Digital Commons Network^™

Early Mobility And Delirium Prevention For Intensive Care Unit Patients At Kingman Regional Medical Center, Lyndsey R. Lehman Ms, Otr/L

Masters Projects

Over five million patients are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) annually in the United States, with 50-70% of those developing debilitating physical, cognitive, and mental health issues. Occupational therapy (OT) is a holistic profession that provides evidence-based interventions to improve ICU patients’ function and participation in daily occupations by addressing early mobility and delirium. A needs assessment performed for the Kingman Regional Medical Center (KRMC) ICU revealed a lack of knowledge about early mobility and delirium prevention among nursing staff, underutilization and limited understanding of OT services, and KRMC-specific barriers impacting patient care. This author designed and implemented …

Evidence-Based Project To Improve Staff’S Knowledge And Attitude Toward Electroconvulsive Therapy, Nicole A. Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, catatonia, schizoaffective disorder, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Barriers to the use of ECT are misinformation and stigma among healthcare workers and limited access to the treatment. The clinical question for this scholarly project was, “In adult psychiatry and operating room staff at a multisystem hospital located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, improve knowledge and attitudes toward ECT?” After a brief educational PowerPoint presentation on ECT with the adult psychiatry and operating room staff, staff knowledge rose from 66% to 72% within the QuAKE …

Evaluating The Impact Of Semiglutide On Weight Loss In Overweight Adults, Justina 0. Umweni-Oyiboke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a pressing health issue. By 2030, it is estimated that nearly half of all adults in the United States will be obese. This trend has serious consequences for both physical and mental health. Obese individuals face an increased risk of conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, and even depression. In this Doctor of Nursing Practice Project, I evaluated the effectiveness of a quality improvement (QI) initiative at the project site that addressed the practice problem of inadequate weight loss management caused by relying solely on diet and exercise as treatment strategies. The QI …

Best Practice Toolkit For Nursing Staff Caring For Ventilated Patients, Erin Belisle

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Best practice tool kits are used to guide better outcomes for ventilated patients and staff members. Many reasons can contribute to requiring a patient to be on mechanical ventilation, but the most common reasons are a trauma event and infection.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In critical care staff such as nurses, respiratory therapists (RT), and critical care providers caring for mechanically ventilated patients (P), what is the effect of implementing a best practice coordination toolkit (I) compared to standard care procedures (C) on the adherence to best practices by critical care providers (O)? …

Staff Education To Improve Medical Adherence Among African American Males With Hypertension, Veronica Ebere Ani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension (HTN) is the chief cause of cardiovascular disease in the United States. Due to the mortality and morbidity and the increased healthcare costs associated with HTN, nursing staff need to have knowledge to control and help patients manage the condition. HTN disproportionately affects African American men due to non-adherence to medication, lifestyle issues, and health disparities. Nurses can only support patients managing HTN if they have current evidence-based knowledge. Staff knowledge deficit was a significant issue affecting the clinic's management and control of HTN. Providers' knowledge gap was considered a leading factor in patient nonadherence to prescribed antihypertensive medications. …

Staff Education To Increase Staff Awareness On How Personal Trauma Affects Responses During Restraints, Marygoretti Kibe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The emotional and or physical trauma that individuals sustained while growing up may continue to adversely affect their health as adults, leading to mental health issues, depression, substance use, anxiety and secondary trauma. The prevalence of this trauma widely unacknowledged among mental healthcare staff. Trauma prevention is crucial and can be achieved through educational interventions. In clinical settings, this can prevent staff high turnover, leaving the profession, disengagement, hypervigilance, and overinvolvement. In a mental health clinical setting, this trauma can lead to overuse or misuse of restraints as the trauma staff bring to these situations drives their reactions.

