Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Neurological Outcomes In Post Cardiac Arrest Adults Using Therapeutic Hypothermia, Bianca C. Mair, Yolexis Gonzalez

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Cardiac arrest remains one of the most unexpected, dramatic, & life-threatening events in medicine with about 356,500 people experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States during 2014 (American Heart Association, 2015). Cardiac arrest leads to loss of circulation, causing a decrease in cerebral oxygen and therefore brain cell death, leading to the most common cause of death after a cardiac arrest. Those who survive often have poor neurological outcomes, resulting in the patient to suffer a lifetime of cognitive impairment and immobility. Over the past 10 years, researchers have found that hypothermia …

Improving Managers' Ability To Manage Relationships, Joan M. Mitchell

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Monday, September 19, 2016: Effective nursing leadership is vital to the success of individual staff as well as the organization they represent. Nurse managers are often placed in their role due to their excellent clinical skills, without adequate resources, preparation, or support (Curtis & O'Connell, 2011). Leadership skills, specifically managing relationships is not taught in basic nursing training (Curtis, Sheerin, & deVries, 2011). Managing relationships can also be described as emotional intelligence. Having emotional intelligence and managing relationships is a vital competency for a manager, affecting positive outcomes for the hospital, nursing unit, nursing staff, and patients …

Improving Compliance With Antipsychotic Monitoring In The Psychiatric Population, Melissa M. Horner

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Psychiatric patients often die earlier than other patients and this is normally due to very treatable illnesses, not their mental illness. One such illness is metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that can pave the way to diabetes and heart disease. It is well documented in the literature that metabolic syndrome is often a consequence of antipsychotic medications used to treat a variety of mental health conditions. National agencies have recognized this risk of development of metabolic syndrome and have developed consensus guidelines for mental health providers to follow as they screen …

Implementing An Innovative Advanced Practice Preceptor Development Program: Assuring Quality Clinical Education And Practice Transitions, Janet Marie Myers, Susan M. Bosworth

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Monday, September 19, 2016:

Clinicians, nurse administrators, graduate nursing educators and students acknowledge the challenges inherent in securing advanced practice preceptors who are passionate, skillful, experienced providers who also demonstrate a zest for teaching. Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) preceptors provide a unique, valued, and critical role in a graduate nursing student's clinical education, as well as the professional acclimation and practice transition of novice and experienced providers. To maximize clinical learning and onboarding experiences, APRN preceptors must demonstrate skills in learner assessment and evaluation, interprofessional communication, effective role modeling, and appropriate socialization of individuals to specified …

Impact Of Presidential Succession On Local Chapter Leadership In An International Honor Society, Patricia L. Hockensmith

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Monday, September 19, 2016: A case study of a local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) was selected to describe presidential leadership succession. Transformational leadership theory guided the research question: How does Presidential leadership succession at a local chapter in a nursing organization role model the components of a transformational leader? After Institutional Review Board approval was obtained, a questionnaire including demographic information was used to interview a former local chapter president of STTI. The study site is a state university baccalaureate nursing program in western Pennsylvania. The STTI chapter has an affiliation at this location. …

Impact Of An Emergency Department Sepsis Policy, Lynette M. Rayman

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Sepsis can be described on a continuum from initial infection to severe sepsis. It is a serious concern of key healthcare stakeholders due to high incidence, mortality, and cost. The objectives of this evidence-based project were to 1) identify potential sepsis patients early during the emergency department (ED) triage process and 2) implement Sepsis Order Sets. Kotter's change model and the Stetler model of evidence-based practice guided this project. An extensive literature search was undertaken to find best practice evidence regarding care of sepsis patients. Recommended care includes a protocolized format utilizing a …

Immune Function And Infection Risk After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Kristin Greathouse, Andrew Yates, Tondi M. Harrison, Cindy M. Anderson, Loren Wold, Mark Hall

