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Building Excellence Through Shared Governance And Continuous Process Improvement, Deborah Reitter

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Background: Nursing shared governance in the hospital setting is a well-established structure for shared decision-making between staff nurses and nurse leaders to improve nursing practice, quality of care, and patient safety. Establishing effective, shared governance can take several years: new skills must be acquired, new behaviors accepted, and new professional commitments made. Newcomers to shared governance require support, education, and the opportunity to acquire requisite skills; otherwise, interest, commitment, and achievement of desired outcomes cannot be sustained.

Local Problem: A large hospital in California established a shared governance structure in 2018. Performance gaps between two high-performing Nursing Unit Councils …

School Of Nursing News, Georgia Southern University

School of Nursing News (2013-2023)

• School of Nursing Collaborates with OTC to Highlight Disability Event

Ouachita's Department Of Nursing Receives Grant From Blue & You Foundation, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Ouachita Baptist University’s Department of Nursing is among 41 recipients of a grant from the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. Totaling $3,360,327, the grant will fund health initiatives in 71 of Arkansas’ 75 counties.

Ouachita’s nursing program received $131,000 from the Blue & You Foundation to purchase simulation equipment for its new state-of-the-art Nursing Education Center. The 6,600-square-foot simulation and teaching center will include a clinical skills lab, five simulated hospital patient rooms and a pharmacy. Use of high-fidelity simulation mannequins will replicate real-life scenarios, allowing nursing students to practice assessment, clinical and communication skills without risk …

Barriers Of Bronson School Of Nursing Program, Karla Kline

Honors Theses

Aside from the rigorous coursework of nursing school, nursing students experience various barriers that impact their academic success. Barriers to successful completion of traditional Bachelor of Science of Nursing (BSN) programs include isolation, lack of peer connections, lack of faculty connections, lack of family support, lack of financial support, and mental health struggles (Shaw, 2015) (Seal & Woods, 2021). This research will aim at assessing and exploring these barriers students are facing, along with the additional or exacerbated barriers the COVID-19 pandemic has surfaced.

This study will expand on the research conducted by Shaw (2015), in which she examined the …

Benchmark Study On The Impact Of Nurse Managers’ Leadership Style On Job Satisfaction And Retention Of Nurses, Khatrina Swarup

MSN Capstone Projects

Nurse managers play a crucial role in the healthcare system as they ensure that quality care is maintained and provide the necessary support for the nursing staff to perform their responsibilities well, amongst other duties. Nurses want patients to receive quality, cost-effective care, and these patients want the same. If nurses are happy with their jobs, they provide quality patient care, improving overall patient outcomes. Also, job dissatisfaction predicts how individuals perform at work and whether they intend to leave their position or not.

The current standard of practice does not specify what leadership styles nurse managers or leaders should …

The Impact Of Peer Suicide During Adolescence On Mental Health: An Adult Perspective, Cassandra J. Vanzuiden

Honors Capstones

Problem: Initial interventions after the suicide of adolescents typically focus on those directly impacted by the death, however, little is known about the impact the suicide of a peer can have on adolescents, regardless of their relationship with the decedent. This study aims to understand how peer suicide has affected adolescents and to find resources that would help address their future mental health concerns. Method: A qualitative study was conducted consisting of interviews with four adults between the ages of 20 to 23 and six questions were asked of the participants surrounding their experiences with peer suicide during adolescence. Findings: …

Strategies To Prevent Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries In The Intensive Care Unit, Theresa Ann Pomerleau

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background. Despite prevention strategies, hospital acquired pressure injuries continue to occur, especially in intensive care units. This led to an impetus for nurses to have a robust knowledge of pressure injuries to promulgate prevention strategies in their practice. Significance of the Problem. The hospital acquired pressure injury rate in the medical surgical intensive care unit for the year 2019 at Hospital X was greater than the national benchmark. Purpose. The global aim statement was to improve the quality of patient care by developing an evidence based educational suite in collaboration with interdisciplinary team members for prevention of hospital acquired pressure …

Filling The Knowledge Gap For Nurse Leaders: Next Steps Following Covid-19, Mikel W. Hand, Catherine Alexander, Bret Lyman, Joy Parchment, M Lindell Joseph, Esther Chipps

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to share gaps in knowledge and research related to pandemic management identified by nurse leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a larger Delphi study, nurse leaders responded to an open-ended question about gaps in research they saw as important following the pandemic. Responses were analyzed using directed content analysis. Results are presented as 4 supercategories: Organizational leadership preparedness, adaptive leadership in crisis, innovations in care delivery, and health, well-being, and resilience.

