Digital Commons Network^™

School District Stress Prevention Practices In A Southern U.S. State, Stephen Field Keohane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growing recognition that stress is a risk factor for youth health problems has spawned research on school-based stress prevention programs and services. While such programs and services are now available for adoption by schools, there is an absence of data on their use in U.S. schools systems. In the current study, Everett Rogers's diffusion of innovations model provided the theoretical framework for the investigation of school district stress prevention practices in one southern U.S. state. The sample for this quantitative descriptive study consisted of 135 out of 136 active public districts, and 72% of school systems completed and returned …

Uric Acid Level Is Associated With Postprandial Lipemic Response To A High Saturated Fat Meal, Roy Gail Cutler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hyperlipidemia caused by a diet high in saturated fat can lead to visceral fat weight gain, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Being over-weight from visceral fat has been linked to increased risk of developing most age-related diseases and disability, along with a lower income potential and quality of life. However, researchers are just beginning to understand the biological mechanisms that regulate the conversion of excess calories into visceral fat storage rather than glycogen or muscle. Epidemiological studies have repeatedly shown a comorbid association between age-related diseases involving hyperlipemia and circulating levels of uric acid, but not a direct association. This study …

Clinical Significance Of Response Shift In A Spine Interventional Clinical Trial, Robin Carlson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effectiveness of treatments for degenerative spine conditions, where the primary symptom is back pain, is typically determined using patient-reported quality of life (QoL) measures. However, patients may adjust their internal standards when scoring QoL based on factors other than their health. This response shift phenomenon could confound the interpretation of study data and impact effectiveness conclusions. In the current study, response shift was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) and previously collected clinical trial data comparing 2 minimally invasive medical devices in lumbar spinal stenosis patients through 1 year postintervention. In subject QoL results, reprioritization shift between 3 months …

Prehospital Staffing And Road Traffic Accidents: Physician Versus Trained Nonphysician Responders, Timothy A. Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Road traffic deaths, which affect people in their productive years, are projected to be the third leading cause of death by the year 2030. While most studies have focused on road infrastructure and vehicle safety, this study examined something new: the impact of prehospital response to road traffic accidents on the rate of death. Some countries send physicians to the scene of an accident; some send paramedics or registered nurses. The question this research sought to answer was whether the use of physician responders resulted in a lower rate of death compared to the use of nonphysician responders. The literature …

Effects Of Successmakers Math As An Intervention For Students, Jennifer Lee Calcut

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Schools throughout the United States use the IQ-achievement discrepancy method to

identify children with learning disabilities. This current method allows many students to fall behind in the regular education setting. In 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was reauthorized to provide states with the option of using a response to intervention (RtI) model in lieu of or in conjunction with the IQ-achievement discrepancy model. The purpose of this quasi-experimental, single subject, pre/posttest design study was to determine the impact of a Tier II intervention using SuccesMakers Math, a learning system that adapts to the unique needs of the individual …

Interpersonal Safety Of Active Duty Women In The Deployed Environment Of Bagram Afghanistan, Cynthia Tara Ferguson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States Armed Forces, 30% of women in the military suffer physical assault each year; in 2009, there were 22 reported cases of sexual assault in the U.S. Central Command. Aggravated assault, gang violence, sexual assault, homicide, and suicide can damage the morale of military personnel at a deployed site and collectively cost millions of dollars over time. Interpersonal violence in the United States military is destructive to the military system and directly diminishes mission readiness. This study was designed to illuminate the environmental, cultural, and political influences that affect interpersonal safety among military women in the deployed …

Exploring Knowledge Management Practices In Service-Based Small Business Enterprises, Orlando Skelton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business enterprises (SBEs) are significant contributors to business growth and employment in the United States, but despite governmental support, the failure rate of SBEs is high. Some small business leaders lack the critical management skills to detect or discover when underperformance in revenue-generation is due to gaps in organizational knowledge or business practices associated with managing knowledge assets. Guided by the knowledge-based view of the firm, the purpose of this multiple case study was to address that gap by exploring the skills needed by leaders to understand how deficiencies in their knowledge management practices contribute to underperformance. Semistructured interview …

