Digital Commons Network^™

Reducing The Disparities In Breastfeeding Initiation Among Urban Adolescent Mothers Through A Prenatal Intervention, Jamie Lynn El Harit

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015 and Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

Breastfeeding has been correlated with many health benefits to both infants and mothers. According to Healthy People 2020, infants who are breastfed have improved nutritional, immunological, developmental, and social outcomes. Despite the benefits of breastfeeding and the focused international efforts to increase levels of breastfeeding, adolescents remain largely unaware (Spear, 2006). According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 2013) adolescents have among the lowest levels of breastfeeding. This is further impacted by socioeconomic status and race (Apostolakis-Kyrus, Valentine, & DeFranco, 2013; CDC, 2013). Disparities thus exist in …

Forensic Psychiatric Nursing: Promoting Collaboration Between Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing And Forensic Psychiatry, Liberty Olive Macias

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015 and Sunday, November 8, 2015:

Literature has substantiated that lack of collaboration in the health care system compromises quality of care that results in increased human and financial losses. Conversely, a collaborative partnership among health care providers improves communication, delineates roles, enhances professional competence, and improves overall delivery of quality care. Interprofessional collaboration is an essential practice element in the forensic psychiatric mental health field. There is an increasing number of nurses employed in the forensic setting, working with psychiatrists, physicians, psychologists, social workers, and rehabilitation therapists. Forensic nursing texts describe the role …

Mama Care: An Innovative Care Model For Pregnant Women With A Prenatally Diagnosed Birth Defect, Jessica Schwarz, Elizabeth Froh, Billie E. Bitowski

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015 and Sunday, November 8, 2015:

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how an adaptation of the Centering Pregnancy Model of group prenatal care, Mama Care, is being implemented in a population of patients with prenatally-diagnosed fetal congenital anomalies who are receiving care in a specialty referral center. Centering Pregnancy is an innovative approach to care delivery that integrates the three major components of prenatal care: health assessment, education and support into a unified program within a group setting. This project was supported by the Sigma Theta Tau Maternal Child Health Leadership …

The Relationship Between Knowledge, Intention And Self-Reported Use Of Safer Sex Practices Among Youth Aged 20-24 Years In Selected Districts In Botswana, Mophuthi Liwambano

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015 and Sunday, November 8, 2015:

The youth aged 20-24 years account for 38% of the population in Botswana. (Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health[ ASRH] Implementation Strategy, 2012-2016). The youth remain at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancies and increased fertility. Limited condom and other contraceptive use amongst this age group are prevalent despite their reported high knowledge of safer sex practices. (ASRH Implementation Strategy, 2012-2016). In a bid to respond to the International Conference on Population and Development's Plan of Action (ICPD PoA, ICPD+5) of 1994 and 1999 respectively, the Millennium …

Suicide Risk Assessment Education For Counselors Who Work With Clients With Substance Use Disorders, Stacie L. Olson

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Sesson presented on Monday, November 9, 2015 and Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

Background/Significance: Suicide is the leading cause of death in people who abuse alcohol and drugs. The role of the counselor is to assess a client's risk for suicide, yet according to the literature counselors have a limited background in formalized training on suicide prevention.

Methods/Procedures: A suicide prevention training intervention designed for addiction counselors was conducted for 11 counseling and professional staff working in a substance abuse treatment center. The training intervention was compared and evaluated pre-intervention, post-intervention, and six weeks post intervention to assess changes in attitudes …

Improving Asthma Compliance In 3rd & 4th Grade Students, Mary Eve Rice

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015 and Sunday, November 8, 2015: Asthma related morbidity and mortality, is an increasing concern for our nation. It is the third leading cause of hospitalization in children less than 15 years of age, and the leading cause of absenteeism from school which can negatively affect students' academic performance. In 2008, asthma accounted for about 14.4 million lost school days. Missed school days for children lead to missed days from work for their caregivers. According to the CDC (2013), approximately 3 children in a class of 30 will have asthma and about nine people …

Cultural Competence In Hospice Care: Addressing The Needs Of Staff And Volunteers, Kassandra Therese De La Pena, Mary Grace Valenzuela, Paul Tran Resulta, Daisy Lugtu Verry, Shellie Aparicio, Cori Wing Yee Lau

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015 and Sunday, November 8, 2015: This is a community project developed and implemented to address an identified health need. The authors, six students from Nevada State College [NSC], attended their clinical rotation in the hospice community; four of which were at Nathan Adelson Hospice [NAH] at the Swenson and Tenaya locations, while the other two were at Creekside Hospice [CSH]. To complete this project, the authors used the community-focused nursing process model to identify and address the health need for cultural competency in grievance teaching among hospice staff and volunteers. By addressing this …

Effects Of Experience Level Of The Nurse On Triage Accuracy, April H. Ganz

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The purpose of this presentation is to present findings on the relationship between emergency nursing experience and the accuracy of assigning triage acuity ratings.

