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Middle-class Black women, the strong Black women role, and seeking treatment for depression
Get PDFThis qualitative study explored how middle-class Black women perceive seeking mental health treatment for depression while identifying with the Strong Black Woman (SBW) role. This study investigated how middle-class Black women perceive seeking mental health treatment for depression while identifying with the Strong Black Woman role and how they interpret this role in relation to coping with depression. Guided by a social constructionist framework, the study used a qualitative design. Eight women who identified as middle-class, experienced depression, and endorsed the SBW role participated in semi-structured interviews. Braun and Clarke’s six phase thematic analysis revealed six themes: therapy as cultural mismatch vs. liberation, faith as anchor, emotional masking, inherited strength, over-functioning, and desire for softness. Participants reported that strength norms often limited emotional openness and access to care. However, many expressed a desire to redefine strength to include vulnerability. The implications for positive social change include the potential for clinicians and advocates to promote culturally affirming care that supports emotional authenticity in Black women
Hospice Clinical Social Workers’ Perceptions on Reducing Burnout Through Empowerment and Self-Care Practices
Get PDFBurnout is common among hospice clinical social workers due to the emotionally demanding nature of the profession and heavy caseloads. This study explored how hospice clinical social workers perceive the role of empowerment and self-care practices in reducing burnout. The qualitative design used semi-structured interviews with ten hospice clinical social workers. Thematic analysis identified five categories: indicators of burnout, team-based/relational support, systemic and workload pressures, organizational culture, and values and professional identity. The themes that emerged from the five categories were emotional, physical, and professional; interdisciplinary support and supervisory support; workload and organizational demands; organizational challenges and policy limitations; workplace culture and values in hospice work; and resilience and professional growth. The findings suggest that empowerment practices and consistent self-care support reduce burnout and strengthen workers\u27 ability to provide quality care. Hospice organizations can use these insights to enhance workplace conditions and foster positive social change by prioritizing the emotional, mental, and physical well-being of clinical social workers
Nursing Faculty Demographics, Attitude, Knowledge, and Integration of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Nursing Curriculum
Get PDFNurses have demonstrated positive attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM); however, additional education is limited in nursing programs to prepare them to discuss and educate patients about these practices. Nursing faculty play a significant role in educating, mentoring, and influencing students’ knowledge levels and attitudes toward CAM. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional study, guided by the CAM healthcare model, was to examine relationships among nursing faculty demographics, CAM knowledge, attitudes, and curriculum integration. The Knowledge, Attitudes, and Use of CAM survey was administered to 111 nursing faculty across multiple programs. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression to determine whether age, degree level, and years of teaching predicted knowledge or attitude, and logistic regression was used to examine whether knowledge and attitude predicted CAM integration. None of the regression models showed statistically significant relationships among the variables. Findings suggest that demographic factors, CAM knowledge, and attitudes may not directly influence CAM integration. Future research should include larger, more diverse, and stratified samples of nursing faculty to improve generalizability. Implications for positive social change include identifying other factors, such as institutional support and faculty preparedness, which may affect CAM integration and guide nursing education leaders in strengthening faculty readiness and promoting evidence-based, holistic, patient-centered care
Strategies Leaders Use to Reduce Voluntary Attrition Among Employees With Access to Wellness Programs
Get PDFVoluntary employee attrition presents ongoing challenges for organizational leaders, particularly among employees whose workplace needs and preferences are unmet. The problem is that many leaders lack effective strategies to mitigate voluntary attrition, which negatively impacts productivity, morale, and overall organizational performance. Grounded in the job demands–resources model and wellness climate theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore strategies leaders used to reduce voluntary employee attrition among employees who have access to workplace wellness programs. The participants were six organizational leaders from mid-sized and public-sector organizations who successfully mitigated voluntary attrition. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of publicly available documents. Using Braun and Clarke’s six-stage thematic analysis model, five themes emerged: leadership support, engagement and utilization, mental and holistic wellness, incentives and recognition, and barriers and challenges. A key recommendation is for leaders to adopt adaptive and wellness-centered leadership practices that integrate holistic well-being into the organizational culture, thereby strengthening employee commitment and reducing attrition. The implications for positive social change include the potential for organizational leaders to foster healthier workplaces, enhancing employee well-being, thereby creating more sustainable organizational environments that support both personal and professional growth
Successful Strategies for Sustaining Women-Owned Businesses Beyond 5 Years
Get PDFA lack of successful strategies can lead to a high failure rate among small businesses. Women small business owners often express concerns about identifying successful strategies, which research shows are a key predictor of business sustainability. Grounded in entrepreneurship theory and participative leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore the successful strategies that some women small business entrepreneurs use to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The participants were five women small business owners from different sectors in the East Coast region of the United States who had sustained their businesses beyond 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of publicly available industry documents. Through thematic analysis, six themes were identified: (a) visionary leadership and strategic decision-making, (b) multirole involvement and operational management, (c) teamwork and mentorship, (d) community engagement and networking, (e) personal resilience, and (f) innovation, learning, and knowledge sharing. A key recommendation is that business leaders establish structured mentorship programs that pair experienced entrepreneurs with less experienced entrepreneurs to foster knowledge sharing, build resilience, and strengthen organizational sustainability. The implications for positive social change include the potential to enhance employee morale and retention while strengthening local community workforce stability through sustained women-owned businesses that foster recognition, mentorship, and inclusive economic development
