Digital Commons Network^™

Lyme Disease, Sondra Mcfadden

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is a bacterial infectious disease that is spread by zoonotic transmission in which animals act as reservoir hosts and ticks are the primary vector or carrier and are considered arthropods. This poster presents Lyme disease, its pathophysiology, and nursing considerations for treating it.

A Deeper Look Into Herpes Zoster, Jennifer Perkins

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Herpes zoster, otherwise known as shingles, is a prevalent condition in the United States, as close to 95% of the population are seropositive for the varicella zoster virus (VZV). The primary VZV infection is commonly known as chickenpox and typically occurs in childhood. After the initial VZV infection resolves, the VZV virus lies dormant in the affected individual’s dorsal ganglia until it is reactivated and manifests as shingles. The pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, complications, treatment, vaccination and nursing implications related to herpes zoster are thoroughly examined further.

Hap Prevention: One Tracheostomy At A Time, Elenita Gianan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

The objective of this project is to educate the nursing and respiratory therapist staff, along with the patient and their families on the importance of discarding used suction catheters. The intention of this project is to provide awareness and education on the negative implications of re-using a saved one-time use tracheal suction catheters. As a future CNL, through the competency as the Clinician, designating and coordinating care for the individual to promote health and risk prevention can be practiced. Many times, a single-use tracheal suction catheter was noticed hanging connected to the suction wall, tucked under the patient’s pillow, …

Opioid And Naloxone Prescribing Practices In Mississippi, Rebecca Brown, Brittany Clayton, Alissa Damiens, Natalie Keyes, Gary A. Mcpherson, Anna E. Wiygul

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine whether primary care providers (PCPs) in Mississippi are following the selected Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines published in March 2016 for prescribing opioids for chronic, non-cancer pain. The study also sought to determine if the selected providers prescribed naloxone for opioid overdose reversal. Drug overdoses have increased exponentially in the last 3 decades in the United States (Doyon, Aks, & Schaeffer, 2014) — leading to opioid overdose becoming the most frequent cause of accidental death. Opioid overdose death rates are so high the CDC declared it a problem of …

Providers' Use Of Standards Of Care For Methicillin Resistant Staphlyococcus Aureus Abcesses, Victoria Ashley Ford, Suzanne Cox, Lisa Gatwood, Jeff Moffett

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to review the treatment prescribed by providers and evaluate the return rate for each treatment.

Influenza Vaccination Of The Older Adult Patient And Documentation By The Healthcare Provider, Victoria Ashley Ford, Suzanne Cox, Lisa Gatwood, Jeff Moffett

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to review the treatment prescribed by providers and evaluate the return rate for each treatment.

Group A Strep (Gas), Kimberly Hyatt

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Abstract

Group A Streptococcal (GAS) bacteria is a common but potent pathogen. GAS is the most common cause of pharyngitis in the world and can be easily treated with the right antibiotic. Left untreated or undertreated, however, GAS is the ninth leading cause of infectious disease mortality, worldwide. Lethality from a GAS infection is 10-30%. The virulence factors of GAS are responsible for the short and long term havoc it wreaks on an individual, and the incredible disease burden of 18.1 million severe cases of GAS, annually, around the globe. In the U.S., each year, GAS pharyngitis, alone, costs $500 …

Lyme Disease, Courtney Bode

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Lyme disease (LD) is a zoonotic infection transmitted by black-legged (deer) ticks. This disease is the most common vector-bourne illness in the United States (Maloney, 2016). The tick transmits Borrelia burgdorferi, which is the bacterial agent of LD. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) suspects the disease is highly underreported in the United States (Clayton, Dunn, Jones, Jones, & Schaffner, 2015). Even with the disease being underreported, LD is the fifth most commonly reported nationally notifiable disease (Delorey, et al., 2015). Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease can vary greatly in severity. This disease often causes multisystemic illness, starting locally …

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, Brittnay Adkins

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Many patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are critically-ill. Those are that mechanically ventilated are also at risk for nosocomial infections that can negatively affect the patients health. Oral hygiene care, early mobilization, spontaneous breathing trials, and aspiration precautions are all interventions that many hospitals have incorporated into standard practice to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The importance of these interventions are discussed; along with the pathophysiology of VAP and how healthcare providers can positively impact the millions of patients every year that are affected by nosocomial infections.

