Digital Commons Network^™

Intimate Partner Violence Education In An Outpatient Setting, Juddy Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence/domestic violence (IPV/DV) has been a widely recognized yet preventable public health concern. Despite the increased attention to IPV/DV, there has been a lack of knowledge in recognizing its symptoms and referring victims to appropriate community services by staff in a mental health outpatient clinic. The purpose of this project was to provide the clinic staff with the knowledge to recognize symptoms of IPV/DV victims and refer them to appropriate services within the community. The educational intervention was designed to increase the clinic staff’s knowledge of recognizing victims of IPV/DV; becoming familiar with the Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream …

Association Between Opioid-Related Emergency Department Visits And Financial Liability Of Hospitals, Mary-Zitta Muabe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency departments (EDs) are experiencing an influx of patients with opioid-related which result in increased opioid misuse, abuse, and overdoses. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between opioid-related ED visits and financial liability of hospitals by evaluating if an increase in opioid-related ED visits leads to an increase in average ED visit costs. The framework used for this study was Reason’s theory of failures, which involves improving healthcare maturity in terms of risk management, achieved through enhanced efficiency. The analyzed research questions included analysis between the number of opioid-related ED visits and financial liability of hospitals …

Strategies To Manage Hydroelectricity Interruptions In Zambian Manufacturing Businesses, Mpafya Mutapa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interruptions of hydroelectric energy damage equipment and reduce worker productivity. Manufacturing leaders in Zambia who lack strategies to manage hydroelectricity interruptions risk financial losses. Grounded in contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that some manufacturing leaders use to manage hydroelectricity interruptions. The participants were six managers from different manufacturing industries based in Lusaka, Zambia, who implemented strategies to manage hydropower interruptions. Data collection involved semistructured interviews and review of company documents, company websites, and publications from the Zambia Association of Manufacturers related to managing hydroelectricity power interruptions. Thematic analysis was used to …

Administrative Support For Music Education As Predictor Of Music Teacher Motivation, Tamara Myles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public school policies that prioritize the growth and success of core academic subject areas can lead to the neglect or devaluation of other subjects, including music education. Because school administrators act as enforcers of such policies, music teachers may perceive administrators as unsupportive, which may influence these teachers’ motivation. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which music teachers’ perception of principal support for music education predicted their self-reported motivation for teaching music. Maehr’s personal investment theory, which states that individuals exert greater effort on tasks that exhibit a higher likelihood of equal return, was the …

Staff Education For Obesity And An Evidence- Based Checklist To Manage Obesity, Veronica B. Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity is a global problem that affects individuals of all ages. It results in a myriad of adverse health effects for children and adults. It is a preventable condition that can lead to a host of physical and psychological health conditions. Despite numerous attempts to decrease the incidence and prevalence of obesity, it continues to be a persistent problem. Efforts to decrease its incidence and prevalence are thus warranted within the nursing profession. Obesity management is inconsistent in clinical practice. This project aimed to deliver an education program to the staff of a pediatric clinic who serves many obese clients. …

Corporate Governance Attributes Of Board Independence And Board Education As Predictors Of Financial Performance Of Banks In South Sudan, Dier Tong Ngor-Chol

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporate governance has attracted much attention in the past few years due to cycles of corporate scandals and frauds that have resulted in momentous cases of financial failures and the collapse of some major corporations. Although the renewed interest in corporate governance has generated considerable insights and a better understanding of the prevailing corporate governance practices, much of this interest has concentrated on experiences in developed and emerging economies. There remains a significant lack of understanding of the practice and impact of corporate governance on firms’ performance in developing countries. This quantitative, nonexperimental study tested the predictive relationship between corporate …

Stigma And Discrimination’S Effect On Hiv Testing Of Pregnant Women In Nigeria, Charles Echezona Nzelu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The utilization of HIV testing services among pregnant women in Nigeria has not been optimal. Although much is known about the determinants of HIV testing among pregnant women, there is a gap in knowledge on determinants for pregnant women infected with the virus, specifically whether stigma and discrimination are barriers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of stigmatizing attitudes and personal knowledge of discriminatory practices towards persons living with HIV/AIDS on the decision by pregnant Nigerian women aged 15-49 years to test for HIV during antenatal visits or childbirth. The health belief model served as the …

