Public Policy Commons^™

Bioterrorism: Exploring Factors For Improving Nurse Preparedness, Policies, And Practices, Leone Okey Tom-James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ebola virus release/attack in New Jersey could go unnoticed but have immediate and long-lasting effects on the broader population and security. The risk underscores the need to prepare and enhance the state’s efforts to deal with a release and treat the confirmed cases. This descriptive single case research explored factors for improving nurses’ preparedness, policies, and practices for a bioterrorism release/attack. The epidemiological triangle conceptual framework was used descriptively in exploring, and developing a knowledge base of Ebola virus pathogenicity, characteristics, routes of transmission, and infection. The unit of analysis was Summit Ridge Genesis Healthcare Center. The theory of robust …

Early-Career Child Care Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Training Experiences, Teri M. Peasley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a Midwest state, child care teachers who enter the workforce with only a high school diploma or GED credential are not required to complete child development training before being placed in a classroom. Child care teachers need foundational knowledge to provide quality care and education to young children. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how early-career child care teachers with no advanced education in child development experience training upon entering the workforce. Personal narratives are scarce in existing research, and understanding the perspectives of child care teachers provided an opportunity to consider appropriate training and …

Experiences Of Long-Term Stay Among Homeless Millennials In New York City Shelters, Xellex Z. Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of homeless millennials seeking shelter in New York City (NYC) increases

nightly. Aside from seeking shelter services, millennial adults are also staying in shelters longer than the time allotted by the city. Their extended stay places a burden on city resources and taxpayers. Although there is research on the millennial generation and homelessness in NYC, more research is needed on the experiences of single, millennial adults who stay in shelters for extended periods of time. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the experiences of 4 long-term-stay millennials, 25 to 34 years of age, …

The Relationship Between Professional Quality Life, Coping Mechanisms, And Mental Fortitude, Nancy Lynn Sarcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The health and mental fortitude of individuals enforcing policy and law is important to communities, agencies, and families. This helping profession is plagued by high suicide rates, maladaptive coping, and other negative health-related ailments. The present study used the DRS 15-R, ProQOL, RS-14, and BriefCOPE scales across 315 participants in order to investigate coping mechanisms and professional quality of life facets among individuals enforcing policy and law. It revealed multiple statistically significant relationships using multiple linear regression, hierarchical linear regression, and binary logistic regression. Emotion-focused coping techniques and compassion satisfaction both possessed statistically significant direct relationships with resilience and hardiness. …

Ebola Outbreak In Liberia And Sierra Leone: Role Of Nonmedical Emergency Management Agencies, Eugene Owusu Afrifa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2014 Ebola crisis killed 11,315 people across 6 countries, making it the deadliest crisis globally since the virus was discovered in 1976. However, the roles played by nonmedical emergency management agencies (EMAs) in Liberia and Sierra Leone during that crisis remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to bridge the gap in knowledge by documenting the roles which were played or should have been played by EMAs in Liberia and Sierra Leone in responding to the 2014 Ebola crisis involving policymaking in emergency management (EM). The research questions focused on the roles that were played or should have …

Black Women Nonprofit Executives’ Use Of Sustainable Funding Strategies In Marginalized Communities, Asakuia Ayoka Wiles-Abel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of funding resources, inadequate staffing, poor capacity building, and difficulties in attracting individual donors are problems for small Black-led nonprofit organizations. Black women lead a majority of nonprofits in low socioeconomic and under resourced neighborhoods and have deep connections with and cultural awareness of community needs. However, little is known about how Black women leaders of nonprofits employ effective strategies to overcome funding and staff capacity challenges. The purpose of this study, which had resource dependency theory as its foundation, was to examine Black women nonprofit executives’ perceptions of obstacles in securing organizational funding and strategies for overcoming them. …

