Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Patient Safety In The Post-Anesthesia Care Unit By Identifying Nurses’ Perceived Barriers To The Implementation Of Barcode Medication Administration, Colleen Gauvin

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: In the landmark report To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System published by the Institute of Medicine in 1999, it was estimated that 98,000 Americans die annually due to medical mistakes (Institute of Medicine et al., 2000). Since then, major advancements have been made to improve patient safety in the United States relating to safe medication administration. Barcode medication administration (BCMA) is a technology that was designed to help decrease medication errors by automating the five rights of medication administration (Thompson et al., 2018). BCMA was first utilized at a Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center in …

Improving Disinfectant Cap Use On Central Lines In The Icu To Reduce Patient Risk For Clabsi: A Quality Improvement Project, Tali Cherim

Master's Theses and Capstones

BACKGROUND: Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are the most common type of preventable healthcare-associated bloodstream infection, and may increase length of stay (LOS), facility treatment costs, and patient mortality rates. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients are especially vulnerable to CLABSI due to their critical health conditions and other comorbid factors. A literature review provided evidence supporting the use of alcohol-impregnated disinfectant caps, such as SwabCap®, on central line (CL) ports to significantly reduce patients’ risk for CLABSI. This quality improvement project took place within an adult ICU of a Level II trauma facility in New England, where the Infection Prevention …

Optimizing Cardiovascular Patient Education At Discharge, Olivia Marciano

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Without a clear understanding of proper discharge instructions or a lack of educational material, patients may leave the hospital feeling conflicted as to what to do. In 2021 a research study noted that patients who do not have enough information prior to discharge have decreased compliance, decreased patient safety, increased risk of hospital readmission, and poor overall satisfaction (DeSai, Janowiak, Secheli, et. al., 2021). This quality improvement project sought to increase patient knowledge related to exercise and nutrition following a cardiovascular event that led to a hospital admission.

Methods: For the purpose of this quality improvement project, the PDSA …

Implementing A Patient-Centered Education Intervention To Reduce Incidence Of Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis (Om) Among Inpatient Chemotherapy Patients: A Quality Improvement Project, Annika K. Hamilton

Master's Theses and Capstones

Oral mucositis (OM) is a common and costly complication of chemotherapy cancer treatment resulting in high costs and poor outcomes and experiences for chemotherapy patients. At the site of this quality improvement (QI) project, the quality and content of the oral care patient education for chemotherapy patients is inconsistent. The aim of this project was to improve oral care completion and knowledge by 20% among inpatient chemotherapy patients and in turn reduce incidence of chemotherapy-induced OM. A pre-intervention survey was distributed to eight eligible patients to assess baseline oral care completion and knowledge. Patients were provided with an oral care …

Enhancing Patient Safety By Promoting The Use Of The Electronic Medication Administration Record During The Preparation Of Injectable Medications: A Quality Improvement Project, Michael Ferrone

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Patient safety is a top priority for registered nurses (RNs) while caring for individuals in the healthcare setting. Of the various responsibilities of an inpatient RN, administering injectable medications pose significant risks to patients if done incorrectly. Given these known risks, the RNs of an inpatient medical-surgical microsystem were studied during the process of preparing these medications.

Local Problem: Through observations (N = 20), it was noticed that 13 (65%) of the preparations were done at a location referred to as the nurse server counter. This is problematic since this location does not provide the RN with access …

Documenting Body Mass Index And Lifestyle Counseling For Pediatric Patients: A Quality Improvement Project At A Federally Qualified Healthcare Facility, Taylor R. Graziano

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Screening and monitoring growth throughout childhood and adolescence, as well as providing the necessary education on positive lifestyle choices is vital in combating the childhood obesity epidemic. Counseling children on the importance of nutrition and physical activity also helps to prevent numerous comorbid conditions associated with obesity. The United States. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that healthcare workers screen for obesity at least annually in all patients 3-17 years of age, as well as offer lifestyle counseling regardless of Body Mass Index ranking.