The Influence Of Gender Bias On Male Nurses And Nursing Students In The Obstetric, Maternal, And Pediatric Nursing Profession., Julian Alvarez

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This literature review analyzes if gender bias influences the disproportionate number of male nurses and male nursing students in the pediatric, maternal, and obstetric nursing fields as compared to nursing as a whole. PubMed and CINAHL databases were utilized to find 15 research articles focused on the experiences of male nurses and male nursing students. These articles were compared amongst each other to find common themes of the male experience in the nursing fields of pediatrics, maternity, and obstetrics. The three common themes found were 1) Men tend to encounter situations where their professionalism will be monitored more closely when …

Healthcare Assessment Algorithms/Guides In Pandemic Eras: Capturing Critical Data (Aged 65 And Older), Becky Marie Bautch

Capstones & Scholarly Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about many concerns for populations across the globe in terms of health and well-being including in the United States. It changed the way patients interact within society and limited access to resources that were once readily available. The American population had to adjust the way they go about what used to be considered normal and address challenges in a new era. Fear of the unknown and the mandated lockdowns in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) prevented normal standard healthcare visits for the population. Many patient interviews in primary care are being …

Recruitment And Retention Of Advanced Practice Primary Care Providers In Rural Communities, Nicole Suppes

Capstones & Scholarly Projects

Rural healthcare workforce shortages continue to be a challenge faced by many communities in the United States. Inadequate healthcare staff in these underserved areas could lead to (a) an inability to maintain hospital facilities or clinics, (b) increased pressure on existing staff, (c) providers working longer hours, (d) expectations of providers to provide a broad range of services and procedures, (e) extensive travel for patients to access care, and (f) increased healthcare costs. The purpose of this project was to identify reasons why advanced practice primary care providers chose rural communities and strategies for the effective recruitment and retention of …

Knowing Their Story: The Experiences Of Perinatal Nurses Who Care For Women Using Marijuana During Pregnancy, Darci Jo Mccall

Dissertations

While remaining federally illegal, the use of both medical and recreational marijuana in the United States continues to rise as individual state laws become more permissive and its use more socially acceptable. Paralleling this trend, the use of marijuana during pregnancy is also increasing. However legally defined, marijuana use during pregnancy is discouraged and has been associated with serious health concerns for the mother and her infant. Its use during pregnancy is challenging for healthcare providers as it is not well researched and its effects are not clearly understood. While the experiences of perinatal nurses working with women affected by …

Development Of A Culturally Adaptable Educational Program On Iron-Deficiency Anemia For Use In Resource-Limited Communities., Julie Hirman

Capstones & Scholarly Projects

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a significant global health issue that disproportionally impacts individuals living in resource-limited countries. Access to professional healthcare in these regions is limited and rural communities often rely on specific community members for their basic health care needs. These community members, commonly referred to as community health promotors (CHPs), are seen as knowledgeable in informal or traditional healing practices and are often sought out when illnesses are present. This is a dynamic that could be cultivated and promoted to prevent and treat early stages of IDA. With culturally tailored support and education, advancing the healthcare knowledge …

“I Thought I Was Going To War”: Experiences Of Health-Care Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic – An Exploration Of Projectcope, Smith F. Heavner

All Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to strain health-care systems throughout the world. While early reports compared its impacts to other contemporary disease outbreaks (e.g., SARS and MERS), it quickly became apparent that COVID-19 would dwarf these contemporary crises, escalating to a scale more on par with the 1918 influenza outbreak. This disaster will have unprecedented effects on health-care workers, among whom burnout was already a serious concern. Burnout and linked phenomena moral distress, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma are associated with increased turnover and intent to leave health-care professions, decreased quality of care delivered to patients, and poor mental and physical …

Impact Of Covid-19 Related Deaths On New Nurses In Rhode Island, Jessica Petonak

Senior Honors Projects

The purpose of this project was to identify the impact that COVID-19 related deaths have had on nurses with limited bedside experience in the state of Rhode Island. Exploring the level of preparedness that nurses felt to deal with death can provide insight into nursing and employer education. Hearing about nurses’ experiences during the pandemic helps illustrate the current state of nurses’ mental health. Gaining a better understanding of the amount and types of support that nurses on the frontlines are receiving can identify current gaps and potential areas of improvement. I found that the COVID-19 pandemic and related deaths …

Immunological And Hematological Outcomes Following Protracted Low Dose/Low Dose Rate Ionizing Radiation And Simulated Microgravity, Amber M. Paul, Eliah G. Overbey, Willian A. Da Silveira, Nathaniel Szewczyk, Nina C. Nishiyama, Michael J. Pecaut, Sulekha Anand, Jonathan M. Galazka, Xiao Wen Mao