Temporality Of Risk Factors And The Gender Differential Related To Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis, Donna L. Sullivan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) constitute life-long neurodevelopmental conditions. Globally, ASD risk for males remains 2 to 4 times greater than for females. Critical exposure mechanisms, their timing on ASD risk, and associations with the ASD gender differential remain elusive. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between preconception, pregnancy, recalled lactation practice, and infant traits, on ASD risk and the gender differential of ASD. A recently published temporal framework was adapted to study effects of maternal smoking and vitamin use, and recalled lactation practice on offspring ASD diagnosis with adjustment for preconception health and infant breathing traits. …

The Effect Of Evaluating A Quality Improvement Initiative On Reducing Hospital Transfers Of Nursing Home Residents, Denise Eileen Jarboe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Effect of a Quality Improvement Initiative on Reducing Hospital Transfers of Nursing Home Residents

by

Denise Eileen Jarboe

MSN, Walden University, 2010

BS, University of Maryland, 1981

Project Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

February 2015

Nursing homes (NH) in the 21st century provide skilled healthcare services for resident populations who are older, frailer, and often suffering from multiple incurable chronic medical conditions. Nurses practicing in this setting must be keen observers and effective communicators with the ability to recognize and report subtle changes in health status …

Nurse-Physician Communication Tools To Enhance Use Of Nursing Evidence-Based Protocols, Tochi Onyenwe Ubani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse-Physician Communication Tools to Enhance use of Nursing Evidence-Based Protocols

by

Tochi Onyenwe Ubani

MSN, Walden University, 2011

BSN, Chamberlain College of Nursing, 2009

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

February 2015

In the current health care environment, consumers are demanding collaboration among clinicians even when traditional attitudes minimize nurses' input on the direction of clinical care. Compounding this problem is that nursing practices have not always been derived from randomized clinical trials, but instead from personal experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions …

Secure-Base Caregiving And Adult Attachment Development Within The Client-Psychotherapist Relationship, Dennis A. Weeks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent studies have shown significant improvements in the attachment security of adult therapy clients during therapy, supporting Bowlby's theory that such improvement can be influenced by secure-base caregiving provided by mentors such as therapists. However, because these studies did not measure the secure-base variable, its relationship to client attachment development remains unknown. The present study is the first to evaluate that relationship by measuring clients' pre and posttherapy attachment security using the Relationship Scales Questionnaire and therapists' secure-base caregiving using the Client Attachment to Therapist and Working Alliance Inventory, Short Form. Of 21 initially insecure client participants, 17 experienced high …

The Smallest Leap Of Faith: A New Worldview For A Postmodern World?, Kelly C. Smith

Publications

It is undeniable that religion provides a sense of purpose, ethical direction, and social belonging that most human beings for most of recorded history have found to be profoundly important. But it is equally undeniable that its supernatural metaphysics and dogmatic conservatism have retarded society’s progress in many ways and caused untold human suffering. An obvious question is thus: Is it possible to preserve the beneficial aspects of religion but excise the problematic ones?

Immanuel Kant fathered the postmodern age with his devastating critique of the possibility of human knowledge of the Ultimate. However, Kant himself was far from skeptical …

Selection Of Pedestrian Crossing Treatments At Controlled And Uncontrolled Locations, Suleiman Ashur, Mohammad Alhassan

JTRP Technical Reports

Designers and traffic engineers have to make decisions on selecting a pedestrian treatment whenever designing a new pedestrian facility or retrofitting an existing one. The goal is either to provide or improve pedestrian safety at pedestrian crossing facilities, including controlled locations of signalized intersections and approaches with stop and yield signs, and uncontrolled locations of intersections and midblock sites. Currently, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has limited resources on pedestrian treatment selection that does not take into consideration key elements such as number of lanes and the existence of a raised median. Therefore, there is a need to find …

Predicting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Children With Prior Mental Health Diagnoses, Earnest E. Airhia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast and subjected the city of New Orleans to disastrous flooding, which resulted in numerous after effects that impacted the children and adolescents of the city. The disaster contributed to high levels of stress, increased risk of psychological disorders, and was associated with an increased percentage of New Orleans children presenting symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To help address these problems associated with hurricanes and other disasters, the current study investigated how age, gender, race, and pre-existing conditions increased or decreased the likelihood of a child being diagnosed with PTSD following Hurricane …

The Distribution Of Type 1 Diabetes Onset In The United States By Demographic Factors, Margaret Beckstrand

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic and lifelong condition, often diagnosed in childhood. Patients with T1D are at elevated risks of associated health complications, comorbidities, and mortality. Occurrence, clinical presentation, and complications related to T1D differ by age of onset, ethnicity, and gender. The last reported population-based estimates regarding the burden of T1D in children using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were published in 2008, and these estimates were not well stratified by age of onset, ethnicity, and gender. The purpose of this study was to examine these demographics within the conceptual framework of the hygiene …