Prisoner Reentry And Recidivism: Access To Reentry Programs And Reducing Recidivism For African American, Male Ex-Offenders, Tracee Leigh Harvey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has primarily been centered around the reentry process and programs available to those incarcerated in prison; however, those incarcerated in jails and the reentry programs available has been underrepresented in the field of study. The Jails to Jobs initiative is intended to combat the reentry barriers faced by ex-offenders by offering reentry services while incarcerated as well as transitional services upon release to address the barriers to reentry. However, the problem exists due to the effectiveness of the reentry programs and their ability to provide adequate services that address the needs of African American, male ex-offenders, and, in turn, …

Social Media Technologies In Policy Communication: A Case Study Of Ghana’S Information Services Department, Winnifred Nafisa Mahama

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an informational gap in demand and supply of real-time policy information confronting Ghana’s Information Services Department. This problem of a gap in demand and supply impacts the productivity of individuals, groups, as well as public and private institutions. The aim of this qualitative case study was to explore how the government could integrate social media technologies in its policy communications to bridge the informational gap. The narrative policy framework provided the theoretical framework for the study. Research questions focused on how the government uses social media technologies in engaging citizens to generate input for policy decision making as …

Examining Barriers Impacting Women’S Promotion Into C-Suite Positions In Higher Education, Lynette Johnson Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States Department of Labor indicated that women represent 46.8% and men represent 53.2% of the United States’ 16 years and older civilian labor force. An estimated 52% of adult women compared to 48% of men participating in the civilian labor force held a bachelor’s degree or higher, and women represented 47% of the management and professional sector’s positions. Women occupy 25% of C-suite positions in the Standard & Poor 500 companies. In higher education, 30% of college presidents are women. Women continue to face several barriers as they try to move into senior executive leadership positions. The specific …

Religious Tolerance And Government Collaboration With Faith-Based Organizations, Sheree Rose Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collaboration between faith-based organizations and local governments provides an opportunity for projects to be fulfilled when budgets fall short of meeting all of a community's demands. Concerns arise, however, regarding the working relationships of government entities and faith-based organizations, when cosponsoring organizations include participants of various belief systems. The purpose of this case study was to explore participants' perceptions of toleration levels regarding their spiritual beliefs while working within a collaborative setting of mixed faiths. The conceptual framework consisted of Gajda's collaboration theory that states that collaboration is an imperative; is known by many names; is a journey, not a …

Readiness Of Stakeholders To Adopt Community Paramedicine Programs In Tennessee, Roger Lloyd Ritchie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Community paramedicine is an emerging model of care that promulgates EMS in a more community-based and integrated role within the broader health care system. A hallmark characteristic of community paramedicine is that programs are designed to meet the specific needs of a given community, rendering programs unique but perplexing. A need for research aimed at exploring possible barriers that may impede the adoption and implementation of community paramedicine programs has been identified by the National EMS Advisory Board, the North Central EMS Institute, and the Joint Committee on Rural Emergency Care. The purpose of this study was to explore …

Coalition Sustainability After Federal Funding Is Expended: A Case Study, Shawnee Marie Seese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community coalition sustainability has been a focus of scholars as community coalitions deliver vital programs and services for communities in need. Despite the value coalitions bring to U.S. communities, they often become vulnerable after federal funding is expended. Researchers acknowledge the need to build understanding of coalition sustainability and have identified factors that contribute to the sustainability of programs, but studies on the topic remain quite limited. Federal funding requirements are more stringent than in previous years, requiring evidence of sustainability planning, which increases the urgency to identify those elements that ensure sustainability. The purpose of this study was to …

Skin Bleaching Among Female University Students, Adegboyega Abayomi Adewoyin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, skin bleaching, a practice that can create significant health problems, represents a persistent social issue. The behavior has become widespread due to unfettered access to various brands of bleaching creams. The purpose of this study was to gather data to (a) seek an understanding of the deeper motivations underlying the decision to engage in skin bleaching or skin whitening among female tertiary students and (b) examine the awareness among such students of public policy on skin bleaching creams. The case study qualitative research design was employed to enable skin bleaching cream users to share their motivations and experiences. …

Exploring Adversities Of Custodial Grandparents Transitioning From The Grandparent To Parent Role, Carmelita Dockery