Effective Nursing Work Flow: Making A Difference, Ausrine Buzick, Stephanie Lanes, Estella Contreras

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Sunday, November 8, 2015:

Efficiency of spaces are linked to less interruption to nurses work flow, shorter travel time and distance resulting in the staff being able to accomplish assigned tasks and increased face time with patients. A growing body of research focusing on spatial flow of clinical units suggests that equipment organization and location are key factors in achieving clinical efficiency. Objective: The projects objective was to demonstrate how a proper sized sling placed in a patient's room could benefit patient's safety, decrease nurse's time spent looking for proper equipment and increase nurse's productivity. Methods: The …

Virtual Life And Death: Preparing Nursing Students For End-Of-Life Care, Leona A. Konieczny

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

How does the educator prepare students for the profound experience of providing care at end-of-life? Technology can be used to provide the knowledge and skills needed before the nursing student faces this situation in the reality of the clinical experience. The learning laboratory using simulation provides exposure in the affective area. In a gerontological course prior to the clinical experience, nursing students meet a virtual patient. Over the course of the semester, the students meet, interview, and assess this a virtual female adult patient. There is an unfolding case study that is presented …

Selecting An Early Child Development Assessment Tool In Rural Limpopo, South Africa, Gwyneth Rhiannon Milbrath, Audrey Ogendi, Madison B. Compton, Vidya V. Gopinath, Claire M. Constance

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015:

More than 200 million children under five fail to reach their cognitive potential due to poverty, poor health, poor nutrition and lack of care. Providing increased cognitive stimulation or learning opportunities to young children significantly increases cognitive and social-emotional competence later in life. An interdisciplinary team of students from the United States worked with the University of Venda and the Vhembe Health District in Limpopo to determine the acceptability and feasibility of a pediatric assessment tool and program to track child development in a rural health district in Limpopo, South Africa. A total …

The Use Of Electronic Alert System For Early Sepsis Identification, Judy Ong Ho, Rowena Chona Sano

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015:

Purpose: Sepsis is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Sepsis-related hospitalization rates are also on the rise, with impact on hospital length of stay and the utilization of patient care resources. In 2008, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines for Management of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock (SCC guidelines) were developed to raise sepsis awareness and to increase early and appropriate interventions to decrease mortality rate. Despite strong evidence of the benefits of early recognition and interventions, dissemination of the guidelines into practice has been inconsistent, incomplete and slow. Challenges identified …

Subtle Signs: Assessing For Dementia Warning Signs During An Acute Episode Of Grief In Recently Widowed Individuals, Debra J. Nogueras Conner

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015:

This presentation will discuss the importance of recognizing the similarities of grief and early warning signs of dementia that may be revealed the grieving period. In 2012, it was estimated that 43.1 million Americans will reach 65 years of age in the next 20 years, and up to 27 million people are living with undiagnosed dementia worldwide. Early diagnosis could create a saving of up to $10,000 per person in health care costs. A pilot study was conducted to learn more about the experiences of adult children of elderly parents who have been …

Informatics Competencies: Transition From Classroom To Bedside, Katherine A. Kelly, Kathleen M. Guiney

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The purpose of this presentation is to: - Create educational strategies to build regional informatics competency. - Review assessment findings and identified gaps in informatics knowledge/skills facing graduate nurses integrating into the nursing workforce. - Apply survey results to determine sequencing and core content of nursing informatics competencies - Present educational tools to facilitate learning.

Translating Clinical Education To Nursing Practice In Rwanda: Enhancing Maternal And Child Health, Yvonne Kasine, Yolanda B. Babenko-Mould, Sandra Regan

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

Nursing is a dynamic profession for which nurses need to continuously update their knowledge and skills (Adeniran, Smith-Glasgow & Bhattacharya, 2013). As members of the healthcare team, nurses need continuing education to keep up with changes in the healthcare environment. Evidence shows that approximately 25% to 35% of acquired knowledge is forgotten one year after its acquisition (Custers, 2010). As nurses constitute the backbone of the healthcare system, the need to maintain and update their knowledge and skills is paramount to achieving improved patient outcomes. One of the areas which is important to …

Growing Our Own: Mentoring Talented And Diverse Students Toward A Career In Nursing Education And Clinical Leadership, Felesia Renee Bowen

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

The Center for Urban Youth and Families (CUYF) aims to address health disparities through interdisciplinary research. We believe that an inter-professional research center is one way of making in-roads to improving the health and future of our most vulnerable children and families. Center members disregard the boundaries of disciplines and work collaboratively with colleagues from other schools and community agencies to explore and develop best practice guidelines. Additionally CUYF acts as an incubator for future nurse clinicians, leaders and educators by recruiting, developing and mentoring students to address various problems of health disparity. …

