Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Standardized Processes To Achieve Optimal Pre-Surgical Skin Asepsis, Rose Loiacono

DNP and Student Works

Surgical site infections are a significant threat to patient safety, they increase patient mortality and morbidity, and increase health care expenditures. A pre-surgical protocol that implements two applications of 2% Chlorhexidine gluconate using prepackaged cloths is an evidence-based practice that kills and then prohibits the growth of potentially dangerous skin flora. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of 2% Chlorhexidine gluconate cloths when administered twice pre-surgically to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections and to improve pre-surgical documentation. The Iowa framework for quality improvement was used with results demonstrating that, while documentation remained an area …

Teach-Back And Its Impact On Hospital Consumer Assessment Of Healthcare Providers And Systems (Hcahps), Terri Cronbaugh

DNP and Student Works

Successful patient outcomes rely heavily on patient engagement, patient/family education, and promotion of self-management. Teach-back methodology offers the healthcare team a proven technique to determine learner's health literacy and true understanding of post-acute care needs. Based on supportive literature the following PICOT (problem, intervention, comparison, outcome, time) question was developed: For medical/surgical patients, can teach-back methodology utilized during teaching improve patient satisfaction as measured by transitional care HCAHPS scores over a 12-week period? The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice (Iowa Model) was utilized to implement an evidence-based practice (EBP) intervention training nurses to use teach-back methodology for all education.

The Impact Of Charge Nurse Transformational Leadership Workshops In Reducing Patient Falls, Jeannette White

DNP and Student Works

Hospitals are challenged with decreasing patient falls and falls with injuries. This can result in a financial penalty set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). There is a greater financial impact for hospitals classified as a safety-net organization with a higher payor mix of Medicare and Medicaid. Charge nurses are important in reducing patient falls and are responsible for endorsing an environment of accountability. A leadership workshop improves knowledge, develops leaders, and changes a unit and organizations culture.

Fall rates between 3.87 falls to 13.70 falls per one-thousand patient days were initially noted on one unit. Four charge …

Childhood Overweight Bias: Perceptions Of Student Nurses Within The Nursing Major, Moudi S. Albargawi, Pamela E. Treisman, Julia Snethen, Ruth Ann Treisman, Aaron Buseh, Sheryl T. Kelber

General Submissions: Presentations (Oral and Poster)

Purpose: To explore bias among student nurses within the nursing major regarding overweight children.

Setting: College of Nursing at a large Midwestern University in an urban setting.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with students (N = 213) at the junior (n = 104) and senior (n = 109) levels of the nursing majors. Participants completed a survey regarding their perceptions of overweight children.

Results: A majority of the participants were female (79.7%), white (80%), and self-identified as 'normal weight' (74%). Overall, junior and senior students reported negative perceptions of overweight children (p= 0.119). Significant differences were found between …

Influence Of Belief System On Adherence To Diabetes Self-Care Management: Pilot Study, Moudi S. Albargawi, Julia Snethen, Abdulaziz Al Gannass, Sheryl T. Kelber

General Submissions: Presentations (Oral and Poster)

Background: The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has increased among the adult population in Saudi Arabia, as well as the development of secondary health problems. A major concern is that Saudis with T2DM fail to perform their diabetes self-care management. A person's belief system influences their health behaviors; however, no studies were found that examined the association between the belief system of Saudi adults with T2DM, and their diabetic self-care management.

Purpose: To examine the association between the health beliefs of adults in Saudi Arabia with T2DM and their adherence to diabetes self-care management.

Theoretical Framework: Modified Social …

Evaluation Of An Educational Video: What To Expect Your First Day Of Chemotherapy, Tiffany S. Koss, Angela Macci Bires

DNP and Student Works

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the content of the educational video What to Expect Your First Day of Chemotherapy. The secondary aim was to identify additional information that would be identified as potential areas of concerns. That information would be important to address in another video or pamphlet. These newly created media guides would provide an informational reference for the chemotherapy naïve patients. Consequently, these media guides would have the potential to increase the knowledge of the patient and caregivers during medical treatments.

