Evaluating Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates In An Urban Primary Care Practice, Kristen Makowski

DNP Projects

Colorectal cancer accounts for 8% of all cancer deaths and can be prevented through timely removal of colon polyps. Despite recommendations for routine screening, approximately 31.2% of patients go unscreened for this disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). The purpose of this project was to determine screening rates and documentation mechanisms for colorectal cancer in an urban primary care practice, to determine how many patients completed the screening, and to present findings to the practice providers along with exploring ways to increase screenings. An additional purpose of this project was to determine and identify patient demographics which can …

Effectiveness Of A School-Based Asthma Education Program For 8-10-Year-Old Children, Laura Hunt

DNP Projects

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic condition to affect children in the United States Five million children throughout the United States and approximately 112, 000 children in Kentucky are living with the diagnosis of asthma (CDC, 2017; CHFS, 2017). Based on current rates 1 out of 10 elementary school-age students will likely have asthma (CDC, 2019). Educating elementary-age students about asthma and symptoms of an asthma exacerbation is very important and could save a life.

Methods: A school-based asthma education program targeting children in third and fourth grades was implemented at two elementary schools in Central Kentucky. The asthma …

Improving First Dose Administration Of The Hpv Vaccine For Adolescents In A Pediatric Primary Care Clinic, Scarlett Mikesell-Pierce

DNP Projects

BACKGROUND: Nationwide more than 90% of cervical cancer cases are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Cervical cancer can be largely prevented by administration of the HPV vaccine for children before becoming sexually active. However, vaccination rates in the United States, remain low at 60%, and only 39.7% through series of completion, despite the strong evidence to support the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. Research indicates a clinician’s recommendation, providing information and opportunity for discussion about the vaccine are strong motivators for parents to vaccinate their children, regardless of ethnicity. This study addresses the barriers to parent/caregiver intent to …

Nurse Driven Enteral Nutrition Protocol For Mechanically Ventilated Patients, Deena Shewekah

DNP Projects

Introduction: Delayed enteral nutrition in critically ill patients increases the risk of complications and poor outcomes. Current evidence-based guidelines recommend initiation of enteral nutrition within 24-48 hours of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The quality improvement (QI) project aim was to examine whether enteral nutrition was initiated within 24- 48 hours of mechanical ventilation after implementation of QI intervention in order to determine practice change.

Methods: The QI protocol was introduced to the Cardiovascular ICU (CVICU) at UK Chandler Hospital (UKHC) nurses via an education session. A post-education electronic survey identified the nurse’s understanding of the protocol. To identify nursing …

The Effects Of Scheduling Acetaminophen And Methocarbamol Administration On Postoperative Opioid Use And Related Side Effects Among Cardiac Surgery Patients, Whitney Jamison

DNP Projects

The Effects of Scheduled Acetaminophen and Methocarbamol Administration on Postoperative Opioid Use and Related Side Effects Among Cardiac Surgery Patients

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Opioid therapy is commonly prescribed to combat surgical pain in hospitals across the United States and is associated with many negative side effects including dependence and nausea. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine the effects of scheduling acetaminophen and methocarbamol administration postoperatively throughout the cardiac surgery patients’ hospital stay. Through retrospective chart reviews, the aims of postoperative opioid use, postoperative opioid use according to hospital length of stay, antiemetic use, and opioid prescription at discharge …

Don't Just Check The Box: Check Your Athlete's Heart: Adding A 12-Lead Ecg To Pre-Participation Screening To Identify High Risk Of Sudden Cardiac Arrest In Male High School Athletes, Shannon King

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) continues to be the leading cause of death in male high school athletes participating in competitive sports. There is gap in the current preventative screening practice of history and physical alone. The purpose of this project is to evaluate adding a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to pre-participation screening captures cardiac abnormalities that identify male athletes at a higher risk for developing SCA. METHODS: A descriptive secondary analysis design to determine the incidence of cardiac abnormalities detected with the addition of a 12-lead ECG during pre-participation screenings (annual sports physical) of high school-aged male athletes. The study …

The Effect Of A Virtual Child Passenger Safety Educational Intervention On Uk Pediatric Residents' Self-Reported Knowledge, Confidence, And Anticipatory Guidance Beliefs, Brooklyn Johnson

DNP Projects

Background: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in children. Car safety seats (CSS), when used properly, have been proven to reduce injuries and deaths in children during motor vehicle accidents. The leading cause of car seat misuse is parental lack of knowledge about proper car seat use and best practice recommendations. Studies have shown that pediatric primary care providers have variable knowledge of the most updated car safety seat recommendations and are not consistently educating parents about child passenger safety during well child checks.

