Digital Commons Network^™

Ebp Implementing Telehealth In Outpatient Settings, Kylee Scott, Ellianna Grammer

Scholars Week

This evidence based practice project is researching if the implementation in outpatient settings would be beneficial. Specifically in the emergency department for areas such as triage and collaboration with other physicians.

Benefits Of Patient-Care Simulations For Nurse Education, Emily Pawlak, Macy Mohon, Molly Lewis

Scholars Week

This presentation was created to inform first-semester nursing students about the importance of the simulation labs they will complete throughout their BSN schooling. The research conducted indicated that these mock experiences were substantially beneficial for how nursing students learned bedside manners and clinical skills. Simulations allow students to prepare themselves to interact with patients professionally and safely while working effectively to improve patient outcomes. Although the sim-lab is a controlled environment, the scenarios that students will graded on are very real scenarios they may encounter during their clinical rotations. Our project aimed to inform students about what they can expect …

The Importance Of Nurse Involvement In Hospitalized Patient Smoking Cessation, Eudora Larson

Scholars Week

No abstract provided.

Hospital Passports: A Plan To Improve Care Of Patients With Intellectual Disabilities, Monica Mcmanemin, Kat Mccollum, Brianna Dennis

Scholars Week

Patients with intellectual disabilities frequent hospital settings, but often face barriers in communication and care due to altered needs that cannot be expressed. From these barriers hospital staff also experience frustrations in caring for these patients. Research supports that hospital passports are an excellent solution to improving care for patients with intellectual disabilities. These documents create a clear outline for hospital staff of these patients’ individual needs and allow reasonable adjustments to be made. This ensures that high quality care can be provided to all patients while also relieving stress from the healthcare providers. The goal of this project is …

Implementing The Use Of Non-Traditional Birthing Positions In The Hospital Setting, Madeline C. Ladd, Madelin G. Morrow, D'Aria M. Barbee

Scholars Week

This presentation uses evidence based research to support the use of non-traditional birthing positions in the hospital setting. The research shows that maternal comfort is increased and the risk of newborn birth trauma is decreased when mothers delivery in positions other than lithotomy. It is our hope that through the creation of our policy, maternal input will be more valued during labor and comfort will be prioritized.

Enhancing Cauti Prevention Through Daily Catheter Care Charting, Pre-Packaged Wipes, And Targeted Nursing Education, Alexis Bartolo, Hannah Todd, David Wagner

Scholars Week

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are common healthcare-associated infections that increase patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. This evidence-based project aims to reduce CAUTIs by implementing daily catheter care charting, using pre-packaged antiseptic wipes, and providing targeted nursing education. These interventions will enhance accountability, improve hygiene practices, and equip nurses with the latest CAUTI prevention techniques. The project evaluates the current catheter care policy, comparing it with evidence-based practices to identify improvements. Guided by Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory, the proposed policy changes aim to improve patient safety and care quality. By integrating these interventions into routine practice, the project …

Benefits Of Nursing Touch In Neonates, Lacy Baldwin, Camila Canedo Muzevic

Scholars Week

This paper explores the benefits of nursing neonatal soothing techniques, focusing on their short- and long-term effects in reducing stress and their influence on development. It emphasizes the nursing role through Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort in providing proactive non-pharmacological care. Neonates, particularly preemies, face significant amounts of stress in the clinical setting which can impede proper growth and development, as well as immediate well-being. It is part of the nursing duty to alleviate stress and promote comfort. This project analyzes evidence-based research on soothing techniques, including tactile, kinesthetic, gentle human touch, interactive newborn bathing, etc. It demonstrates the positive outcomes …

The Implementation Of Music Therapy For Dementia Patients, Lauren Holcomb, Jessica Borror, Jenna Schanz

Scholars Week

This research looks into the implementation of music therapy for dementia patients in several different clinical settings. The framework for the research takes a look at person-centered nursing care which focuses on the patient as an individual with specific wants and needs.

After reviewing the research articles, aspects of changing patient care like adding implementations of personal speakers and playing music in group settings were brought up as recommendations for facilities caring for dementia patients.

