Digital Commons Network^™

Leveraging Conference Learning Through A Proposal-Driven Approach To Nursing Innovation, Ashley Perry

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Frontline nurses often return from conferences with evidence-based ideas, yet translating these into sustained practice change is limited by factors including resource and process barriers.^1,2 Evidence shows that strategies such as implementation science and structured innovation support improve adoption.^2,3,4,5 In 2024, our hospital noted this gap after funding over 50 nurses to attend conferences where insights were shared but rarely transformed care delivery. To increase impact, we launched a proposal-based model that turns external learning into actionable improvements. Previously, conference attendees shared insights via presentations, a passive approach with few pathways for change.

Our purpose was to introduce …

Leveraging Data To Facilitate Purposeful Culture Change, Felesia Bowen, Michele H. Talley, Nevette Sample, Maria Shirey

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Academic nursing environments face persistent challenges related to incivility and inclusivity (Bowen, Talley, Sample & Shirey, 2025) and recent studies have revealed negative correlations between incivility and inclusivity (Githens, 2011). Climate studies provide valuable insights into faculty, staff, and student experiences (Test, 2022), yet translating these findings into meaningful culture change requires intentional strategies.

Methods: Guided by principles of organizational change and healthy academic settings (Saunders, Sridaromont, & Gallegos, 2021), we analyzed climate study results to identify priority areas. A multidisciplinary team developed targeted interventions, including faculty and staff development workshops, student engagement forums, and policy revisions to address …

Exploring Nurse Managers' Experiences In Integrating Internationally Educated Nurses In Ontario, Naseem Issani, Sue Bookey-Bassett, Sherry Espin, Alyssa Indar, Elaine Santa Mina

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) reported significant growth in 2025, with IENs now comprising over 53% of all new Registered Nurses (RNs) registrations. As successful IEN integration is complex and influenced by managerial actions, this study is grounded in the understanding that integration must be a two-way process, requiring adaptation from both the IEN and the receiving organization.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to explore nurse managers' experiences in integrating IENs into acute care settings in Ontario.

Methods: This qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences of 20 nurse managers in Ontario acute care settings regarding …

Stress First Aid: A Foundation For Creating Healthy Work Environments, Richard J. Westphal

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Burnout is not the failure of an individual to cope; it is the expected response to working in unbalanced systems where demands exceed resources.¹ Traditional self-care resilience strategies that include a range of mindfulness and physiological are important individual skills but are not sufficient to address the intensity and duration of occupational stress in health care.² Health workers (HCW) face chronic exposure to fatigue, trauma, loss, and moral distress. These four sources of stress injury can have an independent or cumulative effect that negatively impact patient quality and safety, individual team members well-being, team cohesion, and organizational trust. …

Interventions Targeting Nurse Burnout: A Review Of Current Strategies With Future Recommendations, Hannah Grace Shipp, Katherine Christine Hall

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Intro: Patient care delivery is at risk when nurses experience unmanaged burnout (World Health Organization, 2019). Burnout affects approximately 30% of nurses worldwide (Ge et al., 2023) and 65% in the United States (Cross Country Healthcare, 2025). Researchers posit that burnout is primarily driven by systemic issues rather than individual deficiencies (Cao et al., 2025; O’Hara et al., 2024). Research on interventions to treat nurse burnout is abundant yet there is a gap regarding the translation of current evidence to practical recommendations.

Purpose: To (1) summarize existing systematic reviews on interventions addressing nurse burnout, and (2) translate this evidence into …

Organizational Theory And Nurse Burnout: A Secondary Data Analysis Before And After Covid-19, Bridget Webb, Jennifer Mallow, Suzy Mascaro Walter, Kesheng Wang, Tina Antill Keener, Tim Cunningham

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Nurse burnout is a global health priority that has been compounded by Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Organizational theory states that nurse burnout is directly impacted by operant mechanisms (nurse characteristics, nurse specialization) and hospital-wide models. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between hospital wide models (evidence-based care, team-based care, discharge planning, care coordination), operant mechanisms (nurse characteristics and specialization), and outcomes (nurse burnout) before and after COVID-19.