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Infections occur in up to 20% of pediatric patients who undergo cardiac surgery. Post-operative infections are a significant source of additional morbidity, and can result in re-operations, lengthen hospital stays, and necessitate longer durations of mechanical ventilation and inotropic support. Proper immune function is vital for preventionof post-operative infections. Two arms of the immune system operate together to maintain suitable function. First, the innate immune system serves as the key regulator of the inflammatory response that activates other immune cells and facilities repair of injured tissues. Second, the adaptive immune response confers specificity …

Identifying And Accommodating Education/Research Barriers Of Rural Nursing Staff In The Mississippi River Delta, L. Todd Hammon

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

The purpose of this study was to identify by survey, what education and research barriers exist for operating room and post anesthesia care nursing staff in the rural hospitals of the Mississippi River Delta.

How Did Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Patients And Caregivers Communicate Their Needs?: A Pilot Study, Chia-Chun Tang, Diane Von Ah, Cleveland Shields

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Background: Although it is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States, little is known about how patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and their caregivers communicate their needs with healthcare providers. Advanced pancreatic cancer patients, caregivers and healthcare providers face unique communication challenges related to handling high psychological distress and overwhelming information within a short period of time. Consequently, these communication difficulties may also affect their quality of life and decision making process. This pilot study seeks to explore how advanced pancreatic cancer patients and their caregivers communicate their …

Hemostasis Methods Used In Cardiac Patients Post Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Brittany G. Curry

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Cardiovascular intervention is expanding as a treatment alternative for patients who have coronary artery disease. There are many options available regarding hemostasis methods used after diagnostic or elective coronary angiography. Patient's demographics, comorbidities, as well as risks for vascular complications are considered when deciding what method is appropriate for the patient. There have been discrepancies over the most preferred method of hemostasis in regards to safety profiles, vascular complications and time to ambulation. Past and recent standard of care was to apply manual pressure after pulling femoral sheaths post PCI, but with new …

Heart Failure Readmission: From The Eyes Of A Patient, Allison M. Sadowsky

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of patients, who have congestive heart failure and who had a recent admission to the acute care setting, regarding factors that influenced their readmissions to the acute care setting, as well as to identify if there are areas of teaching that needed to be increased in emphasis or added to patient education to decrease future readmissions. The sample consisted of seven patients who had a readmission to the acute care setting and had a diagnosis of acute congestive heart failure. This qualitative study utilized …

From Virtual To Real Advocacy: An Infographic On Phi Gamma's International Engagement, Jeanne Widener, Irvin Ong, Carole D. Liske

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Connecting to diverse nurse leaders worldwide can be difficult especially in places with no land-based Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Chapter. This resulted in the establishment of the Phi Gamma Chapter (481) as a virtual honor society by the direction of the International Board. In June 2010, the Phi Gamma Chapter was chartered and received its Coat of Arms. Its mission and vision correspond to the STTI Honor Society of Nursing with an international focus. As the only virtual chapter, Phi Gamma offers boundless opportunities in promoting global health and nursing excellence on …

Frailty In Older Cancer Survivors: A Literature Review, Kathryn M. Free, Debra M. Lundquist, Stewart M. Bond

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Background/Purpose: Frailty is a multi-dimensional syndrome characterized by decreased physiologic reserve that results in increased vulnerability to stressors and adverse health outcomes. It has been hypothesized that cancer treatment is associated with accelerated aging and frailty; yet frailty in older cancer survivors is not well understood. The purpose of this literature review was to examine the nature and impact of frailty in this population.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search using CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE, Psych INFO, and Proquest. Search terms included: cancer or neoplasms, cancer survivors, older adult, elderly, aged, frail elderly, frail …

First Births: A Review Of The United States Primary Cesarean Section Rate, Dorothy Emeline Allen

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

The cesarean section rate has increased exponentially worldwide over the past twenty years, and today it is the 'most common major surgical procedure in the United States' (Boyle et al., 2013). In 1985, the World Health Organization declared that a cesarean section rate of 10-15% is optimal, and any rates higher than 15% are not medically indicated. This claim was reinvestigated in 2014 by researchers who found that rates exceeding 10% were not accompanied by decreased infant mortality rates, and after 15% did not impact maternal mortality rates (Ye, Betran, Guerrero, Souza, & …

Financial Insecurity And Attitudes Toward Self-Care Management In Adults With Diabetes, Jonna Morris

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

People with diabetes often struggle with self-care. Financial insecurity may create added challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of participant's attitudes toward their self-care and their perceived ability to pay for basic needs.

