Digital Commons Network^™

Increasing Organ Donation In A University Setting, Zachary Hatton

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The literature shows a strong correlation between education on organ donation and increased organ donation registration. Society has depicted a description of organ donation that is hostile and untrue. Increasing organ donation registration with knowledge sets the foundation of a grassroots movement to increase understanding and change society’s viewpoint(s) on organ donation. An education session on organ donation was developed and presented to the targeted population of 18–24-year-old students at a university in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The focal point of the presentation was to dispel myths, educate on facts, and create a better understanding of organ donation …

Improving Parental Communication With Adolescents About Sex, Amanda Blanton

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

In 2018, 68 million people in the United States were infected with a sexually transmitted infection. Of those 68 million, 26 million cases were newly diagnosed, and of that 26 million, half were youth aged 15-24 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022a). The approaches to educating our youth about sexual health are inconsistent, leading to misconceptions about the dangers associated with risky sexual behavior. However, parents have the upper hand in discussing sexual health information with their children by being the child’s first contact and source of information. Teens who report talking with their parents about sex are …

Improving Sexually Transmitted Infections (Sti) Education And Access To Education For Healthcare Workers In A Rural Ambulatory Clinic, Savannah Elmore

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are prevalent across the United States, with one in five people diagnosed in 2018, resulting in nearly $16 billion in medical costs. The prevention and treatment of STIs have been identified as a priority area for improvement, with healthcare providers playing a critical role in education, diagnosing, and treating STIs. The aim of this capstone project was to improve STI education and access to education for healthcare workers in a rural ambulatory clinic. Through a needs assessment and the development of objectives and a timeline, the project identified and addressed gaps in STI education and resources, …

Use Of Evidence-Based Telehealth To Reduce Complications In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes In A Rural Health Facility, Joni Kelley

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Formal education for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients is essential, especially in rural areas where diabetes is approximately 17% higher than in urban areas (Bolin & Ferdinand, 2018). In 2019, diabetes was listed as the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths, and 48% of all deaths due to diabetes occurred before 70 years (American Diabetes Association, 2021). According to the American Diabetes Association (2021), approximately 550,149 people in Alabama, or 14.1% of adults, have been diagnosed with diabetes. An additional 119,000 people in Alabama have diabetes but are unaware, significantly increasing their risk of complications (American Diabetes Association, …

Increasing Education And Awareness Of Patients Who Identify As Transgender In Primary Care​, Cindy Wallace

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and individuals who identify as transgender and queer (LGBTQ) often experience negative healthcare encounters (Parameshwaran et al., 2017). According to the Williams Institute of Law (2022), there are 1.3 million adults who self-identify as transgender. This education project utilized a pre/post-test design to explore attitudes, practices, and knowledge of primary care providers when interfacing with individuals who identify as transgender in primary health care settings.

Theoretical Framework. This project was guided by Lewin’s Change Theory.

Methods. Primary care providers in an urban community health clinic received a pre and post-education survey. A teaching session was delivered …

Why Doesn't She Just Leave? Improving Identification And Response To Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence In The Emergency Room, Elizabeth Berry

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The purpose of this project was to improve identification and response to victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) presenting to the emergency department. Project participants completed a pre-education questionnaire prior to the project leader providing intimate partner violence educational materials and a presentation entitled Recognizing and Responding to Victims of Intimate Partner Violence in the Emergency Room. The project participants then completed a mirrored post-education questionnaire. Evaluation of the project included a comparison of the participant's responses to the mirrored questionnaires. Project participants reported an increase in the:

• recognition of the prevalence of intimate partner violence among their patients, …

Providing Education To Staff Members On Implementing Follow-Up Education At Discharge To Patients With Low Heart Scores, Daniel Burton

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) provides accreditation to hospitals, including “heart certification.” The facility was successful at meeting the four measures previously assigned to them. As a result, they were given four new measures. One of these standards is providing discharge education based on “heart scores.”. Only 35% of patients are receiving discharge/follow-up education at discharge from the emergency department (ED).

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to increase the number of patients receiving chest pain education and follow-up instructions in the ED as evidenced by the improvement in documentation of the interventions.

Methods: …

Using The Cdc’S Healthcare Personnel And First Responders: How To Cope With Stress And Build Resilience During The Covid-19 Pandemic Education Resources To Reduce Burnout Of Intensive Care Nurses At An Urban Acute Care Hospital, Elizabeth Gilbert

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Nurse burnout is a serious problem, as documented by many studies. Burnout has been shown to lower quality of life, performance level, and organizational commitment while also increasing a nurses' desire to leave the job. Despite this knowledge, nurse burnout continues to be present, especially among nurses who work in intensive care units (ICUs). Hospitals need ICU nurses to care for critically ill patients; therefore, it is essential to educate ICU nurses on burnout and initiate measures to decrease burnout in this vulnerable population.