Educating Project Site Hospital Nurses On The Code Lavender, Jennifer Swendsen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With this staff education project, I aimed to educate nurses at the project site hospital about the Code Lavender program, a mental health intervention designed to address nurse burnout. Nurse burnout has risen significantly post-COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to high turnover rates and compromising patient care. Nurses are experiencing increased levels of stress, depression, and suicidal ideation, which has led to feelings of being overwhelmed, overworked, and quitting the profession, exacerbating staffing shortages and patient care hazards. The central question of this project was whether staff education on the Code Lavender program would increase nurses’ knowledge, as evidenced by improved posttest …

Grief And Loss: Catholic Filipino Traditions, Edgar D. Montesa

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Catholic Filipino traditions regarding death, loss, and grief, consist of Christian, paganistic and animistic elements. The peculiar beliefs and practices reflect ethnic Filipinos' values and views of things. They help contemporary Filipinos cope with a loved one's death and with the challenges posed by a pandemic. They have certain implications for faith community nurses.

Feasibility Of Virtual Lifestyle Physical Activity Program For South Asian Indian Immigrant Women: Dance And Spousal/Partner Dyad Meetings, Manju Daniel Dr., Susan Weber Buchholz Dr., Pamela Semanik Dr., Sachin Vispute

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Culturally relevant, physical activity (PA) interventions are important in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in South Asian Indian immigrant (SAI) women. This 12-week study aimed to determine the feasibility (recruitment, engagement, satisfaction, obtaining measures, retention) of implementing a virtual lifestyle PA program. The outcomes measured included steps/day; minutes of moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA/week) and cardiovascular health measures (aerobic fitness, blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference) in women. The intervention targets included benefits/barriers to PA, self-efficacy, social support, and couples’ satisfaction. We recruited six SAI spousal/partner dyads (women aged 40-65 years; < 7,500 average steps/day). The intervention included: (a) Fitbit for PA prescription and step goal setting for women; (b) Bollywood-style women-only weekly dance sessions via Zoom; and (c) dyad behavioral group meetings every two weeks via Zoom. Dance and group meeting attendance for women was 100%. The majority (83.3%) wore a Fitbit > 91.6% of days. Overall mean client satisfaction …

I’Ll Just Weight On The Lord: The Lived Experience Of Obesity, Spirituality, And Health Behaviors In African American Women, Andrea S. Poynter, Florence M. Weierbach

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Obesity is one of the fastest growing health concerns impacting all racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic groups in the United States of America. Obesity has gained nationwide attention due to its health-related disorders such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and various cancer types that increase the annual medical cost on a financially stressed health system (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2022). Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in all races and genders within the US with African American women comprising a majority of those impacted by this chronic health condition (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Offices of …

Exploring The Barriers And Supports Of Faith Community Nurses Serving In Alaska: A Qualitative Study, Nathan T. West, Phd, Lauren M. Kiker, Ba, Beverly R. Bateman, Msn, Rn, Fcn, Krista Jones, Dnp, Msn, Rn, Phna-Bc, Faan

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Decades of research exist on the public health impact of faith community nurses (FCNs), particularly congregational health promotion and disease prevention. However, the literature exploring the barriers and supports FCNs experience when serving their communities is limited. Thus, guided by Ziebarth’s (2016) conceptual framework of faith community nursing, this study explored the lived experiences of FCNs (N = 8) delivering care to faith communities in Alaska. Thematic analyses of qualitative data revealed three major themes including 1) the descriptions, characteristics, and roles performed by FCNs (e.g., active listening, policy-level recommendations); 2) barriers and other factors impacting FCNs’ delivery of care …

Identification And Treatment Of Ipv/Nonfatal Strangulation By First Responders, Mary L. Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective and inconsistent education focusing on domestic violence (DV)/intimate partner violence (IPV)/nonfatal strangulation identification and treatments results in first responders’ failure to move patients to a higher level of care, resulting in possible delayed complications. The purpose of the Doctor of Nursing practice (DNP) project was to determine if an educational program increased first responders’ knowledge and improved treatment of DV/IPV/nonfatal strangulation patients. Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory provided the framework throughout the educational process. The Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey (PREMIS) tool was utilized to score the participants’ knowledge prior to and after the education. The …

