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Lived Experiences Of Former Commercialized Sex Workers Seeking Harm Reduction Services In Nevada, Arlynda Yvette Almond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Commercialized sex work has been considered a high-risk profession. Understanding the social context and application of services that foster wellbeing for this population is of research concern. There is a risk of ineffective service when programs are designed by providers who are not formerly of the profession and not familiar with the unique needs of this population. The problem is that commercialized sex workers who need but do not seek harm reduction services may experience ill-health and lack of wellbeing. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 10 commercialized sex workers who pursued …

Post-Conflict Mental Health Policy And Substance Use Among Liberian Adults, Ekua Amonoo-Lartson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe objective of post-conflict countries after an extended period of war and trauma is to maintain peace and stability. However, the physical and psychological effects of substance use to cope with the devastation of war remains long after the crisis has ended. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine substance use among Liberian working-age adults, including their substance use habits, experiences with substance use, and access to mental health rehabilitative treatment. The access to medical care theoretical framework was used to guide the study. Data were collected from face-to-face semistructured interviews with 15 individuals regarding their experiences …

Experiences Of Police Officer-Reported Stress Factors In An Urban Department, Reamon Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States currently employs over 1 million police officers. In the current climate, police officers face dangerous situations every day and must learn to deal with the stressors that are associated with these dangers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to address how law enforcement officers who work in urban police departments and who commonly experience a number of work-related challenges and dangers deal with stress and what methods were used for stress relief in such police departments. The research study was conducted under the theoretical lens of the general strain theory, which emphasizes the importance of …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Exploring Aviation Communication Experiences Of North American Pilots, Sonia Fay Bush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human factors contribute to approximately 75% of aviation accidents. The lack of effective flight deck communication has caused numerous aviation accidents which has resulted in the loss of many human lives. The specific management problem was that standardized flight deck communication of airline pilots may not be sufficient to prevent aviation accidents. The focus of the study was the lived flight deck communication experiences of North American pilots. Using the Observer Model of Communicology formed the conceptual framework for this study, 15 participants were selected, using purposive sampling. Data collection was accomplished via one-on-one interviews. Coding and thematic analysis were …

Students' Perceptions Of Persistence In Two-Year Radiologic Technology Programs, Billie Jo Huffstetler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obtaining a health care degree benefits individuals and society; however, 2-year radiologic technology programs in a metropolitan area of the southern United States continue to struggle with student persistence from enrollment to graduation. Exploring student persistence is important to college administrators, faculty, and students because of the predicted growth in the profession of radiologic technology. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore students' perceptions of their experiences at the local college that encouraged them to persist to graduation or quit attending. Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory and Bean and Metzner's nontraditional undergraduate attrition model served as the …

Implementation Of A Fall Prevention Program For The Elderly In A Long-Term Care Facility, Maureen Orobosa Igharosa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One out of 4 older people fall each year. By the year 2030, it is estimated that 49 million older adults will fall and that 12 million will incur injuries as a result. A rise in the trend in falls among older adults represents a growing burden; the cost for falls billed to Medicare in the year 2015 was an aggregate of over $31 billion. The purpose of this quality improvement evaluation project was to assess the effectiveness of a fall preventative pilot program to reduce the number of falls among the residents of a rehabilitation and long-term care facility …

Treatment Barriers Confronted By African American Women In Past Abusive Relationships, Akhirah Shahidah Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread problem that impacts 5.3 million women annually in the United States, and African American women experience IPV at a 35% rate higher than Caucasian women and 2.5 times higher than other races. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the treatment barriers confronted by African American women in past abusive relationships. This research addressed the extent to which IPV affected African American women regarding the challenges resulting from IPV, the relevant impacts, and the treatment barriers. The ecological systems theory developed by Bronfenbrenner in 1979 was used as the theoretical …

Language Acculturation Effect On Diabetes Prevalence And Self-Care Skills In Puerto Ricans, Gerardo Lazaro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes, a silent, chronic disease that involves demanding long-term self-care skills, affects adult Puerto Ricans disproportionately. Based on the health belief model, a theory that predicts health behavior, and the theory of language barriers, which predicts the effects of language on beliefs and behavior, this quantitative nonexperimental study analyzed the relationship of the preference of Puerto Ricans in Boston to use and speak Spanish (language acculturation) to diabetes prevalence and 4 diabetes self-care skills (healthy eating, being active, taking medication, and healthy coping). Data on 1,506 initial participants in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study were used from 3 study …

