Digital Commons Network^™

Reducing Intracranial Pressure: A Comparison Of Hypertonic Saline And Mannitol: An Integrated Research Review, Ruben Sanchez, Hannah Lammert, Leslie Bradley, Brenna Jackson, Stephan Smith

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Aromatherapy On Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting (Ponv) Among Adult Population: An Integrative Research Review (Irr), Mary Estelle De Vera

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Early Mobilization In Post-Operative Cardiac Patients, Bailey Robertson, Trey Keesee

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Do Hourly Neuro Exams Lead To Sleep Deprivation And Icu Delirium: A Research Review, Toni Gafford

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Evidence Based Research Review Of Remote Independent Chemotherapy/Immunotherapy Verification, Katrina Perkins, Hannah Holder, Marie St. Clair

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Every Patient Every Time: Hapi Bundle Implementation On Micu And Nsicu, Kelsey Sawyer, Sara Tucker, Stephan Smith

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Got Rib Fractures? Pic This! Producing Improved Patient Outcomes In Trauma Related Rib Fractures, Pic Scores And Use Of Intercostal Nerve Blocks, Lynn Davis, Evelyn Miller, Lupita Quintanilla, Stephanie Padgett, Brandi Walden, Karen Dean

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Alarm With Care – A Falls Alarm Deimplementation, Honey Coronado, Brenda Kinning, Antonieta Laguna, Marian Mationg, Kimberly Martinez, Mary Pena, Divya Prakash, Mariavianney Seabolt, Norma Torres, Stephanie Wunderlich, Crystal Johnston, Jill Davis Rider, Anish Chacko, Lisa Turnbull, Michael Barrett

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Mobility In Critically Ill Patients, Jacqueline Sanchez, Angela Wolf

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

The Potential Of The Eat, Sleep, Console Method In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Integrative Research Review (Irr), Kelsey Seigman

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Strategic Innovation And Management By Nursing Leaders: Enhancing Icu Staffing For The Implementation Of A Rapid Response Team, Matthew Mitchell, Kelsey Sawyer, Sara Tucker, Stephan Smith, Stephanie Pigg, Jonathan Ortegon, Mitch Young

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Impact The Utilization Of Evidenced Based Practices Has On Post Kidney Transplant Patient Outcomes, Judith Bautista, Vicky Loren Dela Cruz, Ervieneth Martin, Jennifer Mauricio, Alf Bernardino

Covenant Nurses Week 2025

No abstract provided.

Improving Blood Culture Contamination Rates In The Emergency Department: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project, Kerri Maciejko

DNP Projects

Background/Significance

Blood culture (BC) contamination in the Emergency Department (ED) leads to false-positive results, unnecessary antibiotic use, prolonged hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs. Contamination rates at the project site ranged from 2.2% to 6.8%, exceeding the hospital goal of <1%. Addressing this issue is critical for accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and optimal resource utilization.

Purpose

The purpose of this project was to reduce BC contamination rates in the ED by implementing a modified BC kit, providing staff education, and conducting real-time blind audits with feedback over three months.

Methods

An evidence review, appraisal, and synthesis using Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt’s EBP process confirmed that BC kits and diversion devices are effective interventions to reduce contamination. …

Improving The Patient Care Experience In Residential Eating Disorder Treatment: A Quality Improvement Project, Paige H. Nguyen

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this project was to implement structured biweekly patient check-ins at a residential treatment facility for eating disorders. This project was intended to increase the patient care satisfaction scores on patient discharge surveys from under 80% to over 90%.

Background

The project was implemented at a 12-bed residential treatment facility for adolescents and adults diagnosed with eating disorders located in Cypress, Texas.

Methodology

The Baird 2007 concept of scripting during rounds was utilized as well as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAPS) patient care experience survey questions when creating the script used during …

Qi Charter: A Risk Assessment Protocol To Improve The Management Of Aggression And Violence In A Psychiatric Setting, Juliette N. Bateki

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Background: Patient care and staff safety are considered when determining aggressiveness and violence in psychiatric settings. However, structured violence risk assessment tools like the Broset Violence Checklist (BVC) are difficult to integrate into clinical practice when utilizing the prediction of violent behavior that allows healthcare professionals to intervene proactively. The BVC has been promising at predicting violence, but implementation needs to be done correctly, with proper training and integration into the routine workflow.

