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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Antibiotic Stewardship: Decreasing Antibiotic Use For Viral Upper Respiratory Infections, Merkessie Taresa Redix Jan 2021

Antibiotic Stewardship: Decreasing Antibiotic Use For Viral Upper Respiratory Infections, Merkessie Taresa Redix

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOverprescribing antibiotics for viral upper respiratory infections is a common practice in the United States. This overprescribing of antibiotics can cause several health issues and increase health care costs. Despite the current guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the overprescribing of antibiotics by providers remains an issue. The purpose of this project was to educate providers on antibiotic stewardship for viral upper respiratory infections. The practice question was used to explore whether an educational program using concepts from Lewin’s change theory and Kolb’s learning theory would increase provider’s knowledge about the current evidence- based prescriptive …


Contraceptive Use Among Northern Nigerian Women Ages 15 To 49 Years, Hadiza Balarabe Usman Jan 2021

Contraceptive Use Among Northern Nigerian Women Ages 15 To 49 Years, Hadiza Balarabe Usman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractContraception remains the most effective modern way of controlling unwanted pregnancies among sexually active women. The purpose of this study was to investigate contraceptive use among northern Nigerian women ages 15 to 49 years. The study was anchored on social ecological model, which examined contraceptive use at the individual, interpersonal and community levels. Univariate, bivariate, Chi-square test of independence and logistics regression were conducted using secondary data from the Nigerian Demographic Health Survey 2018. 39,928 women, ages 15 to 49 years in the northwest region of Nigeria were sampled and only 6% used contraceptives. Results showed that a significant association …


Mentorship Education For Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Eleanor Dunlap Jan 2021

Mentorship Education For Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Eleanor Dunlap

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mentorship is vital part of the nursing profession. The evidence suggests that competent mentors aid in facilitating role transitions, improving job satisfaction, enhancing patient care, and decreasing nursing turnover. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) have the skill and knowledge to provide safe, high-quality, patient-centered care; however, they may be lacking in mentorship abilities. Currently, there is no formal mentorship training in the organization, which may cause variability in the mentoring of new staff. The focus of this project was to create a staff educational intervention to improve the mentoring competency of surgical APRNs. The project practice focused question asked if …


Chronic Pain, Malingering, And The Word Memory Test, Dawn Marie Emmett Bishop Jan 2021

Chronic Pain, Malingering, And The Word Memory Test, Dawn Marie Emmett Bishop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe importance of using scientifically grounded strategies to detect malingering has been established in the literature and past research. Many reliable tools have been established for the detection of malingered neurocognition; however, research on how pain may affect these tools is sparse. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of pain on cognitive symptom validity testing and to establish the validity of the Word Memory Test (WMT), a cognitive symptom validity test with good sensitivity and specificity, when the test taker is feigning pain (simulating) or remembering pain. The biopsychosocial model and the gate theory of pain …


Type 2 Diabetes And Pesticide Exposure Among U.S. Hispanic Migrant Farmworkers, Judith Faustin-Gabriel Jan 2021

Type 2 Diabetes And Pesticide Exposure Among U.S. Hispanic Migrant Farmworkers, Judith Faustin-Gabriel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHispanic migrant farmworkers provide indispensable services to the United States, yet they are low-paid, uninsured employees working in extremely hazardous conditions. Public health and other healthcare professionals have worked to address the impact of pesticide exposure in the Hispanic migrant population. Although pesticides have been associated with various chronic diseases, limited evidence and studies have established an association between pesticide exposure and Diabetes Type 2 (DT2) among Hispanic migrant farmworkers. Guided by fundamental causes theory, this study addressed whether there is a relationship between agricultural pesticide exposure and DT2 among Hispanic migrant farmworkers in the United States who participated in …


Blood Culture Staff Education To Improve Knowledge And Contamination Prevention, Christina Michelle Harvey Jan 2021

Blood Culture Staff Education To Improve Knowledge And Contamination Prevention, Christina Michelle Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThere was an underlying issue with nurses improperly drawing blood cultures resulting in false results that impact patient care. The project examined the question whether a staff education program for Veteran’s Affairs Registered Nurses on the effects of correct blood culture specimen collection can demonstrate an increase in knowledge in the VA’s collection procedure leading toward increasing compliance. The purpose was to correct a knowledge deficit leading to a lack of compliance of the VA nurses on the target unit. The project was directed by the principles of the Knowles’ adult learning model. The sources that generated evidence for the …


