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Early Career Nurses' Attitudes Toward Climate Change And Its Relationship To Nursing Practice And Education: A Qualitative, Descriptive Exploratory Study, Ongelique Conflenti

Theses

Background: Climate change is accelerating rapidly, and its adverse effects on human health are expected to worsen in the coming decades. Nurses have a professional and ethical responsibility to address climate change and help the healthcare sector adapt to its challenges. Due to a lack of education on the topic, however, many nurses are not aware of the relevance of climate change to their nursing practice. Little is known about the attitudes of early career nurses (ECNs) toward climate change or their perspectives on integrating it into their continuing education.

Aims: This research will aim to explore the attitudes of …

Life Experiences Of Limited English Proficiency Patients With Established Cardiovascular Diseases Living In The Us-Mexico Border, Cristina Dominguez De Quezada, Crystal Brown, Enrique Barrientos

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The proposed study aimed to explore the life experiences of Limited English Proficiency Hispanic/Latinos with established cardiovascular conditions when interacting in a predominantly English-speaking healthcare environment in the US-Mexico border.

Whole-Person Oral Healthcare For Rural Communities, Elizabeth Flannery

General Webinars

Join the American Institute of Dental Public Health to explore the intersection of rural, veteran, and disability communities. This session will highlight the unique challenges these populations face in accessing oral healthcare while sharing clinical care delivery solutions. Participants will discuss asset-based approaches to healthcare delivery that emphasize local strengths, while adopting a whole-person perspective to support comprehensive health outcomes. Nurses will gain valuable insights on how to integrate oral health into their practice and contribute to overcoming access barriers in rural communities.

Peer Feedback In Nursing Students: A Concept Analysis, Danielle Fleming, Jean Yockey, Susan B. Fowler, Lorie Truhe

General Submissions: Academic Settings and Education-based Materials

Peer feedback is a valuable tool in the nursing skills lab for improving student performance, learning, and self-reflection. Peer feedback has been demonstrated to improve student satisfaction and academic performance when conducted effectively while preparing nursing students for clinical practice (Wong & Shorey, 2022). Giving and receiving peer feedback allows students to develop conflict resolution, self-reflection, and critical thinking abilities (Tornwall, 2018). As nursing programs shift toward competency-based education, developing peer feedback skills becomes increasingly important within the nursing curriculum. This concept analysis aims to understand the concept of peer feedback in pre-licensure nursing students. Implications: Understanding peer feedback allows …

Using Education To Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy In People Who Inject Drugs, David Migrandasa Arnopole, Louann O'Dell

General Submissions: Community and Population-based Materials

The influenza virus requires vaccination for the world to have some control of the spread of the disease. People who inject drugs are just as likely to reject the influenza vaccine as the rest of the population but are at higher risk for complications from the virus (Lunan, 2020). The purpose of this study was to determine if an educational intervention would decrease vaccine hesitancy in PWID.

Managing Agitation And Aggression In Patients With Dementia, Christiana Dennis-Fallah

DNP and Student Works

Dementia is a degenerative progressive disease that leads to multiple behavioral disturbances particularly behaviors of agitation and aggression. Risperdal is the most common antipsychotic agent used in patients with dementia experiencing these behaviors, however, there are associated risks with it use. There are non-pharmacological interventions to medications that can be beneficial and pose no risk in the management of agitation and aggression. The research reviewed demonstrated evidence that non-pharmacological interventions should be used prior to antipsychotic medications. Some interventions currently being used are aromatherapy, doll therapy, and music therapy. The caring theory suggest that the approach to caring is the …

Initiation Of A Hiv Screening Protocol And Pathway In The Emergency Department: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Kristina Anne Davis

General Submissions: Clinical Settings Materials

There is currently a nationwide campaign to address human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and treatment. The emergency department (ED) is a significant venue in the HIV prevention and treatment campaign. The quality improvement (QI) project was based on the multiple national HIV/AIDS agencies advocacy, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) HIV screening recommendations. The project goal was to increase HIV screening in the emergency department (ED) at Cape Fear Valley by utilizing a targeted screening approach.

