Digital Commons Network^™

Depression Screening For Older Adults, Taylor Harding

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: Depression is not a normal part of aging and is the leading cause of disability in the older adult population. Depression symptoms in the older adult are loss of interest in activities, trouble concentrating, loneliness, trouble sleeping, appetite loss, and psychomotor slowing. Depression can range from mild to moderate to major depression. The purpose of this project is to assess the prevalence of depression in older adults in the hospital.

Intervention: Registered nurses on the older adult unit implemented a screening tool for depression on patients who were alert and oriented x4 for patients who were 65 years and …

Providing Education To Bedside Nurses On Critical Vital Signs And Sepsis To Aid In Early Identification And Intervention With Rapid Response Teams, Danielle Bryant

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Sepsis is the leading cause of mortality in hospitalized patients and is associated with sentinel events. A review of the literature revealed that providing extensive education, use of Rapid Response Teams (RRT's) to respond to sepsis, as well the use of standardized protocols for treatment were beneficial in early recognition and intervention, of deteriorating patient conditions and improving overall patient outcomes. The purpose of this research project was to evaluate whether providing education to beside nurses on critical vital signs and sepsis would increase staff knowledge of when to initiate RRT's over a 30-day period. The setting was a 423-bed …

Empowering Nurse Education On Prone Position, Rachell Borges, Jillian Krumbach

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: In staff nurses, does education on prone positioning in ARDS patients increase awareness of nursing practice over six weeks?

Intervention: This project was designed to bring awareness and empower registered nurses in the unit to safely initiate and utilize prone position through educational training. An online pre-and post-test was used to evaluate the nurse's knowledge before and after the implementation of the educational intervention. These tests were used to gather data regarding known and/or available knowledge about pronation.

Measures: To increase staff nurse awareness, a pre-test was emailed to all staff nurses in the intensive care unit. These test …

Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experience Education On Primary Care Providers, Kelli Gunn

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: Adverse childhood experiences are related to increased risk of chronic health conditions and health outcomes in adulthood. An estimated 60% of the adult U.S. population is impacted. Research has indicated that many primary care providers are unaware of the patient's childhood history and its impact on long-term health outcomes. This study examined the impact of an adverse childhood experience education module on Primary Care Provider's knowledge of adverse childhood experiences and ability to prevent, identify, and manage high ACE scores to improve patient outcomes.

Intervention: Participants were invited to attend an educational session that examined basic foundational knowledge of …

Retrospective Data Analysis To Support The Use Of Small Body Movements As An Intervention For Prevention Of Pressure Ulcer Development, Leah Trautman, Valerie Lynn Anderson

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Pressure ulcers cost the healthcare systems millions of dollars every year. The current literature indicates that a multi-modal approach must be used in order to provide the best prevention of pressure ulcers. The use of small body movements is a simple intervention that could be utilized in addition to the regularly used prevention methods. A retrospective data analysis was used to assess the possible need for an additional pressure ulcer prevention intervention and the possible effectiveness it may have had on the intensive care patient population. Data was collected 60 days prior to the implementation of the new intervention in …

Food Insecurity Screening Among Hospitalized Older Adults With Cardiovascular Disease, Claire Montoya

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Objective: To implement a food insecurity (FI) screening process using the HVS^TM for adults age 60 and older on an inpatient cardiac unit. The intent was to better understand the prevalence of FI, to evaluate current nutrition resource use, and to assess for any significant relationship between resource use and FI screening result among this specific patient population.

Methods: Screenings were administered by registered nurses on the cardiac unit to any adult age 60 or older admitted to the unit. Screening forms consisted of the two-item HVS^TM and a third question screening for use of nutrition resources (SNAP, …

Education To Ease Distress In Spouses Of Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients, Kathryn A. Jelsma

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Spouses of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients can experience overwhelming distress during their partner's recovery, yet interventions to ease this distress are limited. While spouses have the ability to help influence their partner's recovery, little assistance or counseling has been offered to the spouses. Oncology and inpatient cardiology units have found educational packets helpful in reducing spousal distress. Therefore, an evidence-based interventional project to determine if education could ease distress among the spouses of patients who have received a coronary artery stent and enrolled in outpatient CR took place at a Midwestern hospital. Participants were spouses of patients who received a …