Strategies For Small-And Medium-Sized Business Growth And Survival, Abiodun Nestamanuel Ogunmuyiwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, approximately 50% of small businesses fail within the first five years (Small Business Administration, 2018b). Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) owners and managers would benefit from strategies to identify and mitigate constraints to sustain their business beyond the first five years of business operation. Grounded in the system theory framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies leaders of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Austin, Texas, used to grow and sustain their business’s operations beyond five years. The participants were five small and medium sized businesses owners in …

Knowledge Management In Engineering Companies In The Nigeria Oil And Gas Industry, Babajide Adeniran Ojuola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Engineering companies in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry are not able to optimize their knowledge resources through the continual conversion of tacit knowledge to organizational knowledge. This is due to barriers that inhibit the holistic process of tacit knowledge conversion. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the enablers and barriers to tacit knowledge conversion in engineering companies as perceived by engineering practitioners working in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The central research questions focused on exploring the enablers and barriers to the conversion of tacit knowledge to organizational knowledge in oil and gas engineering …

External Stakeholder Relationship Strategies For Increasing Nonprofit Organizations' Financial Viability, Henry Ayoola Olofinmoyin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA business leader’s ability to establish and sustain effective relationships with organizational stakeholders affects business competitiveness and sustainability. Some executives of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) lack strategies to build relationships with external stakeholders to achieve financial viability for their organizations. Grounded in stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies NPO executives use to build relationships with their organization's external stakeholders to achieve their organization's financial viability objectives. The participants were three senior executives of an NPO in Mississippi, United States, who have successfully managed financial viability objectives using external stakeholder relationship strategies for 3 …

Transition Of Women Veterans From Active Duty To Adult Learner On Campus, Sheila Outlaw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA large percentage of women veteran students at a local 4-year university are transitioning from active duty to the role of adult learner on a college campus, and some have overcome barriers, such as inadequate childcare, lack of transportation, and financial aid issues and completed their educational goals. Unfortunately, some women veterans are not successful. The purpose of this study was to identify methods that self-identified women veteran students at the local study site use to successfully meet their educational goals. Adult transition and transformative learning theory are the conceptual frameworks for this study. A qualitative study collecting semistructured interview …

Leadership Strategies Executives Use To Sustain Small Businesses Beyond 5 Years, Gai Chol Paul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although small businesses contribute to the economic growth of many African nations, the rate of small business failure in Africa is high. Small business leaders who lack effective leadership strategies risk business failure through loss of profit. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies leaders of small internet service providers used to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The participants were five small internet service provider leaders in Juba, South Sudan, who sustained their companies beyond 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of company …

Maternal Attachment And The Role Of Disparate Biology In Lesbian Co-Mothers, Annisha J. Peets

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lesbian co-mothers represent a unique population whose alternative family structure has received additional attention resulting from legal changes permitting same-sex marriage. Challenging the heteronormative status quo through lesbian mothering offers numerous facets of familial relationship development and dynamics worth exploring. Prior research has focused on exploring how adoptive lesbian co-mothers navigate the emotional connections to their children; however, it has not adequately explored how lesbian couples negotiate unequal biological ties to their children and the extent to which biology influences which mother forms a primary bond to the child. This study explored the disparate role of biology and any influences …

Identifying Core Components Of Digital Literacy Initiatives For Adult Education Programs, Vivia May Dorothea Pitter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Digital literacy is a powerful tool for learners, and educational institutions and programs are tasked with the responsibility of developing frameworks, models, guidelines, or strategies within a digital literacy initiative to equip the learner. However, a lack of clarity and consensus on what constitutes digital literacy hinders developmental efforts and processes of digital literacy initiatives. The purpose of this qualitative modified Delphi study was to identify what experts agree are the core components of digital literacy initiatives that will provide clarity and consensus for adult education programs. The concerns-based adoption model’s innovation configuration dimension is the conceptual framework for this …

Developing Soft Skills: Faculty And Employer Perspectives And Recommendations, Naveen Ramnanan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many employers are concerned that recent business graduates lack expertise in soft skills needed to be effective in their professional roles. The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the urgent need for workers with soft skills competence in communication, flexibility, and resilience. Guided by Goleman’s conceptual framework of emotional intelligence, this qualitative study examined potential solutions to reduce this gap among business graduates. The research questions investigated faculty and employer perceptions of and experiences with soft skills development and their recommendations to improve graduates’ soft skill proficiency. Eight semistructured interviews were conducted after purposeful sampling. The data were analyzed using open, …

