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Prenatal Education For Black Mothers And Their Support Persons As An Intervention For Improving Initiation Of Breastfeeding, Sandra King

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: The benefits of breastfeeding are commonly known; however, the rates of exclusive breastfeeding among the Black community are less than those of other ethnic groups. Providing breastmilk or formula to an infant is an individual decision. Influential factors such as cultural background, employment status, socioeconomic status, level of education, and availability of support from family members and health care providers correlate with the method a mother chooses to feed her infant. Increasing breastfeeding initiation immediately after birth is a necessary precedent for uptake in the exclusivity of breastfeeding.

Purpose: This Doctor of Nursing Practice project aims to improve prenatal …

Improving Healthcare Team Communication With Limited English Proficiency Families In The Nicu, Ivonne Mandell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Language barriers are common in healthcare settings, creating disparities in care between individuals with limited English proficiency and those with English proficiency. In the NICU setting, professional medical interpreters have been shown to improve parent/staff communication and increase parent satisfaction by allowing parents to ask questions and form trusting relationships with staff. Solid parent-provider communication can result in better health outcomes by increasing parental empowerment and participation in their child’s care. Despite the acknowledged advantages of using professional interpreters in healthcare settings, they are frequently under-utilized, even when readily available. The purpose of this project was to improve communication with …

Establishing A Neonatal Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (Picc) Team, Rebecca Hunt

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have a plethora of diagnoses, including prematurity and newborns with genetic, neurological, surgical, and cardiac problems. The nature of these disease processes usually precludes enteral feedings and providing the infant with appropriate nutrition and hydration is a priority. This requires central venous access and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement allows for a reliable route of administration for intravenous nutrition and medications. The purpose of this project was to develop a nurse-led neonatal PICC team to provide timely placement of PICC lines while maintaining cost-effectiveness and maintaining a minimal number of …

Improving Care Of Women Experiencing A Pregnancy, Belinda T. Ferguson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to provide evidence-based staff education at a pregnancy resource center to increase staff/patient engagement and communication by implementing a clinical practice change and use of a DNP student-developed discharge summary referral form (DRF) to assist with assessing patient’s needs, evaluating access to services and utilization of medical care and health promotion services. The overall aim of this project is to increase care with medical follow-up and seek to address improving engagement and communication with patients during their care and after discharge from the Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC). The major …