Digital Commons Network^™

Volume-Based Feeding Protocol In Metropolitan Medical Icu, Abraham J. Wang

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Optimal nutritional support is a fundamental aspect of the recovery process for critically ill patients (Compher et al., 2022). It plays a crucial role in mitigating the catabolic effects of severe illness and trauma (Bharal et al., 2019). In the intensive care unit (ICU), enteral feeding (EF) is the preferred nutrition delivery method (Holyk et al., 2020). However, traditional EF protocols such as Rate-Based Feeding (RBF) fail to meet patients’ nutritional requirements. RBF protocol provides only 60% of the prescribed daily caloric intake (Wang et al., 2023). An evaluation of our Medical ICU (MICU) has revealed that the EF was …

The Intersectionality Of Human Trafficking And Adverse Childhood Experiences, Charrita Ernewein

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Human trafficking is a highly profitable human rights violation. Survivors of human trafficking (HT) experience serious physical and psychological health consequences which may begin prior to trafficking and extend beyond the period of exploitation. Vulnerabilities during childhood increase the susceptibility to grooming for HT. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur during childhood. Healthcare providers (HCPs) are key to identification, referral, and treatment of victims.

Purpose: To educate HCPs on HT and the intersection of ACEs. To review the healthcare response.

Methods: A secondary analysis of a qualitative study, which included interviews of 30 survivors of …

Antenatal Mental Health Screenings: A Best Practice Implementation Project, Stephanie Tullos

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Antenatal depression, also known as prenatal or perinatal depression, is a type of clinical depression that can affect women during pregnancy. It is estimated that approximately 10-20% of pregnant women experience antenatal depression (Antenatal Maternal Health, n.d.). Antenatal depression has been linked to higher rates of postpartum depression. Additionally, antenatal depression has been associated with a reduced gestational age at the time of delivery, a lower APGAR score at 1 and 5 min, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. APGAR scoring is used to assess a newborn’s health immediately following birth.
Providers at a women’s services clinic in …

The Significance Of Addressing Academic Drift In Nursing, Harmen Hummel

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The nursing profession has evolved, reflecting shifts in healthcare practices, standards, and societal demands. Historically, nursing education was informal and linked to hospitals or religious institutions, but the 20th century brought reforms. A key development was the Netherlands' introduction of the hbo-v program in the 1970s, offering a four-year bachelor’s degree that combined academic learning with clinical training (Roux & Halstead, 2017; Schalkwijk et al., 2024). Nursing education today emphasizes evidence-based practice, interprofessional communication, and lifelong learning (Mlambo et al., 2021), which has improved patient outcomes (Lasater et al., 2021). However, concerns over academic drift, where programs prioritize theory over …

Dismantling Ableism In Higher Education: Inclusive Learning For Nursing Students With Disabilities, Jane Donovan, Mary Yost, Beth Chiatti, Kathleen Fisher, Joyce Brill, Maureen Gonzalez

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Ableism is defined by the Center for Disability Rights “as a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with disabilities” (Smith, 2024, para 1). At the root of ableism is the belief that the disabled person is less than in terms of a non-disabled person (Villines, 2021). Ableism in nursing education exists through strict, outdated technical standards that often exclude students with disabilities due to the heavy focus on medical-surgical nursing and bedside nursing (Elting, Avit, & Gordon, 2021). This perspective applies one set of standards or essential functions for all types of nursing occupations, which …

Exploring The Affective Domain Through Film To Address Lgbtq+ Healthcare Disparities, Mark Charles Hand, Shannon B. Powell, Sue Anne Pilgreen, Breanna Culler

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Introduction: Existing evidence suggests that LGBTQ+ individuals experience numerous health and social inequalities (Gonzales & Henning-Smith, 2017). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2017) recommend that nurses be educated to provide inclusive, equitable, and culturally competent care, and the American Nurses Association (2018) identified LGBTQ+ community as a minority group requiring specialized care, specifically charging nurse educators with including care of LGBTQ+ persons in curriculum. While nurse educators seek to implement effective teaching pedagogies, they often find it challenging to develop strategies to support learning in the affective domain.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain a …

Choices 360: Addressing Stds In Adolescents Through An Abstinence-Based Seminar, Brittany Nicole Hatchett

