Other Nursing Commons^™

Using Unfolding Case Studies To Develop Critical Thinking In First-Semester Nursing Students, Carol Cook

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

There is a crisis in competency among new nurses in the United States. Prelicensure nursing education prepares them to pass the NCLEX-RN, but it does not provide the necessary foundation for sound clinical decision-making. Mistakes in the clinical setting can lead to failure to rescue, resulting in the third leading cause of death: medical error. A radical change is needed to prepare nurses with the clinical judgment skills necessary for patient care. Educators must be mindful of the academic-practice gap and adopt evidence-based improvements, including active learning with unfolding case studies. This quality improvement project involved a four-part unfolding case …

Nursing Students' Competence With Anesthesia, Mallory Groover

Honors College Theses

Anesthesia management is diverse and complex. As a Registered Nurse (RN), it is imperative that the basic pathophysiology of anesthesia complications is understood in order to provide competent care. The effects of anesthesia can vary greatly depending on factors such as age, sex, health status, and lifestyle. Since there are several variables, it takes years of experience working with a diverse population to anticipate adverse effects and patient outcomes. Preparedness for anesthesia management could be improved through the use of simulations during nursing school relating to post-anesthesia care, as well as more in-depth lectures over the potential complications and pharmacodynamics …

Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Health Behaviors And Feelings Of Career Preparedness Of Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Mary Haggard

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The aim of this study was to determine if the COVID-19 pandemic affected the health behaviors and feelings of career preparedness of undergraduate nursing students. Participants were recruited from the pre-licensure program at the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville during the Fall 2021 semester. The final sample consisted of 92 participants. This study used a cross-sectional design, retrospectively measuring behaviors and attitudes pre-pandemic and during the lockdown period. Two-tailed paired t-tests were run on the health behavior sections and feelings of career preparedness sections independently. Results were deemed significant with an alpha value set …

Mitigating Weight Stigma In The Medical System: Self-Compassion For Nursing Students, Ellen C. Joseph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weight stigma is a form of oppression that has been shown to have a detrimental impact on the well-being of people with higher weight. Healthcare providers are one of the most common sources of weight stigma, and their stigmatizing beliefs have been found to be associated with differential care for patients with “obesity”. The current study aimed to explore the feasibility of the loving-kindness meditation (LKM) as a brief intervention that reduces weight bias in nursing students by increasing self-compassion, positive, other-focused emotions, and cognitive flexibility, in order to improve compassionate care for patients with higher weight. Participants (189 nursing …

Auto- Ethnography With A Deep Dive Into Changes Mental Health During The Pandemic And A Look Into The Way The Pandemic Has Shaped Nursing Protocols For Recent Nursing College Graduates, Audrey Shaffer, Sarah Bereznay

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this project we completed a deep dive into how the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped our mental health and has affected our preparation for careers as registered nurses through a series of auto- ethnographic narrative journals using scholarly articles to support this idea. By utilizing personal narratives, we analyzed and reflected upon the cognitive and mental changes we experienced throughout this pandemic. We fulfilled this by comprising two personal narratives with inquiries pertaining to each shared narrative by utilizing the common themes of being nursing students and living through a pandemic. Within these personal narratives, we discussed how the pandemic influenced …

In The Midst Of A Pandemic: Exploring Nursing Students' Attitudes And Beliefs Toward Their Training And Education, Harper C. Lewis

Honors College Theses

During Spring of 2020, didactic and clinical courses for nursing students at Georgia Southern University transformed to virtual platforms due to COVID-19. Student nurses learn their profession with experiences in both classroom and clinical settings. Clinical setting helps students strengthen psychomotor skills learned during simulated laboratory work. While all health profession students expressed stress as a major factor for well-being, student nurses seemed to experience more stress. Stress threatens nursing students’ sense of control over present and future performance. Competently performing skills required of newly graduated nurses greatly determines new graduates’ ability to secure employment as a registered nurse in …

Nursing Student Perceptions Of Health Care Worker Appearance And Compassion, Skill, Knowledge, And Trustworthiness, Sophia Quick

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Many health care facilities enforce strict dress code policies prohibiting visible body modifications, including tattoos, piercings, and vibrant hair colors. As popularity of body modifications among young adults surges, facilities may be forced to adapt policies as these workers enter the workforce. While some evidence exists related to patient perceptions of health care workers with body modifications, there is little about how nursing students perceive them. This study aimed to describe undergraduate, pre-licensure nursing students’ perceptions of health care worker appearance on compassion, skill, knowledge, and trustworthiness.

