Digital Commons Network^™

Trauma Resource Nurse: A Leadership Role In A Pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center, Claudia Hines

Theses and Graduate Projects

Nurses in a pediatric emergency department are accustomed to caring for critically ill and injured children. Pediatric trauma requires nurses to have a high level of expertise. However, along with this expertise, nurses need to demonstrate strong leadership skills to be an effective partner in the trauma team. Attaining a pediatric level I trauma designation by the American College of Surgeons generated uncertainty in emergency nurses' perceptions of their ability to care for trauma patients. Emergency departments within trauma centers have recognized the need for specialized nursing programs or nursing roles in the care of trauma. Nursing leadership competencies, interprofessional …

Preparing Nurses For Medical Emergencies: Developing A Collaborative Mock Code Training Program, Joseph Heaser

Theses and Graduate Projects

Medical emergencies are stresstul and anxiety producing situations that require quick and precise action. As first responders in the hospital setting, nurses are often responsible for initiating resuscitative efforts until additional help arrives. Positive patient outcomes are dependent on the nurses' ability to quickly and accurately utilize basic life support (BLS) and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) to deliver the care needed during the critical first few minutes following cardiac arrest. It is very difficult for nursing staff to maintain emergency medical response skills and knowledge when they are only required to practice them once a year for their annual …

Transforming The Preoperative Patient Education Experience, Hilary Joachim

Theses and Graduate Projects

In 2009 a large Midwestern healthcare institution introduced preoperative education classes for orthopedic patients undergoing joint replacement surgery to better prepare them for surgery and promote a timely discharge from the hospital. According to literature findings, preoperative patient education decreases patient anxiety, improves pain control, and decreases length of stay in the hospital. While length of stay for joint replacement patients within this healthcare instifution decreased, it was difficult to pinpoint the effect of the educational classes due to other simultaneous changes in postoperative orthopedic care, such as earlier mobilization of patients. Through an analysis of class attendance, it was …

Reiki For Pain Control, Jeffrey L. Burt

Theses and Graduate Projects

Hemodialysis is a procedure used to remove waste products and electrolytes from the bloodstream when the kidneys are no longer working. In addition to removing waste products and unwanted electrolytes, the process also removes some medications as well; 60% of the most commonly used analgesics are removed during dialysis. For renal patients who experience chronic pain as a result of their illness, this is a serious problem. Dialysis patient are held to the same medication regulations regarding frequency and dosing as the general hospital population, leaving them without pain coverage for longer periods of time. The introduction of a complimentary …

Hepatitis B Serology Testing: An Educational Module For Nurses In Outpatient Dialysis, Kristi Hanson

Theses and Graduate Projects

For nurses in outpatient dialysis, an accidental needle stick could result in contracting the Hepatitis B virus. It is recommended that all individuals receive the series of three Hepatitis B vaccinations. To determine if immunity is developed as a result of the vaccinations, Hepatitis B serology testing is performed and a positive antibody and titer level above 10 mIU/mL is indicative of immunity. Without awareness of their personal Hepatitis B serology, nurses working with Hepatitis B positive patients in the outpatient dialysis setting lack knowledge to protect their health. The implementation of an educational module, influenced by Knowles' principles of …

Trauma Informed Nursing Care For Women Who Are Marginalized: An Educational Workshop, Jenna Fadlalla

Theses and Graduate Projects

Traumatic events profoundly affect both the physical and emotional health of a woman who endures the event. Gender, socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic disparities in rates of trauma exist showing that women who are marginalized are at a higher risk for trauma. Nurses are privileged to provide care for these women in their greatest times of need, yet despite the intimate relationship between nurses and their patients, trauma is a topic that remains largely unaddressed by the field of nursing. Because trauma can have such a profound effect on health, it is essential for nurses of all specialties and at all …

Reducing Anxiety In Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Patients Using Reiki, Robyn Ait Ali

Theses and Graduate Projects

Reiki, meaning universal life force energy, facilitates the flow of energy that travels naturally in and around the body. Blockages in energy flow create disease and or pain in the body; the Reiki practitioner facilitates the removal of blockages which allows for healing and restoration of balance. Anxiety in children undergoing Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) manifests itself across all body systems and effects the care they receive during hospitalization. Children are open to the concept of energetic healing therefore, the use of Reiki for children undergoing BMT to reduce anxiety, facilitate relaxation, and ease pain makes sense. The introduction of …