Implementation Of The National Asthma Guidelines In A Residential Pediatric Clinic, Patricia A. Foster-Staples

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: Foster care children admitted to residential facilities are a unique and vulnerable group, many presenting with undiagnosed or poorly managed asthma. The alarming rate of residents admitted to a particular residential primary care clinic with a diagnosis of asthma led to the project question: “Based on record reviews, does staff education about the importance of utilizing the national guidelines for asthma education influence the implementation of such guidelines in a residential pediatric clinic?” The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a systematic process to influence practice change. The project was conducted over a period …

Exposure To Secondhand Smoke And The Development Of Childhood Caries: Nhanes (2011-2012), Deborah Mattheus Phd, Msn, Pnp, Krupa Gandhi Mph, Eunjung Lim Phd, Maureen Shannon Cnm, Fnp, Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Dental caries continue to plague young children worldwide with numerous adverse effects including pain, poor growth and development, decreased quality of life as well as the potential for the development of life threatening secondary infections. Factors associated with the development of childhood caries are complex as they relate to social, economic and/or cultural behaviors. Recent evidence has linked secondhand smoke to the development of childhood dental caries. The purpose of the study is to re-examine the association between the frequency and extent of exposure to secondhand smoke with the development of childhood caries in the United States. Cross-sectional data of …

Syphilis In Men That Have Sex With Men, Nathaniel Helser

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Syphilis rates in the United States hit their nadir in the 1960’s and 1970’s with almost complete disappearance during the 1980’s in conjunction with the onset of the human immunodeficiency virus outbreak (Read et al, 2015). This dramatic fall was a direct consequence of the introduction of penicillin in the 1940’s, but since this decline a widely documented reemergence in endemic levels has been seen across the country (Petrosky et al, 2016). Recent rates in men have jumped from 3 per 100,000 to 9.8 per 100,000 (Petrosky et al, 2016) in a two year span, an alarming increase, which has …

Kingella Kingae: Emerging Outbreaks In Daycare Facilities, Kimberly Iracki

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

In today’s Western countries, families are more likely than those of past decades to include two full-time working parents. This has led to an increase in he number of children attending daycare or some form of childcare outside the home. It is known that close quarters or semi-confined setting increase the risk of certain infections. Out of these infections, an emerging pediatric pathogen, that has also shown some prevalence in adults, is Kingella kingae.

State Requirements For Childhood Vaccination Exemption Forms In The United States, Katherine Elizabeth Hill

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, children must be vaccinated in order to attend school, although parents also have the right to request a vaccine exemption. The type of vaccine exemption varies by state but can include exemption for religious, philosophical, medical, and temporary medical reasons. The purpose of this research was to identify the use of provider signature requirements and fees in states during the vaccine exemption process. A questionnaire was sent to immunization managers in the 50 United States, District of Columbia, the United States Indian Health Service, and eight United States territories. The managers were asked if their states …

Parents’ Perspectives On Caring For Children After Solid Organ Transplant, Stacee M. Lerret, Norah L. Johnson, Kristin Haglund

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

To explore parents’ experiences of the transition from hospital to home and complex chronic illness management following their children's solid organ transplant (SOT).

Design and Methods

Qualitative component of a larger mixed methods longitudinal study. Parents of SOT recipients were interviewed three times following hospital discharge from five major pediatric transplant hospitals in the United States.

Results

Analysis of parent interviews (N = 48) resulted in three themes that characterized the phases of transition to home and complex chronic illness care. Three themes, corresponding to the three time periods of data collection, included “getting back to normal” at 3 …

Reducing Antibiotic Use In Pediatric Upper Respiratory Infection: A Multifaceted Parent-Clinician Approach, Sydnee H. Lucas Dnp, Aprn, Sydney Thompson Dnp, Arnp, Fnp-Bc