Female Genital Cutting (Fgc) In The Eyes Of American Healthcare Providers: We Want To Help, Najla Ahmad Barnawi, Carolyn S. Pierce, Nicole A. Rouhana

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Monday, September 19, 2016:

Presenting this educational poster is a response to the current global and national awareness about FGC. American nurses, nurse-midwives, and midwives are well positioned to engage in and promote effective communication patterns, safe and appropriate interventions and referral relationships that are acceptable to their clients.

Feel It! Stress Reduction For Nursing Students Using Mindfulness Meditation, Crystal Aurelia Coulter-Robinson

Leadership Connection

This presentation will address mindfulness meditation as a quality improvement project completed by two senior leadership nursing students in collaboration with preceptors who were clinical faculty leading 200-level nursing students in a clinical setting, along with the course professor. An assessment of needs was completed and a mutually identified topic was agreed upon to be completed within the time frame of a 15-week semester. In working with beginning nursing students, there were many aspects of care and floor nursing that were new and exciting to them, and some were overwhelming and stressful. Educational needs of 200-level students and degree of …

Feasibility And Acceptability Of Integrative Therapy For Management Of Symptoms In Persons With Pulmonary Hypertension, Tadsaung Tania Von Visger, Susan E. Thrane, Maryanna Klatt, Annette Dabbs, Linda Chlan, Mary Beth Happ

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

The purpose of this mixed-methods pilot study is to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 6-week integrative therapy program, Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) among community-dwelling adults with PH.

Fathers' Experiences In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Research Proposal, Lisa A. Cummings

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Prematurity is a global, national, and regional problem affecting one in ten babies each year. The costs associated with prematurity are multifaceted, since prematurity impacts families, healthcare, society, and parents. Infant costs include immediate and long lasting negative effects including pathologies that result in impairments and even death. Infants born prematurely often exhibit varying neurological deficits including developmental delays, behavioral problems and mental retardation. Hence, health care expenditures associated with prematurity are staggering. For instance, the average health care expenditures for a preterm birth/low birth weight infant are more than 10 times that …

Exploring The Power Of You: The Rn, Janice E. Hobba-Glose

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016: A fundraising and chapter meeting was held on October 28, 2014. The event was unique in that it included a film viewing and a Talk-Back with the producer of the film and engaged the community of nurses and health systems. The local chapter leadership of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society (STTI) was looking for a new way to recruit members as well as a way to recognize and highlight nursing while increasing the visibility of the chapter. One hallmark of a successful organization is the ability of the leaders to effectively collaborate …

Examination Accommodations Made By Cnms And Whnps For Adult Female Sexual Assault Survivors, Haley N. Maness, Ella T. Heitzler, Eshetu Tefera

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

Aims: (1) describe how CNMs and WHNPs screen for a history of sexual assault; (2) describe how CNMs and WHNPs accommodate needs of survivors; (3) identify how CNMs and WHNPs comply with survivor requests; (4) compare CNMs' and WHNPs' accommodation and compliance practices.

Essential Components Of Leadership For The Bedside Nurse, Thelma M. Warner

Leadership Connection

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the essential leadership components needed for generalist nurses to provide safe and effective nursing care at the bedside. Current nursing practice over the last decade has faced many challenges that include shorter inpatient length of stay with a population of patients that have higher acuities with more complex health care needs, rapid advancement of technology, and health care reform effects. All nurses are leaders in the context of their specific practice role. In order to determine the essential leadership components, an interpretive phenomenological approach was used. Participants in this study included …

Effect Of Stillbirth Postpartum On Depression In Women Between Ages 15-20 Versus 30-35, Michelle M. Brindle, Ashley Menchaca, Ravali Valluri

Leadership Connection

The purpose of this study was to o determine which group of women, ages 15-20 versus ages 30-35, who delivered a stillborn will experience depression to a greater degree.

