Social Work Commons^™

Evidence-Based Protocols For Assessment And Treatment Of Adolescent Suicide Risk In An Emergency Department, Rebecca Bentele

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Suicide and suicide attempts are a frequently encountered clinical crisis and the assessment, management and treatment of suicidal patients is one of the most stressful tasks for clinicians (Fowler, 2012). The purpose of this project was to examine whether current assessment and treatment protocols followed in the ED, Mankato, adhere to best-­‐practices as identified through research, as well as to make recommendations to MCHS-­‐Mankato for future considerations and potential modifications to existing protocols.

Needs Assessment Of Emergency Department Social Workers In Southwestern Minnesota In Relation To Emergency Department Expansion, Gina Marie Njugunah

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Expansion of a hospital emergency department will affect the role of the emergency department social worker. This research project was conducted to assess the needs, concerns, and strengths of the social workers working in the emergency department of a regional medical center. The study included 13 participants who completed an on-line survey. Results showed that participants were concerned with the increase in patient volume as well as the possible increase in wait time for patients. Participants also expressed how concerns could be addressed. The most common solution was to track information about the cases, including wait times for patients, in …

Survey Of Emergency Department Patients' Perceived Barriers To Accessing Services And Community Resource Utilization, Kelsey Ann Wilke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to describe the patients being served by Avera McKennan’s emergency department (ED) and to explore perceived barriers to accessing services and current community resource utilization in order to prevent further non-emergent visits.

Research Questions: 1) What are the demographic characteristics of emergency department patients that are referred to the emergency department social worker? 2) What are the perceived barriers that emergency department patient’s encounter when trying to access services and community resources?

Characteristics Of Patients Admitted With Alcohol Related Traumatic Injuries, Jessica Wolf

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Alcohol use is well recognized as a contributor to traumatic injury. The purpose of this review was to describe the demographics of patients admitted to a regional trauma center with alcohol related traumatic injuries in order to improve service to this population and provide injury prevention programs directed towards this population.

Research Question: What are the characteristics of patients admitted to St. Marys Hospital with an alcohol related traumatic injury?

Innovative Mental Health Services In Rural Minnesota: Community-Based Mobile Crisis Response Services, Rebecca A. Zuehlke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project was to explore the relationship between the frequency of service utilization of the Community-based Mobile Crisis Response Services (MCR) provided by the Southwestern Mental Health Center (SWMHC) and the frequency of service utilization of emergency holds and civil commitments in Jackson and Cottonwood counties by month for the 2009 calendar year.

The specific research question proposed was: Is there a relationship between the frequency of Community-Based Mobile Crisis Response Services and the frequency of emergency holds and civil commitments in Jackson and Cottonwood Counties?

The significance of this research project was to explore statistically …

Behavioral Health Self-Efficacy Of Nurses In A Rural Emergency Department, Alyssa Schlager

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This project aims to provide a resource manual for the Waseca area which will be utilized by the emergency department‟s nursing staff. As described above, the need for nursing staff to know how to work with, handle, and appropriately refer behavioral health patients is an essential piece of emergency department nursing. After receiving an orientation on the composition of the new resource manual, emergency department nursing staff will have a better understanding of what to do when the social worker is not present as well as feel more comfortable with their knowledge related to behavioral health patients.

This project has …

Social Work Involvement In Supporting Survivors Of An Unexpected Death In An Emergency Department, Jennifer E. Buchanan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

People occasionally present to a hospital’s emergency department (ED) after an event such as a heart attack or a motor vehicle accident that results in their sudden and unexpected death. Although members of the ED attempt to support the survivors as much as possible, due to the fast pace of the environment and responsibilities to other patients, the survivors may not always be provided with the necessary resources and support. This can leave survivors feeling isolated and confused about the appropriate course of action after this type of experience. A planned, organized approach delivered by educated and sensitive staff can …

Frequent Users Of The Emergency Department: A Policy Proposal, Tina Ann Olson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Research has extensively documented that a small number of Emergency Department (ED) patients make disproportionate use of emergency services (Okin et al., 2000). The term “Frequent Users” is used to describe patients who utilize ED services more than four times per year (Byrne et al., 2003). Frequent Users are often times patients with chronic medical, mental health, alcohol and drug problems, as well as other psychosocial issues (Fulde & Duffy, 2006). Homeless people also appear to have significantly higher ED rates than the general population (Pope et al., 2000). Immanuel St. Joseph’s-Mayo Health System (ISJ) ED appears to have many …