Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Diminished Quality Of Life Among Women Affected By Ebola, Jessi Hanson, Alexis Decosimo, Megan Quinn

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This article analyzes data collected from Liberian women afflicted by the Ebola virus disease, survivors of the virus and noninfected persons living in Ebola-affected homes. This research is one of the first statistical analyses examining factors diminishing quality of life: negative experiences, stigma, and psychosocial symptoms among females affected by the virus after the outbreak. The research presents a thorough literature review, including research related to other infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, to inform the gap in studies on Ebola’s effects on quality of life. Women who are Ebola virus disease survivors demonstrate significant differences in stigma and psychosocial stress when …

Treatment Adherence Among Women Infected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus With A History Of Gender-Based Violence, Olivia Mcgregor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are at high risk of myriad conditions, especially gender-based violence (GBV). GBV can be a hindrance to treatment adherence, which is pertinent to improving the health of people living with HIV. The purpose of this longitudinal research study was to assess the effects of GBV on treatment adherence among HIV infected women, with specific focus on when the violence occurred (recent or lifetime) and the stratifying type of GBV (sexual, physical, and psychological). The health belief model (HBM) served as a theoretical groundwork. Participants were selected from secondary data, collected by the Women’s …

Risk For Type 2 Diabetes Among Snap Participants With Prediabetes, Diana L. Malkin-Washeim, Phd, Mph, R.D., Cde, Shirley Gerrior, Phd, R.D.

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This study explored food security status among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants with prediabetes in relation to food choice decisions over a 30-day benefit cycle that potentially increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. A cross-sectional, quantitative design based on food choice process model constructs was used. SNAP participants (n = 36) with prediabetes, aged 21–70 years, were recruited as outpatients from Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center and completed self-reported questionnaires on demographics and health, food security, and food frequency over time. Descriptive statistics, Pearson chi square tests, and regression analysis were performed using SPSS. Two post-hoc tests, the …

The Effect Of Confirmation Bias In Criminal Investigative Decision Making, Wayne A. Wallace

Harold L. Hodgkinson Award for Outstanding Dissertation

Confirmation bias occurs when a person believes in or searches for evidence to support his or her favored theory while ignoring or excusing disconfirmatory evidence and is disinclined to change his or her belief once he or she arrives at a conclusion. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether emotionally charged evidence and evidence presentation order could influence an investigator's belief in a suspect's guilt. The study included 166 sworn police officers (basic training recruits, patrol officers, and criminal investigators) who completed online surveys in response to criminal vignettes across different scenarios to record their measure of …

Development And Testing Of An Instrument To Measure Informatics Knowledge, Skills, And Attitudes Among Entry-Level Nursing Students, Diane K. Whitehead, Lynne E. Bryant, Jo Ann Kleier

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Informatics competencies in nursing education have long been and continue to be a concern. This article reports on the development and psychometric testing of the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes towards Nursing Informatics (KSANI) Scale to measure these constructs among entry-level nursing students. A measurement instrument was developed based on the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Institute informatics competencies for pre-licensure students (Cronenwett et al., 2007). Survey data were collected from a convenience sample of 300 undergraduate nursing students attending the 2014 Florida Student Nurses Association’s annual convention. The data were subjected to Cronbach’s test to estimate the level …

Physical Activity Improves Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Karen Lee Fahey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Engaging in physical activity can help older adults to take part in community activities, maintain relationships, and initiate new friendships, thus preventing loneliness and depression. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate whether participation in physical activity improved depressive symptoms in 15 older adults at a local senior center. Pender’s health promotion model was used to determine nursing and behavioral science views on components that affect health behavior. The Exercise Benefit/Barrier Scale (EBBS) survey was evaluated before implementation of the walking program to measure the benefits of and barriers to exercise. The EBBS results showed that …

Health Literacy Among Elderly Hispanics And Medication Usage, Wilda Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy among the elderly Hispanics is a problem for 44% who read at the lowest level due to issues with recognition, cognition, or vision. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent that elderly Hispanics have problems with medication adherence due to health literacy. The social cognitive theory was the framework for this study. Inclusion criteria consisted of being 65-75 years of age, and speaking and/or reading English and/or Spanish. Questionnaires from 156 individuals were completed in Cobb County/Atlanta GA and analyzed using multiple regression to determine the relationship between health literacy and medication usage. Medication adherence …

