Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Mymedschedule® Plus Smartphone Application On Antihypertensive Medication Adherence In Hypertensive Adults In The Outpatient Setting, Meredith Kelly

DNP and Student Works

One in three adults in the United States are diagnosed with hypertension, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke, which are two of the most common causes of death. Hypertension is often uncontrolled due to medication nonadherence related to forgetfulness. Technology, specifically the use of smart phones and their applications can aid in enhancing medication adherence through medication reminders and applications that track medication adherence. This quality improvement project evaluates the effectiveness of the smart phone application MyMedSchedule® Plus on enhancing medication adherence in hypertensive adults being treated in the outpatient setting. Data collection includes self-reported medication adherence …

Measuring Active Clinical Decision Support Influence On Nursing Research Utilization, Susan Cortez

Dissertations

The focus of the research was to test the effect of Clinical Decision support on nursing evidence-based practice. The research method was quantitative with a longitudinal cluster randomized design. The study measured the effect of active clinical decision support on oncology nursing evidence-based practice in four oncology clinics associated with an academic medical center. The quasi-experimental study design contained an intervention and control group. The study intervention was active clinical decision support in the form of evidence-based drop down boxes in the nursing electronic documentation system.

Revisiting Cauti Prevention: A Multifaceted Approach Using Lean Six Sigma, Lisa Ann Behrend

DNP and Student Works

This project identified gaps in policy and processes to improve patient outcomes related to workflow in the catheter-associated urinary tract infection policy and process at a 400-bed hospital in southern California. Even with an evidence-based infection prevention bundle in place, the current process was not working, as demonstrated by high catheter-associated infection rates for the last two years. This project answers the question: Does the use of a comprehensive evaluation of the current policy and process using the Lean Six Sigma quality improvement model influence a reduction in infection rates in patients who have an internal urinary catheter over 15 …

Goals Of Care Conversations: Palliative Care Practice Change, Jeannine M. Haberman

DNP and Student Works

This project evaluated the effectiveness of AD completion rates after GOC conversations for PC patients in this selected setting. The PICOT question "In an acute care setting, how does the implementation of organizational goals of care (GOC) conversation with palliative care patients affect the number of completed advanced directives upon admission over a 10 week period?" was framed with the Chronic Care Model theory. Methods included a retrospective evaluation of AD documentation and analysis of the relationship of AD completion after the GOC conversations.

Life Balance In Nurse Educators: A Mixed Methods Study, Joan M. Owens

Dissertations

The topic of nurse educator life balance is significant to the nurse educator community, which is facing a national nurse faculty shortage, challenges in producing enough new nurses, and a continuing shortage of nurses. This compromises patient safety and the quality of care. Major factors identified as contributing to the shortage of nurse educators are educator dissatisfaction with workload and work life balance. Life balance is described as an enjoyable array of daily activities that is meaningful and contributes to the individual's health. Professional quality of life is described as the quality one feels in relation to one's work as …

Bone Health Education For Osteoporosis Risk Reduction In Premenopausal Women: A Quality Improvement Project, Gloria Jean Nichols

Dissertations

In the United States, about 8.5 million women live with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a debilitating systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass and reduced bone mineral density that occurs with the loss of estrogen. The mortality rate for this group is about 3 to 4 times higher than other women and as many as 1 in 3 experience a fracture. Guided by the Health Belief Model, this project evaluated how a bone health fact sheet impacts knowledge about osteoporosis and self-efficacy for preventative behavioral change in premenopausal women (age 40-58 years). The project also evaluated if an electronic medical …

The Influence Of Organizational And Personal Factors On U.S. Army Nurse Corps Officers' Intent To Leave The Army, Linda Wiley Fisher

Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to present the dissertation research that compared the influence of personal and organizational factors on two groups' (US Army and civilian registered nurses-RN) intent to leave their employers. This study is the baseline study of a program of research on military nurse retention and is intended to lead to a longitudinal study comparing the two groups again in one year. Chapter I identifies why nurse retention is important, provides background/history about the problem of nurse retention, describes the special case of US Army nursing, introduces the topic of household economic influences on nurse retention, …

Implementing Protocols In The Emergency Department To Improve Care For Sexual Assault Patients, Kelly Eddington Ciccone

DNP and Student Works

This quality improvement project answered the following question: Does implementation of sexual assault forensic examination protocols with educational training increase the number of staff who are knowledgeable and available to complete sexual assault forensic examinations and reduce wait times for individuals who present to the emergency department and have indicated that they were sexually assaulted, over no use of protocols, within a 15-week time frame?