Biennial Convention (CONV)

According to the 2022 Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in five Americans are affected by an STD, emphasizing the urgent need to prioritize STDs as a public health concern (CDC, 2024). Rising STD rates have become a prevalent problem within an urban county in West Texas and have been attributed to lack of education and risky sexual behavior. To address the knowledge gaps, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) has introduced a new national objective within the Healthy People 2030 initiative, aimed at increasing the proportion of adolescents who …

Accelerate: Growing Frontline Nurse Leaders Through A Year Long Innovative Leadership Cohort, Julie Stephenie Stefanick, Melissa Gonzalez, Clara Brown

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Accelerate Program is a year-long, frontline leadership development initiative, aimed at creating a pipeline of future nurse leaders designed and implemented at a large academic medical center. Focus centers on supporting the career advancement and succession planning of informal nurse leaders, enhance and develop nursing leadership competencies, provide innovative leadership development opportunities as well as promoting interprofessional learning and collaboration to achieve effective, impactful outcomes. The first cohort consisted of nurse clinicians from inpatient, procedural, emergency department and ambulatory settings.

Curriculum design was guided by The American Organization for Nursing Leadership leader core competencies and was presented by experts from …

An Innovative Peer Buddy Program To Support Magnet Program Directors In A Large Health System, Ann Bindra

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose (What): The goal of this project was to: support meaningful transition to practice to the Magnet Program Director (MPD) role with a large multi-campus health system; support role satisfaction and retention of MPDs; ensure meaningful MPD role peer connections; and build a strong community of practice for the MPD role.

Relevance/Significance (Why): The Magnet Director (MPD) is a crucial role in organizations, managing multiple projects within the program. It requires a wide range of skills, including leadership, communication, program management, data analysis, academic writing, and teaching (Lackey, Lott, and Whade, 2021). The role is difficult to prepare for, and …

An Exploration Of Sleep Experiences Among Family Caregivers Of Older Adults With Alzheimer’S And Related Diseases, Caroline Bollettiero

Dissertations

As we age our sleep experiences decline in quality and our sleep disturbances increase with chances of full effective sleep diminishing. Older adults do not sleep as well as younger adults, with many older adults lacking an effective circadian rhythm. This lack of a proper circadian rhythm has been known to affect cognition and cause an increase in memory impairment. For older adults (OA) with Alzheimer’s and related disorders (AD) poor sleep affects not only their memory impairment and cognition but often impacts family caregivers (FGCs) sleep experiences. FCGs of community dwelling OA with AD are faced with a variety …

People-Centred Care (3rd Ed.), Registered Nurses' Association Of Ontario

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

This BPG replaces the RNAO BPG Person- and Family-Centred Care (2015) (22), and includes the combination of two other BPGs, Establishing Therapeutic Relationships (2006) (23) and Strengthening and Supporting Families through Expected and Unexpected Life Events (2006) (24). These BPGs were merged because of the overlapping clinical concepts. Additionally, RNAO’s Best Practice Spotlight Organizations® (BPSO®)G provided feedback that merging the three would streamline the implementation and evaluation of the BPGs.

The Effects Of Virtual Reality On Anxiety In The Pediatric Perioperative Patient, Gerald R. Connors

DNP and Student Works

Background: Virtual reality (VR) was an emerging intervention to offer children a form of distraction to combat feelings of despair and positively impact anxiety and improve coping.

Problem: Hospitalization and surgical procedures often cause anxiety, fear and stress for the pediatric patient and negatively affect clinical outcomes and recovery time.

Methods: The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to measure the pre intervention and post intervention anxiety scores of 39 participants, ages 8-18 years of age, over an eight-week period. Descriptive statistics and a paired t test were used to report results. The Knowledge to Action translational science model was …

Enhancing Caregiver Adherence To Water Safety: Interventions For Drowning Prevention, Kristian Manolakis

DNP and Student Works

Drowning is a leading, preventable cause of death among children aged one to four, and caregiver education is critical for reducing risk. This quality improvement project evaluated the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Drowning Prevention Toolkit to enhance caregiver knowledge, adherence to water safety behaviors, and provider confidence in delivering education.

