Staff Education To Improve Icu Nurses’ Knowledge And Confidence In End-Of-Life Care Through A Structured Education Intervention, Alyssia Lee Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Experiences Of First-Generation Immigrant Parents In Caring For Children With Type 1 Diabetes, Nahel Kibreab

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving Nursing Compliance With Pressure Injury Prevention In Postoperative Patients In The Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, Chingyi Lam

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Pressure injuries acquired in the hospital continue to be a major concern in patient safety among critically ill populations. The purpose of the quality improvement project was to improve nursing compliance with pressure injury prevention strategies among postoperative patients in a cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). Patients who undergo cardiovascular surgery are at a high risk of developing pressure injuries due to immobility, sedation, vasopressors, and prolonged positioning on their backs. The quality improvement project was carried out in a 37-bed CVICU using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Model for Improvement and Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycles. Data on nursing repositioning …

Evaluation Of Spontaneous Awakening And Breathing Trials Prior To Mechanical Ventilator Extubation To Enhance Intensive Care Unit Liberation, Shelby Taranto

Doctoral Projects

Spontaneous Awakening and Breathing Trials (SAT/SBT) might be central to early extubation by decreasing total ventilator time and reducing the intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS). Unfortunately, these trials often have not been conducted consistently in the ICU. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the frequency of SAT/SBT performed prior to mechanical ventilator extubation on total ventilator time in hours and LOS. Quality improvement aims were: (1) to ascertain if an extubation readiness tool could be easily followed and documented, and (2) to evaluate if an extubation readiness tool would add value in clinical practice. A …

Implementing Cbt-I Coach App Education During Initial Psychiatric Evaluations At The Va Pec: A Provider-Facing Quality Improvement Initiative, Sarah J. Kang

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Objective: This evidence-based practice project aims to increase provider implementation of gold standard insomnia treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), by integrating CBT-I Coach app education into initial psychiatric evaluations within a VA psychiatric emergency clinic (PEC).

Background: Insomnia is highly prevalent among veterans and commonly co-occurs with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. National guidelines from the VA, DoD, and American Academy of Sleep Medicine endorse CBT-I as first-line treatment. Despite this, pharmacotherapy is the dominating intervention in psychiatric emergency settings. The CBT-I Coach app offers evidence-based CBT-I as a free, VA-developed digital tool, but it remains underutilized in acute …

Enhancing Primary Care Provider’S Knowledge And Use Of Long-Acting And Oral Naltrexone In The Management Of Opioid And Alcohol Use Disorder, Ariana Juarez-Moncada

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Objective: This evidence-based project aimed to enhance primary care provider knowledge and prescription rates of naltrexone and long-acting injectable (LAI) naltrexone in a community healthcare setting.

Background: Naltrexone and LAI naltrexone pharmacotherapy is shown to reduce use of alcohol and opioids and improve client retention in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) (Bahji et al., 2020; Morley et al., 2024; Murphy et al., 2022).

Methods: A 30-minute in-service was provided to 14 family practice providers at the clinic. The prescription rate of naltrexone and LAI naltrexone was evaluated for the baseline period of February …

Empowering Recovery: Implementing Ace Screenings To Enhance Care For Patients With Substance Use Disorders, Joshua Wolf

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Objective: This evidence-based practice project evaluated the impact of implementing adverse childhood experience (ACE) screenings for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) in an outpatient community behavioral health clinic.

Background: ACEs are strongly associated with an increased risk of developing SUDs, chronic medical comorbidities, and negative treatment outcomes. Despite consistent evidence supporting the need for identification of ACEs and implementing trauma-informed care, standardized ACE screening is not routinely incorporated into outpatient SUD treatment, potentially limiting the identification of the need for education and referrals.

Methods: The ACE Questionnaire for Adults was implemented during routine psychiatric visits for patients diagnosed with …

Intimate Partner Violence Screening And Awareness Pilot Project, Eleasha P. Partner

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: In the United States, one in four women experiences intimate partner violence (IPV), highlighting the critical need for improved screening and intervention within the healthcare system. Routine visits in healthcare settings present a significant opportunity for healthcare providers to identify and address IPV.

Local Problem: A primary care family practice clinic in San Leandro, California , currently lacks a standardized evidence-based screening toolkit for IPV.  The absence of such a toolkit creates a gap in practice, leaving patients at risk of undiagnosed IPV and its related consequences.  To address this gap, there is a pressing need for the development …

Advancing School-Based Sexual Reproductive Health Education Through A Fifth-Grade Educator Toolkit, Emira Romero

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Although sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education is a critical component of early health literacy and health promotion, educators remain underprepared to deliver this education. Local Problem: A gap analysis conducted at School A, a public elementary school in the San Francisco Bay Area, revealed the absence of a SRH curriculum for their fifth graders. Methods: A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student-led quality improvement project to introduce a SRH educator toolkit to increase educator confidence and self-efficacy was conducted at School A among fifth grade teachers. Pre- and post-intervention data were collected on implementation day to evaluate the …

Standardizing Preoperative Screening: A Color-Coded Triage Tool Quality Improvement Project, Lyn Green

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Background: Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) require effective preoperative screening to ensure appropriate patient selection and minimize day-of-surgery (DOS) cancellations, which affect patient safety, operational efficiency, and financial performance.