Implementing A Standardized Nutrition Protocol To Enhance The Nutritional Health Of Pediatric Oncology Patients In The Ambulatory Care Setting, Jacqueline N. Arrison

Dissertations

It is estimated that 11,060 children in the United States, under the age of 15, will be diagnosed with cancer in 2019 (American Cancer Society, 2019). Malnutrition, a common consequence of the disease and its treatment, has shown to increase the risk of morbidity, mortality, early relapse, and a number of complications throughout cancer treatment.

Sustaining A Positive Practice Environment After Pathway To Excellence® Designation, Leigh Hume, Michael Hall

Group: American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

Organizations that seek Pathway to Excellence® designation have made a commitment to creating a positive practice environment that benefits the organization, patients, and staff. They understand an environment that empowers nurses and validates their value in the workplace is essential for sustaining a productive and effective workforce. Achieving designation means that healthcare organizations have successfully demonstrated the development and integration of the six Pathway standards throughout the organization: shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, well-being, and professional development. However, sustaining a positive practice environment isn't always easy. In fact, within the past 24 months, most unsuccessful Pathway applicants were those seeking …

Perioperative Immersion Program: Transition To Practice, Edward Creasy

DNP and Student Works

To design, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a perioperative immersion program for senior nursing students to help the transition from classroom knowledge to practical skills and competency in the simulation laboratory, and during the clinical experiences in perioperative settings.

A nonrandomized, quasi-experimental design using a one-group pretest-posttest design was selected to determine if an educational intervention presented over a two-week period to 12 senior student nurses in a perioperative immersion program would improve the ability to acquire a higher level of knowledge, skills, and competency in the perioperative setting.

Development And Testing Of An Explanatory Model Of Registered Nurse Empowerment, Marilyn D. Klakovich

Dissertations

Recent innovations in patient care delivery and nursing governance require an empowered workforce. However, little is known about what combination of organizational, leadership, and personal characteristics maximize the prediction of registered nurse empowerment. The purpose of this study was to develop and test an explanatory model of registered nurse empowerment. The predictor variables included personal characteristics of registered nurses (age, experience, organizational tenure, education, and position level of clinical and/or management responsibility), perceptions of organizational culture, and connective leadership.

Promotion Of Evidence-Based Communication Strategies Focused On Health Literacy In The Advanced Nursing Practice Curriculum, Felecia G. Wood, Barbara Ann Graves, Joseph D. Elmore

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The study was an educational intervention with master's nursing students to teach health literacy strategies focused on the individual receiving care and the organization in which care was provided. An online module was created; student participants used the teach back strategy, assessed participant self-efficacy relevant to health literacy efforts, implemented creation or revision of a teaching tool, assessed organizational attributes that support health literacy, and completed a self-evaluation of achievement of health literacy competencies. Eighteen master's nursing students participated; the module was evaluated positively and participants demonstrated improvements in competency achievement, use of active learning strategies, enhanced self-efficacy, and increased …

The Impact Of A Competitive Healthcare Environment On Cost And Quality, Maureen E. Buckley

Dissertations

A descriptive longitudinal (1988-1993) case study design, with the Resource Dependence Theory as the conceptual framework, was used to investigate the effect of a competitive health care market on the cost and quality of hospital care. The secluded geographic area in which the three study hospitals were located served to minimize the influence of additional competitors. The Resource Dependence theory emphasizes the adaptation of an organization to changes in the environment or competitive market.

Benchmarking Nurse Sensitive Quality Patient Outcomes Across The Continuum Of Care, Carla G. Clark

Dissertations

The impact health care delivery changes have on nursing and subsequently on the health of individuals, families, and the community are unknown to the nursing profession as well as the public. Delineation of patient outcomes sensitive to nursing care and their benchmarks would enable the nursing profession to evaluate system changes being implemented. Establishing targets for patient outcomes will provide facilities with benchmarks to measure themselves against. The purposes of this study were first, to identify if the nurse sensitive patient outcomes identified by the AAN expert panel are appropriate and second, to establish benchmarks for these outcomes that are …

Development Of An Instrument To Measure Quality Of Nurses' Worklife, Beth A. Brooks

Dissertations

This study reports the development process and factor structure of a questionnaire to measure quality of nursing work life for registered nurses in hospital settings. Included is information on item generation, content validation, initial pilot testing, and results from the full study.

Transformational Leadership: No Longer Novel, But Critical For Future Success, Ashley M. Singh

Biennial Convention (CONV)

This session focuses on the hallmark characteristics of transformational leadership, organizational impact, employee satisfaction, the connection to academic and practice partnerships, and implications for future practice.

Creating Sustainability: A Nurse-Led Skin Program, Kara A. Johnson, Laura C. Welch

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Development of a nurse-led skin and wound program structured on education, prevention, and interprofessional collaboration, became the foundation for the development of the Skin Team. Outcomes included continued reduction in hospital-acquired pressure injury prevalence rates and increased prevention, by bringing awareness, education, and resources to frontline staff.

