Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Nurse Comfort Levels Assessing For Depression In An Urban Hospital Setting, Jonathan Shafer, Riley R. Clubb

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Evidence shows that a fraction of nurses are uncomfortable assessing patients for depression. When depression assessments are uncomfortable for the clinician, there may be inconsistencies in practice which can negatively affect patient outcomes. An evidence-based survey was developed and distributed to nurses at an urban hospital in Missouri. The survey assessed nurse's confidence, frequency of assessment, and understanding in evaluating patients for depression. Seventy-three nurses took part in the confidential survey. Thirty percent of the participants reported that they sometimes ask about mood and twenty-one percent reported that they rarely ask about mood. Although results showed that nurses were not …

Defining Best Practices And Validation For Curriculum Mapping, Hannah Smith, Jesse Chittams

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

The alignment of curriculum content with standards is a quality improvement measure used to identify gaps or overlaps in academic content. Curriculum mapping results, while commonly used, are rarely reported. Undergraduate faculty mapped 11 courses in a single timepoint using a web-based curriculum mapping tool. Quantitative results were calculated and compared to defined client needs categories. A validation analysis was performed by mapping one course in triplicate. Faculty feedback following the exercise was obtained by online survey. Three client needs categories were determined to be marginally out of range in the initial analysis of the quantitative mapping data. The curriculum …

Improving Education On Preeclampsia With Non-Severe Features And Frequency Of Assessment Among Nurses In The Maternal-Child Postpartum Unit, Alyssa J. Willsher

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: This Quality Improvement (QI) project aims to improve preeclampsia education among nurses and reduce the frequency of preeclampsia assessments among patients(without severe features) (SF) in the Mother-Baby postpartum unit at Hospital A. Nurses often stated that patients are unable to have uninterrupted rest periods with frequent assessments, which research shows is necessary for reducing patient blood pressure.

Context: The QI project is implemented in a 25-bed postpartum unit that cares for women and their newborns in the postpartum period. The unit’s nurse educator and nurse manager requested that the visiting University of San Francisco research group focus on simplifying …

Anxiety Screening At A Psychiatric Inpatient Facility: A Quality Improvement Project, Irene Akwitti

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by persistent anxiety and uncontrollable worry occurring more days than not for a minimum of 6 months (Patriquin & Mathew, 2017). Presently, anxiety screening and evidence-based practice treatment for adults are suboptimal. It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in patients. Purpose. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) screening tool, a validated, evidence-based instrument, in a psychiatric inpatient facility to improve early detection and treatment of anxiety disorders in patients. Methods. Staff members were educated …

Exploring Assessment Policies For Clinical Practice: A Scoping Review Of The Literature, Lynda J. Hughes, Amy N. B. Johnston, Jacqueline H. Byrne, Debbie Massey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Assessment of pre-registration nursing students in clinical practice is an essential process, ensuring students who graduate meet standards for practice and competently and safely care for patients under their care. However, such assessment remains challenging for individuals and organisations. Aim: We aimed to investigate what is known about the application of clinical placement assessment policies guiding pre-registration nursing programmes. Methods: Arskey and O'Malley’s five-stage method for scoping reviews was employed. Health and education databases were searched in July 2020 and December 2021. Identified papers were screened. The Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tools were used to appraise the quality …

Implementation Of A Postpartum Depression Screening Protocol, Samantha Abercrombie

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major depressive disorder that can occur after having a baby and anytime during the first year postpartum (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Symptoms of PPD may include anger, crying more than usual, withdrawing from family, inability to bond with the baby, feelings of anxiousness, or thoughts of the mother harming herself or the baby. PPD can yield many challenges and hinder daily living activities. Recent research by the CDC (2021) estimates that 1 in 8 women experience manifestations of PPD. Findings also suggest that 1 in 5 women were not …

Improving Self-Efficacy Of Primary Care Providers With Assessment Of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Kimberly Paddock Farr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDiabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes. DPN contributes to significant pain, debility and injury to diabetic patients. The majority of diabetic patients are managed in the primary care practice (PCP) setting. A local chapter of a nurse practitioner association identified a lack of knowledge of current evidence-based guidelines for effective screening and assessment of DPN in the PCP environment. The practice-focused question for this project was to determine if an educational intervention on evidence-based screening and assessment would improve nurse practitioner’s knowledge with DPN screening and diagnosis in PCP. Mezirow’s transformative theory of …

Improving Self-Efficacy Of Primary Care Providers With Assessment Of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Kimberly Paddock Farr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDiabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes. DPN contributes to significant pain, debility and injury to diabetic patients. The majority of diabetic patients are managed in the primary care practice (PCP) setting. A local chapter of a nurse practitioner association identified a lack of knowledge of current evidence-based guidelines for effective screening and assessment of DPN in the PCP environment. The practice-focused question for this project was to determine if an educational intervention on evidence-based screening and assessment would improve nurse practitioner’s knowledge with DPN screening and diagnosis in PCP. Mezirow’s transformative theory of …