Design: A cross-sectional design was applied, using secondary data analysis.

Methods: A secondary data analysis using the 2018 and 2022 NSSRN data set was used to …

Well-Being For Novice Nurses With The Powerful Feeling Of Belonging Through Mentorship, Shelli Anne Marie Chernesky, Natalie Bermudez, Diane Kramer

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Nursing is a known profession to help others by providing an environment of healing that includes elements of physical and psychological comfort. Our project looks at the importance of belonging as a form of supportive protection for the acute care novice nurse by using mentorship to help navigate the everchanging clinical environment. Mentoring has a direct correlation with belonging for nurses, being part of something with shared goals. Mentorship supports professional development while endorsing career pathway direction. Demanding clinical environments increase nursing responsibilities. Therefore, healthy work environments can be compromised and produce physical fatigue and mixed feelings leading to decreased …

Fostering A Healthy Academic Environment In Nursing Education, Donna M. Hedges

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

A healthy academic environment is foundational to the preparation of future nurses, the retention of faculty, and the overall success of nursing education programs. This presentation examines the multidimensional nature of a healthy academic environment, highlighting psychological safety, equity and inclusion, supportive infrastructure, academic integrity, and collaborative learning as critical elements. Drawing from relational-cultural theory and caring science, the presentation explores how these elements shape outcomes for students, faculty, and institutions. Common challenges—including incivility, limited resources, and faculty workload strain—are discussed alongside evidence-based strategies to foster resilience, collegiality, and organizational change. Implications for practice, policy, and research are identified, underscoring …

[Excerpt From] Leading Academic-Practice Partnerships In Nursing And Healthcare, Doreen C. Harper, Maria R. Shirey, Cynthia S. Selleck, Michele H. Talley, Connie White-Williams

Sigma Publications: Book Excerpts

Leading Academic-Practice Partnerships in Nursing and Healthcare: A Paradigm for Change is a comprehensive guide for unlocking the power of partnerships—transforming healthcare by improving care processes, care coordination, and patient outcomes through collaborative partnerships among nursing academic and practice sectors. Written by experts immersed in this work for well over a decade, this indispensable resource shows how to develop robust partnerships focused on health systems, population health, and community care—and how to build the organizational structure needed to sustain and grow those partnerships.

This book provides:

• An understanding of why academic-practice partnerships are important, their benefits, and the nurses’ …

Nursing Education & Burnout: Secondary Analysis Of Nssrn, Bridget M. Webb, Jennifer Mallow

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Burnout is a risk factor for nurse turnover and intent to leave. Burnout impacts nurse outcomes including incivility, fatigue, and decreased self-esteem, while patient outcomes are adversely impacted as well, including increased mortality, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits. The level of nursing education could impact nursing burnout and turnover.

Purpose: To examine the differences in self-reported burnout and level of education related to nurses:1) leaving their primary nursing position, 2) intent to leave primary position, 3) not working in nursing, and 4) employment change in the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN).

Methods: The 2018 (pre-pandemic) NSSRN data …

Nurse-Led Transformation: Evaluating The Impact Of A Professional Development Intervention On Interprofessional Collaboration, Amanda Kay Garey

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is critical in improving positive patient outcomes and achieving the quadruple aim of enhancing patient experience, improving population health, reducing costs, and improving the work-life balance of healthcare providers. Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) effectively enhances the patient experience and healthcare quality (McGuier et al., 2021). According to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC), critical drivers for the ongoing growth of developing interprofessional collaborative practice include the need to empower the interprofessional (IPE) community with the best available evidence and research related to IPE and collaborative practice, conduct a continuous review of standard terms for competence, competency, and competency framework, …

Reforming The Work Environment: A Staffing Task Force Imperative, Sarah Delgado

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Purpose: Convened by national professional organizations, a task force representing diverse perspectives met over a 9-month period to address the nurse staffing crisis. Building on the foundational work of the Partners for Nurse Staffing Think Tank, the Nurse Staffing Task Force charge was to identify sustainable solutions to longstanding barriers to appropriate staffing.