An Attitude Of Gratitude: A Secret For Success, Mary Alexander

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015: As nurses transition through their professional careers, with many specializing within their practice, involvement with a nursing association is an important aspect of their professional development. In an age when there is competition for one's time, talent and money, how are professional nursing organizations to survive? Fostering an attitude of gratitude philosophy can impact the level of member engagement. Remaining true to the organization's mission while ensuring relevance and creating value are key elements needed to build sustainable capacity for success. Effective approaches need to be implemented in order to create momentum, engage …

Transforming The Chapter Through Servant Leadership, Jennifer L. Saylor, Jennifer S. Graber

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015:

Our STTI chapter is dedicated to selfless mentoring and investing in new nurses and new members by engaging in leadership, knowledge and research related activities. Our chapter members cultivate future leaders and ensure an active sustainable chapter through informal and formal mentoring. Mentoring fosters professional and personnel growth and development, which is an essential component to shaping nurse leaders. In the developing evidence based practice healthcare environment there is a growing need for "well prepared and motivated patient care leaders" (Benjamin, Riskus, & Skalla, 2011, p. 156). To develop effective nurse leaders it …

Autism Spectrum Disorder And The Emergency Department: A Quality Improvement Project, Heather A. Krinock

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015 and Sunday, November 8, 2015:

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes classical Autism, Asperger's, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. ASD is a life-long neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorder afflicting one out of every 68 eight- year-old children in the U.S. The CDC reported that of these 1-68 children, 1-42 are boys and 1-189 are girls. The CDC surveillance summary found that 31% of these children had IQ scores in the disabled range (<70), 23% were in the borderline range of 71-85, and 46% were of average or above average. Autism Spectrum Disorder occurs in all races, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. This is a patient population that will be permanently present in our practices. This increase in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will require an improvement in the understanding of the disorder and methods for providing care to these patients. An increased prevalence in the last six years highlights the importance of ED staff awareness to effectively identify the disorder and associated behaviors when assessing and treating these patients. Several common psychological and medical comorbidities to ASD impact patient care in the emergency department. Comorbidities include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, learning disabilities, seizures and epilepsy, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and catatonia. Purpose: Understanding the underlying disorder and comorbidities would facilitate timely implementation of effective nursing interventions that decrease stimuli, provide comfort, and enhance communication with the patients. Therefore, increasing professional nurse awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Emergency Department (ED) was essential to achieve quality patient outcomes.

EBP Project: To enhance ED nursing staff awareness, an evidence-based quality improvement project was developed and implemented. There are two main domains …

Bereavement Program For The Perinatal Loss Patient And Family, Sabre Ann Knaust, Meredith Laine Green, Julia Snethen

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015 and Sunday, November 8, 2015:

Background: Nurses in maternal-child nursing practice are periodically faced with the challenging situation of providing care for patients' experiencing perinatal loss. Unfortunately, the preparation nurses receive in their basic academic programs may be limited or non-existent on the topic of effectively caring for patients and family members experiencing perinatal loss. Additionally, due to the infrequent exposure to perinatal losses, staff nurses may perceive that they are not adequately prepared to effectively provide care during such potentially sensitive and emotionally charged situations. Therefore, a standardized bereavement training program was …

Is Leadership In Stti In Your Future? A Dialogue With The Leadership Succession Committee, Safiya George Dalmida, John J. Whitcomb, Suzanne S. Prevost, Patrice Kenneally Nicholas

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Tuesday, November 10, 2015:

This session will focus on leadership opportunities within STTI across all levels of the organization. From chapter level leadership to regional to international levels of leadership, STTI welcomes your engagement in the mission of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, aimed at advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. The session will offer examples of leadership opportunities and exemplars of leadership trajectories from early membership in STTI to international leadership. Also incorporated into the presentation will be the roles and responsibilities of the Leadership Succession …

A Staffing Matrix For Support Of Alternate Care Sites, Jean M. Roberts

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015 and Tuesday, November 10, 2015: Abstract: One approach proposed to fulfill the need for additional hospital beds during emergency and disaster situations has been establishment of alternate care sites. An alternate care site (ACS) is defined by the State of California as a location typically not intended for provision of medical services that can be quickly converted to enable provision of care after a declared emergency. CDPH specifies that the need for and authorization to open an ACS are designated by local government, usually as a function of emergency management or public health …

Parent Satisfaction With School Health Delivery Models, Sherri R. Becker

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The purpose of this project is to compare parent perceptions of quality of health care delivery in two different school health staffing models.