With these recommendations, we believe that there will be a reduced use of pharmacological interventions for behavioral outbursts and reduce the use of restraints. Most …

Evidence Based Practice Presentation: Proper Use Of Personal Protective Equipment Protecting Health Care Workers, Bella Batts, Kristine Puckett, Jimena Calderon

Scholars Week

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential in safeguarding healthcare workers from exposure to infectious agents, hazardous substances, and physical risks in clinical environments. PPE includes a variety of items such as gloves, masks, face shields, gowns, and respirators, each designed to provide a barrier between healthcare workers and potentially harmful pathogens or environmental hazards. The use of PPE is particularly crucial in settings where healthcare workers are at heightened risk, such as during the treatment of patients with infectious diseases, surgical procedures, or when handling hazardous materials. The importance of PPE extends beyond individual protection, as it helps reduce the …

Mental Activities For Older Adults To Promote Cognitive Function, Paige Kramer, Riley Hancock

Scholars Week

Addressing mental activities for older adults to promote cognitive function while hospitalized. Implementing evidence-based practices that can help promote cognitive function such as crossword puzzles, word searches, art, and music therapy. Providing staff education on why cognitive function is important. Mental activities are essential needs that need to be addressed for patients.

Improving Recovery Nurses’ Satisfaction With Postoperative Transfer Of The Anesthetized Patient With The Utilization Of A Standardized Handoff Checklist, Gemma Nilsson

Scholars Week

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of using a standardized tool during patient handoff, addressing the lack of an organized structure for patient transfers and the risk of miscommunication. Poor communication is a leading cause of medical errors in the hospital and the transfer reports of postoperative patients in the post-anesthesia care unit are often inaccurate or incomplete (Milby, 2014; Salzwedel, 2012).

Design: A handoff tool was developed for anesthesia providers to use during postoperative patient transfers. Using descriptive statistics, the project evaluated subjective survey responses from registered nurses before and after the implementation of the tool. Perception of the tool’s …

Advancing Provider Knowledge On Precedex Use To Prevent Postoperative Delirium Through Targeted Education, Brian Gibbs

Scholars Week

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a serious and multifactorial complication commonly affecting elderly surgical patients. POD is associated with increased morbidity, longer hospital stays, and higher mortality rates. The use of benzodiazepines and opioids during the perioperative period is a significant modifiable risk factor for POD. Despite the potential of Dexmedetomidine (Precedex) to reduce POD incidence due to its sedative, and analgesic properties, it is not widely available in many operating rooms (OR). This project aimed to educate anesthesia providers on the benefits of Precedex and its role in reducing POD in patients over 65 years old. A quality improvement project …

Implementation Of A Mental Health Wellness Toolkit For Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Mckenzie Lawson

Scholars Week

There is significant evidence that proves that Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists score exceptionally high on stress and anxiety scales. Research has demonstrated that high levels of anxiety and stress can lead to burnout and mental health concerns, including depression, fatigue, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. A PICOT question was developed for this problem and is as follows: For first-year student registered nurse anesthetists starting clinicals in the operating room, how does participating in a wellness program where students are taught stress-reduction techniques affect their stress and resiliency scores one month and three months following the implementation of the program? This …

Mitigating The Negative Effects Of Over And Early Exposure To Media With Joint Media Engagement: A Literature Review, Mary K. Littlepage

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

This paper examines the negative impact of over and early exposure to media on children’s developmental domains. Among other deleterious effects, early and over exposure to media has been associated with attention deficits, language delays, and interrupted social interactions. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) addresses these concerns with recommendations, discouraging the use of screens for children birth to eighteen months and recommends that children over two years old limit their viewing to one to two hours or less per day (AAP Council on Communications and Media, 2016). For children within the recommended viewing and age parameters, many studies have …

Teacher Decision Making In Guided-Reading, Brittany Worthen

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Guided reading provides teachers the opportunity to support students in literacy learning. When planning for and implementing this instructional approach, teachers are required to make various in-advance and in-the-moment decisions that involve responding to students’ instructional needs through adaptive teaching. Grounded in sociocultural and social constructivist theories, this study was designed to understand teacher decision-making within the context of guided reading instruction.

This research was a collective case study aimed at providing a better understanding of the various decisions teachers make when teaching in a guided reading context. Findings pertaining to in-advanced decisions that emerged from the data can be …

Power Of Partnerships, Joni Meade

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

No abstract provided.

