Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

By Utilizing Technology Can Nursing Students Gain More Confidence And Decrease Anxiety When Communicating With Chronically Ill Patients About Their Sexual Relationship?, Sheri Rickman Patrick, Alice Butzlaff

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Introduction
Effective communication is an essential part of nursing care. Nurses need to effectively communicate with patients, families, providers and staff. The purpose of this study was to show how the use of technology (i.e., video conferencing on an electronic device) could assist nursing students to gain more confidence and reduce anxiety when discussing difficult topics such as sexual intimacy.
Methods
Pre-licensure nursing students were recruited to participate as part of regular class activities. A pre- and post-survey asking about their confidence and anxiety in communicating with patients was completed; then subjects were randomly placed into groups of 4 to …

The Discursive Construction Of Substance Use And Harm Reduction In Canadian Health Policy, Sibel Kusdemir

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Harm reduction as a philosophy has been widely recognized by healthcare professionals in Canada, yet the topic remains controversial in both political and public discourses. Understanding these discourses will allow health care providers to better respond to political and public concerns, as well as ensuring that services are aligned well with public health needs. This study explored the discursive use of the term “harm reduction” in Canadian health care and nursing policy documents’ contexts by using a Foucauldian framework and Bacchi’s ‘what’s the problem represented to be?’ approach. I propose three discursive themes: self-responsible citizen, evidenced-based practice, and what nurses …

Osteoporosis Implications For The Aging Adult, Grace Alford

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

This poster describes the pathophysiology, symptoms, implications for care, and treatment of osteoporosis for advanced practice RNs. The research was conducted within health-related databases. The literature review narrowed the search to only include the pathophysiology, interventions, and care for osteoporosis. Literature was restricted to within the past five years. The research showed that osteoporosis reduces mineral density in bones and can be adequately treated within a short amount of time. It is important for nurses and advanced practice providers to be aware of current guidelines, screenings, and treatments for osteoporosis.

Indian Healthcare System: Reflections Of Swedish Nursing Students, Elisabeth Mangrio

Manipal Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences

Internationalization within nursing programs is essential to provide nurses with cultural competence and for nursing students to gain an international perspective. It has also been shown to be effective to gain a cultural understanding. This paper aims to illuminate and explain the experiences that Swedish nursing students had while they engaged in clinical training during an exchange program in India and to provide a comparison between the health service in both countries. Nursing students from Sweden did a four-week clinical placement within the primary healthcare in India in 2020. During the clinical placement, which consisted of a variety of healthcare …

Increasing Vaccination Rates In Pregnancy Using A Multifaceted Approach Including Patient Education And Reminder/Recall Interventions, Jas Tiara Mcgee

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Given the global tragedy that this most recent pandemic has caused, more attention has been given to the devastating outcomes that the spread of infectious disease outbreaks can have. Similar to those with comorbid conditions, pregnant women are also extremely vulnerable to infectious diseases, as disease manifestation does not only affect the mother, but the fetus as well. Thus, the prevention of both the influenza virus and pertussis are two major goals when providing care for this population. Preventing both of these disease processes during the intrapartum period helps to ensure optimal wellness for both mother and baby and overall …

Better Together? The Effects Of Shared Medical Appointments On Bmi In Obese Adults, Amanda Larson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The United States (U.S.) is amidst an obesity epidemic, with Indiana ranking as the 15th worst state (Institute of Medicine, 2012; United Health Foundations, 2020). Despite current management strategies, the obesity rate in both the U.S. and Indiana continues to rise (WHO, 2020). Therefore, obesity management must change. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to determine if the addition of shared medical appointments (SMAs) consisting of informational group sessions by specialists and brief individualized meetings with the provider will result in greater reduction of weight and body mass index (BMI) compared to standard care alone in those …

Implementation Of A Cost-Effective Treatment Algorithm For The Management Of Acne Vulgaris In College Students, Cristina Borsilli

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Acne is one of the most common skin disorders in the United States, occuring in over 5.1 million Americans. Of those with acne, 53.8% are adults between the ages of 18 and 44 years old (American Academy of Dermatology [AAD], 2017). Acne can lead to multiple issues such as scarring, poor self-esteem, anxiety, and depression (Zaenglein et al., 2016). Acne can also negatively impact quality of life (Cengiz & Gurel, 2020). The purpose of this evidence-based project was to develop a cost-effective treatment algorithm for the management of acne vulgaris in adult college students. A literature search determined the best …

Using Mindfulness To Decrease Stress In College Students, Saska Pavlovic

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The prevalence of stress is increasing in colleges, where students are experiencing anxiety at an alarming rate, with anxiety being the topic most discussed in university counseling centers. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to determine the effect of mindfulness exercises on college students’ perceived stress. The Stetler Model guided the project development and implementation. The literature search revealed that best practice included mindfulness exercises through a combination of face-to-face instruction and remote online audio meditation for a duration of eight weeks. For this project, 56 undergraduate students (health care-leadership, health-science, and nursing majors) enrolled in a health …

Don't Be Such A Buzzy®Kill: Reducing Pain During Vaccinations In College-Age Students, Katherine Long

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Immunizations play a fundamental role in reducing the occurrence of preventable diseases in the population. Injections related to immunization are the most frequent pain-producing medical procedure implemented worldwide and account for nearly 12 billion injections annually (CDC, 2019; Taddio et al., 2015). These procedures are often perceived as simple but can have a variety of complications including pain. This evidence-based practice project addressed the following PICOT question: In college-aged students receiving immunizations (P), does the Buzzy® device (I) when compared to non-intervention standard of care (C) effectively reduce injection site pain (O) over a 12-week time period (T)? The Buzzy® …

Keeping Primary Care Providers Informed About Detecting Skin Cancer In Young Adults, Riley J. Spears