Executive Leadership Rounding On Staff And Its Effect On Patient Satisfaction And Patient Outcomes, Cathleen D. Butenewicz

DNP and Student Works

It has been recognized in healthcare organizations across the country that there is a significant relation between organizational quality, improved patient outcomes, and the financial success of an organization. Through an evaluation of the current state of rounding at a small community hospital, it was determined that patient and staff rounding lacked consistency and structure, as well as effective leader visibility. Thusly, patient and staff rounding by executive leadership was recognized to be a Quality Improvement (QI) initiative. The objective of this QI initiative was to ascertain the effect of purposeful executive leadership rounding on a medical-surgical unit and its …

Fatigue And Co-Occurring Symptoms In Women With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Claire Jungyoun Han

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The aims of this...study were: 1. To explore the relationships among fatigue and co-occurring symptoms (i.e., abdominal pain, depression and anxiety). (1-a) the relationships between abdominal pain and fatigue; and (1-b) whether psychological distress (i.e., depression and anxiety) mediates the effect of abdominal pain on fatigue, across-women and within-woman; and 2. To determine (2-a) if latent classes (i.e. subgroups) of women with IBS could be identified based on the symptom cluster severity of fatigue, abdominal pain, depression and anxiety, (2-b) if these latent classes differed on patient characteristics, and (2-c) if genetic polymorphisms of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), serotonin reuptake transporter …

Student Engagement In Nursing School: A Secondary Analysis Of The National Survey Of Student Engagement Data, Karen Zafuta Johnson

Dissertations

Student engagement has received considerable attention in higher education research because of the link between increased student knowledge, greater student satisfaction with educational experience, and increased student retention and persistence. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has been used since 2000 to assess engagement in undergraduate college students. NSSE results have been used to gain an understanding about levels of academic engagement for freshman and senior college students. Institutions use NSSE results to make changes in policies and practices to improve undergraduate education.

This comparative descriptive study examined levels of undergraduate nursing students' engagement during college by conducting a …

Increasing Resilience In Adolescent Nursing Students, Teresa Maggard Stephens

Dissertations

Nursing students not only face the same developmental challenges as other college students, but also experience unique stressors that contribute to increased risk for negative outcomes. The intimate nature of patient care, the exposure to workplace adversity, death and dying, and the chaotic nature of healthcare can have cumulative negative effects on students' health and well-being. Increased resilience could prove useful in helping students confidently face challenges and successfully move forward. The lack of empirical evidence regarding resilience-enhancing interventions with nursing students supports the need for examining the effectiveness of an educational intervention to increase resilience in adolescent baccalaureate nursing …

Towards An Informatics Competent Nursing Profession: Validation Of The Self-Assessment Of Nursing Informatics Competency Scale (Sanics) Before And After Online Informatics Training, Judi Allyn Godsey

Dissertations

Nurses should be involved in healthcare initiatives that incorporate informatics as an essential tool for improving health outcomes (IOM, 2010). However, nurses frequently report lack of competency to perform the most basic computer functions, outside of those required within their work environment (Hwang, 2011). Without educational or training interventions, nurses are limited in their ability to effectively use information technology in practice (Greiner, 2003). This study explored the psychometric performance of the Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies Scale (SANICS) when used to measure informatics competency in a population of entry-level nursing students.

Exploring The Risk Factors For Substance Abuse Development Among Adolescents, Lauren E. Gray

DNP and Student Works

Substance abuse (SA) is a complex problematic phenomenon that continues to affect the young population, particularly adolescents. Research shows that this epidemic involves many different factors leading up to SA initiation. Common psychological, social, and familial factors are discussed in this literature review. Adolescents can present with behavioral risk factors as a result of internal or external experiences both past and present. Neuman's Systems Model serves as a theory for understanding how SA can alter multiple aspects of an individual's life, as well as their families and vice versa. For advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), early identification of these risk …

How Well Do Providers Screen For Depression And Suicide In Adolescents?, Judi Allyn Godsey

Theses

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds. Research indicates that suicide can be prevented with early screening and treatment. More than 50% of patients suffering from some form of mental disorder are seen only by their primary care provider. This data suggests that screening measures within the primary care setting can be instrumental in identifying risk behaviors among adolescents who
may be considered at risk for depression and suicide. This descriptive, comparative, quantitative study examined the documentation of primary care physicians, pediatricians and nurse practitioners regarding high risk behavioral indicators that could signal depression or …

Stress Reduction In Post Cardiac Surgery Family Members: Implementation Of A Post Cardiac Surgery Family Tool Kit, Lauren M. Breisinger, Angela Macci Bires, Thomas W. Cline

DNP and Student Works

The purpose of this study was aimed at decreasing those feelings of anxiety in post cardiac surgery family member through the use of a cardiac surgery toolkit. The study was a quality improvement project utilizing a convenience sample of 83 participants aged 18 and older.