Health Care Clinicians' Compliance With Conducting Spiritual Assessments And Providing Spiritual Care To Infertile Women, Lesa Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Infertility is a disease that can cause psychological impairments in women, and the inability to achieve motherhood brings about cultural and social stigma. Spirituality is a protective element that may provide consolation to women experiencing infertility, yet the literature has shown that few clinicians conduct spirituality assessments or provide spiritual care to patients. The objectives of this scholarly project were to conduct an assessment to determine the needs of health care clinicians in regard to spirituality and spiritual patient care and to develop an educational module based on identified knowledge deficits. Guided by the knowledge-to-action cycle, a needs assessment was …

A Model For Hiv Disclosure Of A Parent's And/Or A Child's Illness, Gary J. Burkholder Jr, Grace Gachanja

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

HIV prevalence in Kenya remains steady at 5.6% for adults 15 years and older, and 0.9% among children aged below 14 years. Parents and children are known to practice unprotected sex, which has implications for continued HIV spread within the country. Additionally, due to increased accessibility of antiretroviral therapy, more HIV-positive persons are living longer. Therefore, the need for HIV disclosure of a parent's and/or a child's HIV status within the country will continue for years to come. We conducted a qualitative phenomenological study to understand the entire process of disclosure from the time of initial HIV diagnosis of an …

Transforming Care Of The Behavioral Health Patient In An Emergency Department Setting, Theresa J. Kubiel

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Abstract

Transforming Care of the Behavioral Health Patient in an Emergency Department Setting

by

Theresa J. Kubiel

MSN, Walden University, 2009

BSN, Bloomfield College, 2002

AAS, Ocean County College, 1992

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

January 2016

Abstract

Behavioral and mental health issues contribute to the needs of many patients presenting to emergency departments, and yet these needs often go unrecognized. Patient processing procedures in emergency departments may not include mechanisms to consistently identify and triage patients whose care is complicated by behavioral illness. The purpose of …

Intravenous Immunoglobulin Treatment, Illness Intrusiveness, And Quality Of Life In Neurological Autoimmune Patients, Pamela Jane Gennari

2010-2016 Archived Posters

There is scant literature regarding the psychological effects of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment experience on quality of life (QOL) for neurological autoimmune disease patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, multifocal motor neuropathy, myasthenia gravis, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. IVIG treatment experience predicted QOL in 1 Neuro-QOL subscale; illness intrusiveness mediated 9 of the Neuro-QOL subscales using bias-corrected bootstrapping for statistical significance; and person control did not mediate the relationship between illness intrusiveness and QOL.

Life Events, Initial Sexual Behaviors, And Teenage Pregnancy Among African American Females, Yonzetta Brook Tillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teenage pregnancy is disproportionate between African American and Caucasian females. This disproportion is notable because African American teenagers are 3 times more likely to become pregnant than their Caucasian counterparts are. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists among major life events, sexual behaviors, and resultant teenage pregnancy among African American females in the United States. The theoretical framework for this study was social learning theory. Three key research questions focused on relationships among (a) major life events and initial sexual behavior, (b) ethnicity, and (c) teenage pregnancy. Independent variables were life event and ethnicity, …

Analyzing Interrelationships Between Food Safety Practices And Inspections Among Food Staff In Manitoba, Kirandeep Kaur Brar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The incidence and prevalence of food safety practices among food staff working in food establishments in Manitoba is underrepresented and has not been adequately reviewed and researched. Uncertified food staff are at higher risk of not following food safety practices that can cause contamination of food and result in foodborne illness. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the prevalence of food safety practices among food staff in Manitoba and to determine the relationship between food safety certification and routine health inspections. Pender's health promotion model and Bandura's social cognitive theory were used to explain the relationships and …

Effect Of Home Telehealth On Vterans With Chronic Heart Failure, Yolanda Major

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 5 million Americans have heart failure, with approximately 5% of those affected being veterans. As the number of patients with CHF continues to rise, new treatment options are needed to improve the quality of care. Current studies show Telehealth is one treatment option. The purpose of this scholarly project was to determine if veterans diagnosed with CHF were able to maintain optimal weight and blood pressure following participation in Care Coordination Home Telehealth (CCHT) program. The CCHT program provides care to veterans, through the use of monitoring devices placed in their home. Bandura's self-efficacy theory was used as …