Perceptions Of Novice Teachers Applying Differentiated Instruction In Heterogeneous Elementary Classrooms, Jessica Ann Meadows

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differentiated instruction (DI) is an effective approach to maximize students' academic success in diverse elementary classrooms. But a current concern in educational research is an insufficient understanding of how novice elementary teachers perceive and apply DI to support student success, especially as student diversity continues to increase, creating challenges to meeting students' needs. Novice teachers are expected to positively influence student learning through their teaching methods at the same level as experienced teachers. Yet, it is unclear how they use DI to do so. The purpose of this study was to provide a deep understanding of how novice teachers perceive …

Exploring The Private And Environmental Events Of Repeat Offenders Relative To Low Self-Control, Xavier Mims

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The dissection of self-control theory itself has served as a supplemental platform for understanding how the lack of self-control can perpetuate criminal conduct. Previous research has indicated that employing self-control theory to predict criminal behavior has been widely supported by various forms of test samples, measurements, and methodologies. However, there remains a gap in the current literature regarding the internal-motivative factors between the relationship of the offender's criminal behaviors and self-control theory. Partial understanding of what the offender experiences constitutes a significant disparity between subjective concepts and actual accounts based on an offender's view on his personal life. Therefore, the …

Examining The Antecedents Of Employee Engagement, Andrea E. Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Highly engaged employees have a positive impact on organizational results, which means that understanding how to increase employee engagement is important. Performance management is one area that is believed to positively impact employee engagement, but current research is not conclusive as to how much individual performance management activities impact employee engagement. Using social exchange theory and self-determination theory as theoretical guides, this study examined if 5 performance management activities (goal setting, feedback, developmental opportunities, performance appraisals, and a climate of trust) are predictors of employee engagement. Using a cross-sectional survey design, full-time, U.S.-based employees at organizations with more than 1,000 …

The Experience Of Recovery From Childhood Sexual Abuse Among Black Men, Zeneth Myrie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) can result in consequences that are devastating and long lasting. Differences in the nature of CSA for males and females potentially influence recovery and the role of moderating factors, such as spirituality. Studies of recovery from CSA, especially men's experiences of recovery, are relatively few indicating that this is an under researched area. This lack of studies is particularly evident for ethnic minority groups. While addressing the gap in the literature, the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of recovery from CSA among African, Caribbean, Black identified male survivors of CSA living …

Reducing The Rate Of Physical Interventions By Increasing Staff Confidence When Using Verbal De-Escalation Techniques, Elizabeth Pavlesich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When working with patients who have the potential to become physically aggressive, verbal de-escalation is an important technique that can defuse a dangerous situation. At the project site in the mental health emergency department (MHED), workplace violence was on the rise based on the reported use of physical interventions (rates of brief holds and physical restraint use). The purpose of this quality improvement evaluation project was to determine whether an educational training program on verbal de-escalation techniques would increase staff's confidence in the use of verbal de-escalation and decrease the rate of physical interventions used in the MHED. The change …

School Social Work Leadership Self-Efficacy And Perceptions Of Multidisciplinary Collaboration, Megan Pendley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School social workers employ a variety of interventions to meet the needs of students, staff, and families. Serving as the vital link between the school, student, and community, school social workers are well positioned for leadership opportunities. Yet, school social workers continue to be marginalized and under recognized for their leadership capabilities and unique contributions to interdisciplinary collaboration in the school setting. Informed by transformational leadership theory and self-efficacy theory, this study was conducted to examine the relationship between leadership self-efficacy and perceptions of interdisciplinary collaboration of school social workers as measured by the leader efficacy questionnaire and the index …

Community-Based Organizations' Engagement In Social Innovations To Promote Sustainable Urban Development, Yael Racov Drory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Institutional void often fuels efforts by social entrepreneurs to fill gaps through social innovations (SIs). Furthermore, governments promote SIs because they tend to advance sustainable solutions and social change. In a town in Israel, after years of intense social activism, during governance by a Convened Committee (CC) established by the central government, community-based-organizations (CBOs) are no longer engaged in innovative activism. Fewer solutions to institutional void could deteriorate or generate social problems. A gap in the literature exists regarding Israeli CBOs' engagement in sustainable urban development (SUD) SIs during CC governance. The purpose of this research was to uncover the …