Executive Summary: Quality Improvement Initiative Implementing Fixed Water Dispensers In An Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, Elycia Victoria Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current hydration system using water pitchers was outdated and inefficient, leading to potential risks of contamination, inconsistent hydration, and increased staff workload in this inpatient psychiatric facility. Psychiatric patients may struggle to access adequate hydration due to cognitive or behavioral limitations. Addressing this gap is essential for improving patient care, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring consistent access to clean water. This DNP scholarly project was an evaluation of an interprofessional team-based quality initiative to replace traditional water pitchers with fixed water dispensers in an acute inpatient psychiatric facility. The primary practice-focused question was: Will an interprofessional team reach consensus …

The Association Of Individual Characteristics, Treatment Type, Treatment Satisfaction, Symptoms Of Pain And Fatigue With Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Adults With Gaucher Disease Type 1, Shauna L. Mangum

Nursing ETDs

People with rare disease have lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than the general population. Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1) is a rare, autosomal recessive, lysosomal storage disorder that affects multiple bodily systems. HRQoL improved with enzyme replacement and/or substrate reduction therapies, however, little is known about specific variables associated with HRQoL in GD1. This study explored associations between individual characteristics (gender, race, ethnicity, age, and genotype), treatment variables (treatment type, length of time on treatment, and treatment satisfaction) and symptoms of fatigue and pain with HRQoL among 97 adults with GD1. No significant associations were found among individual characteristics …

Interventions Aimed To Reduce Hospital Admissions In Patients With Cardiovascular Disease Related To Substance Use Disorder, Hannah Lambert, Kayla Landaverde

Master's Projects

Heart failure (HF) and substance use disorder (SUD) are both growing epidemics in the United States. When combined, patients with concurrent substance abuse and heart failure may present with various cardiac complaints such as chest pain, hypertension, and shortness of breath. There are little to few studies specifically evaluating interventions for decompensated heart failure to counteract the rising rates of cardiovascular issues associated with SUD. This review aims to investigate the effects of interventions targeted to prevent hospital readmission in patients with congestive heart failure associated with substance use disorder. An integrative review methodology was applied to gain an inclusive …

Burns: A Standardized Approach For Resuscitation Of Burn Patients In The Critical Care Setting, Joshua Cole Rn Bsn, Marcus Leo Rn Adn, Kyle Jacques Rn Bsn, Lauren Miller Rn Bsn

Nurse Residency

PICOT Question: In adult major burn patients (Burns greater than 15% body surface area), how does a burn critical care bay with visual cues and intervention specific carts, compare to standard critical care bays affect patient outcomes over the course of their hospital stay?

Fall Reduction: Using Exercise Interventions To Reduce The Number Of Falls Among People With Parkinson's Disease, Michael D. Healy Rn

Nurse Residency

PICOT Question: In geriatric patients with Parkinson's, what is the effectiveness of lower extremity strength training combined with medication management for the reduction of unplanned falls?

Impact Of Participation In Cardiac Rehabilitation Post Myocardial-Infarction: An Integrative Review, Zoie Maynard, Mallory Stinson

Master's Projects

As one of the most common causes of hospitalization, the prevalence of myocardial infarction is indisputable Since this condition is so ubiquitous, a treatment protocol is initiated with methods to help patients modify their lifestyle, treat their underlying disease process, educate them to prevent reoccurrence, and improve their healthcare outcomes. This protocol relies heavily on the use of cardiac rehabilitation. Despite the implementation of this treatment protocol, the concern for recurrence and rehospitalization remains. The goal of this integrative review is to determine how participation in cardiac rehabilitation post-myocardial infarction impacts healthcare outcomes including rates of rehospitalization and depression. The …

Interventions To Improve Mental Health In New Graduate Nurses, Katherine Lewis Rn Bsn, Cordelia Inman Rn Bsn, Hannah Leclair, Caroline Spencer Rn Bsn

Nurse Residency

PICOT Question: In new graduate nurses (CN1), how does mental health support groups compared to no specific mental health support affect new nurses within the first year of hire?