Length Of Stay And Readmission Rates Observed On Closed Medical-Surgical Units, Kristine Jordan Jan 2021

Length Of Stay And Readmission Rates Observed On Closed Medical-Surgical Units, Kristine Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States consistently experiences the highest health consumption per capita, caused, in part, by the fragmented and inefficient care delivery within hospitals. Both excessive length of stay and undesirable readmission rates are prime opportunities for hospitals to correct inefficiencies and improve patient outcomes, as well as lower healthcare costs. The advent of the hospital-medicine specialty in 1996 began addressing these concerns, however, opportunity still exists to refine the medical model used by hospitalists caring for the high volumes of patients admitted to medical-surgical units. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the effect of open and closed …


Interprofessional Team Membership Stability, Collective Team Competence, And Patient Outcomes In Emergency Departments, Maria Corvinelli Krentz Jan 2021

Interprofessional Team Membership Stability, Collective Team Competence, And Patient Outcomes In Emergency Departments, Maria Corvinelli Krentz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical errors in emergency departments (EDs) have been researched extensively but people who use EDs have continued to be at risk. A gap in knowledge existed as to what the relationship is between interprofessional (IP) team membership stability (TMS), work experience, collective competence, and ED patient outcomes. Guided by the collective competence theory, this quantitative correlational study sampled three rural EDs, a 33% response rate. IP participants rated collective competence as high. Using regression analysis and 3 months of existing data, IP ED core teams showed low temporal stability and the relationship between TMS and medical errors was not statistically …


Sociodemographic And Obstetric Predictors Of Cesarean Section In Ghana, Nana Mireku-Gyimah Jan 2021

Sociodemographic And Obstetric Predictors Of Cesarean Section In Ghana, Nana Mireku-Gyimah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing cesarean section (CS) rate in Ghana has severe public health implications as it results in significant maternal and child morbidity and mortality. An assessment of the factors contributing to the increasing CS rate in different settings is imperative to guide the development of interventions. The purpose of this study was to identify the sociodemographic and obstetric predictors of CS in a major referral health facility in Accra, Ghana. This research was grounded in the systems thinking approach and involved the use of a case-control design whereby 2,704 pairs of cases (delivered by CS) and controls (delivered by vaginal …


Determinants Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption For Adults In The Panhandle Of Nebraska, Erin Marie Norman Jan 2021

Determinants Of Fruit And Vegetable Consumption For Adults In The Panhandle Of Nebraska, Erin Marie Norman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption has been documented and is associated with increased risk of chronic disease. Previous studies have revealed that consuming the recommended servings of F/V per day can be influenced by many determinants including healthy eating self-efficacy, cooking confidence, perceived family support, perceived access, perceived quality, and perceived cost of fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this study was to examine these determinants of F/V consumption at the individual level of the socioecological model for adults ages 18 years and older residing in the panhandle of Nebraska. The socioecological model (SEM) provided the theoretical framework for …


Job-Related Stress And Burnout On Turnover Intention Of Nurses In Dallas, Texas, During Covid-19, George Ochieng Jan 2021

Job-Related Stress And Burnout On Turnover Intention Of Nurses In Dallas, Texas, During Covid-19, George Ochieng

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn a country with a large aging population such as the United States, nursing is a crucial profession that is also a high-stress and high-turnover occupation, leading to a shortage of nurses and increased healthcare costs. The year 2017 saw a 10-year high in nurse turnover. The general management problem is that current efforts to decrease the turnover of nurses remain ineffective. The specific problem studied was the high turnover of nurses in Dallas, Texas, linked to work-related stress and burnout. This quantitative nonexperimental regression and moderation research study aimed to study factors that predict or reduce turnover intention. This …


Socioeconomic Factors And Comorbid Conditions In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, William Paris Jan 2021