Grandparents In Parental Roles With Grandchildren And Social Work Practice, Anetrice Nicole Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOver the last 30 years, there has been an increase of grandparents who are raising grandchildren. Grandparents often need social services such as case management, legal services, counseling, adoption, and custody services. Although grandparents feel it is rewarding to raise their grandchildren, there are also challenges. Participatory action research was used as the method of study. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory was used to guide the participatory action research. Participants included social workers and social service workers from various social service agencies in Atlanta, Georgia. This study aimed to understand grandparents' needs and how prepared social workers and social service workers are …

A Phenomenological Study Of First-Year Elementary Teachers Managing Disruptive Behaviors, Lucina Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research consistently reflects novice teachers' feelings of inadequacy in effectively responding to students disruptive classroom behaviors. Some teachers may quickly default to disciplinary write-ups or make behavior-related referrals to special education. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perspectives of first-year elementary general education teachers about their competency and their tolerance for managing problem behaviors; to identify supports that will strengthen their ability to acquire and use effective behavior management skills, and thus reduce referrals. Social constructionism was the guiding conceptual framework. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted via telephone and analyzed using Moustakas' adaptation of the Van …

Evidence-Based Strategies Used By Primary Care Providers In Early Hospice Referrals, May Tanay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite scientific evidence suggesting that hospice care improves quality of life (QOL) at end of life (EOL), terminally ill patients are being referred to hospice too late. A considerable number of terminally ill patients are referred directly from the inpatient unit. Often, these patients have not had a goal-of-care conversation (GOC) with their primary care provider (PCP) nor have they been offered hospice care until hospitalization. It is imperative that PCPs, advocate and support patients and families during all stages of life including EOL. This doctoral project was completed for the purpose of identifying strategies used by PCPs that enhance …

Social Determinants Of Health And Health Behaviors Of Hispanics, Suheily Valderrama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mexican Americans experience higher morbidity and mortality than non-Hispanic whites, a problem known as health disparities, which is often explained by differences in social determinants of health (SDH). SDH are social and economic conditions that influence health-related behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between SDH (income, education, neighborhood safety, and health care access), and health behaviors (diet, sleep, and physical activity) of Hispanics. The cumulative inequality (CI) theory was used to inform this study. A secondary data analysis of 37078 Hispanic adults who completed the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey was conducted. …

Qualitative Examination Of Noncustodial African American Fathers' Involvement In Their Children's Education, Christy Ann Wallace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractParent involvement in children's school experience has been shown to be important to academic success. Although African American parents approach their parenting in culturally unique ways, these have not been adequately explored or described. Many African American children grow up in a household with a single mother and an involved but nonresident father; the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of these fathers with their grade school children's schools and education. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory underpinned the research. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data was collected from a sample of 10 nonresident African American fathers using …

Previously Incarcerated Individuals' Perception Of Job Acquisition Post Transitional Program Participation, Arbutas Antinet Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTransitional programs prepare previously incarcerated individuals (PIIs) to re-enter society and acquire employment. However, many such programs have failed to offset the effects of prisonization, a process that affects the social skills needed for the job interview process and employment acquisition. The purpose of this generic qualitative research study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of PIIs after participation in a transitional program and a job interview. The theoretical foundation for the study included the theories of prisonization and self-efficacy. The research question concerned experiences and perceptions of 23 to 39-year-old PIIs regarding the job interview process after serving …

Principals' Leadership Style As A Predictor Of School Climate In Urban High Schools In Baltimore, Kelly Alicia Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To improve student achievement in urban public schools with high poverty, it is important to address specific leadership styles (i.e., transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant leadership styles) in relationship to their school climate. The purpose of this multivariate correlational study, framed by leadership theory, was to investigate the relationship between principals' leadership and school climate as perceived by high school teachers in an urban school district. The relationship between three predictor variables (average class size, years of experience of the teacher, and leadership style) and one criterion variable (school climate) was examined. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire was used to measure leadership …

Adults With Asd Perceptions Of Inclusion Education, Susan Mary Weiss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdults with ASD Perceptions of Inclusion Education by Susan M. Weiss