Effect Of A Unit-Based Clinical Outcomes Nurse On Nurse Empowerment And Quality Outcomes, Whitney E. Van Vactor

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Monday, September 19, 2016:

The purpose of this presentation is to describe an innovative, unit-based quality nurse role and the evidence-based project conducted to determine if this role improves quality outcomes while also increasing structural empowerment of staff nurses.

Educating Rn-Bsn Online Students On Qsen Competencies Of Leadership And Quality Improvement, Laurie Bladen

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Monday, September 19, 2016:

The purpose of this poster presentation is to describe the study of RN-BSN online students in a nursing leadership course by exploring their knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) gap regarding the quality and safety education for nurses (QSEN) core competencies developed by the American Association of colleges of Nursing QSEN Education Consortium (2012). This study compares the KSAs of the QSEN core competencies in two courses at Clarion University of Pennsylvania's online RN- BSN program using the Quality Improvement Skills, Knowledge, and Attitudes (QulSKA) questionnaire in a modified format. In 2003, the Institute …

Educating Oncology Nurses With Simulation: A Chemotherapy Spill, Sherry A. Demacedo

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Monday, September 19, 2016:

The purpose of the quality improvement (QI) project was to determine if the use of a simulated chemotherapy spill increased the competencies and confidence of oncology nurses employed on an inpatient chemotherapy unit. An educational QI design was utilized including a confidential voluntary pre and post intervention survey. The National League for Nursing/Jeffries Simulation Framework (NLN/JSF) was chosen to be used in conjunction with Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory in the creation of the QI project. The simulations were held on a 25 bed oncology unit located in Providence Rhode Island. Twenty-nine oncology nurses …

E-Cigarettes: Effective Smoking Cessation Aids?, Casey J. Lawrence

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

The purpose of this review was to determine whether e-cigarettes are a safe and effective tool for promoting smoking cessation. Despite their increased popularity as smoking cessation aids, the efficacy of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid has not been established. The unknown safety of e-cigarettes presents an additional concern.

Does Independent Advanced Practice Nursing Scope Influence Excess Pneumonia Readmissions, Laura Ellen Prado, Phyllis Wright, John Cranmer, Erin Biscone

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016: Background: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) became law in 2010. Two major goals of the legislation were to reduce health care costs and improve quality of care. Hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge were identified as a significant expense to the federal government that might be reduced by improving quality of care. Purpose: To determine if clinical processes, prevention measures, or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) practice environment influence excess 30-day excess readmission ratios for community-acquired pneumonia (PN) among patients insured by Medicare. Methods: The relationship between the variables …

Dietary Sodium Intake Is Predicted By Anti-Hypertensive Medication Regimen In Heart Failure Patients, Jennifer L. Smith, Terry A. Lennie, Misook L. Chung, Gia Mudd-Martin

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Sunday, September 18, 2016:

The purpose of this study was to examine whether having a prescribed ACEi was associated with increased dietary sodium density.

Development And Implementation Of A National Service Learning Mission Trip, Catherine S. Thomas

Leadership Connection

Session presented on Monday, September 19, 2016:

Nursing education has embraced the value of service learning, and numerous programs have integrated this pedagogy into their curriculum with a variety of approaches, ranging from offering international experiences to integration in clinical courses. This innovative educational pedagogy allows students and faculty to engage in activities that address a variety of needs, incorporate self-reflection, and embrace the concept of reciprocity between students and the community receiving care (Schofield et al, 2013). Service learning activities must intentionally complement program outcome goals and/or course objectives, provide students contextual experiences for understanding abstract health/illness and nursing …