Methods: Using cross-sectional design, an on-line Likert-type survey was used to collect …

Decreasing Test Anxiety In Nursing Students Using Cute/Funny Animal Videos, Lynn Kelso

DNP Projects

Abstract

Background: Stress, test anxiety and worry continue to increase in nursing students. As successful completion of course exams is required for nursing students to complete their program of study, these increased levels of stress, anxiety and worry can hinder their ability to perform at their best. Purpose: The aim of this project is to show that using cute/funny animal videos prior to an exam can decrease test anxiety (TA) and improve performance. Project Improvement Framework: The plan-do-study-act, PDSA, quality improvement framework was used for the final, modified project. Method: A video was embedded into three of …

The Effects Of Nursing School Peer Tutoring On Tutors, Yelyzaveta Soboleva

Undergraduate Honors Theses

An integrative review was used to examine the effects of being a tutor versus not being a tutor. The matrix method was used to guide the research process, to identify articles that met the inclusion criteria, and to reduce data into common topics of peer tutoring. The results of the integrative review yielded 20 articles and suggested that students in the position to assist others are more confident in communicating in groups and have higher knowledge in the subject they help with than their fellow peers. The literature showed that students in the position to assist others have defined personal …

Nursing Student Stress, Ruthanne Emily Hawks, Hannah Rae Wilson, Carly Marie Gillota, Taylor Anne Hall, Edward William Mccain

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Nursing students deal with a variety of stressors, including difficult curriculum and new endeavors such as clinical and lab experiences. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between stress levels and coping mechanisms and readiness to change unhealthy coping mechanisms in baccalaureate nursing students. The Transtheoretical Model of Change guides this non-experimental, correlational study and measured readiness for change. The Student Nurse Stress Index was used to measure stress. The abbreviated COPE Inventory was used to measure coping. Online recruitment, consent forms, and surveys were distributed to nursing students via the Student Success Center in the College …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Perceived Stress And Coping Mechanisms In The Undergraduate Nursing Student, Marissa Rebello

Master of Science in Nursing Final Projects

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), coping mechanisms and perceived stress in undergraduate nursing students.

Design:A quantitative non-experimental descriptive design was followed.

Method:The data was collected through a convenience sample. The sample was collected during an undergraduate nursing class where the students in the classroom were asked to participate in the study. The students that chose to participate took a survey that included data collection on demographics, EI scores, perceived stress and coping mechanisms. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (Cohen et al., 1983), the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997), and …

Nursing Students’ Knowledge And Understanding Of Acute Cystitis, Kayla Weber

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Acute cystitis (AC) is characterized by a sudden inflammation of the bladder caused by bacteria. The severity of AC ranges from mild to severe and may be recurrent, especially in at-risk populations. Bacteria in the bladder may travel further into the urinary system, causes urinary tract infections (UTI’s) resulting in urosepsis. Hygienic procedures play a large role in decreasing the bacteria that causes AC, so it is important for nursing students to understand and correctly apply the knowledge learned throughout the curriculum. This study focused on the knowledge and understanding nursing students have about AC. To determine this information, a …

Evaluating State Anxiety Levels In Nursing Students, Rachel Stevens, Rachel Nussbaum, Tyler Blake

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anxiety, dependent upon the frequency and severity, can be a serious problem that reduces physical, cognitive, and clinical performance. Nursing students have been found to experience especially high levels of state and trait anxiety which, according to Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory, causes a deficit in health promotion and the health of oneself. There is little evidence available about how progression through a baccalaureate nursing program in the United States impacts anxiety. This research investigates anxiety in baccalaureate nursing students and how progression through the program influences self-reported anxiety levels. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on a convenience sample …

Effect Of Root Cause Analysis On Pre-Licensure, Senior-Level Nursing Students’ Safe Medication Administration Practices, Kristi Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine if student nurse participation in root cause analysis has the potential to reduce harm to patients from medication errors by increasing student nurse sensitivity to signal and responder bias.