Methods: The Task Force members represented a broad range of roles inclusive of direct care nurses, nurse scientists and health care leaders. Geographic diversity was addressed in the selection process which resulted in a team of 38 invited participants. The work was facilitated by two co-chairs, a …

Critical Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Screening In Caribbean-American Women Of African Ancestry, Corvette V. Yacoob, Indra Hershorin, Michele Upvall, Ronica Subramoney

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the United States. Globally, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 14 seconds, underscoring the urgent need for early detection through screening to reduce mortality rates. Black women experience higher mortality rates than other ethnic groups, emphasizing the importance of early detection and screening in improving clinical outcomes.

Purpose: This qualitative constructivist grounded theory study explored key factors influencing breast cancer screening practices among Caribbean-American women of African ancestry, that aided in the development of …

Educational Program For Primary Care On Reducing Antibiotic Overuse For Upper Respiratory Infections, Adebusola Onwuemene

Biennial Convention (CONV)

With the advent of antibiotics in 1928, the death rate declined (Fleming, 1980; Hoyert et al., 1999). However, antibiotics’ effectiveness led to the notion that antibiotics could be used for various illnesses. Thus, the overuse of antibiotics leaped, causing antibiotic resistance, rising healthcare costs, and increased mortality rates (CDC, 2024). Many research studies identified factors influencing antibiotic overuse for upper respiratory infections (URIs) in primary care, such as primary care providers’ ignorance, and patients’ expectations (Carlsson et al. , 2023; Gidengil et al., 2016). This study aimed to provide an educational program, via the Canva media tool, on reducing the …

Reflect And Respond On The Importance Of Caring And Shared Decision Making In Leadership Development, Ann Langan, Christine Fardellone

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Purpose Statement: There is a gap in the literature related to leadership behaviors with a caring component unique to the nursing profession. Nurses require leaders who support caring, honesty, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, and approach situations with moral and ethical transparency.

Background Information: Nurse leaders who model the attributes of the authentic nurse leader support a healthy work-life balance and enhance nurse engagement. One of the most important focuses of leadership in healthcare today is shared decision-making. The Authentic Nurse Leadership theoretical framework is based on Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring. Significance Learning more about the self-perception of …

Reflecting On The Implementation Of The I-Pass Handoff In An Inpatient Gastroenterology Department, Whitney Thornton

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The primary purpose of this project was to utilize a standardized evidence-based handoff using a modified I-PASS handoff for the gastroenterology department in an inpatient setting. The implementation of an evidence-based standardized handoff into a clinical practice is crucial to the success of patient care. According to the Joint Commission, errors in handoff communication are one of the leading factors of sentinel events (Humphrey et al., 2022). Omission of pertinent patient information during hospital handoff communication accounts for almost 30% of medical malpractice errors and lawsuits (Humphrey et al., 2022). Handoff communication can be described as the action of conveying …

Methods, Barriers, And Challenges: Exploring Military Nurse Potentially Preventable Loss During A Pandemic, Melissa J. Miller, Janice G. Agazio, Christopher Stucky, Lidilia M.A. Garcia, Robin C. Stalbaum

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

The retention of a robust nursing workforce requires a complete understanding of nurses’ perceptions regarding the factors influencing their decision. This presentation describes an on-going research project exploring nurses’ free-text comments on Army Nurse Corps Surveys including methodology, barriers, and challenges of an interprofessional research team during a pandemic.

Detailed abstract attached.