Development Of Critical Thinking Skills In Nursing Students, Lynette Debellis

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Critical thinking is an integral part of being a competent nurse. Critical thinking skills are required for safe practice and are mandated aspects of nursing curricula by state education guidelines and accrediting organization. Having sound critical thinking skills is important to protect, improve, and increase the quality of life. Nursing education is challenged to provide students with the resources to develop and practice the critical thinking skills needed by successful students and competent nurses. This project examined the effect of optional adaptive learning platform activities on the mid-term grades of senior level nursing students. Students were given eight weeks to …

Depression Screening In The Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Denice M. Louder

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: Depression is a common mental health disorder and is a leading cause of disability among adults worldwide. Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities normally enjoyed by an individual, disrupted sleeping and/or eating patterns, and, in worst-case scenarios, feelings of harm directed at self or others. The purpose of this project aimed to determine the impact of education on depression screening in the primary care setting.

Intervention: A workshop for clinic providers and nursing staff was conducted which provided education on the use and interpretation of results of the PHQ-9 depression screening tool. Participants …

Foster Parent Mentoring Within Treatment Foster Care (Tfc), Jennifer Ketarkus

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Research has shown peer-to-peer mentorship in child welfare has proven successful in helping parents navigate the system and, ultimately, reunify with their children. An evidence-based framework to guide best practices in mentorship within child welfare can also be applied to peer-to-peer mentorship for foster parents within Treatment Foster Care (TFC) programs. The Iowa Parent Partner Model provides six focus areas of learning for mentors, within these focus areas, the model identifies learning targets for mentors. For the purpose of this research, the Iowa Parent Partner Model was applied to a regional TFC program operating within a large, statewide network. The …

Magnesium Sulfate In Relation To Preeclamptic Postpartum Mothers, Megan Lihs, Nancy Murray, Valerie Lynn Anderson

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Magnesium sulfate is often used from the onset of labor and during the postpartum period to stabilize maternal blood pressure. Because little is known about magnesium sulfate, there is a concern that allowing mothers to pump or breastfeed while receiving this medication may place additional stress on the mother’s body. The purpose of this project was to determine whether preeclamptic postpartum mothers receiving magnesium sulfate who initiated breast-pumping within 1-4 hours post-delivery experienced elevated blood pressures, as evidenced by a rise above 140/90 mm Hg. A retrospective chart review of mothers who delivered in 2017, received magnesium sulfate, required immediate …

Move And Mingle: A Postpartum Depression Intervention, Lisa Peterson Stevens, Kari Wade

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Background: 11.5% of women are diagnosed with postpartum depression (PPD) within the first few months after delivery, and 50% go untreated. Effective and accessible treatment options for PPD are greatly needed to improve the health of the postpartum community.

Purpose: The purpose of the Move and Mingle project was to implement an evidence-based PPD program using yoga and group social support therapy in a weekly class format over six weeks to significantly reduce the symptoms of postpartum depression.

Methods: The program offered a weekly, six session combined yoga and social support therapy class to postpartum women diagnosed with PPD. Sample: …

Medication Reconciliation In A Head And Neck Cancer Clinic, Megan Lee Lucas

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

The Head and Neck Cancer Clinic is within a Cancer Center in the Southeastern United States. The organization has a medication reconciliation policy in place to ensure that accurate medication information is updated in each patient’s chart, which is used in the Head and Neck Cancer Clinic. The purpose of this project was to improve medication reconciliation participation by implementing a medication reconciliation tool sheet in a Head and Neck Cancer Clinic over a two-month period. For two weeks data was collected on the current medication reconciliation discrepancies for individual patients that have an appointment at the clinic. Comparison was …

Prediction Of Alcohol Withdrawal Severity Scale In The Emergency Department, Jacqueline Ellison

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Background and Review of Literature: Alcohol dependence is a problem nationwide and is often underreported by patients in a healthcare setting. People who suffer from alcohol dependence are likely to experience alcohol withdrawal if they suddenly cease alcohol consumption. The Prediction of Alcohol Withdrawal Severity Scale (PAWSS) is a tool which can identify a patient at risk for alcohol withdrawal. Purpose: The purpose of the project was to screen patients being admitted from the emergency department utilizing PAWSS to identify those at risk for alcohol withdrawal.

