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Perception Of Pediatric Readiness Across A Health System's Emergency Departments, Rebekah L. Sabo

Doctoral Dissertations

The recent pandemic and pediatric respiratory syncytial virus surge have reinvigorated pediatric care readiness conversations. National strategies and associations exist to guide health systems in improving the quality of emergency care offered to pediatric populations by first assessing readiness for care. These research strategies center on survey implementation and staff engagement in general emergency departments with the goal to improve staff readiness to care for pediatric patients that may present for treatment. What impact would developing a consolidated pediatric readiness program that includes: pediatric emergency care coordinator designation for each emergency department, pediatric readiness education and committee engagement have on …

Reducing Emergency Department Visits For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Nurse-Led Home Interventions, Teri Nguyen

Nursing | Senior Theses

In the realm of pediatric healthcare, children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face unique challenges alongside their caregivers. Caregivers face challenges in accessing appropriate support and resources to effectively address the needs of children with ASD. Children with ASD struggle with sensory sensitivities, impaired safety awareness, and difficulties perceiving potential dangers which put them at greater risk for injuries. As a result, children with autism have higher rates of emergency department visits compared to their neurotypical peers. This research aims to assess the effectiveness of nurse-led home injury prevention and education in reducing emergency department visits for children with …

Implementation Of A Patient Care Specialist Role To Enhance The Patient Experience In A Pediatric Emergency Department, Jillian Brodeur

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Patient-centered care (PCC) has been an emerging trend in healthcare for the past two decades (Walsh et al., 2022). PCC and the patient experience have become essential measures of the quality of care provided and are linked to reimbursement dollars and improved patient outcomes (Rapport et al., 2019).

Purpose: The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to improve the patient experience in the Emergency Department (ED) of a metropolitan hospital. The DNP project focused on the benefit of a patient advocate in the ED to improve the patient experience. The project sought to improve …

Implementation Of A Code Lobby Surge And The Impact On Left Without Being Seen Rates, Nicole Plouffe

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Crowding of emergency departments contribute to higher-than-average left without being seen (LWBS) rates. LWBS patients pose risks to the hospital as well as to one’s own health.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was in a pediatric emergency department (P), does implementation of a “Code Lobby Surge” (I), compared to standard care (C), decrease left without being seen rates (O) within eight weeks (T)?

Evidence: Surge interventions and decreasing the visual of crowding have shown to decrease LWBS rates.

Intervention: “Code Lobby Surge” was implemented to decrease LWBS rates and improve throughput within the …

Improving Advanced Practice Nursing Care To Children With Autism In The Emergency Department, Suzanne J. Bartell

Theses and Graduate Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence rates are increasing within the pediatric population. Often, these children present to emergency departments (EDs) for care that could typically be managed in a primary care setting. Furthermore, pediatric patients with ASD utilize EDs at a rate higher than children without (Baio et al., 2018). Parents, patients, and providers within the pediatric ED setting report a lack of understanding and tools needed to provide quality and meaningful care to this population. The utilization of nurse practitioners in the ED setting is increasing due to affordability and quality of care delivery. The intersection of these two …

Pediatric Emergency Department Nurse’S Knowledge And Attitudes Of Pediatric Fluid Resuscitation, Tannah Kimberly O'Brien, Kerry Nolte Phd, Fnp-C, Denise Downey Msn, Rn-Bc, Cpen, Debra Lajoie Jd, Phd, Msn, Rn, Esq., Allison Ivers Msn, Rn, Cnl, Kathleen Sultan Bsn, Rn, Cpen

Honors Theses and Capstones

Background: Rapid fluid resuscitation is essential to the management of pediatric shock, but there are many barriers to published guideline adherence. Limited evidence describing emergency department (ED) nurse’s knowledge and attitudes of fluid resuscitation exists. This study described pediatric ED nurse’s knowledge and attitudes of fluid resuscitation.

Methods: This single-site descriptive study used survey methodology. A 23-question survey was distributed to nurses in the ED at Boston Children’s Hospital. The survey measured nurse’s knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers to fluid resuscitation.

Results: Findings suggested gaps found between actual and perceived knowledge consistent with prior evidence. There was a 50.9% response …

Improving Patient Handover From The Pediatric Emergency Department To The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Kathryn Devinney

Doctoral Projects

Patient safety can be at risk during registered nurse handover, particularly when transitioning between high risk areas. According to The Joint Commission (2017), a standardized transition process should be implemented during patient handover. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the effect of a standardized process with a cognitive aid on handover between a pediatric emergency department and an intensive care unit. Objectives of the project were to decrease conversion time in the emergency department, increase standardized process utilization, and improve patient outcomes, registered nurse perception and satisfaction, and patient proxy satisfaction. This evidence-based quality improvement project took place …

Improving Emergency Department Nurses' Self-Perceived Self-Efficacy In Early Recognition Of Patients In A Mental Health Crisis, Mary Kay Silverman

DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

The two largest counties within Southwest Florida (SWFL) are Lee and Collier where mental health evaluations for children under the state’s Baker Act have more than doubled between 2011 and 2017 (Gluck & Zeitlin, 2019, p. 4). Given the marked increase in mental health evaluations, early recognition, assessment with initiation of treatment by nurses in the pediatric emergency department (ED) who present with behavioral health complaints must be a priority for emergency department leaders. Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project proposed to improve a nurses’ self-efficacy through expanding knowledge in the recognition and identification of the signs and symptoms …

Improving Analgesia Administration For Pediatric Patients In A Rural Emergency Department, Alvin R. Walters

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

When a child is in pain, parents often seek out treatment at an emergency department. After a detailed chart review it was determined that only 32.53% of the pediatric patients who present to a rural, northern California, ED in pain receive any documented form of analgesia during their time in the ED. A review of the literature revealed that triage nurse-initiated protocols can successfully manage to provide consistent and efficient analgesia to patients who present to an ED with pain. Therefore, a practice improvement project was undertaken to increase of the consistency and efficiency of analgesia administration for pediatric patients …

Evaluation Of A Youth Emergency Room Enhancement Program For Behavioral Health, Anne Thatcher

Dissertations

Problem. Pediatric mental health complaints and subsequent hospitalizations have been steadily increasing. The Behavioral Health Network (BHN) developed an intensive outreach case management program aimed at reducing youth mental health emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient psychiatric admissions. The Youth Emergency Room Enhancement (YERE) program was a process improvement initiative to provide immediate case management to youth and caregivers for mental health care.

Methods. A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method utilizing a retrospective case record review occurred over a six-month period. A convenience sample of youth aged 6-20 years presenting to one of eight healthcare facilities for either ED or inpatient hospitalization …