Vaccinating Vulnerable Populations, Paula B. Mcnabb

Theses and Graduate Projects

Influenza vaccination rates for all minority groups in Minnesota are lower than rates for Caucasians of all age groups. Since 2006, a collaborative partnership called Minnesota Immunization Networking Initiative (MINI) has provided free influenza vaccinations in convenient and trusted community settings throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota in an attempt to address this health disparity. The literature highlights a number of barriers that negatively influence individuals' choices regarding acceptance of influenza vaccination but also highlights motivators, facilitators and processes that positively impact these decisions. Thirteen focus group interviews were conducted with individuals from the Ethiopian, Latino, Native American …

Nursing Bedside Shift Report: A Best Care Practice, Heather Gleason

Theses and Graduate Projects

For healthcare organizations, patient safety and satisfaction are major priorities and are impacted by many different professional disciplines. Nurses can influence this greatly through the relationships built with patients and the information provided to them regarding care while in the hospital. Communication errors are the leading cause of sentinel events for patients, reiterating the importance of having a safe transfer of care between nurses at shift change. Bedside shift report not only creates transparency of patient information but results in improved patient safety and hospital satisfaction scores. Completing nursing shift report at the bedside promotes patients' and families' contribution to …

Defining Professional Nursing Accountability: A Literature Review, Lorretta Krautscheid

Faculty Publications - College of Nursing

Professional nursing accountability is described by both professional nursing organizations and nursing education credentialing agencies as a core aspect that underpins professional nursing practice. Although accountability is foundational to professional practice, a review of the literature revealed no consistent language or definition regarding professional nursing accountability. Instead, the literature itself reveals that professional nursing accountability is challenging to both describe and define. The ambiguity surrounding how to define professional nursing accountability contributes to challenges associated with both teaching and evaluating student nurse accountability within nursing education curricula. This article provides a reliable and comprehensive definition of professional nursing accountability derived …

Academic Factors That Contribute To Pre-Licensure Nursing Student Persistence, Cecilia Flores

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

The need for registered nurses is expected to grow exponentially in the next decade. As nurses retire and more Americans access the healthcare system, more than 400,000 nurses will be needed nationally (Auerbach, Buerhaus, &Staiger, 2011). Based on projections, by 2020, approximately 25,000 nursing students will need to graduate to the meet the state's need for nurses; in 2013, slightly more than 11, 000 candidates took NCLEX after successfully completing their nursing program (Texas Board of Nursing, 2014). Currently 70% of students admitted to a nursing program in Texas do not persist and graduate (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board [THECB], …

Triglyceride/High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio As A Screening Tool For Insulin Resistance In U.S. Adolescents, 12-19 Years Of Age, Constance Elaine Cephus

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Background: Insulin resistance appears to be a metabolic process that occurs prior to the onset of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A screening tool for insulin resistance may help clinicians determine which adolescents need intensive lifestyle modification to decrease risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance characteristics of the TG/HDL ratio when used to assess risk of insulin resistance in U.S. adolescents.Methods: A secondary analysis of 2011-2012 data for adolescents (12-19 years of age) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was conducted to evaluate the performance characteristics …

Interaction Coaching And Holistic Obstetric Nursing Care, Megan Ellis-Gardner

A with Honors Projects

The quality of the bond between mother and child has ongoing consequences, setting the infant's psychosocial and cognitive development. This paper suggest Increases in training and additional staff to promote early interventions to support a woman's transition into motherhood and facilitate a strong maternal-child bond.

Women’S Perception And Attitude Towards Male Dominancy And Controlling Behaviors, Tazeen S. Ali, Noureen Karamali, Omer Malik

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Introduction/Background: The study was conducted in urban Karachi, Pakistan to investigate women’s perceptions and attitudes towards male dominancy, female autonomy, and controlling behavior of husbands.
Method: This was investigated in a population based study with a cross-sectional design, involving married women aged 25 to 60 years. A Structured questionnaire developed by World Health Organisation (WHO) on violence was used. Community midwives interviewed these married women living in pre-selected low, middle and upper socio-economic areas of urban Karachi, Pakistan.
Findings: This study revealed women’s overall perception regarding male dominancy and controlling behavior and highlighted this attitude, as being …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine In Oncology Nursing, Salima Somani, Fauziya Ali, Tazeen S. Ali, Nasreen Sulaiman Lalani

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased globally, particularly among oncology patients. This study investigated the knowledge, experience and attitudes of oncology nurses towards CAM. A quantitative study was conducted in tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan, where 132 oncology nurses were surveyed. The survey revealed that more than 50% of nurses had never heard about many of the CAM therapies used in Pakistan. Approximately 65% of the nurses had knowledge about prayer and less than 30% had experience of CAM education or training. In addition, the majority of nurses had seen patients using CAM and felt that …

