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Influence Of Depression And Interpersonal Support On Adherence To Antiretroviral Therapy Among People Living With Hiv, Jerry John Nutor, Akua O. Gyamerah, Robert Kaba Alhassan, Henry Ofori Duah, Rachel G.A. Thompson, Natalie Wilson, Orlando Harris, Jose Gutierrez, Thomas J. Hoffmann, Monica Getahun, Glenn-Milo Santos

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Poor adherence and under-utilization of antiretroviral therapy (ART) services have been major setbacks to achieving 95-95-95 policy goals in Sub-Saharan Africa. Social support and mental health challenges may serve as barriers to accessing and adhering to ART but are under-studied in low-income countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of interpersonal support and depression scores with adherence to ART among persons living with HIV (PLWH) in the Volta region of Ghana.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 181 PLWH 18 years or older who receive care at an ART clinic between November 2021 and …

The Early Impact Of Covid-19 On Intensive Care Nurses’ Personal And Professional Well-Being: A Qualitative Study, Kelly Calkins, Jill L. Guttormson, Natalie S. Mcandrew, Holly Losurdo, Danielle Loonsfoot, Shania Schmitz, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on intensive care nurses personal and professional well-being.

Research Methodology/Design

A descriptive, qualitative design was used. Two nurse researchers conducted one-on-one interviews via Zoom or TEAMS using a semi-structured interview guide.

Setting

Thirteen nurses who were working in an intensive care unit in the United States participated in the study. A convenience sample of nurses who completed a survey in the larger parent study provided an email and were contacted by the research team to participate in interviews to discuss their experiences.

Main Outcome Measures

An inductive approach to content analysis …

Group-Based Interventions Using A Low-Fat Diabetes Diet To Improve Self-Efficacy And Hba1c Levels In African American Type 2 Diabetics, Linda Baker-Bynum

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background and Problem

Type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic medical condition of impaired glucose metabolism that has significantly impacted the health of Americans. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), T2DM is the seventh leading cause of death making up over 270,000 deaths in 2017 (CDC, 2020a). There are noted disparities among African Americans who are disproportionately affected by T2DM more than Caucasians. African Americans account for 13% of the population in the United States of which 11.7% are diagnosed with T2DM as compared to Caucasians who make up 76.3% of the population of which 7.5% …

Resources To Promote Senior Independence, Amanda Anderson, Sheree Mae Cacal, Sophia Gallego, Madyson Grant, Lola Wallace

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Resources to Promote Senior Independence

Introduction

Our group of five students from Seattle Pacific University's Lydia Green nursing program assessed the community of an independent senior apartment complex that provides affordable housing for adults aged 65+ in the Seattle area run under Sustainable Housing for Ageless Generations (SHAG). This assignment is for our leadership project and occurred over an 8-week period. During this time, we applied the nursing process to assess, diagnose, plan, and implement an intervention specific to a population's needs. The community faced issues of resource access, exacerbated by the population's low income and age. Our focus was …

Exercise As A Prescription For Patients With Depressive Disorders: A Quality Improvement Project, Sydney Roscoe, Rachelle Pace

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose: The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to increase exercise counseling rates in the treatment of depression by (1) implementing a focused educational training program and (2) understanding factors that impacted utilization of the practice change.

Background: Approximately 280 million individuals suffer globally from depressive disorders. Depression remains the fourth leading cause of disabilities, significantly contributing toward the global burden of disease by increasing morbidity and mortality risk. Psychopharmacology and psychotherapy are current gold standards of treatment; however, providers often overlook the significant role exercise serves in reducing depressive symptoms and severity, as it remains underutilized. …

Are You In Control Of Your Diabetes? Providing 1:1 Diabetic Self-Management Education To Adults With Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus In An Outpatient Clinic In An Underserved Community, Joe Gonzales

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complicated multisystem disease that accounts for over 20% of health care spending in the United States (Hildebrand et al., 2019). Uncontrolled DM can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputations, and peripheral artery disease. The literature supports the use of practice guidelines to improve patient outcomes with diabetes self-management education (DSME) and pharmacological interventions.

The purpose of this evidence-based project was to improve hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c) levels by introducing the 2021 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Care guideline to improve diabetes self-management in a largely underserved adult Latino community. The intervention included a …

Managing Menopausal Symptoms Through Exercise And Dietary Changes, Ae Rah Kang

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: The most critical aging stage for women is the menopausal transition period, which causes various symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleeping disturbance, and mood swings that lower women's quality of life. Menopausal symptoms that are not managed can exacerbate severe medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, bone illnesses, neurological diseases, and psychosocial problems. As the first non-pharmacological treatment for menopausal syndrome, several studies have shown that regular exercise and diet control can potentially improve menopausal symptoms and the quality of life.

