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Perceptions of Law Enforcement Spouses Regarding Officer Safety and Danger
Get PDFPolicing is a stressful and dangerous occupation that is imperative to a functioning society, and stress should be limited to ensure a healthy mind and body. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of law enforcement spouses regarding officer safety and danger, which was lacking in the research. Law enforcement spouses have a significant impact over the stress levels of their loved ones. The work–life balance and work–family conflict theories were the theoretical framework used to relate to the study and support the research. The generic qualitative design was used with semistructured interviews to gather research data to determine the perceptions of law enforcement spouses regarding officer safety and danger. The research sample included 12 participants who were at least 18 years or older, legally married to police officers in large urban Texas community, and able to read, write, and understand English. Thematic analysis with an inductive process was used to develop themes and analyze the data. The results of this study disclosed the participants felt a heightened state of fear when police officers were injured, had to deal with the public, or during periods of negative sentiment portrayed in the media. Understanding the stressors of law enforcement officers may benefit criminal justice agencies and society by developing opportunities for growth of professionalism in policing. Stress can be compounded by a lack of work–life balance and higher levels of work–family conflict, which demonstrates the importance of understanding the perceptions of law enforcement spouses. Positive social change implications included higher levels of professionalism to assist in positive community interactions and repairing the relationship between citizens and law enforcement
Attachment Styles Predicting School Engagement in Nontraditional Graduate Students
Get PDFUnderstanding how attachment styles influence nontraditional graduate students’ engagement is essential for advancing theoretical knowledge and developing targeted support systems in higher education. While research confirms that attachment styles affect academic outcomes, including perceptions of institutional support and learning environments, nontraditional graduate students remain underrepresented in engagement studies. Using Bowlby’s attachment theory as a guiding framework, this study investigated the relationship between secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles and behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. The Attachment Style Questionnaire, University Student Engagement Inventory, and a sociodemographic survey were employed, with data analyzed through a one-way MANOVA. Significant differences were found between secure and insecure attachment styles across behavioral (F (1, 143) = 81.9, p = \u3c.001, = η² = .107), emotional (F (1, 143) = 247.4, p = \u3c.001, η² = .155), and cognitive engagement (F (1, 143) = 138.4, p = \u3c.001, η² = .100). Cognitive engagement demonstrated the most substantial effect. These findings emphasize the critical role of attachment styles in shaping nontraditional students’ academic experiences and highlight the potential for tailored interventions to enhance engagement. The study contributes to higher education literature and promotes social change by raising awareness of attachment’s influence, potentially reducing dropout rates and improving academic success among nontraditional students
The Relationship Between Patient-Provider Communication and Provider Trust for Cancer-Related Information
Get PDFLack of trust in the healthcare system remains a psychosocial influence of reduced routine cancer screening in the United States. Using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 6, the specific research problem that was addressed through this study was whether there was a statistically significant relationship between patient-provider communication and provider trust for cancer-related information among African Americans residing in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The purpose of this quantitative, retrospective study was to examine the relationship between patient-provider communication and provider trust for cancer-related information. The theory that grounded this study was Donabedian’s conceptual model and its three different elements: structure, process, and outcome, all of which contribute to the quality of patient care. For this study, the structure consisted of the provider’s office, the process consisted of patient-provider communication, and the outcome consisted of provider trust. A regression analysis of one research question found a statistically significant relationship between patient-provider communication and provider trust for cancer-related information (p \u3c .001). Recommendations for future research include addressing successful and efficient communicative techniques for cancer screenings, improving provider trust in the African American population, and expanding this research to all minority groups. This study may impact positive social change by adding to the existing body of knowledge that examines the relationship between patient-provider communication and provider trust
Comfort and Knowledge as Predictors of an Accurate Diagnosis of Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another Among Counseling Professionals