Journal of Nursing & Interprofessional Leadership in Quality & Safety

The goal of this QI initiative was to decrease inappropriate antibiotic for the treatment of pediatric upper respiratory infection (URI) in the retail clinic setting. The approach included the use of a protocol to treat viral upper respiratory illness, a visual aid decision-making tool for guideline adherence, prescription pad for nonprescription remedies, and shared decision-making techniques for providers to involve patients and parents in management plans regarding nonprescription remedies, supportive treatment, and signs and symptoms that would warrant a return visit. An improvement trend during the first 3 months of the initiative showed a shift in antibiotic avoidance from a …

Gadgets And Grieving: A Chronological Analysis On The Ways In Which Advancements In Medical Technologies Have Altered The Grieving Process, Grace Mcnair

Dialogue & Nexus

Since the 1940s, both end-of-life care and advancements in medical technologies have expanded exponentially. This article explores the advancements in medical technologies and how these have altered the way that Western society grieves death. With the capabilities to prolong life, the family, the patient, and the medical team, all grieve the end of life in different ways. This article provides a chronological analysis of palliative care, hospice care, and various medical advancements. These changes in medicine are then paralleled with alterations in the bereavement process. This article explores historical narratives of Western society’s transformation of grief through the lens of …

Trafficking Victims In The Emergency Room Setting, Lisa M. Archer

Theses and Graduate Projects

Human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery, is a violation of human rights and a public health issue. Affecting millions worldwide, a high prevalence of human trafficking exists in the United States (US). Traffickers target vulnerable victims in an effort, through coercion and exploitation, to benefit financially, perpetuating the issue of supply and demand. Lacking a specific demographic, traffickers opportunistically seek out victims, such as targeting runaway and homeless youth, those sold through poverty, or those surviving in conditions caused by natural disaster. Multidisciplinary health care staff are uniquely positioned to recognize, assess, and intervene when encountering victims who seek …

Concept Development Of "Compassion Fatigue" In Clinical Nurses: Application Of Schwartz-Barcott And Kim's Hybrid Model, Mahdieh Sabery, Meimanat Hosseini, Mansoureh Zagheri Tafreshi, Jamileh Mohtashami, Abbas Ebadi

Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal

Compassion fatigue is not a new concept in nursing; yet, it is not well known and there is no fixed clear definition of the term. The ambiguity surrounding how to define compassion fatigue has challenged its measurement and evaluation. Thus, any attempt to determine attributes of this underdeveloped concept and studying it in a new socio-cultural context requires concept development. The purpose of this study is to clarify the concept of compassion fatigue through concept development and to produce a vivid and tentative definition of this concept in clinical practice.

Concept development was conducted using a three-step hybrid concept analysis …

Chlamydia Screening In Women At A University Student Health Center, Jaime K. Carroll, Karen Macauley

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

The purpose of this evidenced-based project was to increase chlamydia pre- screening and screening in women under age 25 presenting with urinary symptoms. Interventions included chlamydia pre-screening alerts embedded into the electronic medical record. Three-month evaluation showed a chlamydia pre-screening rate of 100% and an increase in chlamydia screening by 9%.

Gavage Program For The Preterm Infant, Amanda K. Guina

Master's Projects and Capstones

Preterm infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit, are susceptible to hospital acquired infections due to their immature immune systems. To mitigate this occurrence a change project will be implemented to decrease the incidence of nosocomial infection in this population. The project will be focusing on preterm infants working on full nipple feeds. Our project is aiming to discharge this population home with a nasogastric tube to work on feedings, rather than remaining in the hospital. Chart Audits were conducted pre-program and found approximately 18 patients acquired blood stream infections and 2 acquired MRSA. The method used to assist in …

Infection Control: Reducing Hospital Acquired Central Line Bloodstream Infections, Bobbie Joy Hollins

Master's Projects and Capstones

Hospital-acquired infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units (Ceballos, Waterman, Hulett, & Makic, 2013). It’s estimated that each neonatal bloodstream infection costs about $35,000 and adds about two weeks to a baby’s hospital stay (Akron's Children Hospital, 2015). This project was formulated to reduce the incidence of central line blood stream infections in the neonatal population. The setting used for this project was a 40 bed Level III Neonatal ICU. The methods executed include: conducting a root-cause analysis and formulating a unit survey. Kurt Lewin’s Three-Step Change Model was also used to complete …

Hospital Acquired Clostridium Difficile Infection Prevention, Sandy Maalouf

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

The aim of my CNL Internship Project is to decrease the incidence of healthcare acquired C diff infections at the acute care unit 1800 to zero for the next quarter. This will be accomplished by developing an action plan to address the issue by collecting data from audits and developing evidence based practice interventions. The process begins with patient’s admission to the medical surgical unit and ends with patient’s discharge from the medical surgical unit.