Mental Fatigue And Self-Care In Informal Oncology Caregivers: A Descriptive Mixed Methods Study, Megan Wayne

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Purpose:

This dissertation study aimed to enhance understanding of informal caregiver wellbeing by exploring the presence of mental fatigue, the relationships among mental fatigue, self-care, and informal oncology caregiver quality of life (QOL), and determining whether differences exist in self-care engagement and QOL between caregivers who report high and low levels mental fatigue.

Problem:

Healthcare is becoming increasingly reliant on informal caregivers for the management and care of individuals with serious illnesses such as cancer. Previous research has shown that informal caregivers routinely experience many negative effects as a result of providing care including decreased mental health and …

Transgender Education In School Nursing To Decrease Stigma And Promote Self-Efficacy, Brandy Shannon-Loyola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project evaluated whether transgender education provided to school nurses and healthcare technicians decreased stigma and promoted self-efficacy. Concerns that transgender individuals have voiced were that they felt healthcare professionals could not effectively care for transgender patients, which may be due to personal or religious beliefs or lack of knowledge concerning the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community. Participants included credentialed school nurses and healthcare technicians in secondary education settings. The method consisted of a presurvey, education in the form of a handout, followed by a postsurvey to determine if education was successful. The Wilcoxon …

Health Literacy And Perceived Control: Intermediary Factors In The Relationship Between Race And Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Incarcerated Men In The United States, Jennifer L. Miller, Misook L. Chung, Lovoria B. Williams, Alison R. Connell, Zyad T. Saleh, Abdullah S. Alhurani, Alison L. Bailey, Mary Kay Rayens, Debra K. Moser

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Background: Black race, inadequate health literacy, and poor perceived control are predictors of increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among race, health literacy, perceived control, and CVD risk while controlling for known risk factors in incarcerated men. Methods: We included data from 349 incarcerated men to examine race and CVD risk (Framingham Risk Score) using a serial mediation model with health literacy and perceived control using 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from 5000 bootstrap samples. Results: Of the participants (age, 36 ± 10; education, 12 ± 2; body mass index, 28.3 ± …

Mindful Self Care Interventions In Travel Nurses Who Have Worked During And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Danika Desgazon

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant mental strain on frontline healthcare workers, particularly travel nurses deployed to high-risk areas. This group experienced heightened anxiety, fear, and post-traumatic stress, which often limited their engagement in essential self-care practices. Previous research indicates that structured self-care interventions, particularly those incorporating mindfulness, can help mitigate stress and improve mental health. However, the specific impact of such interventions on travel nurses has not been widely studied.

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week mindful self-care intervention in reducing stress and improving self-care behaviors among travel nurses who worked during and after …

Patient Reported Outcomes Amidst Isolated And Concomitant Chronic Cardiopulmonary Illnesses, Walter B. Wills

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the prevalence of many chronic cardiopulmonary illnesses are expected to rise within the United States through 2030, there is a growing emphasis on investigating the patient-reported outcomes relevant to the morbidity and social burden of these diseases. Thus, the overall aim of this dissertation is to examine these outcomes among those that live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular diseases (namely, heart failure). Specifically, the works in this dissertation aimed to compare how individuals report their health-related quality of life when living with and without cardiovascular disease across the spectrum of airflow limitation demonstrated within chronic obstructive pulmonary …

Implementing Bedside Shift Report In The Home Health Care Pediatric Setting, Ruth Elena Ramos-Ardila

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Developing and maintaining good communication is central in nursing because the goal is to achieve the best outcomes for the patient. In the past, written handover reports have been the standard way nurses communicate with each other, especially in the hospital and in home-based practice. Despite this rationale, this approach has considerable weaknesses: its high risk of mistakes and misunderstanding could negatively influence patient outcomes. In light of these concerns, this project examines the role of bedside shift reports in pediatric home care and the patient readmission rate. This project employed a quantitative, cross-sectional research approach involving 32 pediatric home …

Reframing Burnout: Measuring “Altruistic Execution” To Understand Nurse Burnout, Jacqueline Christianson, Abir K. Bekhet, Jill L. Guttormson, Maharaj Singh, Norah L. Johnson

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background:

Many nurses join the profession because they have altruistic intentions, but some nurses experience barriers to acting on altruistic intentions which may be a source of job dissatisfaction or burnout.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate construct validity, internal consistency, and convergence reliability of the Nursing Altruistic Execution Scale (NAES), a novel instrument assessing the perceived ability to help others through work.