Impact Of A Student And Faculty Collaboration On Patient Satisfaction With Pain Management, Mary Lynn Parker, Jole' L. Mowry

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015:

Objectives: Describe collaborative interventions used to improve orthopedic patient satisfaction with pain management. Discuss methods used to develop BSN student knowledge regarding pain assessment and management. Background: Undermanaged post-operative pain is one of the biggest challenges for orthopedic patients, their families and nurses (Pasero and McCaffery, 2007). These patients can experience high pain levels and do not always perceive their pain needs are being heard or met which can lead to decreased satisfaction. Despite advances in pain management, nurses and practitioners receive very little formal education (Cordts, et. al., 2011) in analgesic and …

Perceptions Of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice And The Correlation With Patient And Family Satisfaction Scores, Marydee Fisher, Donna Weyant, Susan E. Sterrett, Heather Lynne Ambrose

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015:

Effective interprofessional collaboration is viewed as an essential component for the delivery of quality patient care in increasingly complex clinical environments. Various groups of professionals may have worked as a team on a project, however are perceptions of interprofessional clinicians viewed as collaborative? Moving forward in establishing a model for interprofessional collaboration requires identifying elements of achievement on high functioning patient care units. Correlation of patient satisfaction and perceptions of collaboration provides insight into aspects of successful interprofessional practices.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of clinicians' perceptions …

A Retrospective Study Of The Impact Of Educational Intervention On The Use Of The Rothman Index System On Patient Outcomes, Penny Phillips, Marilyn Shepherd, Kathleen Jochem, Carol-Ann Moseley

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015:

Background & Significance: The Rothman Index (RI) provides a tool to continually track and trend the patient's condition based on data extracted from the Electronic Health Record (Wolters Kluwer Health, 2013). The patient's RI score is calculated from 26 data points. These data points originate from four categories: nursing assessments, vital signs, laboratory result, and cardiac rhythm (Rothman, Rothman, & Beals, 2013). The RI is a measure of patient progress or lack of progress over time (Rothman, Solinger, & Rothman, 2012, Yale-New Haven Hospital, 2013). Research has found the use of the RI …

Recruitment And Retention Of Male Nursing Students, Deborah Kane, Dale Lynn Rajacich, Sheila Cameron

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015:

Background: The national workforce of RNs in Canada is only 6.8% male, with provincial percentages of male RNs ranging from their lowest in Prince Edward Island (2%) to their highest in Quebec (10%) (Canadian Nurses Association, 2012). This small number of males attracted to nursing as a profession is particularly important because of the projected shortages of RNs (Murphy et al., 2012). If current trends in Canada's health profile continue Canada will face a 23% (N=60,000) RN shortage by the year 2022 (Tomblin Murphy et al., 2012). In order to increase the number …

A Descriptive Study Of The Surgical Nurse Liaison's (Snl) Role From The Perspectives Of Patients And Their Families In Alleviating Anxiety During A Surgical Procedure, Reginald Perez Fernandez

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Saturday, November 7, 2015:

Surgery is stressful for both patients and their families. During a surgical procedure, patients require complex and specialized care, but their family members may also need attention due to their own unique stressors while in the hospital. An understanding of their perioperative experience allows the nurse to provide compassionate and competent care. This qualitative study evaluates whether the role of a surgical nurse liaison (SNL) in the perioperative area alleviates patients' and families' anxiety and improves their experience during a surgical procedure. The study utilizes a descriptive approach to elicit the thoughts and …

Assessing And Addressing The Needs Of Stroke Survivors And Family Caregivers Across The Care Continuum, Barbara Lutz

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Sunday, November 8, 2015:

Introduction: Patients who receive inpatient rehabilitation care have often experienced a sudden, life-changing disabling illness or injury that has long-term implications for the patient and family unit. An illness event (e.g. stroke) may elicit a crisis response, and feelings of grief and loss for both patients and family members. With improved survival rates and shorter inpatient stays for patients experiencing these events, family members are now assuming caregiving tasks that previously were only performed by formal caregivers, e.g. nurses and nursing assistants. Family members need assistance and support to help them deal with …

Promoting Global Nursing Education Through Ongoing Engagement, Sharon R. Redding

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Session presented on Sunday, November 8, 2015:

American nurse educators volunteer with Project HOPE in China. This organization partners with officials in select locations to provide human resource talent for improving academic standards and technical skills. Nurse educators are recruited to provide expertise at Wuhan HOPE School of Nursing, to serve as a model for nursing education in China. Objectives are to: strengthen a concept-based curriculum, improve teaching methods and enhance clinical practice. American and Chinese nurse educators discuss collaborative activities: program planning and curriculum evaluation, resource review, implementing alternative teaching strategies, role modeling clinical teaching and evaluation of practice. …