A Nurse Practitioner Driven, Split-Flow Emergency Department Intake System, Wesley Davis

General Submissions: Clinical Settings Materials

As hospital emergency departments (EDs) in the United States face an increased patient volume, challenges emerge to provide effective patient care. This quality improvement project addresses the gaps in ED patient care related to patient flow through the ED by implementing the Door-to-Doc Toolkit. The Door-to-Doc Toolkit improves ED efficiency by redesigning the patient intake process. The cornerstone of the Toolkit is the use of an advanced practice nurse in triage to direct patient flow into the ED. The results of the project show a decreased number of patients leaving before receiving a medical screening exam and decreased time that …

Adverse And Positive Childhood Experiences And General Health Among Asian American Emerging Adults, Wenyi Chen

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The purpose of this study was to (1) investigate whether disparities in ACE and PCE exposures exist in a diverse Asian American population of emerging adults (i.e., Asian Indian, Chinese, Hmong American) differing in their US immigration histories, cultures, language, and countries of origin and (2) describe the relationships among ACEs, PCEs, and self-reported general health among Asian American emerging adults.

The Vulnerables' Opportunity To Inform Culturally Congruent Care Education (Voiccce): Improving Nursing Practice In Care Of Lgbtq+ Patients, Theresa Schultz, Allison Garzone, Simmy King, Amy Liljestrand, Shane Henise, Matthew Lecuyer, Desiree Edemba, James E. Boost, Pallavi Dwivedi, Pamela Hinds

General Submissions: Presentations (Oral and Poster)

The purpose of this study is to increase staff knowledge and skills in providing equitable, population specific care informed by community-based population research.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing A Companion Dog Walking Intervention To An Attention Control Education Intervention On The Psychological Health Of Adult Intensive Care Unit Survivors: The Pooch Study, Lindsey Nelson

Dissertations

Intensive care unit (ICU) survivors are at risk for persistent anxiety and depression after hospital discharge that contribute to the psychological component of post intensive care syndrome (PICS). Quality evidence supporting innovative home and community-based interventions that improve psychological health in ICU survivors is needed. The use of companion dogs to improve the health and wellbeing of ICU survivors is a novel strategy not previously explored in the ICU survivor population. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a companion dog walking intervention compared to an attention control education intervention for …

Perceptions Of Novice Clinical Adjunct Nursing Faculty, Layna Himmelberg

Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences and perceptions of novice clinical adjunct nursing faculty members who have less than two years teaching experience. The participants of the study included novice faculty members who provide direct supervision of pre-licensure nursing students and work in private nursing colleges and universities in the Midwest.

Iranian-American Older Adults' Attitudes And Proactive Actions Toward Planning Ahead For End-Of-Life Care, Zahra Rahemi

Dissertations

Ethnically diverse older adults are the fastest growing population in the U.S. This population may experience transitional processes associated with immigration, acculturation, aging, and end of life (EOL). Advances in technology lead to increases in care options, which can cause uncertainty to make decisions for EOL. Unmade decisions about care prior to becoming unable to communicate are associated with burdens of lastminute decisions at EOL, unwanted intensive EOL treatments for people who may die naturally of old age, financial and emotional costs, and decreased quality of life. In the U.S., a multicultural country with a variety of care options, advance …

Effect Of Activities, Social Environment, And Psychotropic Medication Use On Behavioral Symptoms Of Persons With Dementia In Nursing Homes, Ben R. Inventor

Dissertations

A secondary data analysis was conducted using existing clinical and observational data of a 3-year longitudinal study to describe associations of time-varying background factors (cognitive function, physical function, psychotropic medication use), and proximal factors (activities, social environment) with positive and negative behaviors of persons with dementia at 24 months. Participants included residents with Alzheimer's disease living in two nursing homes in Chicago. A Total 25,560 observation sessions, collected for all participants at baseline, 12-months and 24-months were used in analyses. Results showing that: 1) higher cognitive and physical functions, and being located in own bedroom and shower/tub/bathroom had the most …

The Lived Experiences Of Nurses Caring For Dying Pediatric Patients, Danna L. Curcio

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore the lived experiences of nurses caring for dying pediatric patients. Nurses and health care professionals may at times have difficulty adjusting and processing when life ends and this may have the potential to interfere with patient care. Reflection on past events and actions enable critical discovery of strategies to benefit both nurses and patients. The method for conducting this research study was from a qualitative phenomenological perspective exploring the lived experiences of nurses caring for dying pediatric patients. The philosophical underpinning of Merleau-Ponty (2008), in combination with the research method of …