Teachers’ Perceptions of Employer-Provided Afterschool Childcare as a Retention Strategy: A Herzberg-Informed Qualitative Case Study
Get PDFTeacher retention has been a growing issue, as the rate of teacher vacancies has continued to increase after the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in teacher vacancies after the pandemic highlighted the importance of retaining and attracting highly qualified teachers for schools and school districts. A coastal South Carolina school district had been providing employee support services to retain current staff and create a competitive advantage over other school districts in attracting new staff. The purpose of this generic qualitative study is to examine the perception of classroom teachers regarding the efficacy of free afterschool childcare as an employee support service to increase the retention rates of teachers after the pandemic. Herzberg’s two-factor theory served as the theoretical framework for exploring the concepts of job satisfaction, focusing on two key factors: hygiene and motivation. Purposeful sampling was used, and 10 semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of these analyses indicated the perception and value of employee support services in retaining school staff. School and district administrators can benefit from the results of this study by understanding the importance of data-driven decisions in providing employee support services to retain and attract school staff. This research study impacts education access and quality, as well as social determinants of health, to increase educational opportunities and help children succeed in school by enhancing staff retention and reducing attrition. The findings in this study may affect incomes by reducing out-of-pocket costs for school staff for services such as afterschool childcare and mental health counseling services
First Responder Resiliency with Line of Duty Critical Incident Exposure
Get PDFFirst responders\u27 mental health resiliency and distress tolerance following crises and adverse, sporadic, and consistent exposure to critical incidents, such as line-of-duty death, mass casualty incidents, and calls involving children, continues to be a public health challenge in the United States. In this phenomenological study, the role of critical incidents in the overall mental and physical health resiliency of first responders was explored. Resilience theory served as the theoretical perspective for this study. The central research question for this study was to investigate the lived experiences of first responders who have been exposed to critical incidents in the line of duty. A secondary question explored the processes that enhanced resilience factors before, during, and after experiencing a critical incident, resulting in posttraumatic growth. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and verified verbatim from eight first responders, specifically emergency responders, including emergency medical services personnel and firefighters. The data were analyzed using narrative analysis to identify themes in the experiences of first responders. Findings of this study support and inform strategies for promoting positive social change by reducing stigma, humanizing responders, and implementing preventive processes surrounding responses to cultural diversity and mental health. Themes and strategies identified improve the lives of first responders, their families, organizations, and the surrounding communities. Furthermore, this study informs intervention effectiveness strategies and treatment approaches for this population, which has been exposed to adversity, identifying key factors and processes that promote the safety and security of their communities
Leadership Strategies for Capturing and Transferring the Knowledge of Experienced Workers in Canadian Higher Education Organizations
Get PDFHigher education institutions face a risk of knowledge loss when they fail to implement strategies for transferring knowledge from experienced to less experienced employees. Canadian higher education managers are particularly concerned about the adverse impact of losing explicit and valuable tacit knowledge. Grounded in the socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization model, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study identified and explored successful strategies employed by eight Canadian higher education managers to capture and transfer knowledge from experienced employees, thereby sustaining performance. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of public documents, including strategic plans, annual reports, and accountability statements. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified that could assist higher education institutions with knowledge transfer, including implementation of (a) a knowledge-sharing culture, (b) mentoring and coaching, and (c) technology adoption. A key recommendation is for higher education managers to integrate formal, structured knowledge management processes with people-centric social learning methods, such as mentorship, to effectively capture explicit and tacit knowledge. The implication for positive social change may include the professional development of individuals and the reduction of knowledge gaps while ensuring business continuity within the community
“You Learn to Control What You Can Control”: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Burnout in Rural PK–12 Administrators Using the Pillar-Integration Process
Get PDFTeacher burnout is a growing concern among educators and the communities they serve, due to a nationwide shortage of teachers. Burnout of principals and other school administrators, however, is relatively unexamined. This mixed-methods study of pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade (PK-12) administrators in rural Midwestern school districts found that contributors to burnout included safety concerns and student behavior, lack of resources and support, and mandatory assessments of student learning. Factors that mitigated burnout included choosing to protect personal energy, getting support from colleagues and administrators, and making a difference in students’ lives. Forty-three administrators completed a survey adapted from the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey and the Areas of Worklife Survey. After survey analysis was completed, six individual interviews with rural school administrators were conducted
Strategies to Attract and Retain Employees in Full-Service Chain Restaurants
Get PDFThe inability of full-service chain restaurant managers to attract and retain employees leads to significant understaffing. The shortage raises concerns about their capacity to meet consumer demand and maintain profitability. This qualitative pragmatic inquiry, grounded in transformational leadership theory, explored strategies restaurant managers use to attract and retain employees. The participants were six full-service chain restaurant managers in the locales of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. of the United States, who had successfully used their strategies to attract and retain employees. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and reviewing publicly available restaurant websites. Using thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) attraction and retention strategies, (b) incentives, (c) assessment of strategies, and (d) training and development. A key recommendation was for restaurant managers to adopt and implement attraction and retention strategies focusing on the individual needs of the employee\u27s development and growth. The implications for positive social change include restaurants providing excellent services to communities, hiring individuals in the community, and building partnerships with community organizations