Past research has revealed that mental health practitioners experience challenging reactions in the course of their professional interactions with traumatized clients in the clinical work setting. The demands of caring, without commensurate replenishment, deplete the practitioners' empathy and produces forms of apathy and indifference towards the suffering of others, known as compassion fatigue. This quantitative, exploratory, cross sectional study examined the predictive relationships between compassion fatigue and work attitudes in primary care physicians located in West Africa. The etiological model of compassion fatigue and constructivist self-development theory (CSDT) formed the conceptual framework for examining clinician responses to trauma-related experiences in the clinical work environment. The main research question in this study was: How well does the level of compassion fatigue in practitioners predict their work attitudes in the clinical work setting? Survey data collected from 67 primary care physicians were analyzed using a linear regression modeling procedure. Results showed that practitioners' compassion fatigue was a statistically significant predictor of their work attitudes, F(1,65) = 7.78, p < .05, R² = .107. Results also confirmed that compassion satisfaction moderated the effect of compassion fatigue in practitioners. The data revealed that higher levels of compassion satisfaction was related to more positive levels of attitudes toward work. This study provided empirical information regarding the predictive relationships between compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and work attitudes. The results can be used to promote social change by providing health-care leaders in developing countries information that supports the need for activities, services, and support programs that enhance compassion satisfaction in physicians, to improve work attitudes. Such programs would promote further social change by improving the physicians' well-being, and mitigating the effects of compassion fatigue.

The objective of this qualitative longitudinal study was to assess stakeholder perceptions after one year of a new school feeding program to contrast and compare to pre-program expectations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using questions reviewed by an in-country collaborator for cultural sensitivity and appropriateness. Follow up questions were determined from participant response. The interviews were analyzed by performing content analysis using open and axial coding to find key concepts in the data. The results showed the school feeding program met stakeholder expectations regarding reduction in absenteeism and truancy, improving classroom behavior and increasing enrollment as well as relieving short term hunger. The stakeholders also reported unexpected improvements in behavior of the child at home, increased disposable income, and extra meals being served at home.

The emergence of the Christian Right and the feminist movement in the mid-to-late 20th century have had a significant impact on the political, psychological, and social landscape of the U.S., and this is especially true for Christian women who sit at the cross-roads of these movements. To understand the context surrounding this group, I examine different areas of sociological literature: the primacy of gender and religion in identity formation, Christian marriage and gender roles, the “culture wars” of the Christian Right, and a brief overview of feminist theory. Utilizing qualitative research methods, I interviewed 13 self-identified Christian women to learn how they understood their female and Christian identities, as well as how they negotiated gender roles. Participants were also asked to share their definition and identification with feminism (or lack of identification). A short quantitative survey followed the interview. Themes that emerged from this research include idealized understandings of faith and self, complex and contradictory practice, and rejection of labels. Through self-definition, participants were able to navigate away from stereotypes and communicate their beliefs as they related to their experience.

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The objective of this study was to answer the following question: Do organizations that were defined as having successfully adopted the transnational model, as per Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989), and labeled as transnational companies (TNC), perform significantly better than other multinational companies (MNC) when going through radical transformation processes? This research question was answered through a mixed method research design. The first part used a quantitative research approach and evaluated the financial performance of TNCs selected from the Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) research, using secondary data sources from 6 TNCs and 20 MNCs. The second part used a qualitative approach based on empirical research to answer the question, ""What is happening now, 25 years later?,"" through in-depth interviews. Qualitative data was analyzed to discuss the contribution of the characteristics of TNCs to the performance of these organizations and their capacity to successfully go through radical transformation processes. The term, transnational, as a type of MNC that was introduced by Bartlett and Ghoshal (1988) and expanded by Zanfei (2000), served as the theoretical basis for this study. TNCs have differentiated characteristics, such as an integrated network structure, where complex coordination and knowledge-sharing processes are in place; resources and capabilities are distributed among different sites; and information, technology, and resources flow among interdependent units. This research contributes to bringing the discussion of TNCs back to the forefront of international business strategy research by assessing the applicability of certain elements of the ""transnational solution"" (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1998) as an evolutionary next step for MNCs that seek long-term sustainable grow. Several directions are suggested for future research, including mapping performance variations over a longer period of time in combination with strategic content analysis; studying the consistency in share price and revenue performance among TNCs as a differentiating factor when compared to other MNCs; and understanding the increasingly predominant role of regions and regional offices in the organizational model of multinationals. Finally, this research further reinforces the suitability and additional depth brought by the application of mixed method research models to academic research in the field of international business.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the most frequently reported hospital-acquired condition, affecting more than 560,000 patients each year. CAUTIs prolong hospital stays and increase health care costs, and they can result in patient morbidity and mortality. Nurses can be empowered by receiving education and knowledge to manage and identify urinary catheters that are not clinically indicated. The purpose of this project was to develop an education program on CAUTI prevention for critical care nurses using the teach-back method. The conceptual framework that guided this project was Knowles's adult learning theory. The theoretical model was based on 4 fundamental assumptions of self-concept development. A total of 32 critical care unit nurses participated in the evaluation of the teach-back method. Demographic data were collected from these 32 participants, and the results of a frequency analysis were obtained. Deidentified CAUTI data were provided by the organization prior to the educational intervention. The postintervention CAUTI rate and increase in nurses' knowledge level were evaluated 1 month after the educational intervention using a 1-sample t test. The finding was statistically significant (p < .001). The incidence of CAUTI was followed, and the outcomes indicated that the overall incidence of CAUTI in these patients was decreased. The education program was effective in improving critical care unit nurses' knowledge of evidence-based practices to prevent CAUTIs. Improving nurses' knowledge to decrease CAUTI rates is a strategy that may be effective in many healthcare settings. This educational intervention may create social change by improving the health of patients and serving as an educational resource for nurses.