A Staff Education Project On The Administration Of Clinical Practice Guidelines For The Treatment Of Obesity And Overweight Children And Adolescents, Emilia Ochiabuto Okoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity among children and adolescents has reached epidemic proportions in the United States (U.S). Nurses in pediatric settings have a critical role to play in assessing and managing childhood obesity. The partner site for this project has a childhood obesity rate of 35% compared to the national average of 19%. However, the nursing staff lacked adequate knowledge, competence, and confidence in assessing and managing childhood obesity in line with the recommended guidelines. The problem was addressed by implementing the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Obesity and Overweight Children and Adolescents via an education program. The program’s content was …

A Staff Education Project On The Administration Of Clinical Practice Guidelines For The Treatment Of Obesity And Overweight Children And Adolescents, Emilia Ochiabuto Okoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity among children and adolescents has reached epidemic proportions in the United States (U.S). Nurses in pediatric settings have a critical role to play in assessing and managing childhood obesity. The partner site for this project has a childhood obesity rate of 35% compared to the national average of 19%. However, the nursing staff lacked adequate knowledge, competence, and confidence in assessing and managing childhood obesity in line with the recommended guidelines. The problem was addressed by implementing the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Obesity and Overweight Children and Adolescents via an education program. The program’s content was …

Accreditation Commission For Education In Nursing (Acen): A Mixed Methods Study To Determine Accreditation Readiness At A Non-Profit Organization Located In Western North Carolina, Leslie Queen

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The accreditation process allows programs to complete the reflection process of program evaluation, where they assess and measure themselves via preset standards and suggested outcomes. The theoretical framework of Getzels and Guba (1957) was used to determine if the people within the nonprofit organization studied could successfully fulfill the predetermined expectations of the organization. This study also examined the value of program evaluation, explained the process used by schools of nursing that wish to seek national accreditation, investigated the benefits and strengths of attaining accreditation, and uncovered possible barriers that may hinder accreditation efforts. By exploring these topics, conclusions were …

Assessment Of Caregiver Burden In A Memory Loss Clinic, Andrea Perkins

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Over 131,000 people in Illinois identify themselves as caregivers of someone with memory loss. The family caregiver may provide care including, but not limited to, assistance with activities of daily living, financial responsibilities, behavior management, and scheduling, and transportation to medical appointments. The care provided by the caregivers may lead to caregiver burden symptoms of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. Purpose: Health care providers at a central Illinois memory clinic are not currently completing formal assessments of caregiver burden. This quality improvement project was done to determine if the current memory loss program services provide enough support …

Improving Nursing Staff Knowledge For Management Of Geriatric Patients With Confusion In The Emergency Department, Kareem G. Carter

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Staff knowledge of effective management of confusion in geriatric patients (>65yo) may be limited and inconsistent with the current goal of establishing a geriatric-friendly Emergency Department (ED) Model of Care. Suboptimal management of this patient population can result in prolonged ED stays, which increases the cost to the hospital and the patient (Han & Wilber, 2013).

Context: An Emergency Department at a large Bay Area urban hospital hopes to obtain Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) through the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

Interventions: Create a simplified checklist for nursing staff using mnemonic devices to …

Educational Plan For Certified Nursing Assistants In Long-Term Care Facilities On Assessing Pain Of Residents With Dementia, Rachel Lynn Spoon

DNP Scholarly Projects

Certified nursing assistants employed in long-term care agencies may have little education on the assessment of pain experienced by residents with dementia. The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Project was to develop an evidenced-based teaching plan for certified nursing assistants caring for residents with dementia in long-term care settings. The plan includes content on dementia, dementia symptoms, pain indicators, and pain assessment in residents with dementia, non-medicinal management strategies, and communication strategies for referring assessment findings to licensed practical and registered nurses. Supplemental PowerPoint™ slides were developed that match the teaching plan. The draft teaching plan was judged …

Assessment Of Exam Anxiety Level Among Students From Selected Educational Institutions With A View To Prepare A Self-Help Guide, Dr. Sunil Moothedath, Chithritha P J, Crislin Leen Mathew

Manipal Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences

Introduction: The determination and aim of education are to make all-round development of the human child. On the contrary to it, the real fact is that education alone is not capable of fulfilling all the aims of man in the modern age. The curriculum, teaching methodology, pattern of education, methods of discipline, teachers and teaching behaviour and methods of doing valuation, etc. also play a major role. There exists competition between the children as well as pressure from parents as well as from peers. In the present world, children do have different levels of anxiety before exams which may vary …

Implementing A Diabetic Foot Care Program In A Virtual Primary Care Clinic, Zahra Naderi Asiabar

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Background

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) have a key responsibility in delivering preventative and early intervention diabetes foot management within primary care. Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a major complication of diabetes and can lead to amputations and other wound issues.