Get PDFThis quantitative predictive study examined comfort and knowledge as predictors of an accurate Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA) diagnosis among master-level mental health counseling professionals in Washington State. This study also explores why researchers have struggled to develop a collective body of knowledge that can predict an accurate diagnosis of FDIA. The person-centered theory model guided this research. Data from the online platform SurveyMonkey was used to collect participant demographics, answers to the diagnostic questionnaire, and answers to the knowledge and comfort survey. All data collection took place between June and July 2024 and all data collected was electronically gathered. Binary Logistic regression results indicated that both comfort and knowledge were not statistically significant and did not predict an accurate diagnosis of FDIA. However, the Hosmer and Lemeshow Test did suggest that comfort could be an overall better predictor of an accurate FDIA diagnosis over knowledge of the disorder. These findings indicate that variables other than comfort and knowledge should be considered when predicting an accurate diagnosis of FDIA. Implications for positive social change include preventing harm to victims by understanding that FDIA has a higher likelihood of danger than other mental health diagnoses. To effect social change, master-level mental health professionals must know about mental health disorders that have the potential for increased criminal behavior
The Lived Experiences of Nonprofit Managers in Post-COVID Pandemic Recovery
Get PDFNonprofit managers have been tasked with making difficult and creative decisions in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. Policymakers, donors, and sector stakeholders need to understand the specific challenges nonprofit managers face during crises. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the post-COVID-19 crisis management experiences of nonprofit managers in the United States and identify how nonprofit managers made meaning of such experiences. The research question for this qualitative exploration was based on the lived experiences of nonprofit managers with managing crises during the post-COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was developed with a multicultural theoretical foundation. The participants comprised 20 nonprofit managers. Data were collected using semistructured interviews until saturation was reached among 17 participants. This study’s data analytic procedures included Saldana’s three-cycle coding process. Seven themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (a) adaptation to remote work, (b) community and health concerns, (c) emotional burden, (d) operational challenges and resilience, (e) innovative strategies and solutions, (f) discrepant experiences, and (g) emotional and psychological impact. A key recommendation is to conduct research for a more comprehensive and well-rounded understanding of how nonprofit organizations navigated the pandemic and offer valuable insights into how they can build greater resilience and adaptability for future crises. The implications for positive social change include the potential for nonprofit managers to enhance their multicultural self-seeking behaviors and other conference competencies in management informational systems education for sustainability, especially during crises
Examining Workplace Performance and Training for Organizational Sustainability in the Fashion Industry
Get PDFUnderused employee retail training programs in the western U.S. fashion industry are a challenge for improving workplace performance and organizational sustainability. Executive management of retail organizations in the fashion industry is perceived as not maximizing available retail training to improve employee and manager performance for organizational sustainability in the western United States. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the relationship between retail training and employee performance and manager performance as perceived by executive management at retail organizations in the fashion industry for organizational sustainability in the western United States. Appelbaum et al.’s ability, motivation, and opportunity theory and Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristics theory grounded the study. Data were collected from 146 executive managers using Netemeyer et al.’s focal measures instrument and Tollin et al.’s company perception survey. Simple linear regression analysis results showed a strong positive link between business preparedness and task management (β = 0.5412, p \u3c 0.001), while other training components, like knowledge improvement (β = -0.1847) and training participation (β = 0.0194), had weaker or inconsistent impacts on performance. Results indicate that organizational culture or leadership style may influence performance outcomes. A key recommendation is for executive management to align training with broader organizational strategies. The implications for positive social change include the potential for executive management to optimize retail training programs that enhance organizational sustainability, improve workforce performance, and support long-term growth in the fashion retail industry
The Perspectives of African American Parents’ Decisions to Homeschool Children with Autism in New Jersey
Get PDFNew Jersey is an autism epicenter and may indicate future trends in the United States. The population of American families opting to homeschool is growing, especially among African-American families in New Jersey. The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to examine the perspectives of African American parents’ decisions to homeschool their children with autism in New Jersey through storytelling. The conceptual framework used was the model of parental involvement developed by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 homeschooling African-American parents using a basic qualitative approach. The results were organized into five themes. One theme was the educational considerations; another time was social and emotional well-being; theme three was educational outcomes and progress. The fourth theme was parental involvement and empowerment, and the final theme was a personalized learning environment. This qualitative study promotes positive social change by increasing our understanding of African American parents’ decisions to homeschool their children diagnosed with autism; such knowledge has the potential to contribute to increased advocacy and awareness within the broader African American community