Purpose: This project aimed to examine the effect of improving the quality of life by reducing …

Feasibility Of Family Focused Obesity Screening In Primary Care, Adrianne Griffiths

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Obesity is associated with serious medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. It also contributes to decreased productivity at work and school, financial strain, and reduced quality of life.

Purpose of Project: To address this problem, a nurse practitioner-led screening and intervention program was piloted at a primary care clinic in southern San Diego. The tool provides a standardized method for screening individuals and their families for nutrition and physical activity deficits associated with obesity, as well as appropriate and effective interventions to prevent and manage obesity.

Methods: The Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) screening tool is …

The Impact Of The Family Nutrition And Physical Activity (Fnpa) Tool With Diet And Physical Education On Obesity Awareness And Body Mass Index (Bmi) Of Overweight Patients, Sheena Amos

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose

This evidence-based practice project aims to apply the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) tool with diet and physical education to increase obesity awareness and decrease body mass index (BMI) among overweight parents in the community. The FNPA screening tool is a behaviorally based assessment designed to allow parents to evaluate obesogenic environments and practices that may predispose their children to become overweight. The first goal was to recruit parents in the community and utilize the FNPA tool to assess and better understand their diet and physical activity levels. The second goal was to increase obesity awareness among these …

Implementation Of The Diet Readiness Test To Assess Self-Efficacy And Education Effectiveness In Overweight Women, Tatjana Ilich

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to assess perceived self-efficacy in overweight women who are participating in a weight loss program and the effectiveness of education being provided using the Diet Readiness Test (DRT).

Background: Obesity is a rapidly growing public health problem affecting an increasing number of countries worldwide because of its prevalence, costs, and health effects. Among women between the ages of 40 and 60, more than 80% report that they are either trying to lose weight or trying to maintain weight. The overall prevalence of obesity was similar among men …

Utilization Of Telemedicine For Follow Up Appointments In Radiation Oncology, Priya Patel

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Access to healthcare remains a problem for patients in the United States, especially those who live in remote areas, are immobile, immunocompromised, or are experiencing financial strain. These barriers can lead to missed appointments, putting financial strain on healthcare institutions, and contributing to productivity loss and underutilization of clinic resources. During the COVID-19 pandemic there was a rapid increase in the use telemedicine. Patients were surveyed on the quality of their telemedicine visit at the UCSD Health Moores Cancer Center Radiation Oncology department. The majority of patients would schedule telemedicine appointments in the future, which can reduce the burden on …

Decreasing Weight Bias Among Aprns, Aprn Students, And Rn Nursing Students Through Educational Seminars, Apryl Cutler

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Introduction: The purpose of this evidence-based practice Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to systematically review research-based evidence and best practice guidelines brought forth by other researchers, experts and organizations. The goal was to implement an enlightening and educational intervention via seminar to Pre-licensure RN students, APRN students and APRNs on the topics of the non-controllable causes of obesity, weight bias in healthcare and patient-centered approaches to ultimately improve the delivery and quality of care provided to patients living with obesity.

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has been steadily increasing over the past three decades with up …

Social Determinants Of Health And Health Confidence, Laura Truman

Dissertations

Purpose/Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among social determinants of health (SDOH), select sociodemographics, and health confidence level in adults receiving care at an urgent care center.

Background/Rationale: To improve overall health and reduce health inequities during a global pandemic and unprecedented rates of inflation, the relevancy and urgency of identifying how patient-level SDOH impact health confidence level are even greater. Extant research indicates a relationship between the number of unmet social needs and low health confidence. Low health confidence predicts poor involvement in self-care and is associated with an increased use of costly health …

A Prescription For Exercise In Adolescents: A Pilot Project, Alexa Sikalis

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose: The purpose of this evidence based practice project was to increase physical activity (PA) times in pediatric patients who were not meeting the recommended guidelines of 60 minutes per day of activity. The goal was to educate adolescents on the benefits of exercise in order to increase their overall PA, even if it did not meet the recommended 60 minutes per day. The implemented education was also intended to motivate patients to establish healthy habits and minimize risks of poor health outcomes.