Purpose: This project aims to implement the BVC as a violence and aggression predictive tool within a psychiatric intensive care unit. It aims to increase violence prediction …

Reducing Falls In The Emergency Department By Implementing A Virtual Tele Sitter, Danette Riherd

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: This Quality Improvement project focused on evaluating the effectiveness of a portable tele-sitter device in reducing fall rates in the emergency department from February 10, 2025 to May 1, 2025. Background: This project was implemented in a 20-bed emergency department within a hospital system located within the suburbs of a major United States city. Methodology: Baseline data was collected prior to project implementation. Data collected during the implementation period was then collected and compared to baseline data to evaluate whether the intervention effectively reduced falls in the emergency department. Results: Post implementation descriptive statistics indicated a 43% reduction in …

Development And Validation Of An Adolescent Sleep Algorithm For Pediatric Primary Care, Holly Hink

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Poor sleep quality is a common challenge for many adolescents due to various developmental, environmental, and social factors. Nearly half of all adolescents reported regularly experiencing sleep disruptions. Poor sleep quality among adolescents might have severe mental, emotional, and cognitive consequences including an increased risk for several psychiatric conditions, obesity, and poor academic performance. However, sleep disorders among this population frequently go unreported and are rarely screened during annual well-child exams with primary care providers. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based sleep algorithm for pediatric primary care providers designed to improve screening and treatment of adolescent …

To Heal A Mind: A Comparison Of Functional And Conventional Treatments In Major Depressive Disorder, Gillian Chambers

Senior Honors Theses

Incidence of major depressive disorder is increasing year over year, with little able to be done to halt the spread of the condition. However, there are many treatment possibilities considered unconventional by the healthcare system. This thesis examines the respective benefits and risks, in comparison to one another, between conventional pharmacological treatment and functional, holistic treatment of depression. This was done via integrative review of available clinical literature, synthesizing evidence on both conventional and functional treatments for depression, as dictated by Whittemore and Knafl (2005). Exploratory search methods revealed 758 records fulfilling inclusion criteria, which were screened and narrowed down …

Healthy Sendoffs: The Long-Term Mental Health Effects On Nicu Parents And How Nurses Can Improve Outcomes, Christine Lyford

Senior Honors Theses

Parents who enter the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) undergo numerous stressors on their psychological wellbeing that can leave them with impacts long after discharge. This review was conducted to analyze the severity of long-term mental health deficits in parents and compare various nursing interventions that could decrease the incidence of these deficits. Seven databases were searched within the past seven years and documented in the PRISMA flow chart with twelve articles being identified as meeting the inclusion requirements. These articles found a higher prevalence of adverse mental health outcomes in NICU parents, with a focus on family centered care …

Labour Companionship And Respectful Treatment Of Women During Childbirth: A Cross-Sectional Study Across 16 Hospitals In Benin, Malawi, Tanzania And Uganda, Soha El-Halabi, Kristi Sidney Annerstedt, Christian Agossou, Fadhlun Al-Beity, Andrea B. Pembe, Phillip Wanduru, Bianca Kandeya, Jean-Paul Dossou, Helle Molsted-Alvesson, Claudia Hanson

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Introduction: Evidence suggests that women value and benefit from having a labour companion during childbirth. However, the applicability of the evidence to low-income and lower-middle-income countries is limited and varies. Thus, we assessed the association between the presence of labour companions and mistreatment in 16 hospitals of Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey using a validated questionnaire administered to women at discharge after birth between December 2021 and March 2024. The main outcomes were factor-weighted respectful treatment score and its subscores on maintained respect and dignity, privacy and maintained confidentiality and no physical and verbal …

Exercise As An Intervention For Postpartum Depression (Ppd), Kylie P. Mistretta

Honors Scholar Theses

Objective: To illustrate the applications of exercise for preventing the development of postpartum depression (PPD) and addressing associated risk factors identified in the literature. Data Sources: PubMed and EBSCO: Academic Search Premier were accessed using the search terms exercise OR physical activity OR yoga AND postpartum depression OR postnatal depression. A secondary search of PubMed was conducted using the search terms exercise AND pregnancy AND depression OR gestational diabetes OR weight gain OR sleep quality.

Study Selection: Studies selected for inclusion were peer-reviewed, published after January 2012, written in English, and relevant to the PPD risk factors examined. Only clinical …

Nurse-Physicians: From Nursing School To Practicing Physician, Tobias Fraedrich

Honors Scholar Theses

Nurse-physicians are healthcare professionals who have obtained both a nursing degree and a medical degree, transitioning from Registered Nurse (RN) or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) to a licensed physician, including Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), or Naturopathic Doctor (ND). Research on this phenomenon conducted to date is limited to a single study. Some nonresearch sources indicate a small presence of this topic online. Yin’s (2018) descriptive, multiple-case study approach was employed to investigate the phenomenon using oral history interviews and a survey of the online platform YouTube as data sources. For the intention of pursuing this …

The Effects Of Retrieval Practice On Knowledge Acquisition And Durable Learning In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Jessica Everritt Gay

Dissertations

Recent reports of unpreparedness and failure to rescue incidents among new graduate nurses are concerning for nurse educators and health care. New graduates must retrieve and apply learned knowledge to make sound clinical decisions, emphasizing the need for durable learning and knowledge acquisition. Durable learning, which involves understanding and recalling learned information days, weeks, or months later is crucial for clinical judgment. Nurse educators should facilitate durable learning through effective, evidence-based learning techniques such as retrieval practice (RP), which has shown promise in health professions education but is underutilized in nursing education.