Associations Of Controlling Behavior, Physical And Sexual Violence With Health Symptoms, Tazeen S. Ali, Aamir Abbas, Fazal Ather

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Controlling behavior is often manifested as monitoring, coercing or threatening the partner. Globally, it has been experienced by the women (in range of 5.2% to 56.6%) and often results in their physical and mental ill health. To the best of our knowledge there is no published research on controlling behaviors. Therefore, a cross sectional study was conducted to measure the magnitude of the controlling behaviors and its association to some physical stress symptoms of women. The study was conducted in urban settings of Karachi, Pakistan, using simple random sampling technique. The data was collected by trained midwifes from the 759 …

Verbal Violence At Workplace: A Reality From Pakistani Context., Laila Akber Cassum

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Work place violence is the most distressing subject globally, and has been a concern for many decades affecting home and work environment.This cancer has even invaded health care sector worldwide. Nursing professionals whether they are at hospital or at academics institutions are subjected to violence. Although, it has been a burning issue, among nursing health care workers it has often gone unchecked, and people tend to accept it as the part of the system.

In this paper I would be discussing and deliberating that work place violence particularly verbal abuse is a serious matter and it can have negative consequences …

The Feasibility Of An Internet-Based Intervention For Chinese People With Mental Illness: A Survey Of Willingness And Attitude, Xiu-Y Yao, Zheng Li, David Arthur, Lili Hu, Gen Cheng

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: The easy accessibility, increasing usage, and low cost of internet make it a desirable way of providing health information and delivering interventions for health consumers. Studies in other countries have verified and confirmed the effectiveness of internet-based interventions among people with mental health problems. Similar programs have yet to commence in China. Purpose: This study investigated the willingness for, and attitude toward internet-based intervention in Chinese mental health service users and explored the feasibility of such an intervention.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey utilizing a self-developed questionnaire was administered to 186 mental health service users in Beijing, …

Psoriasis In Chronic And Acute Patients: A Comprehensive Care Guide For Practicing Nurses, Elena Segev

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

A guide for practicing nurses for psoriasis patient care. Includes pathophysiology, treatments, different demographics, psychological aspects and resources.

Pediatric Obesity: Taking Advantage Of Well-Child Visits For Early Identification, James E. Gelement

DNP Projects

Background: Pediatric obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United States and the burden of early identification and prevention lies with Primary Care Providers. With this burden comes the responsibility of increased documentation in order for patients to obtain the appropriate counseling, treatment, and referrals.

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify missed opportunities to identify pediatric patients that meet the criteria for overweight or obesity during well-child visits within a primary care practice.

Method: A retrospective chart review of 100 randomly selected patients born between 9/1/2001 and 9/1/2010 that have received a well-child visit between 1/1/2010 and …

Assessment Of The Accuracy Of The Diagnosis For Heart Failure In A Large Metropolitan Health Care System, Sandra Anne Carey

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Purpose: There has been no significant improvement in heart failure (HF) readmissions regionally or nationally in the United States over the past decade. Additionally, there is no consensus nationally on defining the complex disease state of HF. This study retrospectively describes the accuracy of HF diagnoses in an adult HF patient population in a large metropolitan hospital setting. It also compares readmission rates between patients who were accurately diagnosed for HF versus those who were inaccurately diagnosed.Methods: A retrospective record review (N = 712) was performed at a large metropolitan health care center in North Texas from January 2012 to …

Fathers' Experience With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Linda Sue Frye

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that causes very mild to severe impairments in communication skills, social interactions, and unusual behaviors that interfere with the children's ability to function independently and interact appropriately with other people (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Children with ASD often appear normal (without physical deformities). The impairments are sources of economic burden, decreased emotional well-being, and decreased family cohesion. Some parents of children with ASD adjust, adapt, and become resilient when facing the multiple challenges of ASD, but others experience anxiety, depression, and poor mental health that can lead to decreased family …

An Exploratory Descriptive Study On Task Shifting, Lori A. Spies

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Task shifting is an approach to meeting population health needs in developing countries that is encouraged by the WHO and increasingly embraced by Ministries of Health. Task shifting has been implemented formally and informally for years in areas of human resource shortages. While often used, there is a lack of published information available about how best to prepare nurses to take on the expanded role. The nursing intellectual capital (NIC) theory was the theoretical framework for this study. NIC is derived from a business model and is used to represent the manner in which investments in the nurse and healthcare …

Adults With Congenital Heart Disease And Family Planning Decisions, Kathryn A. Osteen