Influence Of Leadership Styles Upon Staff Well-Being: Strategies To Create A Healthy Work Environment, Alice Kohler, Kenn M. Kirksey, Stacie Marion

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: Nurses comprise the largest segment of healthcare and are essential to the mission of creating a healthy work environment (Haddah, Annamaraju, & Toney-Butler, 2022). Global shortages have endangered nursing care delivery effectiveness and exacerbated nurses' stress, burnout and intent to leave their jobs (Tamata, Mohammadnezhad, & Tamani, 2021). Contributing factors include: 1) staff shortages; 2) workload; 3) no advancement opportunities; 4) physical and psychological job-associated risks; and 5) lack of leadership support (Tamata, Mohammadnezhad, & Tamani, 2021). Exploitive leadership styles often result in psychological detachment among direct reports (Majeed & Fatima, 2020). Researchers have inferred that management styles have …

Assessing And Addressing Distress For Informal Caregivers Caring For Oncology Patients, Megan Bridget Murphy

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Distress clearly impacts cancer patients, but it also impacts their loved ones, their informal caregivers (ICG). Not only do these ICGs experience distress, but ICGs often experience even more distress than patients receiving treatment (Amonoo et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2023). Despite the prevalence of ICG distress, they are often not screened for distress or provided resources to help them cope (Nightingale et al., 2024).

Purpose: This quality improvement project aims to assess the effect of implementing a distress screening tool for informal caregivers in an outpatient regional cancer system. Distress levels of ICGs will be noted in …

The Role Of Burnout In Shaping Nursing Department Performance In Academia, Jennifer L. Saylor, Jennifer Evans, Dawn M. Goodolf, Adrienne Martinez-Hollingsworth, Nia Martin

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Burnout is a multifaceted occupational syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, detachment, and diminished sense of accomplishment.^1-2 Factors such as heavy workloads, low salaries, and lack of work-life balance are major contributors to faculty and administrative staff burnout.³ “Quiet quitting” has become more common in academic settings⁴ as many prioritize personal life over professional obligations.⁵ Despite these issues, a notable gap remains in understanding the critical role that academic nurse leaders play in mitigating burnout among the support staff they oversee.

Purpose: To examine academic nurse leaders’ perceptions of burnout and mitigation strategies among faculty and …

Improving Collaboration And Data Storage At An Ihs Facility: Kotter’S Method Of Organization Change, Madison Spellman, Dwight Kappl

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: Inefficient communication and knowledge sharing have been linked to delayed patient care and reduced staff collaboration¹. The integration of applications for healthcare communication and knowledge storage² can improve clinic efficiency and staff communication³.

Documents and data at an IHS facility are stored on the clinic’s Z-Drive: a collection of folders on a clinic server containing outdated documents. If a staff member is editing a shared document in the Z-Drive, another staff member cannot also be editing the same document. If staff do not save a document correctly, multiple copies of the same document can …

Multidisciplinary Workplace Wellness Committee To Improve Employee Engagement, Fatima Arastu, Helen Chen, Hillary Duncan, Rich Elles

Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE)

Background: A healthy work environment is an active process that involves employees and the leadership team to meet the complexities of the health care settings. Post Pandemic, there’s been intentional efforts to redesign the worker well-being to reduce workplace stress and increase staff engagement (Grant et al., 2020, Lovejoy et.al., 2021). A healthy work environment is foundational to safety culture, as it promotes effective communication, collaboration, shared decisions-making, authentic leadership, and meaningful recognition (Grant et al., 2020, Vaughan, 2023). Employers have increasingly invested in workplace wellness programs to enhance employee health at the organizational level (Song & Baicker, 2019). However, …

Implementation Of A Standardized Protocol For Early Detection Of Coronary Artery Disease, Erika Sosa

DNP and Student Works

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for over 931,000 deaths in the United States in 2021. The growing prevalence of CVD, coupled with increased life expectancy, underscores the need for early detection and intervention to mitigate its impact on patients, families, and society. Timely identification of subclinical heart disease can significantly improve outcomes by allowing earlier implementation of preventive strategies.

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project implemented a primary care–based protocol for the early detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) using the Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) score. The CAC score, a non-invasive imaging modality, …

Adapting To Change: Adn Faculty Perspectives About The Future Of Adn Education: A Qualitative Case Study, Linda D. John

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to offer more insight into how the adoption of the BSN as the entry-level for nursing practice affects the future ADN education and what the change means for ADN faculty at multiple programs throughout regions of the United States. Eleven ADN faculty were sampled to acquire their perspective about this phenomenon.