Objective: To evaluate UK pediatric residents' self-reported knowledge, confidence, and anticipatory guidance beliefs …

Device Related Concerns Pertaining To Primary Caregivers Of Lvad Patients, Nicole Smith, Carissa Smith

DNP Projects

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to focus on caregiver education with an emphasis on caregiver concerns regarding the LVAD; additionally, evaluating the efficacy of an educational video acknowledging those device-related concerns identified by caregivers. The goal of this project is to improve caregiver knowledge and decrease the rate of device related concerns among the primary caregivers.

METHODS: This project is a single center cross-sectional, pre-post-test implementation design to determine the efficacy of device related concerns education on primary caregivers’ knowledge and concerns. A 16-point device related concerns scale was designed to appraise primary caregiver concerns. The scale …

A Modified Screening Tool To Evaluate Risk Of Unanticipated Return Visits To The Emergency Department In The Geriatric Population, Tabitha Riley

DNP Projects

Purpose: To compare the Modified Screening Tool for Identifying at Risk Seniors (mSTIRS) against the Triage Risk Screening Tool (TRST) and the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) for predictive value and assess the relationship between presenting complaint with unanticipated return visit (URV) occurrence in geriatric patients.

Design: A prospective, observational study conducted at a large academic medical center. Descriptive statistics and psychometric analyses were used to analyze the association between demographics, clinical data, and to evaluate the modified screening tool.

Methods: 38 geriatric participants in the Emergency Department (ED) were enrolled and 21 completed the study. The screening tools …

The Effects Of Mindfulness Practices On Nurse Leader Resiliency, Kimberly Blanton

DNP Projects

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate if brief Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) sessions can improve nurse leader resilience and overall mindfulness.

Conceptual Framework: Two different conceptual frameworks, Jean Watson’s theory of caring and Albert Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, were used to guide this project. Watson’s theory of caring is defined as healing of the mind, body, and spirit. This theory supports caring for oneself while caring for others. Bandura’s theory focuses on the belief that individuals can influence their own lives.

Methodology: This study employed a descriptive, pretest-posttest single site comparative design. Sixty-six nursing leaders from …

Improving Assessment, Documentation, And Ordering Of Diabetic Retinopathy Screenings In A Primary Care Clinic, Lauren N. Motto

DNP Projects

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the leading cause of new blindness in American adults. As the number of people with type 2 diabetes continues to increase, the total number of people affected by diabetic retinopathy (DR) will continue to rise. Improved access to screening for DR, followed by treatment, if necessary, can reduce the progression to vision loss. Despite national recommendations, less than half of Americans with DM complete annual diabetic retinopathy screenings (DRS).

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to improve assessment, education, documentation, and ordering of DRS for patients with a diagnosis of type 1 and/or …

Impact Of Nicu Design On Feeding-Related Outcomes In Preterm Infants, Emma Kate Calvert

Theses and Dissertations--Communication Sciences and Disorders

Many NICUs around the country are moving away from traditional open-bay designs in favor of single-family rooms (SFRs) as more is understood about the impact of the sensory environment on neurodevelopment in preterm infants. SFRs house one infant and their family for the length of the infant’s stay and are associated with improvements in numerous outcomes, including increased milk intake and weight gain and earlier transition to enteral feeding. Oral feeding remains a critical requirement for NICU discharge; however, the impact of NICU design on feeding outcomes remains unknown.

The purpose of this study was to compare feeding outcomes between …

Health Priorities, Current Lifestyle Behaviors, And Barriers To A Healthy Lifestyle Among Emergency Department Nurses, Shannon C. White

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Background: Emergency nurses are tasked with managing the hectic, unpredictable, and constantly changing environment of an ED. In addition, emergency nurses have been shown to have high levels of stress, irregular meal schedules, rotating shift work, long hours, and a lack of physical activity. Furthermore, research has suggested that nurses are at an increased risk for non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease (Phiri, et al., 2014), in addition to a high prevalence of obesity (Kyle, et al., 2016).

Methodology: In this study, 23 emergency nurses completed a 43-item survey regarding current behaviors and constructs of …