Success Factors Of Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Kenneth Joseph Chamberland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business failure rates equate to 30% within 2 years and 50% after 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that veteran-owned small businesses used to sustain a business beyond 5 years in central Florida. Using a purposeful sampling technique, 13 central Florida veteran small business owners consented to interviews about their operating processes. Analysis of the veteran-owner managerial practices revealed common nodes and themes regarding small business longevity factors. Based on constant comparison coding, 4 small business themes emerged: business operating practices, market research, business adversities, and external small business assistance avenues. …

Exploring Antecedents To Work Engagement And Psychological Well-Being Within A Canadian Provincial Ministry, Kris Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap exists in organizational development strategies on why some individuals remain disengaged with their work. This study addressed whether a combination of specific contextual factors could support individuals, teams, and leaders to demonstrate the attitudes and behaviors consistent with work engagement. The theoretical frameworks of social constructivism, the conceptual framework of symbolic interactionism, and a hermeneutic inquiry approach were used to address how individual psychological traits/abilities of employees support work engagement. Nineteen employees of a Canadian provincial government ministry completed an engagement survey, MSCEIT, MBTI, and SDI assessments. They also participated in focus groups. Survey results showed high engagement …

Community College Leaders' Experiences In Adapting To Changing Student Demographics, Joyce Hewett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The demographics of community colleges are rapidly changing. The culture composition of the student population in community colleges has expanded, and includes larger percentages of African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans than are found in other higher education institutions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of 10 community college leaders, consisting of 4 administrators, 5 faculty members, and 1 faculty/administrator, in their attempt to adapt to the changing demographics of the student population. Multicultural lens, the conceptual framework for the study, helped guide leaders in assessing their levels of multicultural sensitivity …

Retention In Nursing Programs: Factors Contributing To The Success Of Esl Students, Patience Jegbefu Mbulu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this project is the high attrition rate among English as Second Language (ESL) students in a local community college associate degree nursing program. If the retention problem is addressed, the increase in the number of ESL nursing student graduates could result in a more diverse nursing workforce, reflecting the diversity of the community. The purpose of this study was to examine student and faculty views regarding factors that contribute to the academic success and retention of ESL students. To that end, a qualitative case study approach was used, guided by the theoretical frameworks of Cummins's contextual …

An Examination Of Tribal Nation Integration In Homeland Security National Preparedness, Donald J. Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has established that national homeland security policy requires a whole community or all-of-nation approach to national security preparedness. What is less clear is whether all stakeholders are integrated into or benefit from this collective effort. This narrative policy analysis examined the relationship between a federally-recognized group of Native American tribal nations and homeland security national preparedness to explore whether tribal nations are effectively integrated with the collective effort for national preparedness. The theoretical framework stemmed from a convergence of social contract theory and conflict theory. Interviews (n = 21) were conducted with preparedness authorities from government agencies, and from …

Delphi Study Of Ecosystem Characteristics And Inclusion Of Elementary Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kimberly M. Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recognizing characteristics that improve inclusion in general education classrooms allows educators and parents to make conscious decisions regarding how students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be included most appropriately. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to understand the opinions of individuals with expertise in the fields of autism and inclusion as to the characteristics and behaviors within the environmental constellation that support or inhibit inclusion of elementary students with ASD. The conceptual framework was based on tenets of applied behavior analysis, multiple intelligences, and ecosystem characteristics. Research questions addressed characteristics and behaviors of general and special education …

An Assessment Of Sexually Transmitted Disease Knowledge Among 7th Grade Students, Racquel D. Weaver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to remain a public health concern in the United States, especially among young people. Levels of knowledge with regard to STDs have been investigated in prior research; however, these investigations have been limited primarily to older adolescents and young adults. Grounded in the social cognitive and subjective culture theories, this quantitative, cross-sectional study assessed STD knowledge (other than HIV/AIDS) among 7th grade students attending a public middle school in the United States. Demographic differences (age, gender, and ethnicity) in STD knowledge were examined to determine if these demographic variables predict STD knowledge scores and if …

Education Policy Implementation In The New Latino Diaspora, Jennifer Stacy, Edmund T. Hamann, Enrique G. Murillo Jr.