Socioeconomic Factors And Comorbid Conditions In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, William Paris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts children and adults. Comorbid conditions such as anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, and low socioeconomic status negatively impact health care quality in children with ASD. Missing from the academic literature is the quantification of the relationship between parental education and employment and health insurance coverage on the prevalence of comorbid conditions in children with ASD. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative analysis was to examine and quantify the relationship between parental education and employment, health insurance coverage, and the reporting of comorbid conditions (anxiety, depression, behavioral issues) in a nationally representative …


Meaningful Use Criteria And Staff Accountability In An Office Setting, Marcia Ionie Pender Jan 2021

Meaningful Use Criteria And Staff Accountability In An Office Setting, Marcia Ionie Pender

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Proper documentation for meaningful use (MU) criteria within electronic health records (EHRs) was identified as an issue for office staff at a local primary care office in a metropolitan area of Central Florida. The project question addressed the local gap in knowledge about MU standards necessary to ensure correct documentation of EHRs. The purpose of this doctoral project was to provide an educational program for staff to ensure compliance with the HITECH Act of 2009. Lewin’s Change Theory and Knowles Theory of Adult learning were the conceptual foundations for the educational program. The project question was to determine whether a …


The Lived Experiences Of Black Youth Who Recidivate In Diversion Programs, Justin Richards Jan 2021

The Lived Experiences Of Black Youth Who Recidivate In Diversion Programs, Justin Richards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are high rates of recidivism among U.S. Black youth when compared to other races, such as Whites and Hispanics. The purpose of the study was to examine the lived experiences of Black youth in the juvenile justice system and in diversion programs. Using a phenomenological qualitative method, twelve Black adults between the ages of 18 to 40 were interviewed about their lived experiences while participating in mental health courts and in-home probation as youth. The conceptual framework of the study was based on the risk, need, and responsivity model. The primary research question examined the lived experiences and perceptions …


The Lived Experience Of Family In Biological Children Living In Therapeutic Foster Homes, Maria K. Betts Jan 2021

The Lived Experience Of Family In Biological Children Living In Therapeutic Foster Homes, Maria K. Betts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Therapeutic-level foster homes provide housing and care for special needs children removed from their own homes. The addition of a special needs child can lead to increased family stress. However, recent reviews of the literature show that there is very little literature aimed at understanding what the biological children in these homes experience. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experience of family in adults who, as children, were these biological children. The family stress and coping model was used as a conceptual framework of understanding. Data were obtained from participants in Upstate New York from both …


Influencing Factors On A Nurse's Decision To Remain A Bedside Nurse, Diane Marie Hulsey Jan 2021

Influencing Factors On A Nurse's Decision To Remain A Bedside Nurse, Diane Marie Hulsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The loss of the experienced bedside nurse is a current health care problem. New nurses are moving into other areas of nursing or leaving the profession within 6 months of graduation. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are vital at the bedside. Patients’ and families rely on the nurse to be their support and educational source. In this study, the possible implications of why a registered nurse remains at the bedside throughout their professional career although offered different positions and work environments was examined. The theoretical framework of Patton and McMahon identifies the holistic nature of career development through …


The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Hospital Performance In The Veterans Health Administration, Darline Jasmin Nabbie Jan 2021

The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Hospital Performance In The Veterans Health Administration, Darline Jasmin Nabbie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High quality care consists of a culture that involves staff who are engaged and keepthemselves accountable when providing care. In 2014, employees described their organizational culture at the Veteran Affairs (VA) as entrenched and intimidating. An audit also revealed that in 2014, patients were receiving substandard care. The present study was an analysis of the relationship between organizational culture and hospital performance in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This study provided key stakeholders such as the VA administration an understanding of work climate as an indicator of organizational culture and how it affected hospital performance with the VHA. The VHA …


Underrepresentation Of African American Male Nurses In Leadership Development, Moses Tucker Jan 2021

Underrepresentation Of African American Male Nurses In Leadership Development, Moses Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractUnderrepresentation in nursing is a major concern for the African American community. Presently, racial, and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the nursing workforce and other healthcare occupations. Having a more diverse workforce may help meet both current and future healthcare needs of the population being served. This quantitative study explored how African American male nurses are underrepresented in leadership in the Delaware Valley in Pennsylvania. Secondary data from the National Nursing Workforce Survey was used to obtain relevant data. The study highlighted how the movement into leadership for African American nurses is impeded by (a) a lack of mentors, (b) …


