Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Newly Licensed Registered Nurse Employability, Kevin Alan Durr

Theses Digitization Project

This study explored the applicability of a business employability model to nursing. The need for nursing education programs to assess and track employability of NLRN graduates has been demonstrated by several studies. Successful alumni surveys help generate aggregate data that faculty can use to evaluate and strengthen their programs, stimulate change, and improve outcomes.

Self-Directed Online Learning Verses Role Play: Educating Students Nursing About The Physician Orders For Life-Sustaining Treatment Document, Brenda Lee Everly

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of online self-directed learning (SDL) and role simulation in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students learning about the "Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment" (POLST) document.

A Practical Solution To The Challenges Of Rehabilitation Nursing Documentation, Ann Summar, Joyce Belanger, Melissa Vee

Nursing Posters

To evaluate and improve the daily progress note template in rehabilitation nursing documentation.

Simulation Training For Fiberoptic Intubations, Kelley Clark Moore

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Projects

Airway management is the cornerstone of anesthesia practice. Fiberoptic intubations (FOIs) are one advanced airway method that Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) must be able to use. However, the low volume, high risk nature of this skill may affect a practitioner’s ability to perform this type of intubation. Despite this, no standardized training programs had been developed for this skill. The purpose of this project was to develop and implement an evidence-based educational simulation training program that allowed CRNAs the opportunity to practice safe FOIs and evaluate its effect on competence and self-confidence.

A review of the literature suggested the …

Self-Management Of Unpleasant Auditory Hallucinations: A Tested Practice Model, Robin Buccheri, L Trygstad, M Buffum, P Birmingham, G Dowling

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Individuals who experience auditory hallucinations (AH) frequently report hearing unpleasant voices saying disturbing things to them, making derogatory remarks about them, or commanding them to do something, including harming themselves or someone else. The Self-Management of Unpleasant Auditory Hallucinations Practice Model was developed to help psychiatric-mental health nurses in both inpatient and outpatient settings implement evidence-based nursing care for voice hearers who are distressed by unpleasant voices. The model's utility extends to nursing education, administration, and research. The model is comprised of three parts: (a) Assessment of Voice Hearer's Experience, (b) Nursing Interventions, and (c) Voice Hearer's Expected Positive Outcomes. …

People Who Inject Drugs, Hiv Risk, And Hiv Testing Uptake In Sub-Saharan Africa, A K. Asher, J A. Hahn, Marie-Claude Couture, K Maher, Page

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Dramatic rises in injection drug use (IDU) in sub-Saharan Africa account for increasingly more infections in a region already overwhelmed by the HIV epidemic. There is no known estimate of the number of people who inject drugs (PWID) in the region, or the associated HIV prevalence in PWID. We reviewed literature with the goal of describing high-risk practices and exposures in PWID in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as current HIV prevention activities aimed at drug use. The literature search looked for articles related to HIV risk, injection drug users, stigma, and HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa. This review found evidence …

Transcultural Nursing And Malaria: Identifying Global Health Strategies Through The Lived Experiences Of Nurses From The Villages Surrounding Bamenda, Cameroon, Noella Sob Tataw

Theses Digitization Project

This study highlights the challenges faced by nurses working in the villages surrounding Bamenda, Cameroon. This is done as a necessary first step towards developing a culturally compelling intervention strategy fro Malaria prevention/treatment, through direct interaction of nurses in villages surrounding Bamenda in Cameroon. Malaria and other diseases pose significant health care problems in remote regions of Cameroon.

Orientation For Increased Volunteer Effectiveness With Midwives For Haiti, Kelly Toner

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

This pilot study created a comprehensive orientation module to help Midwives for Haiti prepare volunteers to serve in the organization’s midwifery school in Haiti. The module was evaluated to assess its perceived effectiveness and) revise it to better fit volunteer needs. The volunteers completed the module prior to their trip to Haiti and then completed an evaluation survey upon return; only three volunteers completed the entire pilot study process. Two out of three responded that the orientation fully prepared them for their time abroad. Other comments included the need for (a) additional emphasis on basic math and drip rate calculations, …

The Lived Experience Of Weight Retention Among Postpartum African American Adolescents, Thelma Mae Phillips

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Obesity presents a public health challenge and is a serious chronic medical condition, which is associated with multiple co-morbidities and reduced survivability/longevity (Davis, Stange, & Howitz, 2010). African American adolescents who retain weight after pregnancy are at the highest risk of becoming obese adults. Obesity is expected to cost the United States health care system over 237 million dollars (National Institutes of health, 2011) within the next decade.