“I Don’T Remember One Thing About Civic Education”: Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives On Civic Learning And Civic Engagement, Daniela Kruel Digiacomo, Laura H. Darolia, Carly Muetterties, Stephanie Mobley

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

In this study, we examined elementary pre-service teachers’ perspectives on civic education and information and media literacy. We designed an intervention in an elementary social studies methods course to examine if pre-service teachers’ learning experiences shifted attitudes toward and imaginations about their future practice as teachers. Initial findings, based on interview transcripts and classroom artifacts, confirm the importance of bringing civic education and information and media literacy to young learners and offer insights into the kinds of support pre-service teachers may need to do so.

Using Diverse Picture Books To Strengthen Social And Emotional Skills, Jessica L. Edwards

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Social and emotional learning skills are inherently interconnected with culturally responsive teaching, as any progress with equity and justice requires intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive competence. This article discusses the significance of this connection, providing numerous ideas for using diverse picture books to establish and further strengthen social and emotional learning skills within any classroom environment.

Stress As A Means Of Success: Investigating The Effect Of Stress Appraisals On Willpower, Ego Depletion, And Physiological Responses In College Students, Anna Minor

Honors College Theses

Stress impacts our emotions, cognition, behavior, and health. Although stress is abundant and unavoidable, recent research suggests our perception of stress can strongly influence its outcomes. The Biopsychosocial Model of Challenge and Threat (BPS) states that we appraise a stressful scenario in one of two ways: challenge or threat. A challenge appraisal involves a positive perception of stress and is associated with lower physiological output while a threat appraisal involves a negative perception of stress and increased physiological arousal. The current research seeks to apply the BPS to a cognitive task and consider its relation to willpower, ego depletion, and …

Birth Planning, Audrey K. Gill, Kacie J. Easley

Student Scholarship & Creative Works

This is an informative presentation completed using evidence based practice regarding the importance of birth planning and the use of birth plans. It is used as a tool to educate nurses and healthcare providers about the benefits of implementing birth plan education into their patients portfolio. The birth plan is a written document that involves the collaborative efforts between nurses/healthcare providers and future mothers. It is used in order to personalize and improve the birthing experience for patients. This presentation uses qualitative research, quantitative research, and theoretical framework in order to deem positive results with the implementation of birth plans.

Exploring Positive Distractions In Pediatric Healthcare Design, Brayden Nichols, Lindsey Fay

Posters-at-the-Capitol

This research investigates the role of positive distractions in healthcare environments, focusing on how architectural elements can improve patient well-being. Specifically, it examines features such as access to nature, color, and art installations in pediatric spaces, aiming to understand their impact on reducing stress, enhancing satisfaction, and promoting healing. Healthcare design has traditionally prioritized clinical efficiency over emotional and psychological considerations. However, research highlights the importance of incorporating elements that redirect patients' focus away from the clinical environment, known as positive distractions. During my study, I found substantial evidence that natural elements significantly calm young people, which guided my emphasis …

Oh126 Norvel J. Williamson Oral History, Mary Bates

Lifestyles

Norvel J. Williamson talks about his early life in Paducah, Kentucky during the first half of the 20th century. He recalls the Great Depression, the flood of 1937 and his early years in school. He mentions that many were financially wiped out after the flood of 1937. During the flood, Williamson carried sandbags to the levy at Hickman. During the Great Depression, his father worked for Illinois Central Railroad and later for the Work Progress Administration. He reflects on working for the railroad and the growth of labor unions. He describes Noble Park and Stewart Nelson Park and white black …

The Effects Of Improper Waste Disposal On Marine Life: Why Does It Matter And How Can We Prevent It?, Abbey Ward, Ashlee Davis

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Improperly disposed of waste, specifically plastic, can end up in the ocean and negatively impact marine life, and in turn, negatively impact human health. Marine life, such as turtles, have faced serious health consequences and even death from entanglement in abandoned fishing gear and consuming plastics. Larger plastic particles can break down into smaller particles known as microplastics which can harbor harmful substances (such as Bisphenol A and persistent organic pollutants) and can cause several negative health effects when consumed by marine life such as loss of nutrition, starvation, and death. Microplastics have been found in 75% of commercial fish. …

What Are The Barriers? An Examination Of College Students’ Perspectives On Mental Health Care Utilization, Isabella Robbins, Steffen Wilson

Posters-at-the-Capitol

This study delves into the perceptions and experiences of college students regarding the utilization of mental health services at a university in the central Appalachian region of the United States. Focusing on understanding barriers to help-seeking, perceived stressors, and preferences for mental health resources, this research aims to inform strategies for enhancing mental health support on campus. A total of 91 undergraduate students completed an electronic survey at Eastern Kentucky University, providing insights into their attitudes towards seeking professional help, perceived stressors, and factors influencing help-seeking behavior. Contrary to expectations, demographic factors showed no significant correlation with willingness to seek …

Reshaping Resilience Mental Health Challenges In Post-Pandemic Students And Workforce Readiness, Ryan Potts, Tarandeep Kaur Arora, Susan Miller, Julia Ann Boyd Dr.

