Digital Commons Network^™

Digital Citizenship And Adolescents Online Risk Behaviors, Soushira Liverpool-Morrisa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents now have greater access to digital resources and spaces and are more likely to engage in risky online behaviors for which they are unprepared. The study's purpose was to examine the little-understood online behaviors of adolescents to better educate and prepare them for safe online interactions. The study was framed by two theories: digital citizenship— the ability to engage in digital environments competently and responsibly, and problem behavior theory—an understanding of what encourages problem behavior. This research asked if there was a relationship between adolescents’ digital citizenship and online risk behaviors using a quantitative correlational design. Teachers from three …

Factors For Lgbt College Students That Predict Academic Success, Jonathan Mccormick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Much research has been done on LGBT students in relation to campus climate and academic achievement, which suggested that a positive campus climate may positively influence students’ academic success. However, no research has yet been done to understand the value of campus climate, student levels of depression anxiety and stress, and student level of outness for predicting academic success. This quantitative study examined campus climate, depression, anxiety, and stress levels, and student level of outness together in their ability to predict self-reported grade point average of LGBT college students. Basic Psychological Needs Theory, a sub theory of Self-Determination Theory, was …

Administrator, Faculty, And Veteran Student Perspectives On Barriers Faced By Veterans In Higher Education, Christie Marie Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMilitary veterans’ prior experiences can impact their study experiences and result in barriers to entering higher education. Prior research on veteran student barriers in higher education has not included the perspectives of faculty and administrators in addition to veterans. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the barriers that veteran students face in higher education and how those barriers could be addressed. The research questions focused specifically on the perspectives of administrators, faculty, and veterans on the barriers veteran students face and how those barriers could be addressed. The conceptual framework included Tinto’s student integration model and …

Caucasian Social Workers’ Cultural Competence Regarding Advance Care Planning Among Southern African Americans, Lisa Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Caucasian social workers who work in healthcare and implement advance care planning (ACP) may not be competent regarding African Americans’ reluctance to complete advance directives. Research is lacking on how Caucasian social workers in Louisiana are increasing their cultural competence regarding the interplay of historical trauma, past medical mistrust, and spiritual beliefs on African Americans’ use of ACP. This study explored how Caucasian social workers are increasing their cultural competence regarding the interplay of historical trauma, past medical mistrust, and spiritual beliefs on African Americans’ use of ACP. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the cultural competence model. …

Manufacturing Business Managers' Strategies To Increase Employee Engagement, Jennifer Morgan-Petgrave

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEmployee engagement is critical for manufacturing businesses to achieve higher productivity, competitive advantage, and sustainability. Manufacturing business managers who implement effective strategies can potentially enhance employee job satisfaction to increase employee engagement. Grounded in Kahn’s personal engagement theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies manufacturing business managers use to increase employee engagement. The participants were four manufacturing business managers from two manufacturing businesses in the southeastern region of Jamaica who successfully implemented strategies to increase employee engagement. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents. Yin’s five-phase process was used to analyze data. Three …

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Evidence-Based Practices For Twice-Exceptional Students, Khadijah Muhammad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Twice-exceptional students (2E) are identified as having high aptitude and a disability, as classified by their state of residence. However, elementary school teachers are not consistently implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) for kindergarten through fifth-grade 2E students, creating a gap in practice. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teachers’ perspectives regarding the challenges with and needed supports for consistently implementing EBPs for 2E students. Universal design for learning was the conceptual framework and the foundation for the study. A basic qualitative research design was used in this study to address research questions regarding elementary teachers’ perspectives on challenges …

Health Education Needs For Mortality Surveillance In Machakos County, Kenya, James S. Mwanza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reporting mortality information is the primary data source from which evidence can be drawn to monitor disease trends and inform public health policy to improve population health. Still, only two-thirds of expected annual deaths are reported globally. Health education and promotion play a significant role in empowering communities to uptake public health services such as mortality surveillance. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to understand health workers’ (HWs’) perspectives regarding the need for health education to support mortality surveillance in Machakos County, Kenya. The capabilities, opportunities, and motivation for the behavior change model guided the study. Semi-structured interviews were used to …

Differences In Phq-9 Depression Severity Between Adults Receiving Ketamine Or Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Sophie Lake Oswin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) affects roughly 2.8 million or 1.1% of the United States population. Many traditional treatments of mental disorders including various types of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy do not provide adequate symptom reduction for clients, and many clients diagnosed with TRD seek out nontraditional treatments such as ketamine and psychedelics for their antidepressant effects. Due to the dissociative nature of psychedelic medication wherein resistance is reduced, and a trance-like state is induced, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) has great potential as an adjunct to ketamine therapy. Procedures of KAP have been in development for the last 7 years and a consensus on …