The project was implemented in a pediatric clinic in Colorado with caregivers of children aged one to four during routine well visits over a three-month period. Guided by the Health Belief Model and structured using the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice, caregivers received brief, structured drowning prevention education using …

Development Of Comforturn: A Smart Mattress System For Automated Patient Repositioning Using The 4d Development Model (A Concept Paper), Khin Thandar Aung, Nur Alya Farhana Suhaimi, Nik Nur Aisyah Nik Sukriman, Nurul Ain Zakaria, Nur Adila Zaidi, Khin Thuzar Aung, Rafiza Abdul Razak

Individual Articles

Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure sores, are a common and preventable complication among mobile patients, resulting from sustained pressure on specific body areas. Manual repositioning is the primary strategy for prevention, but it is physically stressful, time-intensive, and not uniformly performed by care providers. Ripple mattresses provide passive pressure redistribution; however, manual tuning is still necessary and requires an automated approach. This concept paper discusses the design of Comforturn, a smart mattress system capable of automating patient turning with a programmable side tilt and wave-like motion. The goal is to lessen caregivers' work burden and increase patient safety and …

Enhancing Hand Hygiene Compliance Among Icu And Nicu Visitor Families: The Impact Of Advanced Nursing Roles, The Barriers And Challenges: A Review, Siti Azuna Abu Bakar, Khin Thandar Aung, Sahrom Abdullah

Individual Articles

Proper hand hygiene is crucial for preventing,, infections in intensive care units (ICUs) and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Despite the awareness among healthcare personnel and visitors of its importance, compliance with regulations is often inadequate. Advanced nurse educators and infection control professionals can significantly improve these habits. This review investigates whether advanced nursing positions improve hand hygiene among ICU and NICU families, as well as visitors, focusing on enhancing hand hygiene programs, identifying effective solutions, recognising practice shortcomings, and providing recommendations. The methodology involved a search of databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar, using relevant keywords related …

Resources To Resolve Ethical Dilemmas And Build Moral Resilience In The Workplace, Lynn Greenleaf Brown

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Two common problems nurses grapple with are ethical dilemmas and moral distress. The purpose of this PechaKucha presentation is to discuss steps and resources to resolve an ethical dilemma, define moral distress, and review actions to improve moral resilience.

Detailed abstract attached.

A Quality Improvement Initiative To Reduce Inpatient Falls By Changing Patient Perceptions Of Their Risks, Shegi Thomas, Scott S. Christensen, Olga V. Knysheva, Jia Ning Liu

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Patients commonly fail to take fall prevention precautions while hospitalized, instead downplaying or not recognizing their risk. This project created and implemented a clinical pathway to change patients’ perceptions of their risk for falls. Outcomes included more accurate patient perceptions of risk and a corresponding reduction in falls rates.

Detailed abstract attached.

Innovative Strategies To Enhance Dnp And Phd Faculty Collaboration, Joan M. Creed, Teresa Bowers, Robin M. Dawson, Shelli Gibbs, Leigh Blackmon Pate, Ann Scott

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This activity will describe innovative strategies between DNP and PhD faculty enhanced collaborative activities at our College of Nursing (CON). Innovation impacted scholarship and research, pedagogy, and dissemination.

Detailed abstract attached.

New Graduate Nurse Transition To Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Directed Content Analysis, Ramona S. Baucham, Kathy Baker, Carol Howe, Michelle Kimzey

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This study is one of the first to describe how new graduate nurses transitioned to practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although other studies have expounded upon the experiences of transition to practice for new graduate nurses, few have been conducted during times as far-reaching as a global pandemic.

Detailed abstract attached.

Becoming A Champion For Your Healthy Work Environment: An Evidence Based Design Approach, Debbie Gregory, Jaynelle F. Stichler, Terri Zborowsky

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Florence Nightingale recognized the role of the built environment to support healthy work environments. Nurses today must reclaim the built environment as a part of our nursing domain and be informed about the ways in which the physical environment affects well-being. Evidence-based design can help you advocate for your HWE.

Detailed abstract attached.

