Older adults are encountering harsh recovery after disasters, and compounding this problem is the lack of research on older adults' perceptions on disaster preparedness as aging affects the ability to react to emergency situations. To partially address that gap, the purpose of this general qualitative research study was to use Rotter's spectrum of locus of control theory to examine the level of preparation regarding disaster preparation of older adults who were living independently in single-family homes in a state affected by Hurricane Sandy. Data were collected through a qualitative survey distributed to adults aged 65 to 80-years (N=88) and publicly available documents from federal and state emergency management agencies. These data were inductively coded and subjected to a thematic analysis procedure. Findings identified 3 themes that consisted of (a) delayed acceptance, (b) defective instinct, and, (c) unexpected effects of disasters. This study contributes to social change by helping emergency management officials understand the deficiencies in preparedness by an aging population which may in turn improve the quality of life for older adults by stressing proper preparation for sheltering in place or evacuation in the event of a disaster.

The 2001 anthrax attacks heightened awareness of the possibility of weaponizing biological agents such as Ebola, anthrax, and smallpox and hence, the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 to prevent biological attacks and reduce bioterrorism threats and vulnerabilities. However, the 2014 Ebola epidemic raised concerns about unpreparedness for bioterrorism within the healthcare community and about secondary infections from healthcare workers. Using Kingdon's conceptualization of multiple streams as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to explore the nature of bioterrorism threats and the level of preparedness of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who were involved in the 2014 Ebola epidemic in a New Jersey County for biological attacks and avoidance or reduction of secondary infections. Data were collected from 18 individuals through interviews and from emergency response documents. The data were inductively coded and subjected to thematic analysis. The emergent themes indicated that although there was an abundance of bioterrorism preparedness policies and programs dating back to the 2001 anthrax attacks, the response to the 2014 Ebola epidemic revealed inadequate bioterrorism preparedness practices. The study participants identified insufficient knowledge of bioagents and lack of regular training as factors that prevented enhanced preparedness practices. Participants suggested that improved training opportunities, interagency collaborations, and better funding would improve bioterrorism preparedness practices. The social change implications of this study include increased funding for bioterrorism preparedness to harden EMTs and the creation of public awareness of bioagents for improved 911 calls and emergency response practices.

In the past decade, the military has deployed approximately 1 million members into combat, and a factor that plagues the military veterans returning from combat is the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A factor to examine is preparedness training before combat because the research has shown that postcombat resilience training has been effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD. Using the social cognitive theory, the purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported preparedness training before deployments was related to lower severity of self-reported PTSD. Based on prior research, age and gender are other variables that this study examined. Participants were a sample population of veterans who completed a quantitative survey, which included demographics, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Check List, and the Training and Deployment Preparation survey, Section H of the DRRI-2. Data collected from the survey were input into the SPSS program and analyzed using multiple linear regressions. Results reflected that preparedness training had an inverse correlation relationship to self-reported PTSD severity, age had a predictive relationship, and gender did not show a significant relationship. It appears that preparedness training for combat does help reduce self-reported severity of PTSD in veterans returning with PTSD symptoms. Providing preparedness training before combat may help in reducing this phenomenon. The results of the present study, developing procedures and therapeutic measures to help veterans in need can be generalized into the mainframe of social and behavioral change for all individuals dealing with PTSD, including first responders.

Despite the increased frequency of natural and man-made disasters, there is a problem in the level of preparedness of emergency managers, responders, and citizens to address them. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the factors that affect these groups' preparedness to inform the development of better emergency plans to handle emergency incidences. The conceptual framework for the study was knowledge management, which was used with a grounded theory approach. The study was guided by primary research questions that focused on understanding psychological, material, temporal, organizational, and other factors that affect the preparedness of emergency managers, first responders, and citizens, and on identifying measures for improving those levels of preparedness. Interview data were collected from a purposeful sample of emergency managers (n = 11), first responders (n = 26), and citizens (n = 26) from South Carolina who had experienced disasters. Secondary data from 6 disasters, 3 emergency operations plans, and 2 standard operating procedure guides were also collected. The constant comparative method was used to analyze data, informing the development of a theory that suggests emergency managers, first responders, and citizens must act collaboratively to prepare for and respond more effectively to disasters, in addition to their independent work. This study promotes positive social change by providing emergency management agencies with information necessary for developing better emergency preparedness plans, thus reducing the personal and economic impact of future disasters.

The Red Cross traditional method of Disaster Health System (DHS) response is ' boots on the ground.' Texas, the 2nd largest state by population and land mass, has only 15 DHS volunteer nurses who were not able to meet the needs of disaster victims in Texas with the traditional response method. The Texas Red Cross DHS volunteer nurses began piloting a virtual DHS model in 2014. The research question was how Texas Red Cross nurses designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated the Texas Red Cross virtual DHS Model. The purpose of this case study was to provide this information in a case study. The research approach followed a single investigator case study design that utilized Roger's diffusion of innovations theory and Lewin's change theory to identify how this virtual pilot was created and implemented in Texas. The processes developed and utilized are provided in detail in this case study. Data maintained by the Texas DHS team from March, 2016 to March, 2017 provided evidence that all 1,724 cases assigned to the DHS team were worked and closed by a Texas DHS volunteer. A qualitative summary of nurses' satisfaction with this model was uniformly positive. This provided support for the use of the virtual model for communication to meet the disaster-related health needs of disaster victims in Texas. The use of a virtual model for disaster management supports positive social change in addressing the disaster-related health needs of disaster victims in Texas and for possible use by other Red Cross DHS stakeholders.