Staff Education to ICU Staff Toward the Goal of Decreasing the Rate of Pressure Ulcers
Get PDFSummary This project is a staff education intervention focused on decreasing ICU pressure injury rates. The main purpose of this project was to increase staff nurses’ knowledge of preventing pressure injuries. Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury (HAPI) was noted to be a serious problem in this critical care unit. It was essential to address this problem within the context of nursing practice because it impacts the cost to this facility and reduces patient length of stay. This DNP project focused on the extent to which educating nurses about current evidence-based pressure injury prevention practices increased the knowledge of staff nurses on how to prevent pressure injuries to ICU patients. The guiding practice-focused question was as follows: For nurses in the intensive care unit, will an educational intervention focusing on pressure ulcer prevention increase knowledge toward the goal of decreasing the pressure ulcer rate in the unit? The evidence to support this project was retrieved from recently published, scholarly-reviewed articles. The educational program was developed by the Project Team, headed by me. A pre and post-assessment was used to evaluate change in knowledge. The mean pretest score was 85% (43/50 points), and the post-test was 95% (47/50 points). The finding revealed that the nurses’ knowledge increased by 10% after participating in the educational program. These findings have the potential for positive social changes for patients by decreasing the length of hospital stays. Further, this educational project highlighted nurse education interventions as an ideal way of increasing nurse awareness of evidence-based strategies for reducing pressure injuries in the ICU and enhancing patient safety
Religious Identity, Sexual Identity, and Internalized Homophobia in Adults Who Have Deidentified From Christianity
Get PDFOver the past three decades, the percentage of the United States population that identifies as Christian has dropped significantly. At the same time, the level of acceptance of gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities has increased. However, this overall acceptance does not necessarily lead to an acceptance of these identities within specific Christian communities, leading to gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals having contradictory experiences between their Christian upbringing and secular society. Individuals who no longer identify as Christian after being so raised may experience additional dissonance as their sexuality identity conflicts with the teachings they were raised to believe yet no longer endorse. Research has suggested that individuals who deidentify from a religion tend to retain cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns that may lead to identity conflicts. Using religious residue and social identity theories as a theoretical framework, this cross-sectional, correlational quantitative study utilizing survey methodology sought to identify the relationships between sexual identity and religious identity variables in gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults who were raised in a Christian religious tradition and have since deidentified from that faith. Results of this study, using backwards regression and moderation analysis, found that religious fundamentalism, religiosity, outness, current and former religious identity, and geographic location all significantly predicted internalized homophobia. As more adults are identifying as nonreligious, it is important to better understand the experiences of those who change religious identities and how those former identities impact present psychological functioning, identity formation, and mental health
High School Administrative Staff Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic impacted administrative staff members throughout the school system in Texas. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of high school administrative staff members who participated in the transition from a traditional high school education delivery environment to an online, distance-based education delivery environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-determination theory was the theoretical foundation for this study and guided the research question and data analysis. The research design was a basic qualitative design using a generic qualitative approach. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 10 participants from a pool of high school educators who worked in the state of Texas. There were four findings for this study: (a) pedagogy and technological challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) motivation challenges and self-determination concerns, (c) work-life balance challenges and self-care concerns, and (d) moral courage commitment. Based on the study results, the recommendation is to conduct further research on curriculum and instruction protocols for distance-based operations and managing the aftermath of school shutdowns post COVID-19 from the school district leadership perspective. Insights from this study may lead to new programs on expectations for staff members during a school lockdown, working from-home operations during crises, and other programs of support for high school administrative staff members. Implementing changes throughout school districts that would combat the challenges faced by high school administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic could impact how education is being delivered while promoting positive social change globally