Aim: The aim of this quality improvement project was to improve the current percentage of pediatric …

Improving Health Literacy Among Veterans Through An Educational Campaign On Urgent And Emergent Care: A Quality Improvement Project, Emily Dimarino

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Inappropriate use of the VAMC UCC can translate to delays in care and costly transfers. A local VAMC UCC noted that many of their veterans presented for care at the UCC rather than choose to seek care at a local emergency department. This quality improvement project focused on the impact of educational handouts in improving understanding of the VAMC UCC capabilities to overall reduce inappropriate visits and delays in patient care. Methods: Veteran participants utilizing the UCC (n = 10) completed pre-intervention surveys regarding their current health literacy using the Brief Health Literacy screening tool (BRIEF), as well as …

Let’S Get Moving To Reduce Falls: Nurses Increase Patient Mobilization After Brief Training, Thomas Langley

Master's Theses and Capstones

BACKGROUND: Patients in hospitals are at a high risk for falls. There are many reasons for this, but one common reason is that patients in hospitals spend a lot of time being inactive. The less time patients spend being mobile, the less capable they are of maintaining mobility and the more likely they are to fall. During the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wildcat Hospital experience their fall rates increase two- to three-fold on inpatient units.

METHODS: This quality improvement project was guided by the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) framework to improve nurse knowledge of mobility and …

Decreasing Delays Within The Perioperative Unit Caused By Cases Of Hypoglycemia Through Nursing Continuing Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Jesse Bardis

Master's Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Before And After: Investigating The Effect Of Thaw On The Permafrost Microbiome, Joy M. O'Brien

Master's Theses and Capstones

Arctic systems are experiencing warming at more than twice the rate of the global average, causing permafrost—permanently frozen soil—to thaw. Permafrost thaw exposes previously unavailable soil carbon and nutrients to decomposition—a process mediated by microbes—which releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Permafrost is thawing at an accelerated rate, and while there is evidence that the composition and function of the permafrost microbiome changes with thaw, there is still much unknown about the taxa that increase with thaw, particularly among different types of permafrost. Here, I address how permafrost thaw impacts the microbiome, particularly the …

Supplementing Sodium Butyrate To Limit-Fed Heifers: Effects On Growth, Health, And Nutrient Digestibility & Effect Of Sodium Butyrate On Viability Of Eimeria Bovis Sporozoites And Ldh Release From Mdbk Cells In The Presence Of Sporozoites, Katrina Klobucher

Master's Theses and Capstones

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation in heifer diets. The objectives of experiment 1 was to evaluate the growth, apparent total tract digestibility, and coccidia levels of post-weaned limit-fed heifers supplemented with SB. A 12 week randomized complete block experiment was conducted using 24 Holstein heifers. Treatments were 100g soybean meal (control; CON) and 0.75 g of SB/kg of body weight + 100g soybean meal (SB). Diets were formulated to contain 16.4 % crude protein (CP), 2.27 Mcal/kg metabolizable energy (ME), and fed at a rate of 2.15% of body weight on a …

Investigation Of Multiple Cyanotoxins In Toxic Lake Aerosols, Hailey Carter

Master's Theses and Capstones

Aerosols from freshwater lakes with toxigenic cyanobacteria pose a potentially serious threat to humans and wildlife. The most studied route of exposure to cyanotoxins is direct consumption (i.e., drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food). However, a less studied but a potentially important route of exposure is inhalation of aerosolized cyanotoxins. Three toxins, produced by cyanobacteria, examined in this study were hepatoxicmicrocystins (MC),and the neurotoxins?-Methylamino-?-alanine (BMAA), and anatoxin-a (ATX). Using a compact lake aerosol monitor(CLAM), this study measured levels of aerosolized cyanotoxins(MC, BMAA, and ATX) at two shallow and inter-connected lakes, Walkers Pond and Lower Mill Pond (Brewster, MA, USA),biweekly …

Did The Political Climate Exacerbate The Pandemic In The U.S.?, Brittany T. Morin, Joanna Gyory, Anthony F. Morin

Master's Theses and Capstones

The global pandemic that began in the United States in early 2020 continues to be a topic of controversy. The added aspect of affect polarization in the country’s political realm may have exacerbated the effects of COVID-19. In their published article in Nature Human Behaviour, Gollwitzer et. al. found that it was possible to link voting partisanship, physical distancing, and COVID-19 outcomes showing that a county’s partisanship might be used to predict the degree to which that county would socially distance and then, therefore, the rate of cases and fatalities in that error on a lagged timescale. This researcher attempted …

