning to sex work. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore former female sex workers’ perceptions of spirituality during the process of exiting sex work. The integrated model for exiting sex work constituted the theoretical basis for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 15 adult former female sex workers …

Perceptions Of Nursing Students And Academic Advisors On Academic Advising And Nursing School Retention, Shelia Holmes- Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLow retention rates in nursing programs extend the nursing shortage, result in lost revenue for institutions, and place financial burdens on students who leave. This research addressed the retention problem in the nursing program of a Southeastern community college. Guided by Jeffreys’s nursing universal retention and success model, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand first- and second-year nursing students’ and faculty academic advisors’ perceptions of the role of academic advising in nursing students’ persistence and the experiences that facilitate program completion. Interviews with participants, eight advisors and eight first- and second-year students, were audio recorded, transcribed, …

The Impact Of The Involvement Of African- American Female’S In Extra-Curricular Activities On Future Prosocial Decision-Making, Janine-Naisha Shante Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is important to understand what protective factors might be developed in order to prevent Black adolescent females from becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. The focus of this study was identifying the perceptions of adult Black women who grew up in an urban setting and who participated in organized sports during their adolescence. The primary research question focused on whether ten adult Black females perceived their participation in sports during adolescence served as a protective factor, thereby preventing or minimizing the participant’s involvement in criminal behavior. The data was analyzed through MAXQDA software. The predominant themes from this …

Bullying, Participation In Violence, Suicidal Ideation, And Behavior Among African American Youth, Kierystan Lorquoyea Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescent, teens, and young adults. Suicidal ideation is a predictor of suicide attempts. Guided by the integrated motivational-volitional model and social cognitive theory, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data were used to investigate whether traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and participation in physically violent behavior (independent variables) were associated with suicidal ideation and behavior (dependent variables) among African American high school aged youth controlling for age, gender, physical, and sexual abuse. It was found that experiencing traditional bullying increased suicidal ideation significantly, as there is an 82% increase in likelihood. There was also …

Microaggression Experiences Among African American Women And Their Effects On Health In Academia, Anta'sha Moni Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial microaggressions are brief daily negative verbal behaviors and environmental slights directed as intentional or unintentional towards minorities. These negative interactions lead minorities to feel powerless and oppressed in their environments. These adverse experiences result from stressors in their environment that negatively affect the human body by causing acute and chronic stress. This qualitative study aimed to investigate the relationship between personal, racial microaggression experiences, and their impact on health through a phenomenological approach. The critical race theory provided a framework to explore and understand how systematic discrimination experiences impacted the 17 African American faculty member participants’ health. A phenomenological …

Job Satisfaction And Burnout Among Social Workers Providing Services To Veterans, Toni Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers have been documented both experiencing job satisfaction with decreased levels of burnout and suffering from high stress and burnout. The job demands-resources (JDR) model was used to guide this study. The purpose of this study was to examine how social workers working with the veteran population describe how their job satisfaction affects their perceptions of burnout. A basic qualitative study design was employed with a purposeful sample of 12 social work participants drawn from multiple facilities that provide services to veterans. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and were analyzed using a thematic coding process, validation through member …

Lived Experience Of Female Veterans And Civilian Workplace Integration, Angela Karnes Padron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study used Social Identity Theory (SIT) to explore the lived experiences of female veterans throughout their military transition phases to their postmilitary experiences, including successfully obtaining civilian employment. The purpose was to increase understanding of the unique experiences and needs of females during this transition and learn the success factors leading to gaining employment. This can help deter the increasing unemployment, depression, stress, and anxiety rates for female veterans. The social identities while in the military and postmilitary were studied to understand the catalysts to female transition issues. A semistructured interview was conducted with eight female veterans that …