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Adults with CHD are living longer into adulthood than ever before, which increases the possibility of childbearing. Researchers have focused on the physiology and risks associated with contraception and pregnancy, but miss the personal stories surrounding these decisions. The adult with CHD has concerns about contraception, pregnancy, childbirth, and passing CHD on to offspring. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study is to describe the personal stories of adults with CHD and their family planning decisions.Narrative inquiry, guided by the Roy adaptation model, was chosen for this study because it is appropriate to describe the reproductive decisions of adults with …

Identifying The Characterestics Of Patients With Community Versus Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers, Ahmad A. Hamdan

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Pressure ulcers (PU) are a common problem with important implications for the nursing community and for patients, including pain and suffering, delayed recovery, morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs, but little is known regarding what characterizes the difference between community acquired pressure ulcers (CAPU) and hospital acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU). Therefore, the purpose of this descriptive correlational retrospective study was to describe patient characteristics associated with CAPU and HAPU. Measured variables included gender, age, ethnicity, PU site, albumin, weight, BMI insurance, length of stay, type of bed, type of admission, and weekend admission, as well as Braden Scale measures of moisture, …

A Comparison Of Instructor Audio-Video With Text-Based Feedback Versus Text-Based Feedback Alone On Students' Perceptions Of Community Of Inquiry Among Rn-To-Bsn Online Students, Marie Kelly Lindley

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

In order to meet the healthcare needs of the US population, Registered Nurses (RNs), with Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, are needed. This descriptive posttest study, with independent samples, examined the use of audio-video with text-based feedback versus text-based only feedback on student's perceptions of the community of inquiry RN to BSN online students (n=125), enrolled in one course at one university. The COI survey performed reliably with Cronbach's alpha .94 on the pretest and .98 on the posttest. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups on the pretest for teaching presence (p=.31), social presence (p=.40) or …

Self-Efficacy Of Caregiving And Caregiver Stress In Adult Informal Caregivers Of Individuals At The End-Of-Life, Michelle Mary Hampton

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Researchers have established an association between the stressors of providing informal care and physiological and psychological health risks (Applebaum & Breitbart, 2013; Au et al., 2010; Bainbridge, Krueger, Lohfeld, & Brazil, 2009; Gilliam & Steffen, 2006; Mausbach et al., 2012; Merluzzi, Philip, Vachon, & Heitzmann, 2011; Perez, Ussher, Butow, & Wain, 2011). Despite the recognized negative consequences of informal care, researchers have identified the existence of mediators which have the potential to buffer, manage, transform, or prevent the negative influence of stress (Bolden & Newsome-Wicks, 2008; Kreitler, Peleg, & Ehrenfeld, 2007; Merluzzi et al., 2011; Roscoe, Corsentino, Watkins, McCall, & …

Factors Affecting Quality Of Life In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Brian E. Holland

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that can negatively affect the physical, emotional, and social aspects of one's life. This purpose of this descriptive-correlational study was to explore the relationships among individual characteristics, perceived healthcare provider engagement, treatment adherence, functional ability, and quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Additionally, differences in perceived healthcare provider engagement, treatment adherence, functional ability, and quality of life were examined across the four MS disease stages of relapsing-remitting, secondary-progressive, primary-progressive, and progressive-relapsing. A convenience sample of individuals (N = 158) with MS completed an online survey related to perceived healthcare provider engagement, …

Improving Provider Adherence With Completion Of A Written Asthma Action Plan According To Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines, Stephanie L. Collins

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Asthma is a serious chronic inflammatory health condition of the airways that causes many Americans to experience distress {Agency for Health Care Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2009). Asthma prevalence over the age of 16 has become particularly concerning. It is a costly disease that has increased drastically in recent decades (AHRQ, 2009). Many factors cause our nation to collectively attempt to improve the quality of care for these individuals. The primary goal is to treat the underlying inflammation and manage daily symptoms. Regardless of national recommendations, health care providers experience challenges with compliance. In one study, all primary care providers …

Parent Health Literacy And Communication With Diabetes Educators In A Pediatric Diabetes Clinic: A Mixed Methods Approach, Carol J. Howe

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

The association between low health literacy and poor patient-provider communication has been well established in adult patients. Little pediatric research has been reported on the relationship between parent health literacy and parent-provider communication. This mixed methods study examined and explored how parent health literacy affected the communication process with diabetes educators in a pediatric diabetes clinic. This study used the Conceptual Framework of Provider Patient Communication as a theoretical framework. Health literacy was measured with the Rapid Estimate of Adult Health Literacy in Medicine. Quality of communication was assessed with quantitative and qualitative methods using 5 subscales of the Interpersonal …