Methods:

The NAES was developed based upon a literature review examining altruistic behavior as a motivator for nursing work, with expert feedback for instrument refinement. Participants completed the NAES, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory Work-Related Burnout …

Socio-Economic Disparities In Prenatal Prognosis And Intervention Accessibility, Simona Raluca Iacoban, Madalina Piron Dumitrascu, Camil Laurentiu Bohiltea, Ioan Dumitru Suciu, Silviu Cristian Voinea, Nicolae Suciu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Objectives. This study aimed to assess the impact of socio-economic factors on prenatal care accessibility and outcomes and to evaluate the effectiveness of specialized integrative prenatal care in mitigating these disparities. Materials and Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted between 2020 and 2023 in Bucharest, Romania, involving 100 pregnant women. Participants were equally divided into two groups that received standard and specialized prenatal care. Data were collected through structured interviews, medical record reviews, and standardized questionnaires at multiple time points during pregnancy and postpartum. Results. Women receiving integrative care had longer gestation periods (37.8 vs. 37.6 weeks), higher average …

Development Of A Facility-Level Second Victim Syndrome Peer-Mentor Program: Program Design And Future Directions, Jacqueline Trammell, Noah Zanville, Caryn Alper

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Despite efforts to prevent errors, studies show that iatrogenic, or health care-related, errors continue to occur. Understandably, these errors, which can range in severity from near-misses to serious harm, can be devastating for the health care professionals involved, creating a potential second set of victims, in addition to the patient(s) that were harmed directly. Studies show that individuals struggling with second-victim syndrome (SVS) can be at increased risk for depression, burnout, and poor work performance. However, programs designed to develop peer mentors to support individuals struggling with SVS are poorly described.

Methods

Following a review of the literature, our …

Effectively Addressing Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries With A Multidisciplinary Approach, Nicki Roderman, Shandlie Wilcox, Andrew Beal

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) result in patient harm, discomfort, and even death, with an estimated 2.5 million HAPIs occurring annually in the United States. These pressure injuries from prolonged pressure on the skin and deeper tissues cause reduced blood flow and the breakdown of skin and tissues, resulting in wounds. Additionally, these injuries contribute to longer hospital stays and increased health care costs. Hospitals have programs aimed at reducing HAPIs as well as ongoing surveillance to identify new trends early on. This ongoing monitoring revealed a trend early at our institution that HAPIs were 66% higher than the national …

How Do Scholars Conceptualize And Conduct Health And Digital Health Literacy Research? A Survey Of Federally Funded Scholars, Mayank Sakhuja, Brooks Yelton, Simon Kavarana, Lauren Schaurer, Jancham Rachel Rumthao, Samuel Noblet, Michelle Angelique Arent Rd, Mph, Cscs, Cissn, Mark M. Macauda Phd, Mph, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Daniela B. Friedman Ph.D.

Publications

Background: The concept of health literacy (HL) is constantly evolving, and social determinants of health (SDoH) have been receiving considerable attention in public health scholarship. Since a 1-size-fits-all approach for HL fails to account for multiple contextual factors and as a result poses challenges in improving literacy levels, there is a need to develop a deeper understanding of the current state of HL and digital health literacy (DHL) research.

Objective: This study examined scholars’ conceptualization and scope of work focused on HL and DHL.

Methods: Using a search string, investigators (N=2042) focusing on HL, DHL, or both were identified from …