Development Of A Postpartum Preeclampsia Video To Promote Patient Education, Aisha Kendrick, Monica Gonzalez, Julia Snethen

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Women's postpartum health has had increasingly poor outcomes. Antepartum and intrapartum care has continued to be a focus of improve yet postpartum follow up care continues be an area for improvement. The aims of this project focus on increasing provider knowledge and increasing the public awareness of postpartum health.

Expanding Networks: A Leadership Imperative For Innovation And Career Success, Barbara J. Pinekenstein

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Successful leaders are able to build robust,diverse networks. Networking is linked to both individual and team success and identified as a critical skill for enhancing innovation and improving organizational outcomes. This session highlights critical strategies to build your professional network for career success.

Keeping Mothers Safe: Strategic Planning For The Transition Of Maternity Services To A Pediatric Hospital, Erin M. Kirby, Catherine H. Ivory, Karen White-Trevino

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Change is hard. Transitioning maternity services from an adult to a free-standing pediatric hospital heightens fear around whether child-bearing women, a vulnerable population, will be safe. A change readiness assessment informed a strategic plan to manage this significant organizational change.

Development Of An Instrument To Assess Attributes Of Servant-Leadership Which Reflect The Forces Of Magnetismâ®, Holly H. Hall

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Nurse leaders are responsible for creating a healthy work environment for nursing practice which is crucial for ensuring an engaged workforce for now and in the future. This study provides an assessment of nursing leadership competencies that reflects the ANCC's Forces of Magnetism and prepares nurses for exemplary professional practice.

Personal Attributes Contributing To Ebp Adoption By Nurses: Commitment, Empathy, And Reflection, Lynn Johnson

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been deemed the gold standard in providing health care yet, the adoption of EBP by nurses has been challenging. Appreciating the literature from business and the neurosciences, this study sought to examine the effect of personal attributes: organizational commitment, empathy, and reflection on individual EBP adoption.

An Interprofessional, Embedded Practice Model For Improving Healthcare Access Among Homeless Men In Recovery, Mary E. Lashley

Biennial Convention (CONV)

This paper/poster describes the steps taken to lead a large urban gospel rescue mission in the development of its first on-site health home and to analyze the impact of an inter-professional, embedded practice health home model on population health outcomes.

A Model For Prep Linkage To Care Expansion For Low-Resource Drug Treatment Centers, Nancy S. Goldstein, Katherine C. Mcnabb, Ellen C. Seymour, Jared B. Carter-Davis

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Findings from a review of current literature indicated a lack of any existing models for linking eligible SUD patients to PrEP services. A model including a screening tool, algorithm, and protocol was developed to standardize provider assessment of high risk SUD population with the linkage to care process.

Leadership For Implementing Evidence-Based Pain Management: A Pilot Study, Leilei Yu

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Leadership is a critical factor in implementation of evidence-based practice among health professionals. By attending the session, participants will learn about the delivery and evaluation of leadership intervention to implement evidence-based pain management for infants and children hospitalized in four pediatric units within a large specialized surgical hospital.

Lean On Me: The Influence Of Leadership On Healthcare Transformation Initiatives, Judy E. Duchscher, Sonia Udod

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

LEAN was identified as a viable and sustainable solution for the growing cost, quality, and efficiency challenges faced by healthcare leaders. Despite its intent, many institutions say it is unsustainable and ineffectual. This study reveals the influence of nurse managers in actualizing a system transformation of this magnitude.

Exploring Masters' Entry Program Nursing Students' Poverty Simulation Experience, Susan L. Adams, Jessica E. Draughon Moret, Kupiri Ackerman-Barger

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This presentation describes a masters' entry program in nursing students' perspective of a poverty simulation, "Community Action Poverty Simulation" learning experience. The descriptive thematic analysis demonstrated that students developed an empathetic connection with those living in poverty.

Closing The Gap Between Academe And Practice: Creation Of An Interprofessional/Interdepartmental Collaborative, Elsabeth Jensen, Rani Hajela Srivastava

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The need for health care disciplines to demonstrate best practices challenges both current practicing professionals and students being prepared for practice. Partnerships, research and knowledge mobilization are keys to addressing these interdisciplinary challenges. This presentation describes one solution to bridging the gap between those two worlds.

Increasing Client Engagement In People Who Inject Drugs: Implementing Best-Practice For Syringe Service Programs, Tasha Turner-Bicknell

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

In light of the growing opioid epidemic and increased incidence and prevalence of HIV and Hepatitis C, national public health efforts engaging high-risk populations are crucial. People who inject drugs (PWID) are often disenfranchised from the healthcare system. Public health efforts to impact this population should focus on increasing engagement.