New Registered Nurse Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Comparing Nurse Apprenticeship To Traditional Graduates, Scott S. Christensen, Sue Chase-Cantarini, Marla Dejong, Hui Li, Tracey L. Nixon, Xiaoming Sheng

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Nurse apprentice/externship programs enhance the nursing workforce by preparing new nurses for smooth transitions to practice. This study assessed new nurses’ experiences over time and compared those who participated as apprentices against those who did not. Research outcomes demonstrated the value of apprenticeships in preparing nurses for COVID-19 workplace environments.

Detailed abstract attached.

Nursing Perspectives To Promote Healthy Work Environments: Implications For Nurse Leaders, Kristine D. Marks, Joyce A. Cook, Sally A. Decker, Kourtney Garno, Julie Newton, Elizabeth Roe, Roberta Thrush

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

As part of a quality improvement project, in February 2021, 476 nurses from one hospital system responded to two open-ended questions about their experience of being a nurse and elicited suggestions for change. Qualitative content analysis results guided nurse leaders on changes that promoted a healthier work environment.

Detailed abstract attached.

Factors Influencing Nurse Manager Retention, Intent To Stay Or Leave, And Turnover: A Systematic Review, Tatiana K. Penconek, Kaitlyn C. Tate, Sarah A. Lartey, Dilsah Polat, Andrea Bernardes, Bruna Moreno Dias, Megan L. Nuspl, Greta G. Cummings

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This presentation details the process and results of a systematic review that examined nurse manager retention, intent to stay, intent to leave, and turnover. With global nursing shortages made worse by a global pandemic, understanding reasons for staff decision-making is an important aspect of supporting and sustaining health services.

Detailed abstract attached.

A Risk-Based Assessment And Intervention Planning Tool For The Prevention Of Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries, Kathleen A. Widmer

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Hospital-acquired pressure injury prevention is a priority for nursing quality and has implications for patient outcomes and healthcare costs. This project implemented a tool guiding risk screening and care planning among bedside nurses. While results were non-significant, positive trends were identified, and key barriers for prevention identified.

Detailed abstract attached.

Examining Impostor Phenomenon And Burnout In Newly Licensed Registered Nurses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shermel Edwards-Maddox

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The prevalence and severity of impostor phenomenon and its relationship to burnout is examined in newly licensed registered nurses who attended nursing school during the COVID19 pandemic. Personal and professional demographics are included in the analysis in order to elucidate relationships between the study variables.

Detailed abstract attached.

Moral Distress Among Nicu Nurses Related To Child Welfare Concerns, Amber Welborn, Meredith Gringle, Tracy Nichols

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This study aims to understand the experience of moral distress related to child custody among NICU nurses who care for families with a substance-exposed pregnancy. Preliminary findings reveal a continuum of morally distressing experiences centering on fear for infant safety and perceived nurse responsibility. Potential solutions are interdisciplinary.

Detailed abstract attached.

Examining Perioperative Nurses Intent To Stay Using The Job Demands-Resource Model, Vallire Hooper, Jan Odom-Forren, Sarah Wente

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The perioperative area has been identified as one of the top specialties where the COVID pandemic impacted nursing practice. This presentation will explore the perioperative nurse’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and how perceived stress, burnout, and job satisfaction may influence their intent to stay in the workforce.

Detailed abstract attached.

Reducing Stress In Frontline Caregivers With Rapid Interventions, Cheyenne Ruby, Jacqueline Kirby, Alexis Miller

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Stressed. Overworked. On the verge of burnout. Our caregivers need support now more than ever. Take a deep dive with us as we explore which evidence-based tools are most effective at reducing stress on-shift when frontline staff need it most.

Detailed abstract attached.

Nurse Practitioners’ Experiences With Workplace Violence During Graduate Nursing Clinical Education, Kristin Hittle Gigli, John Gonzalez

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

During this presentation, attendees will learn about nurse practitioner students’ experience workplace violence during their clinical education, with the aim to identify opportunities to better support students in their clinical training.

Detailed abstract attached.

Rest For Self-Care: Improving Student Nurses’ Health, Karen Higgins, Janice E. Hawkins, Ingrid Mahoney, Jamela M. Martin, Beth Tremblay, Lynn L. Wiles

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The Essentials for nursing education prioritize improving students’ health and resilience. In this presentation, we describe how nursing students used the REST mnemonic to create self-care plans. At the end of the semester, students reported increased engagement in self-care activities and a new awareness of the need for self-care.

Detailed abstract attached.