Background: Adolescence is characterized by development of neuronal plasticity and establishment of behavioral patterns. PA …

Using Drama Therapy To Foster Peer Support Among Nurse Leaders, Chyela Rowe

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study explored the use of drama therapy to support the social-emotional experiences of nurse leaders at a mid-sized regional hospital system in the Southeastern United States. Nurse leaders have experienced profound changes to their work environments in recent years and burnout has been at an all-time high among healthcare workers globally. Organizational supports for nurses and nurse leaders are both inadequate to meet the needs and under-resourced. The research questions explored 1) whether the drama therapy peer support initiative improved outcomes and 2) whether there was a significant relationship between measures, and 3) what nurse leaders described as facilitators …

Nursing Education In Complementary Alternative Modalities: A Case Study, Deborah Bird

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this embedded case study was to describe the preparation for and utilization of complimentary alternative modality (CAM) interventions by an experienced Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) prepared nurse practitioner (NP) working in an outpatient setting.

Background: Given the widespread use of CAM by the American public and the potential complications involved in combining CAM and standard medical care, a lack of educational preparation in CAM interventions by NPs delivering primary care in outpatient health care settings represents both a potential risk and a missed opportunity to provide holistic patient care. Such a lack of knowledge also …

Save The Children Community Health Worker Program – Adverse Childhood Events Prevention, Jieun Lee

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur between the ages of 0 to 17 in which are directly associated, in a dose–response manner, to many of the most common and serious health problems in the United States.

Local Problem: 62% of California residents have experienced at least one ACE, and 16% have experienced at least four ACEs. ACEs are linked to nine of the ten leading causes of death in the United States Adults with four or more ACEs are 37.5 times more likely to attempt suicide, 3.2 times more likely to have chronic lower respiratory …

Predicting The Risk Of Falling With Artificial Intelligence, Ann Aquino

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Predicting the Risk of Falling with Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Background: Fall prevention is a huge patient safety concern among all healthcare organizations. The high prevalence of patient falls has grave consequences, including the cost of care, longer hospital stays, unintentional injuries, and decreased patient and staff satisfaction. Preventing a patient from falling is critical in maintaining a patient’s quality of life and averting the high cost of healthcare expenses.

Local Problem: Two hospitals' healthcare system saw a significant increase in inpatient falls. The fall rate is one of the nursing quality indicators, and fall reduction is a key performance indicator …

Community Health Worker Program: Adverse Childhood Experiences And Early Childhood, Arelis Sandoval

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively affect childhood development and long-term health outcomes. Latino children face multiple adversities and social determinants of health compounded by ACEs. Community Health Workers (CHWs) have access to work with families to improve resilience and mitigate the effects of ACEs in this population.

Local Problem: In the Central Valley of California, CHWs provide support and resources to a largely Latino population with increased poverty rates, low educational attainment, lack of health insurance, and many chronic health issues, putting families at a higher risk for ACEs exposure. CHWs need further training to apply ACEs knowledge to …

Improving Patient Safety For Surgical Clearance: A Preop One Stop Shop, Anna Benedictos

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: Medical clearance is required for patients scheduled for surgery, also known as “patient optimization.” Ineffective and inefficient patient optimization is a major contributor to surgery postponements, procedure cancellations, and patient dissatisfaction.

Context: Ambulatory care clinics often lack resources to medically clear patients prior to scheduled surgery. Poor surgical optimization continues to occur on the same day of surgery, resulting in case cancellation or delay in a suburban, 169 bed community hospital with 9 operating rooms and approximately 500 surgical procedures per month.

Interventions: A nurse-led PreOp One Stop Shop (POSS) utilized a standardized checklist to perform preoperative surgical assessment. …

Therapeutic Gardening For Mental Health In Substance Use Recovery, Stephanie E. Schafer

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

As the clinical nurse leader (CNL) in this project, I used the “[CNL]

Essential 1: Background for Practice from Sciences and Humanities” (Competencies and Curricular Expectations for Clinical Nurse Leader Education and Practice, 2013) and its competencies to focus on designing nursing care for a clinical or community-focused population based on biopsychosocial, public health, nursing, and organizational sciences and to synthesize evidence for practice to determine appropriate application of interventions across diverse populations. With the help of the CNL competencies and collaboration with the healthcare team, we created and implemented a therapeutic garden for residents in a substance use …

Standardized Patient Education For Patients' Initial Chemotherapy Through An Integrated Telemedicine Platform, Karen D. Dougherty

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Telemedicine has demonstrated a high level of satisfaction in a variety of health settings as a safe and efficient method of delivering healthcare. The purpose of this project was to implement an Advanced Practice-led Quality Improvement (QI) initiative pilot to evaluate the standardization of chemotherapy education through an integrated telemedicine platform. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project used interventions noted in the literature review to assess and evaluate core concepts of knowledge, satisfaction, utilization, and program acceptance. This project aimed to utilize evidence-based processes to increase knowledge about the chemotherapy treatment routine, to raise awareness and develop skills to …

Therapeutic Gardening For Addiction Recovery, Hugo A. Rivera Lopez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: The use of evidence-based alternative forms of therapy like horticulture therapy and therapeutic gardening is underutilized in substance use recovery programs in the United States. As the country continues to struggle with addiction, it is important that recovery programs look to and incorporate these alternative therapies into official curricula. Currently, 46.3 million individuals living in the United States are living with a substance use disorder (U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022).