Nurses’ Perception Of Pain Assessment In Cognitively Impaired Older Residents In Long-Term Care, Abigail Owolabi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPain has been a significant problem in old age and is more problematic in cognitively impaired older residents (CIOR) because of their inability to express themselves. The goal of pain assessment in CIOR is to treat pain before it escalates to behavioral problems. This descriptive qualitative study aimed to explore nurses’ perceptions of pain assessment in CIOR in long-term care facilities. Watson’s theory of human caring was used to frame the study. A purposive sample of eight nurses was recruited from two long-term care facilities for interviews conducted using the telephone and continued until saturation was reached. Data was manually …

Money Laundering And Terrorist Financing Typologies That Reduce Financial Crime Risks, Sina Vinod Patel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Covid-19 pandemic has increased concerns over money laundering and terrorist financing and their impacts on societies and the world’s finance and economic systems. Some financial institutions are failing to detect and track new emerging financial crime threats. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to identify predicate offense typologies that U.S. banking and financial services company compliance managers use to reduce the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing. To understand the concepts of predicate offense and financial crime risks, Gary Becker’s economic theory of criminal behavior was the conceptual framework that grounded this study. The population …

Examining Help-Seeking Intentions Among Female Veterans With Military Sexual Trauma, Elizabeth Pirone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An estimated 38.4% of military women have experienced military sexual trauma (MST) at some point in their careers. Because MST experiences can be confounding, navigating beliefs toward treatment resources and seeking help can be challenging. The problem under study was that no literature examined multiple constructs of the health belief model (HBM) together as a foundational tool to identify perceptions of help-seeking intentions among female veterans with MST experiences. Guided by the HBM, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between health motives, perceived severity of emotional or nervous problems, perceived benefits of getting help for emotional …

Understanding The Connection Between Male Intimate Relationship Narratives And Domestic Violence Convictions, Stephanie Purdy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence (DV) continues to be a serious social challenge throughout the world. DV and recidivism rates are continuing to rise among individuals involved with intimate or familial relationships, with victims and perpetrators of all genders. This narrative inquiry study utilized narratives of intimate relationships among adult men, 18 years and older, who were convicted of domestically violent behaviors. The research question investigated participant experiences with female intimacy and how this was connected to domestically violent behaviors. The theoretical and conceptual frameworks were led by attachment and social learning theories, which were linked to understanding challenges with forming a less-than-positive …

Nurse Education Regarding Hypertension And Use Of A Follow-Up Call Protocol In Primary Care, Edwin Omar Rivera-Figueroa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMany patients whose primary or secondary chronic condition is hypertension present to their first follow-up appointment in a primary care facility in the north of Puerto Rico with uncontrolled high blood pressure. Nurses’ knowledge of hypertension is vital to addressing a gap in practice for this patient population and patient quality of life and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The practice-focused question guiding this project focused on a nurse educational session for increasing hypertension management knowledge as well as a follow-up phone call protocol that aimed to improve patient care. The theoretical framework guiding this project was Pender’s health promotion …

The Experiences Of Female Sexual Minority Service Members After 2013, Ada I. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2010, the United States Armed Forces ended the policy Don’t Ask, Don’t Tellthat excluded sexual minorities from being able to serve openly in the military. Full military benefits were extended to them and their family members in 2013. Despite these changes, victimization, stigma, and discrimination have continued to impact the lives of service members who identify as a sexual minority, as the result of microaggressions due to their sexual orientation. Past literature has examined experiences of sexual minorities, but little research has focuses on sexual minority women whose minority gender identity creates greater risk to experience micro assaults with …

Understanding The Lack Of Communication Between Communities And Law Enforcement Through A Community Policing Program, Patrick B. Skoczek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Inequitable treatment by law enforcement officers has deeply impacted minority communities in the United States. Public incidents of abuse of power, discriminatory treatment, and excessive use of force have received increased attention, creating increased community mistrust of law enforcement officers. To help bridge the gap between communities and law enforcement agencies, this qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to examine the use and impact of the Policing and Public Safety Problem-Solving Programs. Data were collected through interviews with 12 retired police officers and 12 community members. Interview questions were related to participants’ perceptions regarding a breakdown in trust between law …

