Digital Commons Network^™

Automated Appointment Reminders And No-Show Rates At Appletree Bay Primary Care: A Quality Assurance Project, Kathleen Margaret Clark

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

This quality assurance project is aimed to determine how effective a specific primary care office’s current method of reminding patients of scheduled appointments is in reducing the percentage of no-shows. The retrospective data gathered from a calendar month will be evaluated to determine what percentage of patients check-in when reminded with a telephone call. The estimated national no-show is between 23% and 34%. This project reveled a no-show rate of 3.7% at Appletree Bay Primary Care, This rate is important to the health and wellness of their patients. With additional research, the variables affecting this practice’s no-show rates may be …

The Impacts Of Preconception Nutrition On Pregnancy: An Educational Module Promoting Preconception Care, Alexa R. Holleran

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Recent research has shown that maternal overweight and obesity (OW/OB) prior to conception are directly and independently associated with negative outcomes in pregnancy, birth, infancy, childhood, and beyond. The purpose of this project was to create and evaluate educational materials for providers who work with women of childbearing age, in order to encourage and facilitate conversations about the importance of preconception nutrition in family planning. A literature review was conducted, and from it two documents were created: 1) an educational module for providers offering background information, relevant research, and tips for discussing the matter with patients; and 2) an infographic-style …

Increasing Pneumococcal Vaccination Among Adults 65 And Older: The Development And Implementation Of A Pneumococcal Vaccine Administration And Documentation Protocol For A Small Primary Care Practice., Marina M. Ecklund

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

This project focuses on the development of a protocol to increase administration and documentation of pneumococcal vaccination among patient 65 years and older in a primary care practice setting. The project entails reviewing immunization records of all patients age ≥ 65 years at Appletree Bay Primary Care (ABPC) practice to determine current pneumococcal vaccination rates among the specified age group within the practice. A single trial vaccination clinic was it established in collaboration with the Vermont Family Pharmacy wherein patients were contacted by phone by the primary investigator, informed that they may be due for one or more pneumococcal vaccination …

Screening For Bulimia Nervosa In The Primary Care Setting: Educating Healthcare Providers On The Use Of The Most Valid And Reliable Screening Tools, Kasey Mary Cushman

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Abstract

There are currently no routine screening guidelines for eating disorders in the primary care setting, despite their high mortality rate. Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is one of the hardest eating disorders to diagnose due to the lack of physical features and its secretive nature. Primary care providers need to have knowledge of the most valid and reliable screening tools in order to better diagnose and treat BN. In order to assess the most valid and reliable screening tools for BN, current literature was appraised with the focus on tools specifically designed for detection of BN. The results of the literature …

Communication: A Key To Optimizing Medication Adherence And Cardiac Outcomes, Zachary M. Schwartz

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

The purpose of this project was to improve how clinicians communicate to patients about cardiovascular medications to the end of improving adherence and optimizing cardiac outcomes. In this project, clinician knowledge and communication confidence with regard to patient education and medication adherence was assessed using a pre-survey. An educational module to increase awareness and improve clinician-patient communication using the teach-back method was provided to inpatient cardiology clinicians consisting of registered nurses and physicians. The goal of the module and communication tool was to improve patient understanding of cardio-protective medications and increase the motivation to adhere to a chronic illness medication …

Waiting Room Health Promotion For Older Adults In Rural Primary Care, Emma G. Kopecky

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Background: Advances in health care technology have lead to adults living longer than in previous decades. Longer life expectancy in combination with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation is predicted to result in rapid and exponential growth among the older adult population. Adults in the U.S. over the age of 65 have on average five or more chronic illnesses, many of which are often poorly managed. Older adults who experience chronic diseases often report decreased quality of life, limitations in functional ability, loss of independence, and periods of decline and increasing disability. Health promotion efforts can help in delaying …

The Sbirt Method For Alcohol Misuse Screening And Treatment, Blake Coulter Mcknight

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Heavy episodic drinking, or “binge drinking”, is a significant behavioral health problem on American college campuses. It is associated with numerous physical, social, and legal consequences in this population, including but not limited to intoxicated driving, physical and sexual assault, accidents, alcohol poisoning, compromised academic performance, criminal justice system involvement, exclusion from athletic competition, and expulsion from student housing. The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment method, or “SBIRT”, has gained increasing recognition in recent years as an effective, validated tool for screening for and intervening in behavioral health problems generally and problematic alcohol use in particular. The purpose …

Expanding Hearts And Minds: The Impact Of Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Educational Interventions On Nurse Practitioner Students’ Knowledge And Comfort, Calvin Louis Gilbert

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) populations are at a higher risk for discrimination and inadequate services while receiving health care. Some of this results from providers’ knowledge deficits regarding TGNC-specific health care needs or lack of experience and comfort with TGNC clients and the subsequent impact on an open-minded approach to gender identity. There is often little or no curriculum included in health care providers’ education pertaining to TGNC specific health risks, health care needs and approaches to clinical visits.