Comprehensive care and treatment of diabetes are most effective when patients can access a supportive connection with providers. Before the pandemic, there were many reasons to utilize a technology-based distance approach to health care. The coronavirus pandemic in 2019 prompted additional reasons for the transition to distant care.

Problem

The yearly screening of a virtual foot exam on patients with …

Provider Education On Physical Activity For Older Adults, Joseph Morris

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

PROVIDER EDUCATION ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR OLDER ADULTS

An Abstract of the Scholarly Project by

Joseph Morris

The purpose of this study was to educate nursing staff and providers on the importance of physical activity for older adults to prevent functional decline and maintain quality of life. The project was conducted online using Qualtrics survey software. Data was collected from October 25, 2021 to November 25, 2021. Nursing staff and healthcare providers (physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) that are actively practicing medicine and have experience interacting with older adults participated by completing a two-part survey. The survey consisted of …

Ethical Sensitivity Of Padis Care Among Critical Care Nurses: A Mixed Methods Study, Denise Waterfield

Theses & Dissertations

Critically ill patients often experience distressful and impactful symptoms and conditions that include pain, agitation/sedation, delirium, immobility, and sleep disruption (PADIS). The presence of PADIS can affect recovery and long-term patient outcomes. An integral part of critical care nursing is PADIS prevention, assessment, and management. To better understand the complexities of PADIS care, two reviews of the literature were completed. The first is an integrative review of the use of PADIS assessment tools by critical care nurses. The second is a qualitative systematic review of the literature on the integration of care ethics and nursing workload. Ethical sensitivity of everyday …

Pediatric Specific Assessment Modalities In Pediatric Blunt Trauma Cases: A Literature Review, Haley Ranne

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

With unintentional injury being the number one cause of death of children in the United States, it warrants the need for successful, cost effective ways to improve identification of severe injury and prevent mortality in children. The purpose of this review is to compile literature related to pediatric specific trauma assessments in the instance of blunt trauma. Twenty peer-reviewed articles that were published in notable journals were analyzed to include in this review. There are several assessments that are being utilized in pre-hospital and hospital emergency settings today, such as the Shock Index (Pediatric Age Adjusted), Pediatric BIG Score, and …

More Than A Meme: The Dunning-Kruger Effect As An Opportunity For Positive Change In Nursing Education, Cynthia Sherraden Bradley, Kristina Dreifuerst, Brandon Kyle Johnson, Ann Loomis

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The Dunning–Kruger Effect (DKE) describes the cognitive bias in which novices tend to overestimate performance or competence while experts tend to underestimate. Those who are lacking in competence do not have the skills to accurately recognize deficient performance. Subjective assessment is used widely in simulation learning and in nursing curricula, yet often without expert feedback and reflective discussions, which can result in mistakes being overlooked and encoded, which could subsequently result in clinical errors. The prevalence of DKE should not be interpreted solely as a deprecation of the use of subjective measures, but rather as an indicator of the need …

Improving Mental Health Documentation Through Education: An Intervention For Level Of Care Utilization System (Locus) Use In Psychiatric Crisis Placement, Lauren Ozimek

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Purpose: The Community Mental Health Act (1963) created crisis stabilization units to lessen burdens of emergency departments addressing psychiatric crises. Crisis stabilization units – including the project site – evaluate treatment efficacy via assessments including the Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS). The LOCUS is totaled into a composite score, expected to decrease at treatment completion. The project site has not consistently seen LOCUS scores decrease at completion. The project’s purpose was to improve use of a clinical assessment tool to reflect treatment and progress for patients utilizing crisis stabilization programs. A secondary aim was to increase incidence (75%) of …

A Self-Guided Educational Program Based On Informatics Competency Self-Assessment, Brenda J. Kulhanek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The informatics competency gap for nurses has existed since the first use of technology in healthcare. Although numerous informatics competencies for nurses have been identified over the past 20 years, there is a lack of standardized educational content to help address the informatics competency gap. In a digital healthcare environment, the ability for nurses to understand and use informatics competencies is essential and the lack of informatics competency has a far-reaching impact. Based on the identified gaps, an informatics competency self-assessment tool with associated microeducation was developed to provide a standardized learning approach that would be supported by stakeholders in …

Food Insecurity In Oncology Patients: An Educational Intervention For Nurses, Chinelo Pernilla Onwuazombe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFood insecurity is not having enough food or resources or not being able to procure nutritious foods. An observation that nurses in one oncology clinic rarely assessed their patients for food insecurity as part of their regular assessment led to the development and testing of an educational intervention for nurses which was to create awareness on the importance of assessing food insecurity among oncology patients and to learn to use the Household Food Insecurity Assess Scale (HFIAS) in assessing patients. Summative evaluation was done using a pre/and posttest. The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the Virginia Henderson nursing need theories …

