Digital Commons Network^™

The Importance Of Charting And Documentation In The Nursing Profession, Charlotte J. Bradshaw

Honors Capstones

Honors Capstone Abstract

Nursing is a profession that can take you to endless different directions, not just in the hospital. Some may decide to work in a clinic, a school, or even laser hair removal centers. Although the setting and workday are different, one thing remains the same: charting. Charting is an everyday, every patient requirement for all nurses. Although this is unarguably one of most important skills to learn before becoming a nurse, most nursing schools do not have a class dedicated specifically to charting. This can create many problems for newer nurses who lack the experience and knowledge …

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: …

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 …

Health Disparities And Pregnancy, Mary K. Ferneau

Honors Capstones

Pregnancy is a time in which an individual is particularly susceptible to the negative effects of health disparities, although it is unclear to what extent this may impact the pregnancy and the health of the mother and fetus. This literature review compiles research from a number of peer-reviewed journals to explore the impact of poverty-related health disparities on pregnancy as a whole. Through this review it has been shown that pregnant women living below the poverty line are impacted by poor nutrition, lack of prenatal care, domestic violence, pollution, stress, and lack of social support. These health disparities can cause …

Simulation's Effect On Self-Efficacy In Nursing Students, Brendan A. Williams

Honors Capstones

High levels of self-efficacy in nursing students increases their confidence and willingness to perform a skill or action in each situation. There is gap in the literature that addresses the negative or undesired effects of clinical simulation on the development of self-efficacy in nursing. This study was conducted to explore if student’s confidence levels in completing nursing skills decreases after unsuccessfully completing the skill in clinical simulation. This quasi-experimental study utilized pre-simulation and post-simulation surveys through Qualtrics to measure self-efficacy levels among nursing students. Participants (N = 17) were nursing students from a baccalaureate program. Overall, successfully completed nursing skills …

The Impact Of The Night Shift On The Well-Being Of Nurses And Ways To Mitigate Them, Gareth T. Elkins

Honors Capstones

Working the night shift as a registered nurse (RN) is not something that many individuals would consider an easy job. With the already existing stresses of the job being placed on the nurse, along with the added challenges of working against the body’s natural circadian rhythm and routine, there can be many detrimental side effects to the nurses. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how RNs who work the night shift are dealing with the effects working the night shift has on them such as increased fatigue, as well as potential weight gain or weight loss. This was …

Factors That Make Outstanding Professors Successful, Mary Lou H. Yarger

Honors Capstones

There is a need to find excellence in education, particularly in the demanding specialty of nursing education. The purpose of this study was to revisit and expand upon Rossetti’s previous work of Factors That Make Outstanding Professors Successful: A Connection to Inspiration (2002). A qualitative study of Northern Illinois University’s (NIU) recipients of the Presidential Teaching Professorship award essays to find factors that make professors excellent in education. A poster of the literature review was presented on April 6th, 2020 at the School of Nursing Honors Poster Day. 13 essays were collected and analyzed, and the following themes were identified: …

Improving Comfort And Reducing Pain During Labor, Anna E. Valentine

Honors Capstones

The pain that women experience during labor is specific to the individual and differs for each birthing mother. Pain during labor is affected by physiological and psychological factors and the intensity of the pain tends to vary greatly. The purpose of this literature review is to discuss the different pain management techniques available to laboring mothers and the importance of preparedness in childbirth on the effects of improving comfort and reducing pain. This paper consists of literature reviews from within the past five years, focusing on the different methods of pain intervention for childbirth. There are many methods to handling …

Strategies To Optimize Control Of Opioid Overdose In The Hospital & Community Settings, Ariel K. Tate

Honors Capstones

Despite healthcare workers’ efforts to care for individuals who misuse opioids in the emergency settings, more interventions and resources need to be identified for these individuals and their families to sustain a better quality of life in all settings. This study is geared toward finding research of existing literature for effective methods on controlling and ceasing opioid overdoses in the hospital and community settings. This topic is extremely important because the number of overdoses across the nation are consistently rising. This review will highlight the statistics behind drug overdose and the many interventions out there to help in the cessation …