Background: Schools of nursing have traditionally relied on strategies that focus on individual characteristics and responsibility to prevent harm to patients. The modern patient safety movement encourages utilization of systems theory strategies like Root Cause Analysis (RCA). The Patient Risk Detection Theory (Despins, Scott-Cawiezell, & Rouder, 2010) supports the use of nurse training to reduce harm to patients.

Method. Descriptive and …

Teaching Compassionate Care: Nurse Educators' Perspectives, Jane Defazio

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background: The provision of compassionate care to patients is a core competency expected of nurses, thus nurse educators must help students develop the necessary skills, understanding and motivation to achieve that competency. These educators face the challenge of preparing student nurses for the realities of healthcare delivery, while fostering a meaningful understanding of what constitutes compassionate care in professional practice. They can influence their students both during clinical interaction with patients and through the academic nursing curriculum.

Problem: A considerable amount of research has been published on the value of providing compassionate nursing care; however, there is only minimal research …

Three Speeds Of Yoga And The Effects On Salivary Cortisol Levels In Female Nursing Students, Meagan Hennekens

All NMU Master's Theses

Purpose: Nursing students are prone to stress-related diseases, such as depression and anxiety, which are associated with chronically elevated cortisol levels due to the excessive firing of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis. This study assessed three speeds of yoga and how they acutely affected salivary cortisol levels within female nursing students. Methods: Students participated in three yoga sessions cadenced at different speeds in a non-randomized order: (i) standard-speed yoga (SSY), (ii) high-speed yoga (HSY), and (iii) slow-speed yoga (SLSY). Each class integrated sequencing concepts from the brahmana/langhana strategy (BLS) and the Para Yoga Blueprint (PYB). Cortisol samples were …

An Exploration Of Factors That Contribute To The High Attrition Rate Of African American Nursing Students, Shanell Hill

ETD Archive

Although African Americans represent the largest minority group, studies show they have the lowest success rates in nursing programs. According to the AACN (2013), “African American nursing students have the lowest graduation rate when compared to other minority groups.” The lack of minorities providing care negatively effects healthcare outcomes and accessibility. In order to increase the number of practicing African Americans nurses, it is essential to gain an understanding of the circumstances that lead to successes and failures. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological research study is to provide insight into the positive and negative experiences of African American nursing …

Nursing Students' Attitude And Commitment Toward Substance-Abusing Patients, Amy L. O'Conner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The topic of substance-abuse has received increasing attention in recent years, as the number of individuals experiencing drug abuse and addiction is on the rise. With substance-use on the rise, the number of patients admitted to the hospital with this disorder is increasing also. It is important hospital staff are aware and educated on how to provide adequate care to these patients without judgement regarding their choices or their lifestyle. This study was done to determine how prepared nursing students are to care for patients with drug abuse or addiction. Specifically, the project explores student nurses' attitudes and commitment toward …

Coping Strategies Of Prelicensure Registered Nursing Students Experiencing Student-To-Student Incivility, Robin A. Foreman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Incivility is rude or discourteous behavior that demonstrates a lack of respect for others. Some nurses ignore the dictates of professionalism and exhibit a total disregard for colleagues and peers by purposefully targeting each other with uncivil behaviors. Incivility has invaded the nursing educational environment with deleterious results. Uncivil behaviors perpetrated by nursing students against other nursing students cause psychological and physiological distress for victims and witnesses. The purposes of this quantitative descriptive study were to identify the behaviors that constituted lateral student-to-student incivility, determine the frequency of experienced student-to-student incivility, and describe the coping strategies employed by prelicensure registered …

An Assessment Of The Associate Degree Nursing Students’ Understanding Of Health Literacy Concepts When Providing Health Promotion For The Diabetic Patient, Donna L. Lebaron