An Evaluation Of A Community-Based Children’S Bereavement Group Using A Resilience Model, Ada Terry Denone Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The death of a loved one can be an extremely painful process that can have detrimental consequences on the emotional well-being of individuals if they don’t receive grief intervention support. When it specifically comes to the emotional eudaemonia of children and teens experiencing the death of a loved one, research is limited on empirical-based bereavement intervention support to enhance their coping skills. Utilizing the theoretical framework of resilience theory, the purpose of this quantitative secondary research study was to evaluate the Sutter Sacramento Children’s Bereavement Art Group (CBAG) ten- week intervention for children and teens ages 5-12. The first question …

Understanding U.S. Customers' Intention To Adopt Robo-Advisor Technology, Deborah Wall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Finance and information technology scholars wrote that there is a literature gap on what factors drive investors in Western financial markets to use a Robo-advisor to manage their investments. The purpose of this qualitative, single case study with embedded units is to understand the adoption intentions of retail investors in U.S. markets to use a Robo-advisor instead of a human advisor. A single case study design addressed the literature gap, and qualitative data from seven semi=structured interviews, reflective field notes, and archival data were triangulated to answer the research question. This study was grounded in a theoretical framework that includes …

Educating Nursing Staff On Code Lavendar, Melanie Gumapas Webb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The role of the nurse has changed considerably over the past decade. Nurses are facing alarming rates of burnout that is causing them to leave the profession prematurely. The practice-focused question was to determine if a nurse staff education program on Code Lavender that focused on wellness and resiliency strategies helped to decrease nurse burnout. The purpose of this doctor of nursing practice project was to educate nurses on an 11-bed inpatient oncology unit at a hospital located in Maryland. A comprehensive literature review was conducted utilizing several databases and using inclusive terms such as nurse burnout, wellness, patient safety …

Enrollment In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math Courses After Enactment Of Texas' House Bill 5, Carlana Cla'shette Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student participation and performance in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have been an education concern in the United States for years. In 2013, Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 5 (HB5) to support increases in STEM awareness, particularly among ethnic minority and female students. To date, no studies have been conducted on the impact, if any, of HB5 on Texas high school students’ course selections in STEM areas. Further, it is unknown whether the impact that does exist is equally distributed across socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity, and gender groups. The purpose of this nonexperimental correlational quantitative study was to determine …

Thirty-Second Mindful Body Scan Meditation For Bedside Nurses, Shruti Balwalli-Udyawer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue, or secondary traumatic stress, is a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by an inability to cope with the everyday environment that reduces the ability of the nurse to provide high-quality health care to a patient. The purpose of this staff education project, guided by Selye’s general adaption syndrome , was a 6-week, 30-second mindfulness exercise program to promote stress reduction for cardiac step-down and medical-surgical nurses. In this quantitative, pre- and posttest study, the Perceived Stress Scale was completed by a sample of 24 nurses who met the inclusion criteria. The practice focused whether educating nurses …

Managers' Experiences Coordinating Peer Mediation Programs In Schools, Ingrid Jeannis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Peer mediation (PM) programs implemented in schools promote resolution of disputes and conflicts among peers. Several benefits have been associated with young children involved in these programs including reductions in physical aggression, as well as learning skills involving communication, problem solving, and decision making. While positive outcomes have been observed, less was known about manager experiences involving coordinating PM programs. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore manager thoughts and experiences regarding their roles in PM programs and how they perceived strengths and weaknesses of these programs. The social learning theory was the theoretical framework for this study. …

Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Amongst Adolescents 13 To 18 Years Of Age, Ngwanma Nwokoro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Sexually transmitted infections or diseases (STIs/STDs) acquired through sexual activities lead to compromised sexual health. The adolescent population is at high risk of acquiring STIs/STDs due to their lack of knowledge. The gap in practice was that the nurse practitioners (NPs) were deficient in standard of care; adolescent patients lacked consistent evaluation, education, or documentation of the education in their medical records. The practice-focused question focused on the evaluation of the effectiveness of a quality improvement (QI) initiative that incorporated the use of the American Association for Pediatrics screening and Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) treatment guidelines …

Understanding African American Mothers’ Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Autism-Related Services For Their Autistic Children In Rural Communities, Brandi J. Treadway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study aimed to address the gap in the literature related to understanding African American mothers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the available services provided to their children diagnosed with autism living in rural communities. The theoretical framework used for this study is the racial formation theory as a lens for completing this study. The research question explored African American mothers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of autism-related services provided to their children with autism in rural communities. The research design chosen for this study is a generic qualitative design using semi-structured interviews for data collection from 10 African American mothers …

