Dr. Nancy Runton earned her doctoral degree in Health Management & Policy at Walden University. Dr. Runton's dissertation looked at the impact of a school-based health center and youth risk behaviors using secondary survey results from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. It compares 2007 and 2011 survey results from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System in North Carolina to the City of Alexandria School System in Virginia where a new school-based health center opened in 2010 and is run by the Alexandria Health Department. Her dissertation totaled more than 44,000 words on 173 pages.
A summary of her dissertation was recently published:
Runton, N, & Hudak, R. (2015). The Influence of School-Based Health Centers on Adolescents’ Youth Risk Behaviors. Published August 19, 2015 in the online Journal of Pediatric Health Care.
As part of the doctoral process, Dr. Runton wrote five independent studies with all numbering between 99 to 150 pages in length and include the following topics:
Principles of Social Change
This Knowledge Area Module will use theoretical frameworks from a variety of sources in social and health sciences in order to examine how social change can occur when people learn how to make choices to improve their own health. Bandura, Orem, and Nightingale have long been considered experts in the area of self-efficacy, self-care deficits, and self-care with consideration of the environment, respectively. The Breadth section will compare and contrast these three theorists whose philosophies suggest that health and wellness come from within the person, and that with a certain amount of self-guidance, people can learn to be healthier. In the Depth section, the theories and theorists will be further investigated to elucidate how change occurs when one understands what encourages and promotes healthy lifestyle choices. For the Application component, a brochure will be developed to encourage healthy behavior changes by utilizing a school-based health center (SBHC).
Principles of Human Development
This Knowledge Area Module will incorporate psychological theories of human development with other social and health-based literature to deepen an understanding about adolescent behavior and choices for life. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, and Skinner’s behaviorist theories all have overarching themes and interconnectedness. The Breadth section will compare and contrast these theorists tracking their development and uses in a variety of situations. In the Depth section, these theories will help to analyze positive youth outcomes and how the theories of human development can affect or predict the developmental level and emotional outcomes of adolescents. For the Application, the year-long interagency endeavor creating a school-based health center (SBHC) in a local public school will be described and critiqued.
Principles of Organizational and Social Systems
Healthy
People 2020 (2011) has identified goals and objectives for improving health
disparities and health access for adolescents spanning the ages of ten to 24
years. Anderson & McFarlane, Hanson, and Neuman have developed methodologies
within systems theories and discuss how their models can be utilized to address
organizational change. The Breadth section will critically review these systems
theories leading into the Depth which will analyze the intersection of health
disparities and its effects on school-aged populations. Additionally, the Depth
Demonstration will consider how positive changes in organizational structures
can predict healthy outcomes for adolescents. The Application section will
allow for the development of an Asthma Action Plan program and evaluation tool
for use within the school health centers.
Advanced Theory, Methods, and Practice in Health Service
In an effort to meet a local community’s needs with regard to health care, this Knowledge Area Module will discuss theoretical applications to the management, strategies, and alignment of health services. The adolescent population, while generally healthy, is at risk for poor behavior choices, mental health concerns, and need access to confidential health care. The Breadth section will review administrative change theories leading into the Depth section that will show current research supporting administrative changes in the health care delivery system. Finally, the Application will evaluate a model for administrative change that will assess how increasing the number of and access to school-based health centers will begin to address the health care disparities within this population.
Contemporary Issues and the Ethical Delivery of Health Services Community Trials
This Knowledge Area Module will present important issues and implications for how rural health care is most appropriately delivered while considering ethical dilemmas. Theoretical models from Bayles, Darr, and Gilbert will be compared and contrasted as the Breadth looks at critical issues such as overlapping relationships that can mar confidentiality. Additionally, legislative efforts to assist in bringing newer methodologies and parity will be addressed. Current research from the Depth will offer keen insights supporting the need for change by offering salient themes and methodologies informing the Application’s healthcare model. These insights will be useful in the rural settings. Throughout this KAM, major themes and considerations for ethical health care delivery will be critically analyzed and assessed for their role in how appropriate care can become strategically improved within 21st century care models.