The Relationship Between The Perception Of Nurse Caring, And The Phase Ii Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients' Depression, Anxiety, And Adherence, Jo Ann Kim

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between perception of nurse caring and Phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participant's depression, anxiety, and adherence. Duffy and Hoskins (2003) Quality-caring model © was used as a theoretical framework to guide the descriptive correlational study. A convenience sample of 109 outpatients lived in the mid-Atlantic portion of the United States. The four data collection instruments included the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory- Y-1 (STAI-Y-1), Caring Assessment Tool-IV (CAT-IV), and a Phase II CR Patient's Program Data Sheet. Pearson's product-moment correlational analysis was used …

Learning To Respond To Thought-Disordered Speech - Nursing Students' Experiences: A Mixed Methods Study, Denise E. Mcgarry

Dissertations

The aim of this research study was to explore how pre-registration nursing students were prepared to respond to people experiencing thought-disorder according to students, recent graduates and mental health nursing academics.

The Lived Experience Of The English As A Second Language Rn-Bsn Degree Completion Student Integrating To An Online Learning Environment, Sonique Sailsman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of RN-BSN ESL nursing students who are engaged in learning online and understanding their process of cultural integration.

Development And Evaluation Of A Nurse Leader-Led Acuity-Based Nursing Assignment Program And Its Outcome On Peripheral Intravenous Infiltrations And Extravasations In Pediatric Patients, Cassandra D. Dike

Dissertations

In this evidence-based project, the team developed a model of patient assignments for nurses in a pediatric acute care setting based on workload and acuity as opposed to hours per patient day (HPPD). The team used a plan-do-study-act, or PDSA, cycle of quality improvement methodology to demonstrate that assignments based on acuity as opposed to ratios would improve patient outcomes. The outcome measure was peripheral intravenous infiltrations and extravasations (PIVIEs). In the 6-week time frame only two PIVIEs were identified, and they occurred on shifts in which the ideal acuity score was not met for the nursing assignments due to …

Genital Hair Removal And Sexually Transmitted Infections: A History And A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Alison O. Marshall

Dissertations

Background: Genital hair removal is a popular practice in Westernized cultures and has been associated with the belief that removal is necessary for hygiene. A body of literature exists that has found that genital hair removal is associated with adverse health outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This dissertation aims to detail the history of the practice, why the hygiene belief exists, and to systematically review the existing literature that assesses genital hair removal and STIs.

Methods: Historical, socio-cultural analysis from the feminist perspective was performed on the literature to outline why genital hair removal was adopted at a population …

The Impact Of Disaster Tabletop Exercise On The Nursing Knowledge Of Emergency Preparedness And The Influence On Professional Quality Of Life, Vivian Fuentes

Dissertations

It is widely reported that nurses are underprepared to respond to a disaster event, despite the available resources for emergency preparedness education. The purpose of this project was to measure the impact of disaster tabletop exercises on emergency preparedness knowledge of the emergency department (ED) nurses and its influence on the professional quality of life. Twentynine nurses from a south Florida hospital participated in the evaluation of this evidence-based project. The Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) and adapted Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ) were implemented before and after disaster tabletop exercises. The EPIQ findings included an overall 20% increase in …

A Focused Ethnography Of Healthcare Transition Among Persistent Asthmatic/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) Adult Pennsylvania Medicaid Beneficiaries, Agnes Marie M. Cummings

Dissertations

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) (2010) provided for the largest reform of Medicaid since its 1965 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid implementation, providing funding for both low-income and disabled citizens. The additional amount of Medicaid beneficiaries increased the complexity and effectiveness of an already struggling, massive and bureaucratic government program. From a beneficiary perspective (emic perspective), Medicaid as a federal agency, is far from "user-friendly." This problematic complexity remains despite ACA-induced Medicaid reform. Thus despite new eligibility for Medicaid services, a client may still face unresolved health concerns due to system-based or client-based obstacles to effective Medicaid utilization. Failure to …

Emergency Preparedness Curriculum: Essential Skills For Nurses Responding In Disasters, Sallie J. Shipman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experiences of nurses first time responding to a civilian disaster response in shelters or temporary community medical clinics in an attempt to identify the essential knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to disaster victims. The theoretical framework for this study was the theory of novice to expert, experiential learning, clinical reasoning, and using real life situations to develop the student's sense of salience by Benner et al. (1996, 2009; 2010).