[Excerpt From] Harmony By Design: Navigating Work And Life In Healthcare, Sharon M. Weinstein, Marla J. Vannucci, Katie Boston-Leary

Sigma Publications: Book Excerpts

Harmony by Design: Navigating Work and Life in Healthcare reimagines how we approach well-being in a fast-paced, high-pressure world. Rather than striving for a rigid sense of balance, this book introduces a more flexible and fulfilling concept: harmony. It's about aligning your values, goals, and daily actions to create a life that feels whole and sustainable.

Authors Sharon M. Weinstein, Marla J. Vannucci, and Katie Boston-Leary blend practical tools with thoughtful reflection, drawing from the latest nursing competencies and real-world challenges to help readers manage stress, lead with empathy, and build meaningful careers without sacrificing personal well-being.

What sets this …

Factors Affecting Integration Of The Nurse Practitioner Workforce Into Health Systems: A Delphi Consensus Study, Joshua Porat-Dahlerbruch, Rebecca Clark, Brandon Dutchess, Nancy P. Blumenthal, Moriah E. Ellen

General Submissions: Clinical Settings Materials

Research has documented the positive impact of the nurse practitioner workforce on patient and system outcomes in multiple countries. Achieving these outcomes relies on successfully integrating the workforce into the health system. Research has reported negative effects of integration barriers on the ability for nurse practitioners to improve outcomes. Barriers include scope of practice restrictions, organizational climates inconducive to nurse practitioner care, and lacking mentorship. To design efficacious policies, organizational and national policy decision-makers require knowledge of the factors affecting the integration of this human resource into care settings. No research has synthesized these factors into an easily understandable and …

Enhancing Management Of Hospitalized Patients With Opioid Withdrawal, Christine Aliory

Group: Northern Arizona University School of Nursing, DNP Doctoral Papers

Opioid use disorder (OUD) impacts over 1.2 million people in the United States. This population suffers from multiple comorbidities which can result in the need for hospitalization. Managing opioid withdrawal in hospitalized patients is challenging. Assessment tools like the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS) help healthcare providers determine appropriate interventions to alleviate withdrawal symptoms for these patients. This quality improvement project aimed to decrease the number of incidents of violent behaviors and/or patients leaving the hospital against medical advice (AMA) during opioid withdrawal and enhance nurses’ ability to perform the COWS assessment. Organizational data from a 402-bed acute care hospital …

[Excerpt From] Creating & Sustaining Civility In Nursing Education (3rd Ed.), Cynthia Clark

Sigma Publications: Book Excerpts

In this comprehensive, fully revised third edition of the award-winning Creating & Sustaining Civility in Nursing Education, author Cynthia Clark expands her proven, results-focused approach to preventing and addressing the problem of incivility. This guide includes practical, evidence-based solutions that range from principles for broad-based institutional changes to ready-to-use teaching tools and strategies to promote and maintain civility, community, and respect in today’s highly charged work and learning environments.

Considering recent changes in higher education in general and nursing education specifically, expanded areas of focus in this new edition include:

• Online teaching and learning environments
• The contentious political climate and …

Compassion Fatigue And Satisfaction Among Nurses At A State Psychiatric Hospital: An Opportunity To Educate, Santhi Avula

Dissertations

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aims to bring awareness to psychiatric nurses at NOPH about CF and burnout and educate them on ways to improve resiliency and compassion satisfaction as professional nurses.

PICOT: How do psychiatric nurses at NOPH (P) who are at increased risk for CF benefit from a webinar-based educational intervention (I) to identify and reduce symptoms of CF and improve compassion satisfaction (O) one month after intervention (T) compared to preintervention (C)?

Urinary Tract Infection Education And Prevention, Jodi Hernandez, Dylan Godfrey

DNP and Student Works

The purpose of providing education and training to staff with respect to educating patients greater than 65 years of age was to effectively improve staff and patients’ knowledge of preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Theoretical Framework: The two theoretical frameworks utilized included Kotter Change Management Model and The Kurt Lewin’s change model. Both of these theorists supported the need for successful change to improve patient outcomes.