Purpose: The goals of this study are to explore nurse burnout in the medical intensive …

Education Regarding Advance Directives Improves The End-Of-Life Choices Documentation In Heart Failure Patients, Phebe Hagins Wright

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Heart failure affects the lives of more than 6 million people in the United States and outpatient heart failure clinics offer an opportunity to educate patients while providing evidence-based care. A needs analysis revealed that many heart failure patients do not have an advance directive (AD) on file.

Purpose: The DNP project aims to implement an educational program that provides the tools and knowledge to heart failure patients to assist patients in determining their end-of-life care goals and allow them to document these goals in the Five Wishes document.

Methods: This quality improvement project consisted of a didactic educational …

Bridging The Gap In Education For Patients On Oral Chemotherapy: A Qi Project, Lindsay Rodriguez

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Abstract

Oral chemotherapy and intravenous (IV) chemotherapy share many of the same side effects. However, at community General Hospital Medical Center oral chemotherapy patients were not receiving equitable monitoring and education like their IV chemotherapy counterparts. To bridge the gap, a quality improvement (QI) initiative to improve education, documentation and follow-up between visits was proposed to increase compliance and understanding. The QI project consisted of patients taking oral chemotherapy within the first 12 weeks of starting treatment. Patients were contacted weekly via nurse lead follow up calls and the Oral Chemotherapy Template was discussed with the patient to identify concerns …

Diabetes Education Empowerment Program (Deep): Evidence-Based Practice Measures For Self-Care Management, Nakeshia Rutledge

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are major health challenges among the patient population at a family medical clinic in northwest Alabama. Poorly managed T2DM can cause complications which could decrease individuals’ quality of life and lead to mortality.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a self-management intervention aimed at empowering prediabetic and T2DM patients to achieve better diabetes management and glycemic control (hbA1c < 5.7 percent).

Design Methods: A mixed-methods design was utilized with pre/post-questionnaires for analysis of data collected before and after the implementation of an educational intervention on diabetes self-management …

Unraveling Sex Trafficking Through Screening And Referrals, Rebecca Sarabia

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Abstract

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery; sex trafficking is one form of human trafficking. Previous research has demonstrated that most trafficking victims encounter the healthcare system at some point during their trafficking experience. Patients who have been sex trafficked may experience profound psychological and physical trauma. Healthcare personnel are in key positions to screen for trafficking and to provide appropriate referrals; if an awareness of the problem exists. The purpose of this project was to increase OB/Gyn office staff confidence with sex trafficking screening and to complete appropriate referrals to address the identified needs. The project began …

Assessment Of The Validity Of Patient-Stated Allergies: De-Labeling And Education, Tawny Thomas, Angelina Leitschuh

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The initial direction of the project was to develop and implement a research-based protocol to de-label hospitalized patients with a patient-stated penicillin allergy who were not truly allergic (Phase I). The project was abruptly halted due to the lack of data to justify the need, lack of sufficient communication among stakeholders, questions regarding financial cost of implementation, and strong concerns regarding educational needs of nursing staff. After developing the initial protocol, the project team was redirected to provide evidence-based allergy assessment education to the nursing staff to foster reliable and accurate patient interviews and documentation of the results (Phase II). …

Factors Affecting Student Success In Oregon Associate Degree Nursing Programs, Tracy Fawns

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Multiple factors contribute to student retention and attrition rates in undergraduate nursing programs. Attrition rates are rising, which affects society as the population is aging and there is a need for more nurses. Identifying attrition risk as a method to increase student success is imperative in order to produce more nurses. The purpose of this project was to analyze and evaluate predictive factors and academic issues that affect student success at Oregon Consortium of Nursing Education (OCNE) schools in order decrease attrition rates in the science courses and increase associate degree of nursing (ADN) program completion.

Methods: This records-based …

The Development And Implementation Of Hospital-Based Clinical Guidelines To Enhance Nursing Staff Efficacy In Glycemic Management At A Large Psychiatric Teaching Hospital, Cherno Bah

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: This quality improvement project was conducted at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo (CMHIP) in order to improve glycemic management. In psychiatric inpatient settings, proper glycemic management is inadequate which increases metabolic risk and poor patient outcomes. One way to address this problem is by using practice guidelines and education, which enhances nurses’ efficacy.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop and implement a glycemic management guideline to enhance clinical nursing staff knowledge and confidence.

Method: Fifty-five clinical nursing staff attended an in-service and were asked to fill out a survey before and after the in-service …