Exploring Interprofessional Education Through A High-Fidelity Human Patient Simulation Scenario: A Mixed Methods Study, Kelly L. Rossler

Dissertations

High-fidelity human patient simulation has emerged as a valuable medium to reinforce educational content within programs of nursing. As simulation learning experiences have been identified as augmenting both didactic lecture content and clinical learning, these experiences have expanded to incorporate interprofessional education. Review of literature demonstrates research is necessary to support how interprofessional education can impact learning and how high-fidelity human patient simulation can be utilized as a mechanism to promote learning in an interprofessional manner. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore pre-licensure health professions students' perceptions of high-fidelity human patient simulation as a teaching modality …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Associate Degree Nurse Educators' Teaching Experiences Regarding Health Literacy, Connie Marshall

Dissertations

Worldwide health literacy levels are low. Nurses should be able to lead the improvement of the health literacy of the populations they serve. During a comprehensive review of the literature, it became apparent that previous research regarding the provision of health literacy education within Associate Degree Nursing programs was not available. The Associate Degree is the initial degree that allows the graduate to take the NCLEX-RN board exam, so it was interesting to determine how learners are prepared to discern the health literacy levels of the patient population. The research question, "How do nurse educators describe their experiences with health …

Vitamin D Clinical Relevance In The Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury Among The Military Population, Yuisa Mariceli Colón

Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) still remains a difficult disorder to treat. TBI has been associated to chronic neuroinflammation and a high risk for neurodegenerative disorders. Since 2001 between ten to twenty percent of all deployed military members have suffered a combat-related TBI. Nearly twenty to thirty percent of those will experience chronic cognitive, behavioral and somatic symptoms after suffering a TBI. This review found compelling evidence to support that the pathology of TBI is closely associated with neuroprotective mechanisms of vitamin D.

The Feasibility And Acceptability Of A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing A Companion Dog-Walking Intervention To An Attention Control Education Intervention On Depression, Anxiety, Serum Cortisol, And Quality Of Life In Adult Intensive Care Unit Survivors, Lindsey Nelson

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

ICU survivors are at risk for persistent anxiety and depression after hospital discharge. Quality evidence supporting innovative home and community-based interventions that improve psychological health in ICU survivors is needed. The use of companion dogs to improve health and wellbeing is an innovative strategy not previously explored in the ICU survivor population. The purpose of this RCT was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a companion dog walking intervention compared to an attention control education intervention for adult ICU survivors and to compare exploratory outcome trends related to depression, anxiety, serum cortisol, and quality of life.

Transition To Practice Of New Graduate Nurses In The First Year Of Employment At A Rural Healthcare System, Deena Woodall

Dissertations

The nursing workforce crisis has highlighted the need for effective transition to practice (TTP) for new graduate nurses (NGNs). In 2021, only 20% of NGNs in the US were considered practice-ready. The use of Nurse Residency Programs (NRP) was highlighted as the best approach for improving competencies and practice readiness. However, the assessment of NRP effectiveness is limited, particularly in rural hospitals.

Longitudinal Evaluation Of Practice Readiness For A Rural Nurse Residency Program Using An Interactive Computerized Decision Tool, Deena Woodall

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The purpose of this study was to determine competency for practice readiness for new graduate nurses attending nurse residency program and determine confidence for readiness to practice in new graduate nurses attending nurse residency program.

Improve Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates Through Early Breastfeeding Initiation, Camille Chua

Dissertations

Exclusive breastfeeding can be challenging to maintain. At the project site there was an inconsistent process for breastfeeding support, so an evidence-based solution was sought. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if or to what degree the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Guideline’s Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) Step Four would impact exclusive breastfeeding rates (EBFRs) when compared to current practice among adult postpartum patients in an acute care hospital in Southern California over four weeks. Nola Pender’s middle-range nursing theory utilizing the health promotion model (HPM), and Kurt Lewin’s change theory provided …