Reducing The Use Of Physical Restraints Of The Elderly In The Acute Care Setting, Rachael Malone

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

The aim of this MSN project is to identify and improve the gaps in education regarding physical restraint use in the acute care setting on the elderly patient population. When admitted into hospitals, elderly patients are at much greater risk for being placed in physical restraints due to little education regarding alternative measures to physical restraints and inappropriate assessments. The purpose of this project is to implement education about the detrimental factors and consequences patients may suffer once placed in physical restraints and improve the use of alternative measures to physical restraints. This project will be evaluated by acute care …

Preventing Maternal Falls, Blair Burkhart

Master's Projects and Capstones

Patient falls are unfortunate events in healthcare that are an essential quality improvement focus during patients’ hospital stays. At Hospital X, a private institution located in the suburbs of a large city, there had been 23 maternal falls within the last three years. This increase in maternal fall rate puts this hospital’s maternity unit above the average of other hospital’s fall rates according to the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. This quality improvement project aimed to reduce the rate of maternal falls on postpartum units through various forms of staff education. Education included Morse Fall Scale scoring, Sara Stedy …

Change Project Using A Fall Prevention Action Program To Decrease Falls On A Behavioral Health Unit, Amy Shuptrine

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Fall rates are increasing in the behavioral health units of the East Texas hospital. Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the units are short-staffed, which further supports the urgent need for a targeted intervention to reduce fall risk.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: “In adult behavioral health patients (P), what is the effect of the Edmonson Psychiatric Fall Risk Assessment Tool (I), compared with previous use of the Morse Fall Risk tool (C), on the fall rate (O), in 8 weeks (T)?”

Evidence: Falls are the most reported incidents in acute care hospitals and …

Evidence-Based Change Benchmark: Implementing Intervention Strategies Aimed At Reducing Patient Falls, Victoria Nix

MSN Capstone Projects

This paper provides an overview of an evidence-based change project that arose from the following PICOT: In patients at risk for falls [P], how does implementing fall risk prevention [I] compared to no fall risk prevention [C] affect fall rates [O] within 3 months of implementation [T]? A comprehensive review of primary sources dealing in clinical studies was found to support the case that fall prevention measures, specifically patient-specific bedside tools, have shown to be instrumental in reducing patient falls. The development and implementation of a robust Fall Prevention Program designed around the latest research was the goal; however, the …

Overcoming The Covid-19 Pandemic For Dementia Research: Engaging Rural, Older, Racially And Ethnically Diverse Church Attendees In Remote Recruitment, Intervention And Assessment, Lisa Kirk Wiese, Ishan C. Williams, Nancy E. Schoenberg, James E. Galvin, Jennifer Lingler

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Access to cognitive screening in rural underserved communities is limited and was further diminished during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined whether a telephone-based cognitive screening intervention would be effective in increasing ADRD knowledge, detecting the need for further cognitive evaluation, and making and tracking the results of referrals.

Method: Using a dependent t-test design, older, largely African American and Afro-Caribbean participants completed a brief educational intervention, pre/post AD knowledge measure, and cognitive screening.

Results: Sixty of 85 eligible individuals consented. Seventy-percent of the sample self-reported as African American, Haitian Creole, or Hispanic, and 75% were female, with an average …

The Effects Of Real-Time Computerized Needle Tip Location Feedback On State Anxiety And Immediate Performance Of Simulated Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia, Joseph Janakes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Complications of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA) in the clinical setting are severe and frequently related to improper needle tip placement, which is a challenging skill for novice student learners. Accordingly, anesthesia education programs are incorporating simulation-based teaching methods that use expensive procedural task trainers to aid in UGRA training. However, it was unknown if the task trainers with real-time computerized needle tip location feedback affect student anxiety and immediate simulated UGRA performance, leaving educators wondering if the cost was justified.Aims: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of real-time computerized needle tip location feedback on students’ …

Improving Suicide Risk Assessment Through Educational Program Implementation, Timothy Booth

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Unsustainable behavioral health education focused on comprehensive suicide risk assessment performance contributes to decreased registered nurses’ perceived self-efficacy in assessing and caring for suicidal patients.

Purpose: To educate medical-surgical and progressive care registered nurses in assessing patients for suicide risk factors and warning signs comprehensively.

Design Method: A quasi-experimental designed quality improvement project with evidence-based suicide educational program implementation. Project results yielded a 56.7% increase in registered nurses’ perceived self-efficacy in assessing and caring for suicidal patients. Future DNP work will focus on sampling a larger population (N) to decrease opportunities for the skewness of project results …