Juvenile offense is a social problem that affects communities and families. Black juvenile offenses occur at a higher rate than White juvenile offenses. The parents of these offenders may engage in the intervention process of their juvenile offender with the intent to improve the intervention outcome. The literature on this topic, however, is primarily focused on the treatment outcomes of various types of intervention. The identified gap in the literature is research on Black parental input on the process used to select various types of intervention for their offending children. The high rate of incidence compounded by the racial disparity furthers the need to better understand the intervention and treatment selection process from the Black parental perspective. The research question for this study was what are the experiences and perceptions of Black parents involved in selecting juvenile intervention programs for their children who have offended? The theoretical framework used to explain and interpret the participant data was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. This generic qualitative study involved 7 interviews with Black parents of juvenile offenders residing 20 miles outside of metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. Thematic analysis revealed that participants’ selection process is driven by feelings of responsibility, community and church guidance, unaddressed emotional needs of their children, and intervention challenges and outcomes. Findings support the need for preintervention services; intervention resource availability; parental awareness; and intervention strategy, reform, and efficacy. Policy makers may use these results to inform actions to reduce the juvenile offense rate among Black youth and foster better outcomes for this population group.

With the imposition of lifetime limitations on an individual's ability to receive cash assistance, there is a group of long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients that have approached the lifetime limitation without becoming gainfully employed. Many long term TANF recipients report low levels of self-efficacy which inhibits their ability to successfully transition off welfare and into the workforce. However, most welfare-to-work programs do not address the emotional or psychological well-being of their clients, instead they focus on job placement and job readiness skills. The purpose of this sequential–exploratory mixed methods study is to identify the primary barriers to employment that have a negative effect on long term TANF recipient's self-efficacy. Albert Bandura's self-efficacy theory was the theoretical foundation for this study. Semi structured interviews with 20 long term TANF recipients helped answer the central research questions regarding barrier identification. The participants agreed that support for completing GED, as well as a more holistic approach to addressing their barriers is most effective in helping them transition off welfare and into the workforce. Hong's Employment Hope Scale (EHS-14) was used to collect the quantitative data for this study. The quantitative data were analyzed by multiple regression analysis and found that level of education has a statistically significant moderating effect on length of time on welfare and level of self-efficacy. This study may inform welfare-to-work providers and programmers on the importance of addressing TANF recipients' psychological needs, such as low self-efficacy before attempting to transition them into the workforce.

This study explored changes in affect regulation and coping strategies with family functioning and attachment behaviors among a sample of incarcerated male adolescents (N = 115) and their maternal caregivers (N = 71). The sample participated in the Multiple Family Group Intervention (MFGI; Keiley, 2007) which is an 8-session program conducted in a juvenile correctional institution with adolescents adjudicated of a sexual offense, and their families. In 90-minute sessions, group facilitators use a six-step therapeutic method for altering interactional patterns from an affect regulation and attachment perspective. Using enactments and discussion, the intervention targets affect regulation and communication skills. Results indicate that changes in affect regulation and coping skills from pre- to post-intervention were related to changes in family functioning and attachment behaviors. Findings add to growing empirical support for the utility of systemic interventions within juvenile justice systems to strengthen affect regulation, coping skills, family functioning, and attachment behaviors.

Identity development primarily occurs the most throughout the adolescent and emerging adulthood years (Arnett, 2000), which can be facilitated through gap years. Previous research has shown gap years to be beneficial (Heath, 2007; King, 2010; O’Shea, 2014). However, research has not addressed the personal perspective of gap year alumni on their own identity formation through structured gap year programs. This qualitative, phenomenological study sought to explore the impact of structured gap years on emerging adults’ identity development as well as identify the types of experiences that were effective for personal growth. The study examined the experiences of 15 participants, both gap year alumni and professionals employed by a gap year program. The findings revealed three common themes concerning identity development and four types of experiences that were beneficial for identity formation. Based on the findings and the limitations of the study, the researcher made recommendations for further research.