Local Problem: In a Northern California ASC serving a racially diverse, predominantly older-adult population with a high burden of chronic diseases, the DOS cancellation rate was 3.84%, exceeding the 2.3% institutional benchmark. Inconsistent preoperative screening contributed to avoidable cancellations.

Methods: A pre- and post-intervention quality improvement design evaluated the effect of a standardized screening tool and staff education on DOS cancellations.

Interventions: The Preoperative Stoplight Tool, a color-coded triage system classifying …

Structured Sbar Shift Report Education For Improved Handoff Communication, Tatayana Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education On Timely Lab Result Notification And Documentation, Ekaete Eyara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Exploring Clinical Ladder Program Participation Among Operating Room Nurses, Camille Sistoso-Lorenzana

Doctoral Projects

Continuous professional development among nurses is vital, yet not all nurses embark on this career journey. The Clinical Ladder Program (CLP) is a retention strategy among various health institutions to retain talent and improve nurses' satisfaction, but this plan is unappealing or indifferent to some nurses. While the CLP is a motivation tool for nurses to focus on clinical expertise in bedside care (Riley et al., 2009), and resources are available to increase a nurse's chances of successfully advancing the ladder, participation in and perspectives on the CLP remain unknown, especially among operating room nurses. This project is guided by …

Staff Education To Emergency Department Professional Nurses, Florence Chukwuneke Chukwuneke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Teaching Motivational Interviewing Techniques To Nursing Staff To Improve Glycemic Control In Patients With Diabetes, Augustine Ngouondjyou Fotsing

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of Vanderbilt Acuity Tool In The Emergency Department, Ogemdi Millicent Asaa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving Graft-Versus-Host Disease Documentation Through Provider Education On An Epic-Based Gvhd Documentation Flowsheet, Emily Shearon

Doctoral Projects

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a common and serious complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Accurate documentation of GvHD severity and management is essential for clinical decision-making, interdisciplinary communication, and regulatory reporting to organizations such as the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). Despite the availability of structured documentation tools within the electronic health record (EHR), their utilization is often inconsistent. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate whether a targeted provider-focused intervention could improve completion rates of a standardized GvHD documentation flowsheet …

Staff Education To Standardize Suicide Risk Assessment Across All Patients, Ebiere Erukanure

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Evidence-Based Approaches To Managing Adolescent Aggression, April Dade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Clinical Practice Guideline Emergency Department Discharge Acuity Scale To Improve Care Transitions, Charlisa Hedrick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education On Nonpharmacological Sleep Hygiene Strategies, Miranda Akateh Morfaw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

An Evidence-Based Practice Trauma-Informed Care And Pediatric Crisis Management Training Initiative, Annette Renea Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving A1c Levels Through An Individualized Diabetes Education Among Patients Living With Type 2 Diabetes, David W. Cardona Jr.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents an increasing global health, social, and financial burdens. Nutrition, among other diabetes self-management topics, is a foundational aspect in managing T2DM. Significant knowledge gaps persist among patients regarding the impact of mindful eating habits in relation to euglycemia. Individualized diabetes education focused on healthy eating habits offers a promising strategy to address this gap. The quality improvement (QI) project aimed to evaluate the impact of diabetes education, focused on nutritional awareness, and mindful eating habits on hemoglobin (A1c) levels, weight, and diabetes self-management questionnaire scores (DSMQ-R) were assessed among adults living with T2DM. The …

The Impact Of Translated Phq-9 And Gad-7 Scales On Treatment Recommendations In An Adult Vietnamese Population: A 3-Month Primary Care Evaluation, Vivienne Bui

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Depression and anxiety are prevalent yet underdiagnosed in limited-English-proficient (LEP) populations due to language barriers, cultural stigma, and provider bias. Vietnamese-speaking patients are particularly vulnerable to under-recognition in primary care. This quality improvement project evaluated whether implementing Vietnamese-translated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) tools would improve mental health diagnosis and referral rates. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model, a pre–post design was conducted at a San Diego clinic from March 26 to June 26, 2025. Vietnamese-speaking adults (≥18 years) completed translated PHQ-9 and GAD-7 forms during intake. Providers used scores in conjunction with clinical …

Implementing A Standardized Social Determinants Of Health Screening Process To Improve Care Coordination In Primary Care, Catherine A. Addison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Improve Early-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease Patient Education, Yoel Madruga Reyes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Improve Early Identification And Management Of Clinical Deterioration In Pediatric Patients Using A Standardized Assessment Protocol, Sarabjit Chahal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving Staff Competence In Phq-9 Administration, Obinna C. Okonkwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Role Of Self-Efficacy In Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Dorothy Elaine Rolling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the role of self-efficacy for nursing students whose primary language was not English and who were enrolled in higher education in the northeastern area of the United States. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s theory on self-efficacy. The major tenets of the self-efficacy theory aligned with the metaparadigm of nursing (person, health, environment, nursing) and with the study’s focus, which was to explore how English as a second language (ESL) nursing students could successfully complete the registered nursing program at an institution of higher learning. The central research question was: …

Building Resilience: Empowering Baccalaureate Nursing Students For Enhanced Well-Being And Success, Jessica Imrie Dnp, Emily Nowak Phd, Roxanne Wilson Phd

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

Providing baccalaureate students with resilience-building modules such as stress management, mindfulness, optimism, socialization, and reflection can increase psychological well-being and success through a nursing program. It can also decrease the number of meetings faculty have with students regarding psychological concerns