Tools That Measure Caring: A Systematic Literature Review Of The Impact Of Caring, Jennifer Drake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technology and the complexity of the patient care can take the nurse's attention away from caring for the patient to caring for the technology. The purpose of this systematic review was to gather evidence from the literature on tools for measuring caring and the outcomes in order to make that body of knowledge easily accessible to the direct care nurse for implementation. Jean Watson's theory of human caring 'the theoretical framework that guided and informed this DNP project' focuses on human caring processes and experiences. It assumes that effective caring promotes health and outcomes of the nurse and patient. By …

Effects Of An Integrated Electronic Health Record On An Academic Medical Center, Kenneth E. Koppenhaver Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The debate about healthcare reform revolves around a triple aim of improving the health of populations, improving the patient experience, and reducing the cost of care. A major tool discussed in this debate has been the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems to record and guide care delivery. Due to low adoption rates and limited examples of success, the problem was a lack of understanding by healthcare organizations of how the EHR fundamentally changes an organization through the interactions of people, processes, and technology over time. The purpose of this case study was to explore the people, processes, and …

Chronic Disease Management Of The Uninsured Patient At Ohio Free Clinics, James Benedict

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Management of chronic disease requires a different service delivery model from that of acute illness. The uninsured population experience poorer health status and increased incidence of chronic disease than do the insured population. The purpose of this study was to identify the supports and barriers present in providing chronic disease management to patients at Ohio free clinics. Wagner's theory of chronic disease management served as the theoretical lens. The sequential, exploratory mixed methods study collected data from 13 free clinics belonging to the Ohio Association of Free Clinics (OAFC). Quantitative questions focused on processes in clinics with high and low …

Promoting Annual Depression Screening In A Federally Qualified Healthcare Center, Denise Lesley Alleyne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the World Health Organization, depression affects about 350 million people worldwide. In 2014, only 50% of the adult patients were screened for depression in the community-based Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) for which this doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) project was developed. In an effort to meet the 100% benchmark set nationally for the screening of adult patients in the primary care settings, the FQHC's quality improvement team now requires that 80% of adult patients in the clinic be screened for depression. Framed within the Iowa model of evidence-based practice, the purposes of this project were to: (a) …

Teen Dating Violence: Co-Occurrence With Bullying Among African American Teens In South Florida, Rosemarie Hemmings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen dating violence and bullying are major public health concerns but are preventable. Both dating violence and bullying occur within similar social context and the prevalence of teen dating violence was highest for African American teens as reported on the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Social learning theory provides a foundation for understanding and changing behavior related to dating violence victimization and bully victimization. The research questions focused on relationships between bully and teen dating violence victimization when controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, substance abuse, age, and age of first sexual intercourse. Additionally, the potential mediating variable of spending time …

Managing Acute Pain In Postoperative Surgical Patients, Sabrina Gregory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, millions of Americans suffer from either chronic or acute pain that results in tremendous healthcare cost, rehabilitation, and loss of work productivity. Pain is an unpleasant sensation associated with sensory and emotional experiences that can cause potential or actual tissue damage. One plausible solution to managing pain is the use of nonpharmacological modalities such as guided imagery. The purpose of this project was to determine if there was a difference in pain scores following pharmacological interventions and the use of guided imagery among postoperative same day surgical patients. Guided imagery is a nonpharmacological modality that uses pictures, music, …

Crafting A System Of Profound Knowledge Management In Long-Term Care, Charlotte Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The paradigm shift to a knowledge economy, predicted by Drucker, is currently reflected in a knowing-to-doing gap in healthcare, potentially threatening the lives of long-term care (LTC) residents and sustainability of LTC organizations. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to seek a substantive conceptual theory to explain how LTC uses knowledge management (KM) to improve performance by probing the a priori views and lived experiences of 11 LTC knowledge creators, managers, and users. Data were collected via semi structured interviews that were transcribed and coded. The research questions guided by the conceptual concentrated on how KM is used …

Evaluation Of A Temporary, Immersive Learning Community Based On Worldschooling, Aimee Ferraro

School of Health Sciences Publications

Learning communities are a proven method for engaging groups of people who share common goals for personal growth and knowledge acquisition (Gabelnick, MacGregor, Matthews, & Smith, 1990; Taylor, Moore, MacGregor, & Lindblad, 2003). However, little is known about the usefulness of this approach in the context of alternative education. This article describes the evaluation of a temporary, immersive learning community for self-directed teen learners, Project World School (PWS), which was based on a new, pedagogical approach to learning called worldschooling. Findings indicate that regardless of demographic characteristics and personal interests, PWS attendees experienced learning and progress in three main areas: …