It's Raining In My Garden - A Mental Health Guide For Kids, Glenn Agape E. Montero

Honors Capstones

Middle school aged children have little or inadequate mental health education. This causes a contradiction to the idea that the earlier people are informed about their mental health, the sooner they are able to be aware of it and learn how to manage it. Unlike the mental health books and guides that high-schoolers receive and the picture books that elementary school children use, this is a small guide book tailored to those in middle school. Highlighting common mental illnesses that middle-aged children might encounter, such as depression and anxiety, this book informs children on how to notice hallmark signs, how …

Impact Of Baby Boomers On Healthcare, Madeline A. Proffitt

Honors Capstones

Baby Boomer is a term that is used to describe people born between 1946 and 1964. This generation of people were hard working, confident, and desired a high-quality lifestyle. As the Boomers age, the percentage of Americans over the age of 65 will increase significantly, in return placing a higher demand for health care needs. The purpose of this literature review is to recognize how the Baby Boomers will affect the U.S. healthcare system and identify how the healthcare system and healthcare providers are going to respond to their high demands. The articles used for this literature review are scholarly …

Comparing Present And Future Therapies In Stroke Patients, Alana R. Johnsen

Honors Capstones

Cerebral vascular attacks (CVAs), or strokes, remain a leading cause of serious long-term disability and death worldwide. The purpose of this research is not only to evaluate the effectiveness of stroke therapies already in place, but also to compare their success to up-and-coming treatments. The hypothesis of this research is that while the therapies we use today have shown great amounts of success over the years they have been implemented, newer therapies will have the potential to eclipse them and prove to be more successful.

Prevention Of Burnout Syndrome In Nurses To Improve Patient Safety And Care, Mallory N. Alton

Honors Capstones

The purpose of this literature review is to identify strategies that have been shown to prevent burnout syndrome in nurses in order improve overall patient safety and care. Burnout syndrome can be defined as a physical, mental, and emotional state caused by chronic overwork and a sustained lack of job fulfillment and support. With prevention strategies identified, nurses can work to decrease work-associated stress and increase performance levels in order to achieve better patient outcomes. The shortage of available openings in nursing schools has led to a growing gap between the supply and demand for skilled nurses. Because of this, …

Mental Health Of Children With Chronic Illness, Courtney B. Hoster

Honors Capstones

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the current trends in research surrounding pediatric physical chronic illness and mental health outcomes. The rate of children in the United States living with a chronic illness continues to increase and oftentimes, healthcare providers may not recognize the mental health implications associated with living with a chronic physical condition. All articles utilized in this literature review were found using CINAHL Complete. Each article was published within the last five years and has been peer reviewed. The review of literature showed that children living with a chronic physical condition are more likely …

Reducing Stress And Anxiety In Nursing Students Using Music Therapy, Teagan N. Duvall

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Workflow Interruptions: Risk Factors And Outcomes In Nursing, Chandaniben Maniya

Honors Capstones

Introduction: Workflow interruptions in nursing are defined as the disruption of a nursing task. Workflow interruptions are a common stressor in nurses’ work, leading to deviations in their focus that can result in medication errors and missed nursing tasks. Thus, they can compromise patient safety, health outcomes, and satisfaction. Moreover, interruptions can cause stress, burnout, and reduce job satisfaction among nurses. It is important to recognize that there are solutions that would prepare nurses for reducing workflow interruptions and improving their work patterns. The purpose of this literature review was to identify the causes of interruptions, their effects on patients …

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome And Nursing Implications, Alesha M. Gauntt

Honors Capstones

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) continues to be an ongoing health problem as it caused the death of approximately 1,600 infants in 2015. The aim of this thesis and research study was to examine at-risk populations, the factors that increase and decrease the risk of SIDS, educational needs, and the associated nursing implications. The thesis consists of a literature review focusing on literature within the past five years, as well as a research study conducted to investigate areas where further education on SIDS prevention is needed. The research study was a self-reported survey examining practices that parents and caregivers of …