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Skin cancer is a common, life-threatening disease that affects anyone, regardless of age or skin color (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2020). The incidence of melanoma is on the rise for young adults, with an estimated 2,400 new cases for individuals aged 15 to 29 (ACS, 2020). Although skin cancer is highly preventable, clinical guidelines are inconsistent regarding skin cancer screening. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to determine if the implementation of the INternet curriculum FOR Melanoma Early Detection (INFORMED) program would improve primary care providers’ (PCPs’) confidence about skin cancer and the number of completed and …

Tiny Tusks Internship: The Effect Of Health Care Providers' Education And Attitudes Toward Breastfeeding On The Mother's Decision To Breastfeed, Jocelyn Clark

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is a stigma surrounding breastfeeding in the public community, places of employment, and health care facilities. This paper focuses on the impact health care workers have on the mother's decision to breastfeed her infant, and her ability to continue breastfeeding as the primary source of infant nutrition. This paper includes experiences from an internship with Tiny Tusks, which provides breastfeeding support to mothers in the Northwest Arkansas area. Tiny Tusks allows for a better understanding of the community's breastfeeding needs and provides support to breastfeeding mothers in order to reduce the stigma associated with breastfeeding. In health care environments, …

Letters Against Loneliness: The Effect Of A Pen Pal Program Uniting Older Adults And College Students On Perceived Loneliness, Allyson Miriani, Caroline Crawford

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Surveys within years and particularly the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed increasing rates of loneliness. More research is also emerging linking loneliness with a myriad of negative health outcomes as well as reduced quality of life. There is little research about effective interventions addressing loneliness. This paper reviews the available literature on the topic and proposes a pen pal program for college students and older adults developed based on available evidence.

Tiny Tusks Internship: Does Breastfeeding Education In An Undergraduate Nursing Program Affect Student Knowledge And Attitudes Concerning Breastfeeding?, Grace Murphy

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tiny Tusks provides honors nursing students enrolled in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas an opportunity to support mothers in the community by providing breastfeeding services, education, and assistance at public Razorback sporting events. Interns provide this support by setting up designated lactation spaces at sporting events, such as gymnastics meets, football, and basketball games, for mothers to breastfeed or pump. In this thesis, I reflect on my internship experience and provide a review of literature. Since the aim of Tiny Tusks is to provide breastfeeding education and support to mothers in the community, the …

Efficacy Of Diabetes Self-Management Education Administered Via Telehealth For Adults With Uncontrolled Diabetes, Tanner Free

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Patient’s with a diagnosis of diabetes require significant lifestyle modification and education. The need for patient education has led to the development of diabetes self-management education (DSME) classes. Unfortunately, utilization of DSME classes is only 5% among Medicare beneficiaries and 6.8% among privately insured patients (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2018). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to implement DSME via telehealth and assist with goal formation to help patients with uncontrolled diabetes achieve glycemic control by increasing access to crucial education. The intervention consisted of bi-weekly calls for a period of 3 months. Participant data were …

The Use Of Automated Text Messaging As An Intervention For Smoking Cessation, Oluwasayo Sinkaiye

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Tobacco smoking is a widespread problem that affects the adult population in the United States (U.S.). In 2018, about 14 of every 100 adults in the USA aged 18 years or older were cigarette smokers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020). Tobacco smoking is associated with chronic disease conditions that have serious health implications including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (CDC, 2020). The purpose of this evidence-based practice project (EBP) was to determine the effectiveness of an automated text messaging application (SmokefreeTXT) for smoking cessation in a primary care setting for adult cigarette …

A Descriptive Study Of Health-Related Risks And Outcome Differences By Loneliness Status In A Sample Of Older Veterans, Rachael Beard

Dissertations

There is a need to understand the influences and outcomes related to loneliness in veterans living with complex illness. Patients require self-care to manage complications and exacerbations associated with complex illness. Deficits in self-care result in negative health outcomes and drive resource utilization upward. The identification of potential factors related to self-care is important. Loneliness may be one factor that influences patients’ ability and desire to care for themselves. Descriptive correlational design was used to evaluate loneliness both as a predictor and outcome in veterans admitted to the hospital for three complex respiratory illnesses (heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, …

Hypertension Management: Improving Medication Adherence Through The Use Of Daily Text Messages, Gaelle Bulabula

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Hypertension (HTN) is the leading cause of hospitalization and is responsible for approximately 50% of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (Al-Noumani, et al., 2018). Uncontrolled HTN can lead to comorbidities including ischemic heart disease, renal disease, or life-threatening arrythmias (World Health Organization [WHO], 2019). The leading cause of HTN is medication non-compliance (Varleta, et al., 2017). The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to determine the effectiveness of daily text messages on antihypertensive medication adherence. A comprehensive review of literature generated ten high-level evidence studies demonstrating that daily text messages near each medication dosing time is best practice for improving …

Increasing Comfort Of Mychart Patient Messaging In An Outpatient Oncology Clinic, Katherine Herdzik

Master of Science in Nursing Scholarly Project

Increasing Comfort of MyChart Patient Messaging in an Outpatient Oncology Clinic

Katherine Herdzik, BSN, RN

Abstract

Electronic patient portals have provided increased access to the electronic health record and patient information. A feature within the portal is a messaging system, creating a secure method of communication between and patient/family member and their care team. Scholarly literature has suggested that this method of communication helps to increase trust between the patient and providers, enhancing the healthcare experience. This study focuses on educational review to increase comfort with the MyChart messaging portal for care managers and nurse practitioners in an outpatient pediatric …

Healthcare And Substance Use Service Accessibility And Barriers For Syringe Service Program (Ssp) Participants In Manchester, Nh, Faith Mackenzie Farnham

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.