This study explored the impact of RP on …

Is There A Relationship Between Motivation And Nursing Student Engagement? A Quantitative, Cross-Sectional, Correlational Study, Angela Coes

Dissertations

Nursing education is concerned with helping to alleviate the nursing shortage in the United States; this can be done by graduating safe competent novice nurses. Motivation and engagement levels in nursing students have been tied to better academic outcomes including graduation rates, transition to practice, and first time National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses pass rates. There was a gap in prelicensure nursing education research in the United States concerning the relationship among motivation, engagement, and possible influential variables.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between motivation and academic engagement among prelicensure nursing students in …

The Role Of Self Esteem Upon The Recovery Of Eating Disordered Patients, Samanta Flores Velazquez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Eating disorders such as anorexia-nervosa, bulimia-nervosa, and binge-eating disorders are detrimental to overall health and well-being. The demands of beauty ideals and attitudes impact young adults negatively as they attempt to meet societal beauty standards. The need for approval, fitting in with the community, and confidence drive the behaviors of people in negative ways. In recent years, the modernization of social media has contributed to dieting cultures, the thin ideal, harmful weight-loss practices, and the cycle to use the body as a means to control or repent. External factors affect the risk of eating disorders which contribute to the challenge …

Interventions Of Eating Habits And Healthy Behaviors, Diego Armando Mazariegos Espinosa

Undergraduate Honors Theses

About thirty to fifty percent of college students report having negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, sadness, anger, hopelessness, shame, fear, and more. And over seventy percent feel exhausted or overwhelmed by schoolwork. According to scholarly research, these emotions pose obstacles during college life impacting the eating habits and healthy behaviors of college students. These habits can have a possibility of bringing lifelong issues in social, educational, and self-esteem aspects. Technology has revolutionized the world in a spectacular way in a short period of time. As students today have access to all sorts of technology like phones and computers, the …

Produce Prescription Policy Project For The Securement Of A Grant To Address Food Insecurity For Low-Income Type Ii Diabetic Patients, Isabel D. Garcia-Gallegos

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

PURPOSE

This policy-focused Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement (QI) project aims to secure grant funding through the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) to implement a produce prescription program at a community clinic in Texas. The program targets low-income adults (18-65 years) with type II diabetes who experience food insecurity and are affected by Medicaid non-expansion.

BACKGROUND

Texas’ decision not to expand Medicaid has exacerbated food insecurity among low-income residents, particularly those managing type II diabetes. This decision creates a healthcare policy gap that this project aims to address with a food-as-medicine program.

METHODOLOGY

Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) …

Improving Scheduling Accuracy Through A Standardized Dermatology Consult Order, Deion Whitehead

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Improving Scheduling Accuracy through a Standardized Dermatology Consult Order

PURPOSE

This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to improve scheduling accuracy and reduce referral errors in a dermatology department by implementing a standardized consult order form within the electronic health record (EHR).

BACKGROUND

Inaccurate dermatology referrals led to misdirected consultations, increased reconsultation rates, and treatment delays. A lack of standardization contributed to inefficiencies, impacting patient outcomes and workflow. Implementing a structured referral form aimed to enhance triaging accuracy and improve timely dermatologic care.

METHODOLOGY

A pre- and post-intervention design was used. An eight-week baseline data collection period (n=288) assessed existing referral …

Managing Cardiovascular Health In The Hispanic Community: Implementing The Share Approach At A Primary Care Clinic, Jacqueline Molina

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to determine the effectiveness of the Seek, Help, Assess, Reach, and Evaluate (SHARE) approach in the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in the Hispanic population at a primary care clinic while improving health literacy. The aim was that by February 2025, Hispanic patients at the clinic would achieve a 10% reduction in CVD risk factors.

Background: The project was implemented at a small private primary care clinic in Texas. CVD risk factors prevalent include hypertension, mixed hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus.

Methodology: Before implementation provider and staff were educated on the SHARE …

Predicting Perinatal Mood Disorders, Honey Newton

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Perinatal Mood Disorders (PMD) constitute a significant public health concern, impacting the perinatal patient and the family.

Purpose

This project describes the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Perinatal Mood Disorders including depression and anxiety.

Goals

The goals of this study were to define the perinatal population in a rural Montana clinic and describe the relationship between ACEs and PMDs to identify early intervention opportunities.

Methods

A ten-year retrospective IRB approved study described the relationship between ACE, PHQ9 and OASIS scores to determine the prevalence of PMD and connection to ACE’s in perinatal patients in rural northwest Montana. Calculations were …