The prevalence of obesity is cause for concern because of its costs to the economic base of the country and its toll in human suffering due to related morbidity and mortality. …

Quality Of Long-Term Care In Medicare-And Medicaid-Certified Nursing Homes In Southwest Ohio, Cheng Wu Zhang

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Background: Long-term care facilities provide a wide range of services over a sustained period of time to people of all ages with functional limitations and chronic conditions. Nursing homes provide 24 hour nursing care support and long-term housing.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships among nursing home ownership, care processes and quality outcomes in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes in Ohio.

Methods: This is a descriptive study that uses the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Minimum Data Set (MDS). There were 198 Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes located in Southwest Ohio included …

Virtual Collaboration In The Online Educational Setting: A Concept Analysis, Henny Breen

Faculty Publications

This study was designed to explore the concept of virtual collaboration within the context of an online learning environment in an academic setting. Rodgers’ method of evolutionary concept analysis was used to provide a contextual view of the concept to identify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of virtual collaboration. Commonly used terms to describe virtual collaboration are collaborative and cooperative learning, group work, group interaction, group learning and teamwork. A constructivist pedagogy, group-based process with a shared purpose, support and web-based technology are required for virtual collaboration to take place. Consequences of virtual collaboration are higher order thinking and learning to …

Hiding In Plain Sight: Building Community Special Social Capital In Distance Education Graduate Programs, Brenda H. Sheingold, Joyce A. Hahn, Anne Hofmeyer

Nursing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mind The Gap: Fostering Scholarship-Into-Practice For Advanced Practice Nursing Students Through Embedded Librarianship, Brenda H. Sheingold, Thomas Harrod

Nursing Faculty Publications

In recent years, librarianship has been increasingly recognized as a critical component of inter-professional healthcare education. This manuscript describes how innovative coordination between libraries and university healthcare programs can remove the barriers to scholarship for graduate students who enroll in distance education (DE) programs. The authors examined the perceived impact of librarian embedment for DE nursing students graduating with master’s degrees from George Washington University in 2013. Librarians were embedded in the first course in which they were enrolled in 2010 to support the mastery of scientific research skills. Analysis indicated that students strongly agreed that contact with embedded librarians …

Weight Bias: Promoting Nurses' Awareness, Beverly A. Kaehler

Theses and Graduate Projects

Obesity is an epidemic in the United States. Health care providers, including nursing staff who specialize in obesity treatment are not immune to the prevalent negative perceptions of obesity in society. Literature has demonstrated how nurses' bias can affect the care they give the obese population. Education can help develop self-awareness and increased self-awareness can develop caring attitudes. An educational program, that used cognitive and affective domains, to increase nurses' sensitivity and caring attinrdes was developed and presented to the nurses on a general surgery nursing unit that specializes in bariatric surgery. The nurses found the education very helpful, but …

Innovative Pain Management Of The Post-Operative Patient, Debra Perry

Theses and Graduate Projects

Medical/surgical patients post-operatively report significant pain and are not always satisfied with their pain management. Nurses on medical/surgical units frequently find themselves in a cycle of chasing after their patients' pain. Medical/surgical units historically rely heavily on pharmacological interventions to manage post-operative pain with little focus on non-pharmacological interventions. With the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as an additional tool for care for medical/surgical nurses, they will be empowered to be proactive rather than reactive in post-operative pain management. This project develops an innovative post-operative pain management educational program that integrates Western medicine and CAM into the care …

Self-Care For Native American People With Type 2 Diabetes: A Creative Approach To Enhance Their Well-Being, Manuela Przybyszewska-Wosiek

Theses and Graduate Projects

The development of culturally congruent visual resources on self-care in type 2 diabetes is a culturally appropriate method to provide education to the Native American patients. In particular, the creation of a series of illustrations on foot care is needed. Guided by Leininger's Culture Care Theory and the Sunrise Enabler, materials on foot care are developed through the convergence of emic (generic) and etic (professional) knowledge. Orem's Theory of Self-Care and the Native American perspectives are used to integrate concepts pertaining to self-care. This project supports the enhancement of health literacy as a component of health communication - a goal …