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Villages, towns, and cities throughout the United States, including the 41 states of the New Latino Diaspora (NLD), continue to host/receive heterogeneous populations of Latinos who transform the physical and cultural landscape in ways that require social institutions, like schools and universities, to respond. Increasingly, this transformation includes newcomer parents starting families. Thirty-three percent of the U.S. Hispanic population is age 18 or younger, while that age profile is true of slightly below 20% of non-Hispanic Whites (Pew Hispanic Center, 2012). While voter rolls and retirement community residents may remain much Whiter than the U.S. population as a whole for …

Relationship Between Modality And The Degree Of Knowledge Retention In Bioterrorism Training, Gaylon Rashun Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A public health workforce must be trained to react quickly, especially in the case of terrorist attack. Political leaders and emergency management experts have often cited inadequate emergency training as a contributing factor in the public health system's failed preparations for a bioterrorist event. As a result of these failures, billions of dollars have been allocated towards correcting infrastructure deficiencies including training for public health nurses (PHNs), who are critical to a communitywide medical response. This quantitative study used Pearson's correlation and a multivariate regression analysis to evaluate the most effective modality of bioterrorism training (BTT) for PHNs working in …

Interagency Coordination Of Security Operations In A Large U.S. Seaport, Edmund Levy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Protecting U.S. transportation hubs against a wide variety of security threats, while avoiding undue interference with the normal operations of the hubs, is one of the greatest challenges facing security agencies. The problem addressed in this study was the limited information on the contributing factors to seaport security. The purpose of this case study was to explore issues that can inhibit efficiency of security agency operation and collaboration and to identify actions that have enhanced collaboration. Based on theories of organizational development, leadership, and security tradecraft, this study examined the activities related to maintenance of security at a large California …

Psychosocial Predictors Of Successful Bariatric Surgery, Rodney D. Grim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is an epidemic that can lead to a wide range of physical and mental problems. When traditional weight-loss methods are not effective, bariatric surgery is a viable weight-loss option. While previous researchers have investigated the role of psychological factors in relation to obesity, few have investigated psychological factors as predictors of weight loss and complications after bariatric surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of psychological disorders/conditions (e.g., depression and abuse) in the study population, evaluate weight and psychosocial variables before and 6 months after weight-loss surgery, and identify psychosocial factors that are predictors of …

Perceived Self-Efficacy Of Secondary General Education Teachers In The Inclusion Classroom, Pamela Sime-Cummins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) has been linked to the academic success of students. This association has been found in contexts where teachers have received training relevant to working with the student population being served. In the suburban Pennsylvania school district targeted in this study, there was little district-sponsored professional development (PD) available to general education teachers regarding strategies for teaching students with disabilities in the inclusion setting. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine whether a difference exists in perceived TSE when instructing in the inclusion setting compared with the traditional setting, and whether an association exists linking prior …

Predictors Of Community Supervision Failures Among Female Offenders, Fayola Wolfe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the predictors of community supervision failures amongst female offenders in the United States criminal justice system. Female offenders have, in comparison with male offenders, particular challenges for community reintegration. This study used the relational theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory to investigate the effects of childhood trauma on adult female offenders' behaviors, including substance use disorder and mental health issues. Secondary archival data were obtained from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency's AUTO Screener and Supervision and Management Automated Record Tracking System; this data pool included information on 1,085 female offenders who had served at …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Implementation Of A Multilingual Approach To Language Teaching, Susanna Rosmarie Schwab-Berger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

How teachers perceived and experienced the implementation of a multilingual approach in their classrooms during the first year of implementation in Switzerland is poorly understood by policy makers and teachers. Findings from three pilot studies conducted before the implementation indicated that teachers had transferred only few aspects of the new multilingual approach into practice. Guided by constructivist learning and third language acquisition theories, this study explored how teachers perceived and experienced the implementation of the multilingual approach. A purposeful criterion sample of primary school English language teachers at Grade 5 who had completed a professional development program was targeted for …

The Experiences Of Successful Small Business Owners In Ghana, Michael Tetteh Alimo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high failure rate of small and medium enterprises that results in high unemployment rate and poverty in Ghana. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of small business owners in Ghana. The conceptual framework was based on the theory of disruptive innovation. Disruptive innovation describes a method that enables business owners to create a new market. Data were collected through interviews from 20 participants who owned small businesses and succeeded beyond 5 years in Accra, Ghana. Member checking was used to strengthen the credibility and trustworthiness of the interpretation of the participants' responses. …