Implementing Educational Initiatives To Decrease Contamination And Costs In The Blood Culture Specimen Collection Process, Hannah M. Mcguire

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: The diagnosis of sepsis in a patient presenting with symptoms includes the collection of blood cultures which identifies the presence of specific infectious agents. The culture result will identify the organism as well as report sensitivity to various antimicrobial agents to allow the healthcare provider to determine the specific set of treatments, specifically antibiotics, that will be included in the medication regimen in combating the infection. When blood specimens become contaminated in the collection process, it hinders the success of rapidly treating these patients as repeat cultures will likely need to be completed for accurate treatment. This becomes a …

Concurrent Measurements Of Inflow, Power Performance And Loads For A Grid-Synchronized Cross-Flow Turbine Operating In A Tidal Estuary, Patrick W. O'Byrne

Master's Theses and Capstones

The adaptation of sustainable fluid energy conversion technologies, such as wind or tidalenergy, requires numerical modeling tools that are able to accurately predict device performance and loading in an effort to reduce the costs of turbines, deployment platforms and mooring structures. To validate models, data sets from turbines operating in real flow environments are required. Particularly for tidal energy, data sets of inflow (tidal current resource), power performance (electrical power and shaft speed), and thrust loading for any scale device are rare because the work to date has largely been funded by private developers and the data is not made …

The Role Of Gli2 In B Cell Biology, Laura Kehoe

Master's Theses and Capstones

B cells are an important part of the host defense against pathogens by secreting immunoglobulins (Igs)/antibodies (Abs). Igs are highly specialized molecules due to a DNA recombination process that occurs to generate the variable region. An Ab molecule also undergoes class switch recombination (CSR) after encountering an antigen. Our lab has shown that the transcription factor GLI2 can regulate IgM secretion in immortalized malignant B cells derived from Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) patients and can modulate several cytokines. However, if GLI2 plays a role in B cell biology and class switch recombination is unknown. In mice with a B cell-specific Gli2-deficiency …

Associations Of Short And Medium Chain Saturated Fatty Acids And Dairy With Cognitive Functioning In The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, Sophie M. Kenny

Master's Theses and Capstones

Cognitive decline is a major public health concern. Evidence suggests that Hispanic/Latino adults, specifically Puerto Rican adults, in the US are at a higher risk of developing dementia or cognitive decline due to the high prevalence of risk factors, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Emerging evidence suggests that specific dietary fatty acids, short and medium-chain-length saturated fatty acids, that are found in dairy may be beneficial for cognitive function. However, there are limited observational studies examining the effects of SMCSFA and dairy on cognitive function in Hispanic/Latino adults. We examined the cross-sectional and prospective associations between SMCSFA and dairy consumption …

Nh 4-H - Horse Knowledge Bowl Packet, Mary Davis

UNH Cooperative Extension

NH 4-H - Horse Knowledge Bowl Packet - 2022

Nh 4-H: Fashion - 4-H Knitting & Crocheting Scoresheet, Donna Lee

UNH Cooperative Extension

NH 4-H: Fashion - 4-H Knitting & Crocheting Scoresheet

Nh 4-H Presents - Horse Communication Contest Rules, Nh 4-H

UNH Cooperative Extension

NH 4-H Presents - Horse Communication Contest Rules

• Horse Demonstration & Illustrated Talk
• Horse Public Speaking

Application Of Soil Moisture Active Passive (Smap) Satellite Data In Seismic Response Assessment, Ali Farahani, Mahsa Moradikhaneghahi, Majid Ghayoomi, Jennifer M. Jacobs

Faculty Publications

The proven relationship between soil moisture and seismic ground response highlights the need for a tool to track the Earth’s surface soil moisture before and after seismic events. This paper introduces the application of Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite data for global soil moisture measurement during earthquakes and consequent events. An approach is presented to study areas that experienced high level of increase in soil moisture during eleven earthquakes. Two ancillary datasets, Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and Global Land Data Assimilation (GLDAS), were used to isolate areas that had an earthquake-induced increase in soil moisture from those that were …