Leading The Way To Comprehensive And Compassionate Care Of Bariatric Patients, Wendy Kay Grimshaw

Theses and Graduate Projects

The past several decades have seen drastic increases in obesity worldwide. The United States (U.S.) is one of the leading countries for obese populations and has seen an even greater increase in its morbidly obese population, referred to as bariatric in the health care community. Many health care facilities designed to care for normal weight patients find themselves grappling to provide care for bariatric patients in facilities not built to accommodate their size. Widespread bias against obese patients, gaps in proper space and equipment, and knowledge deficits related to care needs and co-morbidities specific to the bariatric patient population need …

Promotion Of Mental Health Wellness Among Second Generation Immigrants In The Cedar Riverside Neighborhood, Caroline Abenakyo

Theses and Graduate Projects

Effects of the stigma associated with mental health illness among immigrant populations are exacerbated by challenges like language barrier, poverty and low education status. Immigrant children and teenagers are more vulnerable to compromised mental health wellness due to their dependence upon adults and their critical developmental stages. The purpose of this project is to explore the collaborative effort between health care professionals, law enforcement, community leaders and volunteers in the development of a nursing based support group for East African immigrant parents to promote mental health wellness for second generation immigrants in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. Madeleine Leininger's Theory of …

The Malaika Project, Monicah M. Gikiri

Theses and Graduate Projects

Father involvement has been reported to have a positive relationship with children outcomes. The goal of this project is to empower young fathers by providing a safe home. The Malaika project will provide safe housing for young fathers age l8-21. Providing housing stability could potentially increase the parental involvement of the young father. The project was guided by Watson Theory of Caring and Culture of Safety Theory developed by Irihapeti Merenia Ramsden. This paper provides a guide on how these safe homes will be established. The project will discuss challenges that have been identified such as financing, IRS filings, and …

Quiet Please: Our Patients Are Healing!, Evie Pochardt

Theses and Graduate Projects

Patients are under a significant amount of stress during their hospitalization. Noise is an environmental stressor which is found at increasing levels in hospitals and is a primary annoyance for patients. This environmental pollutant can impair a patient's rest, sleep, and ultimately affect healing. Unwanted noise has been shown to cause sleep disturbance, impair wound healing, trigger hormones affecting the cardiovascular system, immune system, and metabolism as well as perception of pain. Intermittent noises such as those from infusion pumps, monitor alarms, and pagers are the most disturbing. Nightingale believed that unnecessary noise was harmful to the patient's healing; it …

The Bus Stops Here: Mobile Education Program, Katie Juskewitch

Theses and Graduate Projects

Medical knowledge and technology are rapidly evolving. Nurses need to continuously adapt their practice to provide the best care for their patients and to meet the financial incentives being applied to hospitals. The need for continuous nursing education is apparent since healthcare continues to advance. A project to the develop an alternative method of continuing nursing education for hospital nurses called "bus stop education" was designed to optimize the retention of new knowledge by addressing the needs of the adult learner. The framework of a hands-on learning approach guided by Malcolm Knowles classic theory on andragogy of learning, Watson's theory …

Patient-Family Centered Advisory Council For The Emergency Department, Kelly Sanocki

Theses and Graduate Projects

Issues such as overcrowding and long wait times in the ED cause an increase in patient frustration and dissatisfaction, which may lower hospital satisfaction scores,, and reimbursement. This project proposes the implementation of a Patient-Family Advisory Council (PFAC) in the Emergency Department (ED) setting in a large urban hospital. The addition of a PFAC will offer patients and family members a voice in their care, as they work collaboratively with various healthcare providers to improve patient care, patient safety, and overall satisfaction. The addition of Watson's Caring theory will serve as the theoretical framework for the PFAC since it is …

Intentional Rounding On A General Surgical Unit, Lisa M. Patterson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Patient safety for the hospitalized patient is a coneern. Hospitalized patients are affected by pain management issues, a risk of falling, and the potential to develop pressure ulcers. Research has shown that by reducing these events, patients report increased satisfaction which ultimately increases hospital reimbursements, not to mention cost avoidance. Intentional rounding is a nursing best practice designed to anticipate patient care needs and improve patient safety. A project to implement intentional rounding on a general surgical unit provided a leadership opportunity for a Masters of Nursing student to plan, implement, and evaluate a nursing unit quality initiative using Watson's …