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on mental health, especially on college students, who faced disruptions to their education and social environments. This study explores the mental health effects of the pandemic on students at Murray State University, focusing on changes in anxiety, depression, relationships, and academic performance. Using survey data collected from students in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and the Nursing Program, the study aims to understand the trends across pre-pandemic, during-pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. The findings show a significant increase in anxiety and depression during the pandemic, with effects lasting post-pandemic, alongside differences in how students …

A Call For Increased Support For Spanish-Speaking Workforce, Clients And Caretakers In Applied Behavior Analysis (Aba), Michele Curd, Becky Nastally

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2020) requires all professionals certified in ABA service delivery to provide services in a manner that supports client rights and the diversity of the client population. As the Hispanic/Latinx and Spanish-speaking client population increases in the United States over time, an increased need for culturally competent professionals in the field of mental health care is made apparent. Though there are professionals delivering multilingual and culturally competent services, it is unknown how many Spanish-speaking behavior analysts practice in the United States as the BACB does not currently collect data regarding certificant …

Studying The Impact Of Weather Changes On Bird Breeding., Perle Suana, Yangyang Tao

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Climate change start to impact our daily life recently. The shifting climate introduces frequent and unpredictable temperature fluctuations. For species like birds, particularly those that reproduce through eggs, maintaining stable temperatures during incubation is crucial for reproductive success. Despite the significance of temperature stability, limited research has delved into understanding the thresholds of temperature tolerance during incubation. In this investigation, we will apply the data science tools to analyze the local temperature dataset over the past decade and the birds incubation dataset. Our aim was to explore potential correlations between extreme temperature swings coinciding with the breeding season and instances …

Advancing Prosthetic Technology: 3d-Printed Robotic Arm With Micro Linear Actuators, Vu Tran, Nathan Reed, Mahdi Yazdanpour

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The increasing demand for affordable and accessible prosthetic solutions has driven innovation in the field of robotics. In this project, we present the design and development of a 3D-printed robotic prosthetic arm aimed at addressing the challenges faced by individuals with upper limb amputations. Our prosthetic arm utilizes five micro linear actuators to achieve precise and naturalistic movement. The design of the prosthetic arm prioritizes affordability and accessibility, with a focus on leveraging 3D printing technology to reduce manufacturing costs and enable customization. The use of micro linear actuators offers advantages in terms of compactness, lightweight construction, and efficient power …

From The Ashes: Research And Revival, Lee Bezehertny, Raini Evergarden, Daisy Grimes

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Research is just as vital to an artist’s practice as it is to any other field of study; however, research for an artist is not limited to textbooks and journals. An artist’s research mainly consists of on field practice, and due to this, many artists do not have the time to experiment with materials as their energy is expended in the active making process. This is where public conferences become vital in the artists practice because they provide an accessible space to share research and make connections with other artists. One of the most prolific conferences in the realm of …

Mobility Task Shows Rescue Of Scotopic Vision In A Swine Model For Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa After Treatment With The Meganuclease Rho 1-2, Gita Jaikumar, Jack Feist, Kautuk Kamboj, Aravind Kumar, Francesca Barone, Archana Jalligampala, Wei Wang, Jeff Smith, Dave Morris, Derek Jantz, Victor Bartsevich, Kristi Viles, Maureen Mccall

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Purpose : Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common form of inherited retinal disease with ~1:5000 people affected worldwide. The substitution of Proline to Histidine (P23H) at position 23 in the rhodopsin protein is the most common form of adRP in North America. We have shown that treating a transgenic P23H human RHO pig model of adRP (TgP23H hRHO) with a gene-editing meganuclease Rho 1-2, recovers rod structure and restores rod function. We ran WT, Rho1-2 treated and untreated TgP23H hRHO (Tg) pigs through an obstacle course to quantify visually guided mobility under light- and dark-adapted conditions using motion analysis …