MA, Adelphi University, 1989BS, Hofstra University, 1987

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Special Education

Walden UniversityFebruary 2021

AbstractThe perspectives and experiences of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not included in the body of educational research on inclusion education. Because students with ASD are academically capable, they are placed in inclusive education environments. The perspectives of adults with ASD about their inclusion experiences could offer valuable information to educational practitioners and parents of students with ASD. Using …

The Impact Of Media Representation Of Police Use Of Force On Minority Students' Intentions To Pursue Criminal Justice Degrees, Stacey Shawn White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years, reports of police use of force incidents have proliferated across traditional and social media. The extent and nature of the impact of these reports on the relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve have received significant attention from scholars and researchers. In addition, a growing body of literature examining the impact of the media on communities of color and their relationships with and perspectives on law enforcement also exists. However, there is a gap in the research on the effect of media coverage of police use of force incidents on minority criminal justice students. In …

Hospitality Industry Employee Turnover, Ericka Dolores Willie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is detrimental to organizational performance, productivity, and profitability. Decreasing employee turnover is important for hospitality leaders to increase employee productivity, raise customer satisfaction and increase organizational profits. Grounded in Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee perceptions of work experience, supervisory practices, employee compensation, and employee turnover. The participants were 100 employees who worked in the hospitality industry on the island of St. Croix. The Employee Turnover Survey was the instrument used in this study and was conducted via Survey Monkey. The results of the multiple linear regression …

Relationship Between Attending Stem Extracurricular Programs And Aspiration Toward Stem Careers, Rani Mohammad Altoum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Enhancing students’ aspiration toward STEM-related careers is of a great importance for many communities that seeks the transformation to the knowledge-based economy. The problem this study explored was the literature gap in the relationship between Qatar students’ attendance in STEM-related extracurricular programs and their aspiration to pursue STEM-related specializations and careers. The purpose of this quantitative, pre-experimental study was to investigate the relationship between attending STEM extracurricular programs and change in students’ aspiration toward STEM careers. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate if the change in students’ aspiration depends on students’ gender and age group. Social cognitive career theory framed …

Understanding Successful Strategies Human Service First-Level Managers Utilize When Addressing Workplace Incivility, Mary Elizabeth Barlow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The social problem of workplace incivility is a well-researched issue that impacts employees, work groups, and organizations across the nation. The purpose of this study was to understand how first-level human service managers describe employee turnover in relation to workplace incivility and what first-level human service managers view as successful strategies they have used to address workplace incivility. The theoretical framework utilized for this study was incivility spiral theory, as described by Andersson and Pearson. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to gain an understanding of successful strategies that first-level human service managers utilize when addressing workplace incivility …

The Exploration Of Clinical Supervision For Substance Abuse Social Workers In Bermuda, Steva Aria Bean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As specialists who bridge the gap between the social work and substance abuse treatment fields, substance abuse social workers are expected to develop themselves as social workers by designation, substance abuse counselors by occupation, and deliver competent therapeutic services that align both professions seamlessly. As documented in the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, their support in achieving this feat is clinical supervision. Despite this documentation, a review of the social work literature revealed an absence of information on clinical supervision between the social work and substance abuse fields, their supervisory alliance, and outcomes. Accordingly, this project was …

Perceptions Of Effectiveness Of Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing Treatment Intervention From Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Laurinda Cumming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a national health care problem. This violence affects 10 million people on average in the United States every year. This research focused on the treatment resistance for PTSD, a severe and disabling condition. This qualitative descriptive study provided a purposeful sampling of female survivors’ lived experiences and perceived effectiveness of EMDR in treating PTSD symptoms as a result of IPV. Study participants were 7 females, 18 years or older, residing in the Southwestern United States. The theoretical framework of the self-efficacy model was used to look at how posttraumatic symptoms can be so severe from …

Cultural Appropriateness Of The Modified Checklist For Autism For Screening Autism In Ghana, Eric Amoako Darquah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in toddlers. The prevalence of this disorder continues to increase, necessitating an early screening tool to support early diagnosis and intervention. Although the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers Revised (M-CHAT-R) has been cross-culturally effective for screening ASD, little research has been done on early screening for ASD characteristics in Ghana. In the current study, the M-CHAT-R was completed by parents (N = 90) of ASD and non-ASD children between the ages of 16 to 60 months at selected special schools and hospitals in Ghana to determine its sensitivity and specificity to …