Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Neuroprotective Effects Of Therapeutic Hypothermia In Post-Cardiac Arrest Patients: A Systematic Review Of The Evidence, Elisabeth Blair, Ashley Short

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death. About 300,000 cardiac arrests occur each year in the US., and survival rates vary from 11-48%. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is a relatively new treatment option for cardiac arrest patients.

Oncology Nurses' Obstacles And Supportive Behaviors In End-Of-Life Care: Providing Vital Family Care, Renea L. Beckstrand, Joan Collette, Lynn Callister, Karlen E. (Beth) Luthy

Faculty Publications

Purpose/Objectives: To determine the impact of obstacles and supportive behaviors in end-of-life (EOL) care as perceived by hospital-based oncology nurses.

Design: A 69-item mailed survey.

Setting: National random sample.

Sample: 1,005 nurse members of the Oncology Nursing Society who had provided EOL care for patients with cancer.

Methods: Three mailings yielded 380 usable responses from 912 eligible respondents, resulting in a 42% return rate.

Main Research Variables: Size and frequency of EOL care obstacles and supportive behaviors for patients with cancer in a hospital setting.

Findings: Results of this research demonstrate the need for more EOL education and help in …

Emergency Nurses' Suggestions For Improving End-Of-Life Care Obstacles, Renea L. Beckstrand, R. Daniel Wood, Lynn C. Callister, Karlen E. (Beth) Luthy, Sondra Heaston

Faculty Publications

Introduction: More than 123 million ED visits are reported annually. Many patients who arrive for care to help extend their lives instead die while in the emergency department. Emergency departments were designed to save lives rather than to provide optimal end-of-life (EOL) care. Emergency nurses care for these dying patients and their families. The purpose of this study was to determine what suggestions emergency nurses have for improving EOL care.

Methods: Emergency nurses were asked which aspects of EOL care they would like to see changed to improve how patients die in emergency departments. Of the 1000 nurses surveyed, 230 …

The Last Frontier: Rural Emergency Nurses’ Perceptions Of End-Of-Life Care Obstacles, Renea L. Beckstrand, Virginia C. Giles, Karlen E. (Beth) Luthy, Lynn C. Callister, Sondra Heaston

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Caring for dying patients is part of working in a rural emergency department. Rural emergency nurses are prepared to provide life-saving treatments but find there are barriers or obstacles to providing end-of-life (EOL) care. This study was completed to discover the size, frequency, and magnitude of obstacles in providing EOL care in rural emergency departments as perceived by rural emergency nurses.

Methods: A 57-item questionnaire was sent to 52 rural hospitals in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Alaska. Respondents were asked to rate items on size and frequency of perceived obstacles to providing EOL care in rural emergency departments. …

Emergency Nurses' Perception Of Department Design As An Obstacle To Providing End-Of-Life Care, Renea L. Beckstrand, Ryan J. Rasmussen, Karlen E. (Beth) Luthy, Sondra Heaston

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Of the 119.2 million visits to the emergency department in 2006, it was estimated that about 249,000 visits resulted in the patient dying or being pronounced dead on arrival. In 2 national studies of emergency nurses' perceptions of end-of-life (EOL) care, ED design was identified as a large and frequent obstacle to providing EOL care. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of ED design on EOL care as perceived by emergency nurses and to determine how much input emergency nurses have on the design of their emergency department.

Methods: A 25-item questionnaire regarding ED …

A Student's Perspective Of Learning On A Dedicated Education Unit, Rachael L. Johnsen

Honors Projects

It is the intent of this honors project to give a student’s perspective of learning in the Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) on Bridge 7 at Rhode Island Hospital. Bridge 7 is a 38-bed unit specializing in general medical surgical patient care services. A student’s perspective is illustrated by journal entries written from each clinical experience over the course of one semester, during the course Adult Health II. In addition to a student’s perspective, it is the intention to compare the learning experience on the DEU, to the traditional model of clinical learning. This project will include current nursing research that …

Redesign Of A Medical Crash Cart, Jozey Mitcham, Brittany Ireland, Tyler Towner, Scott Winston

College of Engineering Poster Presentations

For the 2011/2012 school year at Boise State University, the health science department has requested that a Mechanical Engineering senior design project be focused around the redesign of a medical crash cart. A crash cart, more commonly known as a code cart, is a set of trays, drawers, and shelves on wheels used in hospital emergency rooms for the transportation and dispensing of emergency supplies and equipment for use in cardiac emergencies. The current crash cart design is top heavy, unstable, inefficient, unorganized, and unsafe. In an attempt to increase functionality, efficiency, and safety, a new design is being developed …

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Prevention In The Traumatically Injured Patient: Beyond The Bundle!, Cindy Umbrell Msn,Rn,Cns,Ccrn, Kenneth Miller Med, Rrt-Nps

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Geriatric Trauma Patients In The Emergency Department: Length Of Stay, Intensity Of Care, And Post Ed Destination", Elanor Gates, Doris Warner, Meg Bourbonniere, Patricia Williams

Department of Nursing papers and presentations

Background & Purpose: Research on emergency department length of stay (EDLOS) suggests that increased LOS may result in worse patient outcomes and increased overall LOS. Additional research suggests that increased age may not only result in lower intensity of care for some patients but might also increase EDLOS. For geriatric trauma patients, intensity of care and EDLOS may be different from non-geriatric patients. Given the nature of geriatric traumatic injury, it is important to understand if improvements can be made in geriatric trauma services.

Study/Project Design: A retrospective descriptive study utilizing the hospital’s trauma registry data was completed, including patient …

Increased Emergency Department Boarding Times, Marija Djokovic

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Prolonged boarding times (increased wait times for admitted patients) in the emergency department result in an increase in morbidity and mortality in critically ill adult patients admitted to the ICU. Overcrowding in the emergency department (ED), medication errors, and a delay in transfer to the ICU are the leading reasons for an increase in morbidity and mortality. This project focuses on a comprehensive assessment of a Las Vegas emergency department. The assessment will determine if the issues cited in the literature of: 1) overcrowding, 2) medication errors, and 3) delay in transfer are a current problem in the Las Vegas …