Campus law enforcement agencies are an essential component of the campus community, and the greater criminal justice system. While policing research has focused on the activities and organizational structure of municipal police, much less attention has been given to campus agencies. This study builds on existing research by examining the activities and organizational structures of campus law enforcement agencies. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to analyze the variation in emergency preparedness across campus law enforcement agencies using Meyer and Rowan's institutional theory. The research questions addressed the extent to which emergency preparedness was influenced by organizational structural, agency characteristics, wider campus characteristics, and community policing. Secondary data were collected from the 2011-2012 Bureau of Justice Statistics Survey of Campus Law Enforcement Agencies, the Office of Postsecondary Education, and the National Center for Education Statistics. Findings from multiple regression analyses indicated that agency organizational structure and agency characteristics are greater influences than campus characteristics on emergency preparedness activities than campus. Findings also showed that the number of community policing activities in which an agency engages in is the greatest predictor of emergency preparedness activities in campus law enforcement agencies. The findings have implications for social change by suggesting the integration of emergency preparedness with community policing initiatives. Collectively, this will create a holistic approach by campus law enforcement agencies.

While scholars have used Schlossberg's transition theory for more than 35 years to study college-to-work transition, researchers have yet to establish if there are meaningful differences in the perceptions of traditional and nontraditional college students regarding transition preparedness from college-to-work. Following the career transition model, this quantitative study was conducted to compare traditional and nontraditional college students' perceptions of transition preparedness, specifically the concepts of readiness, confidence, control, perceived support, and decision independence. The nontraditional students in this study were military veterans. The dependent variables were measured by the Career Transition Inventory (CTI) survey. Participants were selected via a web-based method until 100 traditional and 100 nontraditional students were surveyed. The data were examined with multivariate analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of covariance. There were significant differences found in perceived transition preparedness. The CTI measure decision independence was significantly lower among nontraditional veteran students. Whereas, the CTI measure confidence was significantly higher among nontraditional nonveteran students. Based on the results of this study, three recommendations were made. If these recommendations are followed, this study can make a positive social change and might increase the probability of improving the career and academic transition services from college-to-work for non-traditional undergraduate veteran students.

Failure to receive critical and timely information from emergency management professionals (EMPs) may lead to the loss of life during disasters and emergencies. Recent research and government reports have indicated that there may be communication failures between EMPs and minority community members, though little is known about how minority communities perceive EMP communication efforts. The central research questions and purpose of this study were designed to explore the experiences of minority community members in receiving and interpreting disaster-related communications from EMPs. Data for this phenomenological study were acquired through-in-depth interviews with 13 African Americans (7 males and 6 females) located in a southern state. The data were transcribed; inductively coded; and analyzed for trends, themes, and patterns. This study yielded 2 key findings. First, these 13 participants perceived a lack of dialogue and interaction from local EMPs; however, they were more open to communication through their church rather than through other official communication venues. Second, Kim's theory of interethnic communication offers relevant explanatory value for these participants because it discusses the attributes of the single communicator (emergency manager) engaging with another individual (citizen). These findings offer opportunities for positive social change and enhanced communication between EMPs and their minority constituents. Effective communication methods that EMPs might implement include creating strategic alliances with community cultural centers such as churches, civic organizations, and other places at which members of minority communities interact.

The aim of Analysis of preparedness of teachers to manage problematic behaviour of children with neurodevelopmental disorder ADHD dissertation was to assess the readiness of primary school teachers to deal with children who have ADHD, or hyperkinetic disorder. Furthermore, it aimed to find out the level of knowledge, information and awareness of this subject. Last, but not least, we wanted to find out whether teachers knew that it is very likely that there is a child with ADHD in their class and how they work with these children. In our research, we confronted up to date theoretical findings given by the science and research with practical findings emerging from questionnaire responses. By doing so we have highlighted an overlooked but at the same time important problem of our current education system. The theoretical resources were solid data regarding the research subject, ADHD, with which we documented the importance of this issue. In the practical part of the research, we concentrated on the teachers' knowledge and their awareness of ADHD and on their experience in everyday routine at primary schools. The researched group consisted of 199 pedagogues from different types of schools and from different geographic parts of the Czech Republic. In our research, we used mixed research. At first,...

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Sport and exercise psychology practitioners work with military service members to enhance performance prior to and during active duty but have no clear role during military career exits. Given health and wellness concerns veterans face as they transition out of the military and reintegrate back into civilian life, it may be of benefit to establish non-VA practitioners as a transitioning resource. To determine sport and exercise psychology practitioner preparedness to address military to veteran transition needs, similarities and differences between transition experiences of former athletes and military veterans is needed. A mixed methods approach, known as a convergent design, compared the transition experiences of 42 athletes and 64 veterans (N=106) during the quantitative phase and 9 athletes and 15 veterans (N=24) during the qualitative phase. The quantitative phase consisted of independent sample t-tests to determine differences in outcome scores for four valid and reliable measures: Satisfaction with Life Scale, World Health Organization’s abbreviated quality of life measure, Career Transition Inventory, and Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale. The qualitative phase consisted of recorded semi-structured phone interviews, which gathered information regarding an individual’s career transition experience. Overall, athlete participants represented 14 sports from the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics universities. Veteran participants came from each military branch and a variety of pay grades. Quantitative analysis revealed athlete and veteran participants scored similarly on each outcome measure or domain. Veteran participants had lower physical health and social relationship domain scores, but comparatively better transition control scores. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: 1) the necessity of preparation for the transition process, 2) factors impacting the career transition process, 3) transitioning resulted in the loss of structure, and 4) establishing oneself outside of former career. Results indicate shared outcomes and perspectives between former athletes and veterans in regard to their career transition process. Transition process similarities indicate sport and exercise psychology practitioners may be qualified to effectively assist transitioning veterans in the same capacity they assist transitioning athletes.