Doctoral Projects

Health literacy (HL) concept deficiencies exist in undergraduate nursing curricula (Smith and Zsohar, 2011; Cornett, 2009; Jukkala, Deupree, Graham, 2009). As future nurses who will have a significant impact on client health literacy assessment, it is essential that health literacy-related content be integrated into undergraduate nursing educational curricula (Sand-Jecklin, Murray, Summers, Watson, 2010; McCleary-Jones, 2012). The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has significantly increased resulting in greater morbidity and mortality risks to the general public; therefore, programs for diabetes prevention, education, and health literacy assessments have become a national priority (Whittemore, Rosenberg, Gilmore, Withey, and Breault, 2013; Hemingway, Stephenson, …

The Impact Of Technology-Enhanced Learning Activities On Nursing Student Engagement In The Classroom, Alicia A. Stone

Theses & Dissertations

Educating student nurses in the present environment requires professors to stay current with new methodologies as well as innovations in technology. The question is how to address both the impact of technology and the skills of clinical reasoning, and keep the students involved in the material. If there can be integration of each aspect through the use of technology-enhanced learning activities on the internet and preparation to approach the issue, then perhaps this can increase success. This is a quasi-experimental intervention study that explored the impact of a case study blogging assignment on the engagement of students enrolled in a …

Survival Of The Fittest: The Role Of Linguistic Modification In Nursing Education, Brenda Strauch Moore

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project’s long term goal was to improve English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) nursing student retention. Improving the quality of multiple choice exams is a first crucial step. ESL students find multiple-choice exams to be one of the most challenging aspects of nursing school. One reason for this is the presence of linguistic errors in exam questions. Linguistic errors include: irrelevant question content, poor sentence structure, and culturally biased words or phrases. Non-ESL students are less affected because exams are written in their native language. Linguistic modification, as part of best practices in item writing, removes these types of errors. The U.S. Department …

The Effect Of Personal Contact On Attitudes Toward Mental Illness In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Jessica Ashe

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Many people who suffer from serious mental illness also suffer from the stigma associated with such illness. Because nurses frequently come into contact with the mentally ill, it is important that they do not stigmatize these individuals. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a guest lecture by an individual with a serious mental illness on attitudes about mental illness in a sample of baccalaureate nursing students. The theoretical framework that guides this study is Goffman’s (1963) theory of social stigma. The sample used for this research is a convenience sample of 50 junior level nursing …

Electronic Medical Record In The Simulation Hospital: Does It Improve Accuracy In Charting Vital Signs, Intake, And Output?, Carel M. Mountain

Doctoral Projects

The introduction of electronic health records has created a shift in the way nursing care is delivered (McBride, Delaney, & Tietze, 2012; Furukawa, Raghu, & Shao, 2010). A factor which heavily influences a nurse’s ability to navigate and utilize EMR is adequate education in the use of computerized documentation (McBride, et al., 2012). There is an increased risk for error at the bedside without the correct knowledge and skills regarding EMR documentation (Kelly, Brandon, & Docherty, 2011). This skill should be introduced during the pre-licensure education of the nurse.

Two groups of associate degree nursing students attending a small community …

Increasing Resilience In Adolescent Nursing Students, Teresa Maggard Stephens

Doctoral Dissertations

Nursing students not only face the same developmental challenges as other college students, but also experience unique stressors that contribute to increased risk for negative outcomes. The intimate nature of patient care, the exposure to workplace adversity, death and dying, and the chaotic nature of healthcare can have cumulative negative effects on students’ health and well-being. Increased resilience could prove useful in helping students confidently face challenges and successfully move forward. The lack of empirical evidence regarding resilience-enhancing interventions with nursing students supports the need for examining the effectiveness of an educational intervention to increase resilience in adolescent baccalaureate nursing …

Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (Peps) Of Undergraduate Nursing Students - A Generational Perspective, Susana Machado

Master's Projects

A change in the generational demographics of college students is occurring throughout the United States. By 2012, the number of Millennial students, those born from 1982 to 2003, will jump from 44 percent to 75 percent of the total college enrollment. It has been suggested that their methods of learning are different from those of previous generations. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare individual productivity and learning style preferences of undergraduate nursing students that fall into the Generation X and Millennial age cohort. Using the Dunn & Dunn Learning Style Model and the Productivity Environmental Preferences …