Contraceptives Use Among Reproductive-Age Women In New Juaben Municipality, Ghana, Phyllis Abrah Jan 2021

Contraceptives Use Among Reproductive-Age Women In New Juaben Municipality, Ghana, Phyllis Abrah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research study was an investigation into the factors associated with the use of modern contraceptives among reproductive-age women in the New Juaben Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. Reproductive-age women in the Municipality have been found to have a high rate of unplanned pregnancies despite the availability of modern contraceptives. Telephone interviews were conducted with 15 reproductive-age women (20 to 39 years) from the New Juaben Municipality who were recruited voluntarily using purposive sampling technique. The research was based on the health belief model to explore the knowledge, perceived threats, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and cues to …


Effects Of Differing Education Levels On Respiratory Therapy Hiring Decisions In Pennsylvania, Ronald Curtis Aumiller Jan 2021

Effects Of Differing Education Levels On Respiratory Therapy Hiring Decisions In Pennsylvania, Ronald Curtis Aumiller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many healthcare professions struggle with knowing what the entry-level educational requirement should be for their profession. This study looked at the educational level of hiring managers for respiratory therapy and whether that affected their decisions on hiring associate or baccalaureate degree graduates in the state of Pennsylvania. The quantitative internet-based questionnaire surveyed respiratory therapy hiring managers in hospitals in Pennsylvania. The power theory, with the use of expert power, organizational culture and change, and ethnographic principle, was used to examine how hiring managers choose their employees. An invitation was sent to 70 respiratory hiring managers in Pennsylvania to participate on …


Use Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy To Reduce Patient Self-Harm Incidents In Psychiatric In-Patient Settings, Amarachi Chigbu Jan 2021

Use Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy To Reduce Patient Self-Harm Incidents In Psychiatric In-Patient Settings, Amarachi Chigbu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis doctoral project aimed to assess how the provision of a mental health providers’ education program regarding the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy for self-harm would assist in preventing and reducing self-harm incidents in an adolescents’ psychiatric unit. The project entailed a literature search that used various databases. The doctoral project relied on evidence deduced from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and well-designed controlled trials without randomization. The evidence obtained from the studies formulated an education program for the providers. The education program was based on John Hopkins nursing evidence-based practice model, lewin’s change theory, and the adult learning theory. …


Perceptions Of Nurse's Personal Smartphone Use At Work, Esperanza Criscuolo Jan 2021

Perceptions Of Nurse's Personal Smartphone Use At Work, Esperanza Criscuolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Distracted nurses who use their personal smartphone at work has resulted in the diversion of attention from patient care. The specific problem is the personal smartphone use by nurses in the hospital settings has resulted in distracted patient care, leading to wrongful release of patient’s information, medical errors, injury or preventable patient death. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perceptions of nurses regarding distracted patient care in their clinical workplace due to personal smartphone use by nurses. The study was grounded in the distraction-conflict theory conceptual framework. The key research question examined the perceptions of nurses …


Associations Between Provider Type And Medicaid Overpayments, Kezia Hercules Jan 2021

Associations Between Provider Type And Medicaid Overpayments, Kezia Hercules

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare costs have been rapidly increasing in the United States and consume a significant percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A percentage of these costs are attributed to increased incidences of healthcare overpayments to providers. This study examined the impact of these overpayments by provider type, and the underlying reasons which resulted in overpayments from the Medicaid perspective. The theoretical framework used in this study was Ostrom’s institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework. The study used all available data (N = 682) from New York State Medicaid Inspector General final audits of providers for Medicaid overpayments. A chi-square test …


Age-Of-Consent Policies And Hiv Among Adolescents In Sub-Sahara Africa, Suzanne Marie King Jan 2021

Age-Of-Consent Policies And Hiv Among Adolescents In Sub-Sahara Africa, Suzanne Marie King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Age of consent policies have recently been identified as a barrier to HIV testing among adolescents in HIV endemic Sub-Sahara Africa. Grounded in the modified social ecological model, the purpose of this study was to determine if these policies were related to HIV testing rates and prevalence. In this quantitative research secondary data sets from the Demographic Health Survey were used. This study included all sexually active respondents aged 18 years or below (N=37,015) and then was further limited by respondents that had HIV test results (N=25,107). Binary logistic regression showed that respondents with lower age of consent had higher …