Technology Innovation Strategies Supply Chain Managers Adopt To Improve Product Marketing And Profitability, George Richard Rapciewicz Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Improperly planned capital investments in new technologies could result in lost productivity for e-procurement and supply chain managers in the e-commerce industries. Grounded in the technology acceptance model, the qualitative multiple case study design was used to explore strategies business managers use to adopt technology innovations to improve product marketing and profitability. Participants were five supply chain business managers and owners from five separate organizations in the southwestern region of the United States. Data were collected via responses submitted through Google Forms and emails, written logs, telephone calls, and recorded audio. Thematic analysis resulted in two key themes: perceived ease …

The Effect Of Applied Behavior Analysis And Acceptance And Commitment Therapy On Parental Involvement, Sai Rivero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative causal-comparative research study aimed to examine if there was a significant difference in parents’ involvement in handling their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between those who were exposed to both applied behavior analysis (ABA) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions compared to those who were only exposed to ABA. Differences in parental involvement in both groups were measured and compared. The study included a nonrandom convenient sample of parents from a Midwestern region in the United States. A sample size of 57 participants was used. These parents have children with ASD and have been exposed to …

Acculturation And Emotional Eating Among Arabic Middle Eastern Women In The United States, Sherri Alizz Roohi-Booroujeni

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a substantial problem that occurs worldwide and is highly associated with increased risks of chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes mellitus, cardiac-related diseases, hypertension, and some cancers. Middle Eastern cultures have one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity, estimated to be the second highest worldwide. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among stress, depression, emotional eating, and weight gain in Middle Eastern women, specifically Arabs, who have moved to the United States, using a quantitative approach. The theoretical foundation was psychosomatic theory, which explains the connection between psychological problems and emotional …

Strategies Business Leaders Use To Mitigate Online Credit Card Fraud, Clarissa Rosario-Tavarez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online credit card fraud targeting banks, customers, and businesses costs millions of U.S. dollars annually. Online business leaders face challenges securing and regulating the online payment processing environment. Grounded in the situational crime prevention theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies online business leaders use to mitigate the loss of revenue caused by online credit card fraud. The participants comprised five online business leaders of an organization in the Southwest of the United States, who implemented strategies that successfully mitigated revenue losses due to online credit card fraud. The data were collected from semistructured …

Completion Times For Computerized Tomography Tests And Walkout Rates In The Emergency Department, Chinyere Rumph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe efficiency of the emergency department (ED) is important in the provision of quality patient care, which includes avoiding long wait times for tests and treatments. EDs may be overcrowded and understaffed, leading to increased wait times for tests. One of the areas overwhelmed by increased ED cases concerns the number of requests for computerized tomography (CT) scans, which may result in patients leaving the ED before care is completed. The three research questions for this quantitative study focused on the age of patients and CT scan walkout rates, completion time and CT scan walkout rates, and the number of …

Lived Experiences Of Congenital Heart Defect Diagnosis In Adulthood, Jacklyn Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the most common type of birth defect and can affect more than 30,000 infants each year. However, CHDs diagnosed in adulthood are becoming a growing public health concern. When the defect is not diagnosed in infancy or childhood, adult individuals may experience an array of signs and symptoms leading to the diagnosis of a CHD. CHDs that are undiagnosed until an individual reaches adulthood can cause many health complications. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of adults diagnosed …

Reducing Hospital Noise Levels Through Nursing Staff Education, Althea Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNoise levels can negatively affect a patient’s hospital experience. Increased noise levels in the hospital can trigger sleep disturbance and affect the length of recovery for patients; the increased noise levels can also cause increased anxiety and exhaustion for nursing staff members. Due to a gap in nursing practice related to nurses’ knowledge to safely reduce noise levels, this project addressed if nursing staff education on noise reduction could increase the knowledge among nursing staff members to use specific strategies to reduce noise levels in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting. The purpose of this project was to educate eight …

Principals’ And Coaches’ Perspectives On Leadership Practices And Instructional Coaching, Shona Sandlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education reform is the driver for changes in principal leadership practices. Instructional coaching is a common lever used to meet reform mandates but has had inconsistent results. The problem in practice is little is known about how principals use leadership practices to establish effective instructional coaching in their school building. The conceptual framework used in this study was the distributive leadership framework, which was used to analyze how leadership skills are distributed throughout an organization to meet overall goals. In this study, the principals and the instructional coaches were asked to perceive and describe the principal’s leadership practices that influence …