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Using a ground-based model to simulate spaceflight [21-days of single-housed, hindlimb unloading (HLU) combined with continuous low-dose gamma irradiation (LDR, total dose of 0.04 Gy)], an in-depth survey of the immune and hematological systems of mice at 7-days post-exposure was performed. Collected blood was profiled with a hematology analyzer and spleens were analyzed by whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-sequencing). The results revealed negligible differences in immune differentials. However, hematological system analyses of whole blood indicated large disparities in red blood cell differentials and morphology, suggestive of anemia. Murine Reactome networks indicated majority of spleen cells displayed differentially expressed genes (DEG) …

Effects Of Dance/Movement Therapy On Pediatric Oncology Patients, Kaitlin Callorina

Nursing | Senior Theses

Pediatric nursing specializes in caring for patients from birth through adolescence; therefore, pediatric nursing can be spiritually challenging but rewarding. This thesis will explore the questions:

• Does dance/movement therapy have the potential to improve the quality of life for children who are diagnosed with cancer?
• How does dance/movement therapy change the quality of life in pediatric cancer patients throughout their diagnosis and treatment?

To aid in answering these questions, this thesis will examine various research articles related to dance/movement therapy and other creative arts therapy as complementary medicine and integrating the activity into nursing care. Children who are diagnosed and …

Understanding The Lived Experience Of Health Through The Exploration Of Well-Being Of Women With Multiple Sclerosis In Southwestern Ontario, Jennifer Howard

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is increasing globally with 2.8 million cases worldwide as of 2021, with Canada experiencing the highest incidence for this disease (Multiple Sclerosis International Foundation [MSIF], 2021; Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada [MSSC], 2021). MS is an autoimmune disease that damages the myelin sheath in the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain) which may result in problematic symptoms such as cognitive dysfunction and lead to physical disability (MSSC, 2021). There are over 90,000 Canadians with MS, impacting women on a ratio of 3:1 compared to men (MSSC, 2021; Statistics Canada, 2013). Current literature suggests …

Aspects Of The Physical Work Environment And Nursing Work, Yolanda Keys

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this body of work is to inform nurse leaders and design professionals of opportunities to leverage the physical environment to enhance the overall work environment for nurses.

Background: The environments in which nursing work takes place need to support the staff who work within them. Healthy work environments have been shown to improve outcomes for patients, nurses, and organizations; however, the contribution of the built environment to the overall work environment for nurses is not fully understood.

Methods: Included in this portfolio are three studies: 1) a descriptive study exploring the experiences of …

Ouachita Department Of Nursing Receives Governor's Quality Award, Felley Lawson, Ouachita News Bureau

Press Releases

Gov. Asa Hutchinson presented the Ouachita Baptist University Department of Nursing with the 2021 Governor’s Quality Award earlier this semester during a banquet hosted by the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence (AIPE), award sponsors, in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the progress our nursing program has made in such a short period of time,” said Dr. Tim Knight, dean of the J.D. Patterson School of Natural Sciences at Ouachita. “To be recognized in this way affirms our efforts to have a quality nursing program at Ouachita.”

The Influence Of Parental Obesity On Children And Adolescents, Seth Seward, Kaylee Eckert

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Obesity in America is an epidemic, with a total of 42.4% of adults having a BMI over 30.0. In Healthy People 2030, America set the goal of decreasing childhood and adolescent obesity from 17.8% of our population to 15.5%. Obesity is directly related to a higher risk of developing hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, asthma, anxiety, and depression. Through our literature review, we created the question 'During the ages of 2 to 18, are children and adolescents who have obese parents at an increased risk for obesity and related health diseases in comparison with children and adolescents who do not have obese …

The Impacts Of Consuming Peanuts During Pregnancy, Hannah Irons, Grace Jones

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Peanut allergy accounts for the majority of severe food-related allergic reactions. Childhood allergies have increased in prevalence by 50% between 1997 to 2011 with peanut allergies almost tripling between 1997 and 2017 (Turke, 2017). It tends to present early in life and affected individuals usually do not outgrow it. Reactions to peanuts can range from mild to severe, such as anaphylaxis. The diagnosis of a peanut allergy is confirmed with the detection of peanut-specific IgE (Czolk R., 2021). The question remains "how does one develop a peanut allergy?" Our research project has used evidence-based practice and nursing research to determine …

Mandatory Nurse-To-Patient Ratios Impact On Nurse Satisfaction In California Icus, Emily Mcguire, Anna Schmied

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The purpose of this research was to determine if nurse satisfaction was greater in California intensive care units (ICUs) where there is a mandatory nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:2, one registered nurse (RN) to two patients. Greater nurse satisfaction contributes to the overall improvement of both nurse and patient outcomes. Nurses who work in intensive care units experience high rates of mental distress and poor health due their job demands. Research shows that the mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios in California ICUs lead to fewer work injuries, greater nurse retention, and less burnout - all of which improves nurse satisfaction. This is compared …