Context: The intervention was implemented at an all-male substance use treatment facility in San Jose, CA that houses up …

The Use Of Therapeutic Gardening In Addiction Recovery, Sophia Agne

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Numerous recent studies have emerged detailing the benefits of horticultural therapy on mental health and wellness. Despite this, substance use disorder treatment facilities rarely include an outdoor component in their programming. The project seeks to examine the advantages of incorporating therapeutic gardening as a complementary part of addiction treatment.

Context: The microsystem where the study was conducted was at a 32-bed residential substance abuse treatment facility for adult men who have previously been involved in the criminal justice system. The treatment approach employed at the facility aligns with the Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) curriculum, which emphasizes mental health-informed …

It Is What It Is... Enduring The Never-Ending: The Lived Experiences Of Parenting Adult Children With Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities, Siri Gurunam Kaur Khalsa

Nursing ETDs

The parental home is the principal place of residence for adults with developmental disabilities/ intellectual disabilities (DD/ID) (Heller et al., 2007). More than 75% of the adult population with DD/ID living in the U.S. continue to have their basic needs provided by their parents (Williamson & Perkins, 2014). This is based on the estimated statistic that 1.0 to 1.58% of the U.S. adult population has a developmental disability (Anderson et al., 2019; Fox et al., 2015). About 2.9 million adults with DD/ID live with a parent of 55 years (Byun et al., 2006), with more than 25% of these parents …

A Rapid Review Of The Literature: Cardiovascular Disease Preventive Practices And Rural Black Women, Modjadji M. Choshi, Maria Devalpine

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among Black/African American women. Rural Black women have the highest CVD prevalence and are more likely to have modifiable risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity than any other race. Accessible evidence-based culture-appropriate self-care programs for risk reduction and CVD prevention can address these disparities. This rapid review aims to provide a comprehensive collection of such programs. Methods. Searches were performed in PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Psychinfo-Embase, and Scopus for studies reporting CVD prevention programs for rural Black women. Three articles met the inclusion criteria, with …

A Lifestyle Modification Intervention In Hispanic Adolescents With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Brianne Miller

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

U.S. population studies have confirmed that the Hispanic population has the highest prevalence and the worst prognosis for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (Katz et al., 2021). The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to implement a multicomponent, lifestyle modification intervention in Hispanic pediatric primary care patients to combat the disease process and sequela of NAFLD. The PICOT question for this project was: In Hispanic adolescents aged 10-21 with obesity and NAFLD (P), what is the effect of a multicomponent, lifestyle modification intervention (I), on alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (O), over a 12-week time period (T)? A comprehensive literature search …

The Impact Of Personal Barriers To Incorporating The American Heart Association Diet, Aaron Bigando

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The leading cause of death worldwide is cardiovascular disease. Diet is the most influential, modifiable factor related to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association developed a diet that delivers guidelines for diet. Therefore, identifying the most significant factors that hinder the effectiveness of the diet was necessary. These hindrances can be categorized as physical, psychosocial, and socioeconomic barriers. Demographic differences also impact diet.

A survey was developed to identify and account for the most common dietary barriers. The Barriers to Healthy Eating scale addressed different circumstances which impact diet. By using this scale, providers can …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Diabetic Education Program, Brianna Cole

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The purpose of this project was to help create and evaluate a diabetes education program that was accessible to diabetic patients over the age of 18. This project was conducted through Enhanced Healthcare of the Ozarks clinic with the guidance and approval of the American Diabetes Association. There is currently one other diabetic education program available in Northwest Arkansas. The theme of this project was to provide education in individual and group settings regarding medication use, emergency situations, nutritional choices, and self-management techniques. These patients learned meal planning strategies, proper nutrition choices, functions of the body, self-management techniques, emergent situation …

Improving Advance Directive Documentation In A Primary Care Clinic In The Midwest, Teresa Hagedorn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

An Abstract of the Scholarly Project by

Teresa Gayle Hagedorn

Advance care planning (ACP) is a continuous communication process linking patients, family members, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Personal values, life goals, and preferences regarding future medical care are significant to every person as we will inevitably reach the end of life. Advance directives (ADs) promote patient autonomy and provide legal documentation of a patient’s wishes for future care. According to the National Institute of Health (2018), only 1 in 3 adults in the United States have a documented AD in their electronic medical records (EMR). This quality improvement project aimed …