Adult Canadian Disordered Gambling And Poor Physical Or Mental Health, Pilar Lane Jan 2021

Adult Canadian Disordered Gambling And Poor Physical Or Mental Health, Pilar Lane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disordered gambling has become the first recognized nonsubstance addiction. Low- and moderate-level gamblers have been found to be more likely to suffer health consequences. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative study was to explore whether and to what extent being a disordered gambler in Canada increases the likelihood of having a concurrent physical or mental health problems (i.e., heart disease, diabetes and/or suicidal ideation or attempts). The research questions were whether there was a significant difference in having heart disease, diabetes, or suicidal ideations or attempts between Canadian adults who are and who are not disordered gamblers. The theoretical …


Examination Of The Efficacy Of The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act To Reduce High School Childhood Obesity Rates System, Catrina Lashawn Morgan Jan 2021

Examination Of The Efficacy Of The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act To Reduce High School Childhood Obesity Rates System, Catrina Lashawn Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rapid rise in U.S. high school student obesity rates to 20.8% in 2018 presented significant risks to the health and well-being of American children and foreshadowed increased future healthcare costs. To address high school obesity, Congress passed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010 that mandated the U.S. Department of Agriculture develop regulations to nutrition to improve the nutrition of school cafeteria breakfasts and lunches. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test for changes between 2009 and 2016 in high school obesity rates attributable to the HHFKA using Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data, adjusted for …


Health Literacy Staff Education For Heart Failure Management, Ifeoma Onyeiwu Jan 2021

Health Literacy Staff Education For Heart Failure Management, Ifeoma Onyeiwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease with progressive deterioration that occurs over years or decades. There is a need for individuals affected by HF to be educated regarding this complex disease. Health literacy, an integral part of health and wellness, is one's ability to understand and use health information. Ninety million adults in America have difficulty understanding and using health information, resulting in higher rates of hospitalization and use of emergency services among patients. Limited health literacy may lead to billions of dollars in avoidable healthcare costs. This DNP project addressed health literacy as it relates to medication adherence …


Misuse Of Prescription Pain Relievers Among Pregnant Women In The United States, Winnie Chebet Rono Jan 2021

Misuse Of Prescription Pain Relievers Among Pregnant Women In The United States, Winnie Chebet Rono

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The non-medical use of prescription pain relievers has increased remarkably, posing social and public health concerns particularly in developed countries such as the United States. The management of pain experienced by pregnant women poses a challenge to clinicians considering the effects of the regimen on unborn babies. Guided by the health belief model, which aims to predict health-related behavior in terms of certain health beliefs and explain change and behavior maintenance as well as to guide health behavior interventions, this cross-sectional study aimed to understand the associations between misusing pain relievers and social determinants of health such as education level …


Predictors Of Obesity Among Young Adults In The State Of Maryland, Kala Shahi Jan 2021

Predictors Of Obesity Among Young Adults In The State Of Maryland, Kala Shahi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity has become a global wellness concern for young adults. In the past, there were very few studies conducted on predictors of obesity among young adults, even though there have been several studies on the potential predictors of obesity on the general population. The social ecological model was used to guide this quantitative cross-sectional study to identify the possible predictors of obesity among young adults. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used to analyze the potential predictors of obesity among young adults between the ages 18 – 34 years old in Montgomery County, Frederick County, and Princess Georges County, …


Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti Jan 2021

Issues Facing Community-Based Social Workers When Providing Female Offenders With Reunification Services, Karen N. Vertti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe goal with this action research project was to understand how community-based social workers (CBSWs) could address female offenders’ and their children’s needs while striving to reintegrate them into the community of Central Los Angeles County, California. Postrelease female offenders with children suffer from a variety of issues related to housing, employment, and personal childhood trauma. The trauma exacerbates the risk of revictimization and recidivism. CBSWs play a pivotal role in helping female offenders overcome barriers to successful reentry and reunify with their children. This study incorporated Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory which provided a systems lens to this project. The …