Does Smoking Cessation Counseling Improve Success Rates In Adult Smokers Who Desire To Quit Compared To Both Pharmacologic Therapy For Cessation And No Therapy Or Counseling?, Madison Pribble, Trevor Leonard

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This research is aimed to answer the question: does smoking cessation counseling improve success rates in adult smokers who desire to quit compared to pharmacologic therapy for cessation and no therapy or counseling? We looked at health-related literature to determine which method of smoking cessation had the highest success rates. In our research we expected to find that success rates were greatest when individuals had a combination of pharmacotherapy in conjunction with counseling. A report of the Surgeon General compiled results of studies reporting the efficacy of numerous cessation therapies and their success. Our research of these and other reports …

Ms 012 Guide To Dorothea Kassell Papers (1946-1982), Dorothea Kassell 1946-1982

Manuscript Finding Aids

The Dorothea Kassell, RN papers contains newsletters, committee reports, memos, annual reports, business meeting minutes relating to the Houston Area Association of Occupational Health Nurses and Houston Area Association of Industrial Nurses, print campaigns, reprints, and other printed materials which document the career and experience of Dorothea Kassel’s career as an occupational health nurse. See more at MS 012.

Impact Of Covid-19 On Informal Caregiver Stress, Emma M. Vanzuiden

Honors Capstones

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the entire world to isolate, as no one knew exactly what it was, how it was spread, or who was most vulnerable to fatal consequences. This global lockdown cut people off from a lot of necessary resources, including access to any healthcare that wasn’t deemed essential. While priorities shifted to protect vulnerable populations, the system failed to fully prepare their informal caregivers for taking over all of their physical, psychological, and social needs. An informal caregiver is anyone providing care for another individual outside of a professional setting. This literature review aimed to …

Policy Analysis Of The Illinois Nurse Practice Act (Aprn Title Section 65/65-50), Sara Kim

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

Physician groups claim allowing nurses to use the title "doctor" confuses patients. Nurses assert that the title is common to many disciplines, and nurses should be trusted like other professionals to identify their specialty to patients. Currently, qualified nurses in Illinois using the title "doctor" in clinical areas must introduce themselves to each patient in the following way: "Hi, I'm Dr. Smith, the nurse practitioner taking care of you today. I do not have a degree in medicine, and I am not a physician or medical doctor” (225 ILCS § 65/65-50).

Purpose

This project aimed to evaluate Illinois Nurse …

Physical Assessment Skills Taught In Nursing Curricula: A Scoping Review., Sherry Morrell, Natalie Giannotti, Gina Pittman, Adam Mulcaster

Nursing Publications

OBJECTIVE: This scoping review sought to establish the current state of knowledge regarding physical assessment skills taught globally in undergraduate nursing curricula. Explicitly, the review aimed to determine which skills are being taught via curricula and which skills are performed by students in clinical placements, as well as what physical assessment skills are being used by registered nurses in practice.

INTRODUCTION: Nursing programs are expected to teach the physical assessment skills required for entry-level registered nurses to practice competently. The discrepancy lies in determining which skills are essential to teach entry-level nurses and which are unessential.

INCLUSION CRITERIA: Studies that …

Trust And Shared Decision-Making Among Individuals With Multiple Myeloma: A Qualitative Study, Robin L. Whitney, Anne Elizabeth Clark White, Aaron S. Rosenberg, Richard L. Kravitz, Katherine K. Kim

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable cancer with complex treatment options. Trusting patient–clinician relationships are essential to promote effective shared decision-making that aligns best clinical practices with patient values and preferences. This study sought to shed light on the development of trust between MM patients and clinicians. Methods: Nineteen individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with MM patients within 2 years of initial diagnosis or relapse for this qualitative study. Interviews were recorded and transcripts were coded thematically. Results: We identified three main themes: (1) externally validated trust describes patients’ predisposition to trust or distrust clinicians based on factors outside …

Assessment Of Nurses’ Knowledge And Care Practices For Infection Prevention In Neutropenic Patients In Bekaa, Lebanon: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Design, Mona Mortada, Salim Moussa

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

Neutropenia is one of the serious complications to chemotherapy that increases the risk of infection and even mortality. Nurses’ knowledge about neutropenia and their care practices are essential in order to protect neutropenic patients from infection. Thus, this study aimed to assess nurses' knowledge and care practices for infection prevention in neutropenic patients in Bekaa, Lebanon. A cross-sectional descriptive research study had been conducted in five hospitals located in Bekaa district. 81 nurses had been recruited by convenience sampling. They completed the ‘Nurses’ Knowledge and Care Practices for Infection Control in Neutropenic Patients’ questionnaire. The majority were females 77.8% (n=63), …