Coastal Wave Powered Reverse Osmosis System, Alexander Raymond Charest, Joeseph Daniel Camobreco, Tori Sweet, Sam Williams, Andrew Lepage, Devan Sack, Meagan Wiggin, Chelsea Kimball, Brendan Reagan

Honors Theses and Capstones

Part of the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition (MECC) is the optional Build and Test Challenge where teams are encouraged to build a portion of their proposed solution. After the conducted testing the laboratory results are compared to the simulated and calculated models. For the MECC the University of New Hampshire (UNH) team decided to use a wave energy converter to produce pressurized water. The pressurized water would be filtered through a reverse osmosis membrane to make it potable. Our system uses the power of the ocean waves to move a float up and down in heave motion. This motion drives …

Examining The Brand Image Of Paul College, Rebecca E. Milbury

Honors Theses and Capstones

The idea of a company’s brand image is a marketing subject that many companies need to consider. How consumers see or feel about a company is extremely important especially for higher education. Business schools are very competitive and in order to succeed, they need to understand how their students, alumni, faculty, and staff feel about their school. The results of the brand image survey are compared to those from a recent study completed in 2016. There are a few changes made to this survey, including adding alumni, faculty, and staff to the respondent pool. In doing so, this research will …

Screening Ocean Samples From Georgia For The Presence Of Msx And Dermo Using Pcr And Qpcr Methods, Olivia Michelle Williams

Honors Theses and Capstones

This Senior Thesis project aimed to be able to screen samples that came in from a PhD student in Georgia for the presence of two oyster diseases, MSX and Dermo. This study was done using PCR followed by visualizing on E-gels for initial presence of disease. These were then followed by qPCR and visualization on Criterion gels. These Criterion gels were able to be analyzed in order to calculate the pg/uL of MSX and Dermo in the original ocean samples. Since the samples were sent in over the course of February-August ‘21 the presence over time was also able to …

Privacy Paradox: The Impact A Health Crisis Has On Individual Views Regarding Privacy And Data Collection, Jessica B. Walsh

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Affective Forecasting And Mood Disorder Symptoms: How Clinical Symptoms Relate To The Prediction Of Future Emotions, Madison R. Bouchard-Liporto

Honors Theses and Capstones

The ability to accurately predict future feelings and emotions, termed affective forecasting, is an important skill as it has a significant impact on the decisions individuals make throughout daily life. Previous research has suggested that depression and anxiety symptoms may be linked to biases in affective forecasting. Here, we hypothesized that greater symptom severity of depression and anxiety would be associated with increased predictions and experiences of negative affect in response to negative stimuli and decreased predictions and experiences of positive affect in response to positive stimuli among a random sample of undergraduate college students. Participants read descriptions of 20 …

Hungary Study Abroad Travel Writing Portfolio, Katherine Hoppler

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Captain America And Social Movements: Civil Rights And Feminism In Captain America Comics From 1968-1989, Julianne Edwards

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Nursing Student Self-Efficacy In Clinical Skills, Levels Of Anxiety, And Utilization Of Alternative Education Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, David Hart

Honors Theses and Capstones

Background: Higher education students, especially those studying nursing, faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many higher education institutions decided to transition their clinical experiences into a virtual, e-learning format (Chandratre, 2020). As an area of study with high levels of stress and anxiety to begin with, these emotions may have been exacerbated during the pandemic for those studying nursing. Sudden changes in clinical format caused increased anxiety levels in senior nursing students (García-Gonzalez et al., 2021). Graduating students are entering a workforce of healthcare workers who have battled the COVID-19 illness and exposed themselves and their families to this …

Review Of Age-Related Trends Of Infection Among People Hospitalized For Infection With Concurrent Substance Use, Julia Catherine Lucia Gregorio

Honors Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Opioids and related injections are the most common drug associated with infection (Capizzi et al., 2020). Overall, data overwhelmingly shows infection and overdose rates on the rise in recent years (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2019).

Methods: The aim of this study was to identify trends between age and concurrent infection rates related to substance use from 2012 to 2019. This quantitative study utilized data from the NH Hospital Discharge Summaries (Office of Health Statistics, 2021). Specifically, trends among three age groups (young adults (18-34), middle-aged (35-54), and older adults (55+)) who were admitted to an inpatient unit or the …