2014 Missouri School Health Profiles And Teacher Professional Development, Kimberly Kato, Regan Dodd

School of Health Sciences Publications

Influencing knowledge to establish healthy habits and behaviors in our youth is the cornerstone to the necessity of health education as a skill set. Research has shown that adequate K-12 health education can reduce risk behaviors in adolescents (Freudenberg & Ruglis, 2007). Health teachers desire specific training in particular health education domains and professional development improves teaching knowledge and skills (Summerfield, 2001). The School Health Profiles is a collection of bi-annual surveys measuring school health policies and practices in state and educational systems. The profiles collect data on the status of the school’s health education requirements and content; school health …

Chiropractic Student Infection Control Practices And Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Skin Infections, Jonathon Todd Egan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chiropractic training involves many hours of skin contact, and chiropractors have manual contact with millions of patients annually, but chiropractic has only had professional clinical hygiene guidance since 2010. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most common cause of cultured skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) in the United States. Using the epidemiologic triad of person, place, and time as a framework, this quantitative, cross-sectional study obtained the first assessment of MRSA SSTI incidence among chiropractic students and its association with infection control behaviors (hand and table hygiene, sharing gowns, and sharing lotion) and initiation of patient care. The study …

Examining The Impact Of Accreditation On A Primary Healthcare Organization In Qatar, Alia G. Banna

2010-2016 Archived Posters

While a modest body of literature exists on accreditation, little research has been conducted on the impact of accreditation on primary care in the Middle East. This descriptive correlational study assessed the changes resulting from the integration of Accreditation Canada International’s (ACI) program at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) in the State of Qatar.

Gender Differences In Cardiometabolic Syndrome Among U.S. Rural And Non-Rural Adults, Srikanta Banerjee, Raymond Panas

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS) places an individual at a higher risk of stroke and heart failure. The 2013 Behavior Risk Surveillance System survey, the largest national population-based survey, was used for logistic regression modeling. An effect-modifying relationship was found among women between rural residence and CMS.

Healthy Weight Maintenance: A Narrative Analysis Of Weight Cycling In The Formerly Obese, Cheri Renee Lewis

2010-2016 Archived Posters

This study addressed weight cycling and sustained weight loss among 6 formerly obese weight cyclers. Self-determination theory (SDT) and social cognitive theory (SCT) provided theoretical frameworks. Findings revealed five overarching themes and that no single solution exists for successful sustained weight loss in this population.

The Difference Between Cacrep And Non-Cacrep Scores On Professional Counselor Licensure Examinations, Jason King

2010-2016 Archived Posters

This study compared a nine-year period of scores from the National Counselor Examination (NCE), the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE), and the state jurisprudence examination (SJE). with graduates (n=1,740) from a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) mental health counseling (MHC) specialization and with graduates (n=200) from a non-CACREP professional counseling specialization. Results from a t-test, Chi-Square, and Levene's test for equality of variances indicated a better performance from the non-CACREP graduates.

Comparative Analysis Of Eating Patterns Of Individuals With Obese Vs. Normal Bmi And With And Without Type 2 Diabetes, David A. Hernandez, Cheri Ann Hernandez, Chris M. Wellington, Arthur Kidd

2010-2016 Archived Posters

This study explored eating patterns of obese-weight (OB) and normal-weight (NW) individuals with and without Type 2 diabetes (T2D). The dietary intakes of OB-T2D individuals were significantly higher than those of NW individuals. Health care professionals can use this knowledge to provide direction for treatment modalities (e.g., different dietary strategies, more intensive dietary therapy, lifestyle counseling).

Evolution Of Physician-Centric Business Models Under The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Tanya Nix, Lynn Szostek

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

For decades, the cost of medical care in the United States has increased exponentially. United States citizens spend twice as much as their European counterparts on medical care. Congress enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to ensure affordable healthcare to the citizens of the United States. PPACA legislation is creating a new paradigm in healthcare delivery and provider business models. The purpose of this case study was to explore physicians’ perspectives regarding physician-centric business models evolving under the requirements of the PPACA legislation. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews and questionnaires with a purposive sample of 75 …