Speech-Language Pathologists’ Thoughts About Emotion Regulation Therapy To Improve Students’ Employability, Phyllis R. Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHigh school graduates with language deficits often have poor emotion regulation (ER), enter the workforce unprepared to meet the emotional demands, and experience workforce outcomes that lead to a poor quality of life. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) teach ER, but little is known about ER-targeted speech-language therapy (ERSLT) for high schoolers with mild-to-moderate language impairments and ER deficits (MMLI/ER). This study was designed to explore SLPs’ views and decisions about providing ER-SLT to improve career readiness and employability for students with MMLI/ER. Several studies, the evidence-based practice (EBP) model, and a thematic analysis approach informed this integrative interpretive description design and …

A Behavioral Health Organizational Perspective On Eliminating Restrictive Interventions, Malisa Santana Shuler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To manage difficult behaviors and ensure the safety of clients and staff, behavioral health organizations have often relied on restrictive interventions such as seclusion and restraint. Although organizational leaders are increasingly seeking alternatives, there is very little literature or organizational practice knowledge addressing this issue. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, from an organizational leader’s perspective, sustainable best practices after the leaders of a behavioral health organization in the Southeastern region of the United States adopted a statewide initiative to reduce and eliminate restrictive intervention by transitioning to a no seclusion policy. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was …

Effective Management Of Diabetes Mellitus Type Ii In A Military Treatment Facility, Jozy Merizier Smarth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, 34 million people have diabetes and 79 million have prediabetes. Currently, one in nine Americans are diagnosed with diabetes and it is projected that one in five will have diabetes by 2025 and one in three by 2050. The practice-focused question answered by this project addressed the question if implementing a staff education program improved staff’s knowledge about self-management education and intent for providers and staff to promote a formal diabetes self-management education (DSME) program in an overseas military treatment facility. The site has 47% of empaneled beneficiaries with diabetes mellitus Type II with an elevated …

Juvenile Sex Offender Motivation To Stop Offending While Engaged In Residential Treatment, Lemeita Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe treatment of sex offenders is a controversial issue, yet research on the effectiveness of treatment interventions is limited. There is a great amount of research analyzing the connection between motivation and recidivism; however, what is known about the juvenile sex offender pales in comparison to what is known about adult sex offenders. Utilizing Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory as the theoretical foundation, the purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the lived experiences of male juvenile sex offenders, to better understand how residential treatment impacted their motivation to lead an offense-free lifestyle. Obtaining this information from the first-person …

Understanding Middle School Teachers’ Use Of Instructional Practices For Online Reading Comprehension, Carla Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Standardized test and district benchmark assessment results indicate that middle school students in a rural middle school in central Mississippi are struggling with reading comprehension. Although teachers in a specific school district are equipped with a pacing guide to teach state mandated college and career readiness standards, it is unclear how middle school English Language Arts (ELA) teachers are teaching reading comprehension in online environments. The purpose of this qualitative intrinsic case study is to explore how middle school teachers at one school use instructional strategies to teach students who struggle with reading comprehension in online environments. The conceptual framework …

Motivations Of Youth Engaged In International Drug Smuggling Through The Perceptions Of Law Enforcement In San Diego County, Gabrielle Suzanne Smyth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of illegal narcotics in the United States is an epidemic that requires significant and measurable results. Not only are illegal drugs crossing from Mexico into the United States a threat to public safety, but the involvement of juveniles is also becoming increasingly dangerous. Since early 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) San Diego Field Division has seen a disturbing trend of Mexican cartels increasingly recruiting juveniles from high schools in southern San Diego County to smuggle drugs through the ports of entry. The theoretical framework utilized in this study was social learning theory. The logical connection between social …

Impact Of Tourism Development Policies On The Underdevelopment Of Ikom, Nigeria, Blessing Ayuk Tangban

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite Nigeria’s abundant tourism resources, tourism host communities in the country are fraught with underdevelopment. Although vital policies aimed at harnessing the country’s tourism resources abound in the country’s national policy system, their impact on underdevelopment in tourism host communities has not been assessed. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to assess the impact of tourism development policies on underdevelopment in Ikom as a host community for tourism in Nigeria. The elite theory and Christaller’s central place theory were used in this study. Twenty-two participants in the Ikom region of Cross River State, Nigeria were interviewed regarding their …