Community Gardening And The Somali Immigrant Community, Sarah Sanford

Theses and Graduate Projects

Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are all common diagnoses within the Somali immigrant community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There is an opportunity for collaboration between graduate nursing sfudents at Augsburg College, which is a small inner-city college, the Health Commons, which is a drop-in health center staffed by nurses, and community members in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood to address improvement in health, food choices, and socialization opporfunities for Somali immigrants. The purpose of this project is to develop relationships with Somali immigrant community members in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, Augsburg College graduate nursing students, University of Minnesota Extension Office dieticians and master gardeners, and …

Rn Study Coordinator: The Role And Education, Karlyn E. Pierson

Theses and Graduate Projects

Nurses have been identified as having the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct and lead research studies. An educational foundation in research regulations, study management, and patient interactions would enable a registered nurse (RN) study coordinator to represent the nursing profession well through skills acquired to perform the job with efficiency and confidence. The purpose of this project is to create an educational module that highlights the importance of defining the role of the RN study coordinator and provides foundational research knowledge to assist with the transition into the role within a Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research Unit. A literature review …

Communication Metaphor Of Patient Prognosis In The Spirit Of Hope, Dory Hanks

Theses and Graduate Projects

Prognosis for terminally ill patients is intended to serve the purpose of educating patients on the expected clinical outcome of their illness. This information is generally communicated to a patient by their primary physician when options for fufiher treattnent or "cure" are limited. Learning a prognosis may be helpful to some patients, while burdensome to others. A review of the literature reveals many barriers to effective communication of prognosis. The purpose of this project is to develop a metaphor for enhanced communication of prognosis to be used by hospice nurses that incorporates a caring perspective on living with hope during …

Proposal Of A Caring Companion Program For Emotional And Spiritual Wellness, Lori A. Larson

Theses and Graduate Projects

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2013), Americans frequently struggle with more than one, if not several, health care conditions impacting their quality of life. Literature review substantiates the need for emotional support for patients impacting hope and emotional wellness. Caregivers may suffer a physical impact from caregiving and also psychological impact from worry and fatigue (Pinquart and Sorenson, 2003). Caregiver strain is common but it often goes unrecognized, which can lead to poor health outcomes for caregivers (Honea et al, 2008). In addition, nurses are at high risk for compassion fatigue, comparing nurses to 'first …

Advocacy For The Perioperative Patient, Patricia R. Ballinger

Theses and Graduate Projects

Thousands of surgeries and procedures happen daily. Patients place their lives and well-being in the hands of the surgical team. The operating room is a high risk environment and unfortunately, errors can occur resulting in harm and even death. Each surgical team member has a role and responsibilities during the surgical case. One main role of the perioperative nurse is patient advocacy and patient safety. However, this role can be impeded due to hierarchy and the operating room culture. Identifying the perioperative nurse's role and responsibility relating to patient advocacy will provide directions in the perioperative nurse's daily practice. An …

Influenza Vaccination: An Educational Module For Health Care Workers, Lisa A. Hogan

Theses and Graduate Projects

The seasonal influenza virus continues to have a significant impact on the health of hundreds of thousands of individuals in the United States each year, despite the availability of a vaccine shown to be effective at reducing both illness and death. All Health Care Workers (HCWs) at a large Midwestern medical center must make a choice whether to receive the yearly influenza vaccine or not, and approximately 5,000 HCWs chose to decline the vaccine in 20l2. Reasons given for these declinations included fears about vaccine safety and effectiveness, as well as misperceptions about vaccine side effects and the intended recipients. …

Integrating Mindfulness Meditation Into Undergraduate Nursing Curricula, Michelle Yankowiak

Theses and Graduate Projects

Stress and anxiety impact the lives of undergraduate nursing students. Learning how to cope with the stressful demands of nursing school is essential for student success. Watson's caring and healing philosophy notes that learning to care for self is foundational in learning to care for others. Literature also reports that nursing programs across the country are lacking instruction on alternative therapies as a self-care method. A need to integrate self-care into curricula was identified by personal knowing as a nursing clinical instructor and through a self-care questionnaire to undergraduate obstetric nursing students. The integration of mindfulness meditation, as a means …