Digital Commons Network^™

Standardizing Therapeutic Drug Monitoring For Clinic Patients On Amiodarone, Anna Melnichuk

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The side effects of amiodarone can be severe and potentially lethal (Vassallo & Trohman, 2007). Amiodarone is frequently prescribed for supraventricular arrhythmias, specifically atrial fibrillation, without any standardized monitoring for adverse effects. In this quality improvement (QI) project, providers were encouraged to use a protocol containing evidence-based recommendations built into the Electronic Health Record (EHR ) when prescribing amiodarone in outpatient encounters. Providers were emailed with education on the protocol and how to use it. A survey was sent to providers seven weeks later to assess the usefulness and ease of use of the protocol. EHR reports were run to …

Screening And Early Recognition Of Sepsis In Home Hospital And Home Care Patients, Tina S. Gronseth

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Problem Statement: In 2018, septicemia was the number one diagnosis for hospital inpatient stays for ages 65-74 in the United States (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2018). Most hospital admissions due to sepsis come from the community- as many as 87% (Rhee et al., 2017). People over 65 are 13 times more likely to end up hospitalized due to sepsis (Sepsis Alliance, n.d.). Sepsis in Home Hospital Care (HHC) and Home Care (HC) patients is prevalent because these patients are typically over 65. HC and the HHC program within the project site have noted a rise in hospital readmissions …

Bridging Communication In End-Of-Life Care At A Midwest Veterans Home, Taylor Karrow

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Palliative care is specialized care for those with serious disease and focuses on providing relief from symptoms (Radbruch et al., 2020). The goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to change healthcare delivery and visitor restrictions, alternative approaches to safely deliver care to both the patient and family have been uncovered. A Midwest veterans home was looking to bridge the gap in communication between staff, resident, and family during end-of-life care. Creation of an online accessible educational resource for nursing home staff is an alternative …

Nursing Competency Alignment Project (Ncap), Lainey S. Kotta

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: The lack of a standardized nursing competency model for a large healthcare organization prevented it from opportunity as a system.

Objective: This evidence-based project's purpose was to select a nursing competency model that a large healthcare organization will use to evaluate nurses, standardize nursing competency training language for the healthcare organization, develop an education plan for nurse educators on the selected nursing competency model, and develop an implementation plan for the nursing competency model.

Methods: This project utilized a three-cycle Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) change framework. Cycle One involved nursing leaders from the eight hospitals and 60 clinics of the large …

Self-Care Practices For Nursing Faculty To Alleviate Burnout, Michal Ward

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Drawn to the service and caring profession are compassionate and empathetic individuals. However, burnout is endangering the health of nursing faculty, nursing students, nurses, patients, and communities. Since identifying burnout, mounting efforts have increased to combat burnout symptoms. Evidence of burnout is emotional exhaustion that produces a feeling of alienation from job-related activities, resulting in a decline in job performance (Poncet et al., 2007). Holdren et al. (2015) posit that it is to be overworked until one feels lethargic, even to depletion. Therefore, burnout depletes the qualities of compassion and empathy that calls on nursing faculty when mentoring, assisting, and …

Implementation Of A Loneliness Assessment Tool And Education Program In Assisted Living, Andrea B. Belle Isle

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose: To combat loneliness in assisted living (AL) settings, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, providers need to be aware of the definition of loneliness, its consequences, and appropriate interventions.

Method: Educational content on loneliness’s definition, consequences and interventions was delivered via PowerPoint to five nurse practitioners. Five nurse practitioners evaluated the education session’s effectiveness via questionnaire and the Three-Item Loneliness Scale was administered to fifteen cognitively intact patients in AL settings. Four nurse practitioners then evaluated the Three-Item Loneliness Scale’s implementation. The Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle was used for this quality improvement project.

Findings: Based on the post-education survey results, the Three-Item …

Using Nurse Education To Promote Advance Care Planning For Memory Care Residents Affected By Dementia: A Pilot Project, Janelle S. Thoreson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) can help with end-of-life goals-of-care identification and timely hospice enrollment for individuals affected by dementia. Known barriers to effective ACP include nurse knowledge and confidence deficits. Evidence from an academic literature review suggests that providing dedicated ACP education can foster effective nurse-led ACP conversations.

Objectives: Increase the number individuals affected by dementia having documented nurse-led ACP conversations, nurse knowledge and confidence with ACP, and appropriate hospice utilization. Setting/Participants: Eight nurses from three memory care facilities within a Midwestern United States (U.S.) senior housing organization.

Methods: An educational module regarding ACP in dementia care was created …