By working on the process, the Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) team expects to improve infection control among all units, increase patient safety, reduce unnecessary …

Nursing Assignments Based On Patient Acuity: The Road To Nursing Job Satisfaction, Kristina Tomic

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Challenges in the healthcare industry, including nursing shortages and low nursing retention, have resulted in nurses’ job dissatisfaction. Improving work environment and workload can lead to improved and equitable nursing shift assignments, which may improve nursing job satisfaction. The purpose of this EBP project was to (a) implement a patient acuity tool in the hospital unit, (b) assess its effectiveness in appropriating nursing shift assignments, and (c) evaluate its effect on nursing job satisfaction. The Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) Model was used as a guide to facilitate the transition of the best evidence into practice. As suggested within the evidence, …

The Effect Of Bundled Interventions On Prevention Of Hospital Acquired Clostridium Difficile Infection, Kaitlin Kendys

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rates have steadily increased in hospitalized patients due to the change in epidemiology. Approximately 13 of every 1,000 inpatients are either infected or colonized with C. difficile (CDC, 2013). CDI rates continue to rise due to the hyper-virulent strain of C. difficile and length of therapy needed to treat CDI. The average cost for a single inpatient CDI is more than $35,000, and the estimated annual cost burden for the healthcare system exceeds $3 billion (Walsh, 2012). The purpose of this evidence-based project (EBP) was to reduce hospital-acquired CDI rates over a 3-month period-oftime from November …

Improving Health Outcomes And Lifestyle Choices In An Underserved Community Through The Implementation Of A Wellness Program, Ekaterini Boutos

Seton Hall University DNP Final Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to implement a wellness program with the purpose of bridging the gap in lifestyle and disease knowledge in a socioeconomically vulnerable mentally ill population. The participants were members of an adult day mental health facility which aided the local underserved population. The wellness program emphasized improving knowledge of chronic health conditions, healthy lifestyle habits and the practice of mindfulness meditation.

Significance: The significance of this project is the advancement of health status via health education from a wellness perspective. Vulnerable populations who are at higher risk of chronic physical and mental illness can …

Effect Of Activity Trackers And Text Messaging On Exercise, Fitness, And Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Of Middle School Students, Alison F. Pittman

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

A decrease in physical activity as children age is a contributing factor to the U.S. obesity epidemic. Middle school children are particularly vulnerable to sedentary activities. Activity trackers show promise as a means to motivate children and adults to increase physical activity (PA). This study examined the effect of a text messaging intervention and use of activity trackers with a companion social website on the body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, physical fitness, and PA self-efficacy of middle school children. Children aged 11-14 (n=102) were randomly assigned to one of three groups for a 10-week intervention: activity tracker group; …

Efficacy Of Herpes Zoster Vaccine, Kayla M. Stremick

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Experience Of Illness In The Daily Lives Of Persons Living With Being Chronically Homeless, William Henderson

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Individuals from all segments of society are affected by homelessness – the old and young, men and women, single individuals and families. The majority of individuals will experience homelessness only on a short-termed basis. However, about 10-20% will experience homelessness for years. Although, the chronically homeless represent only a fraction of the total homeless population, they utilize the majority of resources available. Current literature has focused primarily on other groups within the homeless community, leaving little to be known about the chronic homeless. Without a better understanding of this unique group, interventions can only be based upon assumptions. The purpose …

Serious Infectious Events Following Cesarean Section, Janet Burton Glowicz

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

The purpose of this study was to evaluate trends in the incidence of serious infectious events (SIE), defined as organ space infection, sepsis, and Cesarean Section (CS) wound disruption, during the birth admission or resulting in between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014 in the State of Texas. A retrospective analysis of the Public Use Data File, maintained by the Texas Health Care Information Collection was conducted. Records of 627,555 women who had CS and 1,023 women readmitted for CS wound disruption, were included. During the study period, there was a large decrease in the rate at which SIE …