Employee Development And Workforce Engagement In A Behavioral Health Organization, Lakisha R, Brimage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ongoing training at the targeted behavioral health organization is necessary to improve employee knowledge, skills, and abilities to drive engagement and overall organizational performance. The purpose of this case study was to determine what leadership practices and strategies are currently in place and what training modules improve employee development for the purpose of improving workforce engagement. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used to guide the qualitative case study of the nonprofit organization, which provides social services to low-income families in the United States. Data sources included semistructured interviews with two behavioral health leaders at the organization and reviews of organizational …

Reducing Employee Turnover In The Fast-Food Industry Through Leadership Strategies, Terrell Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some fast-food industry managers lack leadership strategies to reduce employee turnover rates. Fast-food industry managers are concerned with high employee turnover that leads to increased costs of recruitment and decreased productivity. Grounded in servant leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore leadership strategies used by fast-food industry managers to reduce employee turnover rates. The participants consisted of five fast-food industry managers in the Midwest region of the United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data; three themes emerged: a value-based leadership …

A Midwestern United States Latino Study Of Sexual Behaviors Among Latino Adolescents, Astrid Alejandra Cartagena Cabrera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increasing rates of adolescent unwanted pregnancies can be detrimental to families and the health of the infant. Rates of teen pregnancy among Blacks, Whites, Asians, and other races has decreased; however, the Latino population has not seen similar declining numbers. The Hispanic population currently has the highest rate of teen pregnancy that continues to increase in comparison to any other racial–ethnic group. In this study involving data from the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, a sample of 17,303 was used. Chi-square analyses and descriptive frequencies were used to identify associations between teen pregnancy and sexual behaviors; and how existing programs …

Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives On Using The Physical Environment In Skilled Nursing Facilities, Jennie L. Digrado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Occupational therapists (OTs) are among the health care professionals who assist individuals with neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) to engage in self-care and leisure skills in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) environment. Although the SNF environment has been researched, a gap exists regarding how OTs use the built environment to help clients with a NCD engage in self-care and leisure-related activities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how OTs use the physical environment in a SNF to help individuals with a NCD engage in self-care and leisure related activities. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the …

Relationship Between An Entrepreneur’S Self-Efficacy, Self-Leadership, And Startup Sustainability In Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Self-efficacy and self-leadership have been identified as important indicators of business sustainability. Business owners and investors are concerned about sustainability because most businesses fail within the first five years. Grounded in self-efficacy and self-leadership theories, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy, self-leadership and startup sustainability. The participants were 156 entrepreneurs who completed the entrepreneurial self-efficacy scale and the abbreviated self-leadership questionnaire delivered via email. The multiple linear regression analysis results indicated the model was able to significantly predict startup sustainability, F(2, 129) = 432.47, p < .001, R2 = .87. Self-efficacy provided a significant contribution to the model (t = 8.424, p = < .001, β = .914). In contrast, the contribution of self-leadership was not significant (t = 0.185, p = .853, β = .20). A key recommendation is the utilization of mentoring programs and structured leadership internships that enhance self-efficacy by providing startup leaders with exposure to more seasoned corporate leaders, and successful peers who have had similar experiences to theirs. The implications for positive social change include the potential development of training and capacity-building programs that can be provided to entrepreneurs and other startup leaders to enhance their ability to sustain their startups, leading to more successful businesses, job creation, and economic growth.

African American Baby Boomers’ Lived Experiences In Skilled Nursing Facilities For Post-Acute Care Admissions, Dr. Charles A. Fraiser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPrevious studies have examined the quality of elderly healthcare offered in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) among older adults, in general, but the studies have not emphasized ex-periences unique to African America baby boomers and the factors they consider when making SNF-related decisions for post-acute care. The purpose of the study was to exam-ine the lived experiences of African American baby boomers who are currently in or have been treated in SNFs for post-acute care to learn about their decisions to select an SNF. Andersen’s behavioral model of health services served as the conceptual framework. A descriptive phenomenological qualitative design was …

Colorism And Women Who Self-Identify As Black In Leadership Roles, Alyse Poitier Gardner-Kennedy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWomen who self-identify as Black in executive director leadership roles in a nonprofit agency are still experiencing colorism in the workplace. Color-based bias, also called colorism, within the Black community centers on advantages and disadvantages for people of the same race. Colorism typically allows more benefits for lighter-skinned individuals who self-identify as Black than darker-skinned individuals who self-identify as Black. This study explored the lived experiences of women who self-identified as Black in executive director leadership roles in nonprofit agencies and who have experienced colorism (i.e., intragroup discrimination) in the workplace. The research question investigated the emotional effect on women …