Exploring Nurse's Feelings On Floating: A Phenomenological Study, Marie-Paule M. Lafontant

Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to explore nurses' lived experiences floating in an acute health care facility within a large southern city of the United States. Husserl's transcendental approach assisted in capturing the essence of floating as a lived phenomenon occurring in the nurses' natural work environment.

Rn Perceptions Of Coworker Incivility And Collective Efficacy As Influential To Hospital Structures And Outcomes, Jessica G. Smith

Dissertations

An aging population and retiring workforce might affect United States health delivery care and could threaten the quality of care in hospitals. Nurses, as the largest profession in healthcare, can buffer these effects if supported in a safe nurse work environment. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand how peer-to-peer registered nurse workplace incivility as a mediator, and collective efficacy as a moderator, influence relationships among hospital structures (i.e. nurse manager leadership and staffing) and hospital outcomes (i.e. missed nursing care and patient safety cultures).

Donabedian's (1980) structure-process-outcomes conceptual framework was the theoretical basis for this study. A cross-sectional, …

Bridging The Gap In The Continuum Of Care For Spine Surgery Patients: A Quality Improvement Project, Coleen C. Gold

DNP and Student Works

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the inadequate communication between patient settings and the practice settings, review the literature regarding communication and risks of readmission for spine surgery patients, and present an intervention for this problem using the PDSA cycle. The change in practice included a literature review to identify patients who were at high-risk for complications after surgery and readmission.

Recruitment And Retention Of Indigenous Students In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program, Nadine Denice Rimmer

DNP and Student Works

This is a qualitative phenomenological study examines the lived experience of Indigenous nursing students in a baccalaureate nursing program to develop strategies to recruit and retain Indigenous nursing students.

Development Of A Comprehensive Safety And Preparedness Plan For Pregnancy Shelter Center, Catherine A. Marcum

Dissertations

Disaster has almost become a household word in America and around the world. Disaster Preparedness provides some since of control over the effects of disaster, however small that may be. The National Response Framework provides the structure under which all disasters are managed domesticallly (Veenema, 2013). It is scalable and flexible - having the ability to accomodate any disaster, from the smallest incident to a disaster of national proportions (http://emilms.fema.gov//IS700aNEW/index.htm; http://emilms.fema.gov/IS800Bindex.htm). Preparedness determines the degree of service disruption regardless of the nature of the disaster. The goal of preparedness within any entity is to expect the unexpected, …

From Toxic To Healthy: Breakthrough Strategies For Transforming The Clinical Practice Environment, David Hanson

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

In today's ever-changing healthcare, there is often competing priorities rivaling caregivers' time. In our quest to provide high quality patient-centered care, it's easy to overlook structures and processes supporting care delivery. We would never knowingly use broken or defective equipment in the care of patients, but unfortunately we often lack the same attention to the work environment in which care is rendered. This session highlights breakthrough strategies for creating and sustaining healthy clinical practice environments.

Create A Healthy Work Environment With Meaningful Recognition, Kay Clevenger

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Session presented on Saturday, March 18, 2017:

According to the AACN Healthy Work Environment Standards, "Nurses must be recognized and must recognize others for the value each brings to the work of the organization." This session will describe the importance of meaningful recognition in employee motivation, and how it is central to morale and job satisfaction.

Maximizing Your Career Potential: Opportunities On Your Career Path, Lois Sarah Marshall

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This presentation will focus on the various possible career options in nursing and how to build your career trajectory to meet your present and future goals. The learner will be able to determine their career self awareness and discuss diverse career options available within nursing and the health care professions.