Barriers To Healthcare In The Hispanic Population Of Dekalb County: A Healthcare Provider Perspective, Brittany L. Rios

Honors Capstones

Numerous qualitative studies have identified a variety of barriers faced by Hispanic patients when accessing healthcare, but there has been minimal research completed on healthcare providers’ perspectives of these barriers. The present study was created to investigate current healthcare providers’ perspectives to gain new insight into the factors influencing accessibility of care. In this qualitative study, five healthcare providers were selected as participants through snowball sampling techniques. Data collection occurred through face-to-face interviews, and, with utilization of the Glaser and Strauss constant comparison method of data analysis, four major categories emerged. Findings showed that the barriers identified by healthcare providers …

Promoting Awareness And Prevention Of Compassion Care Fatigue And Burnout In Nurses, Hannah L. Garippo

Honors Capstones

The purpose of this honors project was to educate, inform, and provide relevant interventions for future and current nurses on the topics of compassion care fatigue and burnout. By conducting an integrative literature review, a total of seven studies were examined to present assessment tools used to determine variable characteristics that place a nurse at risk for developing compassion fatigue or burnout. The studies also provided relevant interventions that were shown to be successful in increasing compassion satisfaction and decreasing burnout and compassion fatigue in nurses. Compassion fatigue and burnout have a deep impact on nurses’ professional quality of life …

The Nurse's Role In Promoting Activity In Older Adults, Katlyn G. Luebke

Honors Capstones

The older adult population has a high rate of chronic disease, falls, and a decline in mental health (Nelson et al, 2007). In addition, the aging population utilizes the highest proportion of medical care than any other age group (Chen et al., 2011). The older population trusts the face-to-face interaction with their health care team and nurses are at the forefront of care for their patients (Pacucci, Chu, Leasure, 2012). It is the responsibility of the nurse to educate and advocate for the active lifestyle of an elderly patient for better health promotion and prevention of disease or disease progression. …

Nursing Interventions To Support Initiation And Continuation Of Breastfeeding For Low-Income Mothers Within A Community Setting, Eleanor. Evins

Honors Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to determine factors related to socioeconomic status that affect a mother’s ability to breastfeed and the role that nurses play in breastfeeding promotion within a community setting. Research is conducted through a review of the literature and interviews with licensed lactation consultants and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) employees in order to determine various nursing interventions that are most effective in promoting breastfeeding of the specified population. Contributing factors that enhance breastfeeding rates will be included in the review of literature and discussion of findings. Current statistics suggest that there is a disparity in …

Nurses' Perceptions Of Inmate Health Problems In Correctional Facilities: A Qualitative Study, Katrina M. Zubi

Honors Capstones

An estimated forty percent of jail inmates suffer from chronic health problems. It is important to know what kinds of issues the corrections population faces most commonly. My project looks at the perceptions of nurses who work at a county jail in rural Indiana to see what they view as the most common inmate health problems. It also looks at literature relating to the topic, and compares the results of the two sources of information. I used a seven-question qualitative survey to ask the nurses about what they viewed as the most common problems they saw. I found that both …

De- Stress To Nursing Success, Jessica Jenkins, Emily Whittle

Honors Capstones

Nursing as a whole is a very stressful occupation to go into. From the pre-requisite classes one needs to take to even have a chance of getting into a nursing program; to the many clinical and classes that are required within nursing school, it is just a stressful school atmosphere as a whole. Then one needs to begin preparing for a national board exam that will basically dictate the rest of their life. Plus adding on family commitments, work life, and attempts for a bit of fun, it can all be very trying and consuming to an individual. It is …

The Role Of Intuition In Nursing Practice And Education, Cassandra L. Yagen

Honors Capstones

A review of nursing literature on the topic o f intuition use within nursing practice and education was completed. Four main themes emerged throughout the research. The four themes include 1) definition, 2) validity, 3) experience, and 4) inner voice. The need for further research was established, as intuition is not yet universally accepted as a legitimate piece of nursing practice. Literature collected dates back to over 20 years ago, and when compared to the current nursing literature, many of the same themes still exist. Though progress in formalizing intuition within the nursing profession has been made, there is still …