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are many familial and social disparities, including drug addiction and use, incarceration, abandonment, and sometimes the death of a biological parent, that cause grandparents to acquire custody of their grandchildren. Current public welfare policies in some states, however, may not adequately address the needs of custodial grandparents caring for grandchildren and little academic literature exists that explores the unique experiences of custodial grandparents. Using role theory as a foundation, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of custodial grandparents in a large mid-western city as their role transitions from grandparent to parent in order to inform …

Impact Of Kentucky’S Prescription Drug Monitoring Program On Opioid Overdose Fatality Rates, Robert Neal Douglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last 7 years, there has been an alarming increase in the number of opioid overdose fatalities in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The increase has occurred despite Kentucky’s passage of a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) as defined by House Bill 1 (HB1) in 2012. Following the passage of Kentucky’s PDMP, heroin and fentanyl surpassed other prescription drugs as the most identified drugs in overdose deaths in Kentucky. Little is known about how the implementation of a PDMP influences the overall opioid overdose fatality rate. The purpose of this quantitative research, using a quasi-experimental design, was to evaluate the relationship …

Low-Income Household Adults Sustaining Affordable Housing In Affluent Neighborhoods, Edward Brian Flournoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public housing policy continues to exacerbate the concentration of poverty for low

income household adults (LIHA), preventing their mobility to achieve or sustain

affordable housing in low-poverty affluent neighborhoods. Successful design and

implementation of public housing policy for LIHA has been elusive for policymakers

seeking to address socioeconomic self-sufficiency problems in the United States.

Wilson’s spatial mismatch theory on social transformation of the inner city was the

theoretical framework for this study. This qualitative study utilized policy analysis and

key interviews to explore the importance of public policy design and implementation in

how the Moving to Opportunity (MTO) program influenced …

The Impact Of Boko Haram Insurgency On The People Of Borno State, Chris Kaiser Granville

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although researchers have examined the causes and impacts of terrorism in Nigeria, there is no known research on the impact of Boko Haram’s insurgency on the people of Borno State based on their lived experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the social, political, and economic consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency on the people of Borno State. The study’s theoretical framework was based on the relative deprivation theory; the theory was used to diagnose the problem of the Boko Haram insurgency and articulate possible alternative solutions. The central research question concerned the adverse effects of the …

Prevention Of Sex Trafficking And Perspectives From Parents In Ogwa Community Edo State Nigeria, Nkechi Iwuoha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high rate of trafficked girls and women from the Ogwa community in Edo state, Nigeria. The Edo government has developed a top-down centralized approach to the prevention of sex trafficking that has proved largely ineffective. The wholistic involvement of people in the decision-making regarding the strategies to prevent sex trafficking can directly create an impact through policy formulation and implementation. However, few studies have addressed the perspective of parents of vulnerable youth to positively impact the policy outcome on sex trafficking. Hence, the goal of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore the perceptions of parents …

Impact Of Kenya’S Public Debt On Economic Stability, Liston Willy N. Njoroge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kenya’s public debt has grown rapidly, precipitating debate on its impact on economic performance and causing public anxiety. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to investigate the long run and causal relationship between Kenya’s public debt and economic growth. Keynesian theory, Ricardian equivalence theory, and neoclassical theory provided the framework for the study. Research Questions 1 and 2 addressed the causal relationship between public debt and select covariates as independent variables and real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate as the dependent variable. Research Question 3 addressed the relationship between primary budget balance and public debt. …

Stress And Coping Methods In Law Enforcement Personnel, Brandon M. Sheard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A notable problem exists within law enforcement due to the lack of mental health assistance offered for police officers, as well as little to no literature available pertaining to officers in law enforcement who may have mental health issues. Without proper coping methods, there is a higher possibility of suicide among police officers. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to investigate why officers were choosing to not seek mental and behavioral health assistance, as well as determine factors that could both prevent as well as encourage officers to seek mental health assistance if needed. Grounded in the …