The Art And Science Of Marketing Yourself, Lois Sarah Marshall

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

This presentation will provide you with specific guidance and tips to creating a masterful resume/CV. Preparing for an interview in today's diverse marketplace will be detailed, with specific recommendations for success. The learner will be able to discuss what the most critical components of a resume/CV include and how to best present this in writtern form and discuss the process of successful interviewing, including for diverse types of interviews.

Establish Your Own Healthy Work Environment: Don't Re-Create The Wheel: Build On Existing Efforts!, Kimberly S. Thompson

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Session presented 17 March, 2017: Creating healthy work environments takes effort. That effort benefits from existing guidance. Existing guidance may be found in scholarly repositories and subscription-based databases. Locating and retrieving relevant items within a repository or database can be challenging if you don't have the correct search strategy, your plan is not complete, or you are lacking the necessary tools in your information literacy tool belt. This session will give you the basic tools and tips to craft a search strategy and successfully search STTI's Virginia Henderson Global Nursing e-Repository (the "Henderson Repository") for on-target items. These basic search …

The Relational Nurse Champion Program, Cheryl Dellasega, Jared Michael Dougherty

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Session presented on Saturday, March 18, 2017. This presentation will describe a program for nurses, designed to improve inter-professional relationships in a mid-size academic medical center in central Pennsylvania. A curriculum based on the ERI Model of Relationship Building was implemented on two units for an initial three-month pilot study. A preliminary progress report will be discussed. Learners will be able to: Describe relationship issues that impact the quality of work life for nurses; Identify strategies to improve the quality of inter-professional relationships; Discuss the feasibility of implementing the Relational Nurse Champion Program at learner's institution; Share preliminary progress from …

Emotional Intelligence: The Linchpin For Healthy Workplace Environments, Cheri Clancy

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Healthy workplace environments (HWE) provide staff a psychological safety net. The way we treat each other while at work contributes greatly to employee engagement, empowerment and satisfaction. Emotional intelligence is the foundation to establishing a HWE because it provides a better understanding of the behavioral propensities that improves interprofessional relationships. Learners will be able to: - Identify why emotional intelligence is important in healthy workplace environments - Describe ways to increase emotional intelligence - Discuss and identify nonverbal techniques that help build rapport with others - Uncover the power that the mind has on the body as well as the …

Collaboration Between Academia And Practice On Service Excellence And Core Measures, Crystal Joy Wilkinson, Elizabeth H. Boyd

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Changes in federal reimbursement have highlighted competency deficits in new graduates in service excellence and core quality measures. Hospitals and schools collaborated to develop curriculum to improve nursing graduate's competency and reduce the time and cost to orient nurse residents on these important topics that impact hospital reimbursement.

Aacn Standards For Healthy Work Environments: After More Than A Decade, Where Are We Now?, Connie Barden, Linda Cassidy

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Session presented on March 18, 2017:

Research confirms the inextricable link between healthy work environments and optimal outcomes for patients, healthcare professionals and organizations. Key evidence contributing to the second edition of the AACN HWE standards and perspectives of nurses regarding the health of the work environment and barriers to optimal nursing practice will be discussed. Learners will be able to: Describe the six essential standards and associated critical elements that are necessary for creating and sustaining healthy work environments; Synthesize mounting evidence that substantiates the importance of healthy work environments and contributed to the release of the 2nd edition …

Care Coordination Training At A Community Health Center, Latresha M. Mckinnor

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Session presented on Saturday, March 18, 2017:

Care coordination training was developed, implemented and evaluated at a community health center in central Illinois. It highlighted a daily workflow based on their specific needs while defining the role and increasing the self-efficacy of the care coordinator in the primary care setting.

Identifying And Measuring Nurse Leader Communication Behaviors, Susan G. Hopkinson

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Session presented on Saturday, March 18, 2017: In the clinical setting, communication is a primary nursing activity, accounting for 62-84% of total nursing time. 1-5 In the United States, communication has been identified as the third leading root cause for sentinel events accounting for over 20% in root cause analyses, 6 whereas a Danish study found verbal communication errors in 52% of root cause analyses. A core leadership competency in healthcare, 7 effective communication behaviors foster collaborative relationships and ineffective communication behaviors act as a barrier. 8,9 Nurse leader communication has been identified as a component of structural empowerment that …