Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Sensory Room Education To Promote Usage In An Inpatient Psychiatric Setting: A Quality Improvement Project., Breanna M. Coulardot

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Seclusion and restraints are intended to be used as a last resort intervention if a patient presents as harmful to themself or others. However, the use of seclusion and restraints in mental health practice has been questioned for several decades. A 26-year study that researched restraint-related fatalities among children and adolescents in the United States from 1993 to 2018 disclosed 79 deaths (Nunno et al., 2022). Seclusion and restraints also restrict autonomy which can cause retraumatization if a patient was previously neglected or abused (Hammer et al., 2011). Many patients presenting to the project site are survivors of neglect and …

Utilizing A Reminder Tool To Improve Post-Hypoglycemia Recheck Rates On A Medical Surgical Unit., Laken Heitz

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Diabetes is a growing epidemic with profound implications on the healthcare system. One of many possible complications is hypoglycemia, which is any value below 70 mg/dL. Inpatient hypoglycemia is a patient safety concern, and its treatment requires nursing adherence to strict protocols including a recheck within 15 to 30 minutes after treatment. However, evidence from the literature and project site demonstrated low rates of timely post-hypoglycemia rechecks. The purpose of this project was to provide education to all MIPS nurses regarding the utilization of a reminder tool for post-hypoglycemia rechecks. The intervention plan included reviewing the current hospital-wide hypoglycemia policy, …

Increasing Music Therapy Referrals In A Surgical Intensive Care Unit., Brandi Cecil

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Medications have been the primary intervention in intensive care unit patients due to the fact that the patients are often unconscious, critically medically ill, or unable to actively participate in nonpharmacological treatment. Researchers have found the integration of music therapy in patient care has helped ease pain, anxiety, and stress, and has been useful in vital control, such as decreasing heart rate and respiration count. A study was conducted in a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) to examine the benefits of increasing music therapy consults. Critical care nurses were educated on the advantages of utilizing interdisciplinary care by consulting music …

Multicomponent Approach To Delirium Prevention In The Acute Care Setting: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project., Kelley James

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: Acutely ill, hospitalized individuals are at an increased likelihood of developing delirium. Between 30-35% of those patients admitted to the hospital will develop delirium, and as a result, these individuals will face an increased risk of mortality, adverse medical events, restraint usage, and incur a more extended hospitalization. The literature supports early screening utilizing the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) tool and nurse-driven, multicomponent interventions to aid in preventing its development.

Environment: This project was implemented in a long-term, acute care facility specializing in patients requiring long-term mechanical ventilation, advanced wound care, pulmonary and respiratory care, and the rehabilitation of …

Implementation Of A Drive-Through Covid-19 Mass Vaccination Site: Experiences From Louvax–Broadbent In Louisville, Kentucky, Ruth Carrico, Sarah Beth Hartlage, Valenchia Brown Msn, Aprn, Fnp-C, Sarah M. Bishop, Luanne Didelot, William Hayden, Beverly Williams Coleman, Sarah Tan, Delanor Manson, Kellie Kane, Dawn Balcom, Paul Kern

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background: Response to the COVID-19 pandemic has required innovative approaches to vaccination, including methods to rapidly and safely immunize communities. A major challenge to such a response involved access to untapped healthcare worker resources. The Louisville, Kentucky, response involved the use of a large volunteer workforce to supplement local public health employees in planning and implementing a large-scale drive-through vaccination event. The objective of this manuscript was to outline processes involved in training a mass immunization workforce and implementating a large-scale COVID-19 community vaccination.

Approach: Competency-based and standardized training was provided for every volunteer before working their shift. Volunteers worked …

Evaluation And Implementation Of A Video Intervention To Increase Adherence In A Rural Phase Ii Cardiac Rehabilitation Program., Holly Yahyawi

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: In the U.S., heart disease affects over 30 million adults and is the leading cause of death. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) decreases cardiac hospital readmissions, decreases the risk of additional cardiac events, and increases life expectancy. Environment: This project was implemented at a CR program which serves rural Indiana and Kentucky counties. Purpose: This QI project uses a Plan-Study-Do-Act framework to evaluate patient adherence to a rural CR program, implement a video intervention for patients, and measure patient’s perceptions. Procedures: CR patients watched four videos describing what CR is, what to expect at CR, CR benefits, and a patient CR …

Improving Patient Safety During The Emergency Department Discharge Process With The Use Of Two Patient Identifiers., Hannah English

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Nurses are not always confirming two patient identifiers while conducting a patient discharge, resulting in patient identification errors. This problem has been shown to significantly affect patient safety and satisfaction, decreasing both when errors are made. These errors also have heavy financial and legal consequences on the affected facility and on the discharging nurses, warranting a need for improvement. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to decrease patient-identification errors at discharge by increasing nurse use of two patient-identifiers through the implementation of an education program. This ten-week program involved education sessions that presented evidence-based material specifically focused on …

Implementation Of A Quality Improvement (Qi) Intervention To Increase Influenza Vaccination Uptake In A Pediatric Primary Care Setting., Lisa Gaines

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: Internal and external evidence demonstrates that there is a suboptimal uptake of influenza vaccination (flu vaccine) in all settings, despite national objectives to achieve 80%- 90% immunization rates across all populations. In 2002, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issued a recommendation that all children 6 months of age and older be immunized annually with the influenza vaccine. Despite these recommendations, influenza vaccination is not required for school entry in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and immunization rates continue to fall below local, state, and national targets. Being considered an optional vaccine leaves the decision to vaccinate (or not) …

Reducing Falls Through An Education Intervention To Increase Nurse-Promoted Mobility In Hospitalized Patients., Tamara Slater

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

The aim of this project was to determine if educating registered nurses (RNs) on the importance of nurse-promoted patient mobilization could increase RN knowledge on patient mobility and reduce the rate of patient falls on a cardiology/neurology nursing unit in a southeastern area of the United States. This project was a quality improvement project with a pre-test/post-test design. The intervention included a teaching session for RNs and posted reminders. The teaching session included information on the use of a mobility algorithm, where to locate mobility equipment, and the physical therapy referral process. The reminders included flyers posted around the unit …

Human Trafficking Education For Pre-Licensure Nursing Students: A Quality Improvement Project., Mollie Elizabeth Flowers

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery and a violation of human rights (Scanwell, Macdonald, Berger, & Boyer, 2018). An estimated 40.3 million individuals are being trafficked globally at any one time with 14,500 to 17,500 being trafficked within the United States annually (Polaris, 2018; Mason et al., 2016; Richards, 2014). An estimated 87% of human trafficking victims were seen by health care professionals during the time they were being trafficked and went unrecognized. (Lederer & Wetzel, 2014). This project utilized the Plan– Do- Check -Act model for quality improvement. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, n.d.). This project …