Methods: The scores would then be examined within a retrospective chart review on patients …

Compassion Fatigue Education For Nurse Practitioners, Mary G. Metz, Christina Hoy

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Compassion fatigue (CF) has been studied in many healthcare and non-healthcare related professions. There has been, however, limited research regarding CF among nurse practitioners (NP). CF has been correlated to negative patient outcomes and can have a negative impact on the NP in their professional and personal lives. The question guiding this project was, Are nurse practitioners who participate in a virtual education presentation able to identify and define compassion fatigue as evident by post-education evaluation? A virtual education presentation, discussing CF, was sent to 260 full-time members of a Midwest statewide NP organization. Participants completed an 8-question multiple-choice pre-education …

Implementing The Phq-2 Depression Scale For Depression On The Mobile Diabetes Unit, Allyson Fortenberry

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: Healthcare is not considered a human right within the United States. The vulnerable and underserved face consistent barriers to healthcare such as racial inequities, geographic location, and lack of access to name a few. Mental health crises have risen ten-fold around the world secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to cultivate a process to identify early signs of depression and promptly initiate referrals within the community. Intervention: The PHQ-2 screening tool was implemented to address the current health needs of an underserved population on the mobile health unit. Individuals served on the mobile health …

The Impact Of Education On Inpatient And Outpatient Bowel Preparations, Troy Beekman, Rebecca Leistico, Jillian Krumbach

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

A colonoscopy is an important preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedure, but its effectiveness largely depends on the adequacy of the pre-procedure bowel preparation. When bowel preps are inadequate, there are increases in missed neoplastic lesions or cancers, inconveniences to the patient with additional hospital stay, and increased risks of procedural adverse events, like perforations. Studies show that inadequate bowel preps lead to incomplete procedures and delays in care for patients. Studies conducted on educational strategies of bowel preps show a link between education and adequacy of bowel preps. This project utilizes in-person verbal and written education for inpatient participants and …

Health Promotion Behaviors And Primary Care Knowledge In Nurses, Olivia Gold

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Nurses work high-stress jobs and are at high risk of burnout. Burnout in addition to working odd hours can result in poor health outcomes. Little is known about nurse's personal health behaviors. The goal of this project was to improve primary care knowledge among nurses through education. The project assessed the effectiveness of the education by comparing pretest and posttest questionnaire scores regarding current primary care recommendations. The intervention was conducted at a Midwest women's specialty hospital, including nurses that worked on a 16-bed medical surgical unit. The study utilized pretest and posttest Microsoft Forms surveys sent via work email. …

Mobile Application Technology To Limit Compassion Fatigue In Acute Care Nurses, Seth Williams, Whitney Robertson

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

This project examined the usability and effectiveness of the free Ten Percent Happier mobile application designed to mitigate components of compassion fatigue through meditative, resilience-based interventions. Compassion fatigue is considered a combination of burnout and secondary traumatic stress, and can have a detrimental effect on healthcare workers. Acute care nurses were voluntarily recruited to use the app for 20 days and participate in a pre- and post-intervention survey. Results of independent sample t-tests on the Professional Quality of Life Version 5 (ProQOL-5) scale indicated no significant decrease of burnout (t (13) = -0.11, p = .65, and no significant decrease …

Implementing Cpr Training In Schools, Kyleen Schmoker

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 45-minute hands-only CPR training on middle school students as a solution to improving bystander CPR rates.

Importance Of Increasing Mental Health Awareness, Screening, And Support For College Students And Their Families, Laura Loewens

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: The prevalence of mental health diagnoses in the United states is at an all-time high and has been identified as a major concern in healthcare. The objective of this project was to increase awareness of mental health status, assessment, and intervention for college students. The focus was on increasing awareness of the incidence of mental health, importance of screening, and resources available in a Midwestern city. Intervention: College level students participated in an educational session on awareness of mental health prevalence, diagnoses, screening, and treatment with focus on personal awareness and awareness for family members. Measures: Pre and post …

Improving Education In Stroke Patients By Implementing One-On-One Education, Estefani Jacobo

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

A patient understanding his or her treatment plan after having a stroke is imperative for their long-term treatment and preventing another stroke from occurring. Hospital systems across the United States are required to provide effective treatment plans and education for all the stroke patients they serve. However, research has shown that a knowledge gap exists and patients do not understand his/her treatment plan correctly. One-on-one education is an effective intervention that can help the patient understand his/her treatment plan that consists of increasing the patient's knowledge about stroke their specific risk factors for stroke, their BE FAST knowledge (which captures …

Prevention Of Retained Surgical Items Through Education, Mary Claire Li, Valerie Anderson