The purpose of this project is to promote awareness, provide education, and increase provider comfort around TGNC health care discrepancies, …

The Role Of The Community Health Worker: An Educational Offering, Kameron Escajeda

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Reducing health disparities among underserved and minority populations are an ongoing challenge for the United States’ health care system. The Affordable Care Act proposes the addition of a Community Health Worker (CHW) to the health care workforce to serve as a liaison between community and health services as a possible solution to improve quality and health outcomes in underserved populations. The newly formed health care team created in collaboration with the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties will welcome the CHW as a new team member to help improve the care and coordination of services for New …

Health Maintenance And Goal Setting For Women Joining And Re-Joining The Workforce, Tess Barbach

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Abstract

Poverty is a major health barrier in the United States which disproportionately affects women, who earn lower wages than men and are often single mothers responsible for the care and wellbeing of their families. Chronic socioeconomic depression is a cyclic, multigenerational problem that can make it difficult for women to adequately engage in healthy behaviors such as eating well and exercising. Poor self-care practices can in turn lead to cycle of poor health outcomes across the board, including depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and more. Poor health may subsequently pose a challenge for women trying to find the energy to …

A Continuing Education Program On Entrepreneurial Skills For Nurse Practitioners Considering Owning A Private Practice, Christine E. Lamar

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Entrepreneurial education is often lacking for nurse practitioners which can impact their ability to successfully run nurse practitioner owned practices. Nurse practitioners lead busy lives and often learn important business skills as they navigate the business start-up process for their practices. An online educational module was created including some key entrepreneurial skills for nurse practitioners to help alleviate the burden of learning business skills for those nurse practitioners hoping to open their own practices. A link to a 50-minute online module covering introductory entrepreneurial skills for nurse practitioners was sent to the faculty and graduate students in the University of …

Developing A Vermont Nurse Triage Line: A Systems Improvement Project, Andrew D. Kehl

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Nurse Triage Lines (NTL) have been utilized since the 1970s as a healthcare service delivery model. The efficacy of their utilization has been proven in non-acute, mainly primary care settings. During the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in the United States, NTLs proved their efficacy in an acute emergency event. The Minnesota FluLine, the exemplar case study, showed a significant reduction in unnecessary healthcare resource utilization as well as a significant economic cost savings.

This project performed an organizational assessment for the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) focused on implementing an NTL. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews with key informants, key themes surround …

Safe Provision Of Oxygen To Infants In Low-Resource Settings, Martha Ming Whitfield

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

This project explored best practices for the provision of oxygen to infants in low-resource settings, culminating with the development of a script for the future production of a training video by the Global Health Media Project (GHMP). A review of the literature included practice guidelines and current research related both to the topic of oxygen delivery, and to the creation and dissemination of educational healthcare materials. Discussion with content experts helped to guide the review and script development. The script focused on young infants with evidence of respiratory distress who require supplemental oxygen, and was aimed at teaching assessment skills …

Care Team Education On The Use Of Sensory Resources In Inpatient Psychiatry, Salsabil Hoque

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

Sensory processing is the way the nervous system receives, organizes, and understands sensory information gained through our body’s senses and physical environment. The deprivation of sensory processing, or the inability of one’s nervous system to use meaningful sensations, can lead to negative outcomes such as anxiety, stress, depression, withdrawal and reduced motivation, or agitation and disturbed behavior. Dr. Ayres' Sensory Integration Theory was used as the guiding framework for this project. Research literature indicates that sensory modulated approaches are an effective treatment approach for patients who are distressed, anxious, agitated, or potentially aggressive, and can be used as an alternative …

The Electronic Health Record Scorecard: A Measure Of Utilization And Communication Skills, Ashley E. Leamon

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Nursing Master Project Publications

As the adoption rate of electronic health records (EHRs) in the United States continues to grow, both providers and patients will need to adapt to the reality of a third actor being present during the visit encounter. The purpose of this project is to provide insight on “best” practice patterns for effective communication and efficient use of the EHR in the clinical practice setting. Through the development of a comprehensive scorecard, this project assessed current status of EHR use and communication skills among health care providers in various clinical practice settings. Anticipated benefits of this project are increased comfortability in …