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Incorrect surgical counts and retained surgical items are preventable errors that compromise patient safety. The literature suggests that surgical counts may be affected by multiple variables. This capstone project sought to exclusively explore the influence of education on incorrect surgical counts in the operating room. Thirteen surgical staff members at a Midwest regional hospital participated in this project. Every staff member possessed previous knowledge and experience with how counts were performed and have executed this task with great frequency. Reinforcement of pre-operative and post-operative surgical count education was conducted with the intended outcome of reducing incorrect count percentages. To assess …

A Peer Support Program For Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes, Amber A. Fuller

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a chronic condition impacting young children and subsequently follows them throughout life. The disease causes the body to lose the ability to produce insulin resulting in elevated blood sugar levels causing a cascade of detrimental complications. As children navigate through the different phases of life, especially during adolescence, the challenges of self-management of this disease can become difficult. In research, peer support programs have shown to be an effective method to approaching this challenge. This quality improvement project focused on the T1D adolescent population and created, implemented, and evaluated a peer support program, called …

Reducing Food Insecurity Within A Midwestern Suburb, Lucas Manning

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Food insecurity, characterized by inadequate access to food, poses a significant challenge affecting numerous individuals and communities across the United States. This project examines the impact of an educational program aimed at increasing donations to a local pantry within a transportation-limited Midwestern suburb burdened by a prevalent food desert. The intervention involved the dissemination of an electronic presentation and pantry flyer via email to a community agency. The outcomes assessed included the number of items donated, the number of individuals served, and the number of meals provided by the pantry. The pre- and post-intervention data collected and analyzed with descriptive …

Adolescent Vaping And Education: Does It Make A Difference?, Jacqueline M. Reznicek

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

E-cigarette use and vaping has increased dramatically in the U.S. since 2011 among high school students and is a serious public health concern. Nicotine is an addictive substance and nicotine may harm teen brain development. Adolescents are vulnerable to nicotine addiction and often discount the addiction risks associated with vaping because teens believe water is being vaped. The purpose of this project was to assess current vaping practices and measure the effectiveness of an educational campaign about the potential risks of vaping among high schools students. Students in grades 9-12 from one Midwestern high school voluntarily participated in a pre- …

Early Mobility Intervention For Hip Fracture Patients, Christina Vejnovich

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: When geriatric patients are immobilized or placed on bedrest, loss of function and decreased activity levels are common. Prolonged immobility is associated with a decline in muscle strength and mass, as well as physical and cognitive function, thereby leading to delays in functional recovery as well as delays in hospital discharge. The purpose of this project was to address the consequences of prolonged immobility in hip fracture patients and evaluate a potential solution to improve patient outcomes.

Intervention: Nursing staff initiated an early mobility intervention that comprised of mobilization of hip fracture patients on the day of surgical repair. …

Mental Health Technician Program, Jessica Pauley

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

The mental health workforce is struggling to find qualified staff at all levels. Development of a career ladder concept in education and compensation beginning at the entry level could help decrease the needs and increase the mental health workforce.

Problem: The mental health crisis in the United States requires a new approach when considering the educational needs of not only the mental health population but also the mental health workforce.

Interventions: Development of a mental health technician program based on current market and employer needs to increase the education of lay persons being hired into direct care mental health positions. …

Advance Directive Promotion In The Community Setting, Erin Dugan

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Problem: An advance directive is a recognized legal document that expresses a person's own wishes and values which will guide medical decision making in the event of serious illness or incapacity. Despite many ongoing efforts to increase civic awareness, advance directive completion rates remain historically low and the need for a standardized approach to advance care planning discussion has been extensively supported within the literature.

Intervention: The purpose of this project was to implement an oral discussion forum and enhanced informational session within the community setting to increase the intention to complete an advance directive form among adults aged 55 …

Reducing Stress: An Intervention For Registered Nurses, Niyi Olusoji

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

The nursing profession has been described as a stressful profession and prolonged exposure to stressful situations without interference has been known to be injurious to the emotional and physical wellbeing of the individual concerned. This study aims to proffer a solution to this problem and the outcome of this project will serve as a health improvement initiative that may be maintained at the individual level or incorporated into employee health activities. A total of 50 registered nurses were invited to participate in the project. Forty-eight individuals returned their questionnaires while only 38 individuals met the eligibility criteria. This paper presents …