Enhancing Triage Accuracy And Nursing Confidence Of The Emergency Severity Index To Improve The Effectiveness Of Triage Through Targeted Education: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project, Mia K. Saucedo

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: The Emergency Severity Index system is a standardized triage scoring guide used by emergency department nurses to efficiently assess patients based on severity and projected recourse needs. Studies have found that knowledge and confidence gaps among nurses may lead to improper triage score, leading to the misallocated spread of resources and longer wait times, increasing rates of morbidity and mortality. Early recognition of patient severity is vital for providing proficient patient care and improving patient outcomes and increased education is needed to improve this gap in nursing knowledge and confidence.

Local Problem: At a small, critical care access center …

Reinforcing Nursing Staff Knowledge For Accurate Cam-Icu Assessment And Documentation In A Medical Icu: A Quality Improvement Project, Tiffany Rzepka

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Delirium is an acute state of confusion that can lead to increased morbidity and longer hospital stays. Patients in the ICU are at high risk for developing delirium due to additional risk factors such as mechanical ventilation and sedation. The Confused Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) is a tool used by nursing staff to document and assess for delirium.

Local Problem: The microsystem in this project is a 16-bed medical ICU in central New Hampshire. In the microsystem, CAM-ICU documentation compliance is tracked monthly, but the accuracy of the documentation is not routinely assessed. Stakeholders have …

Enhancing Patient Outcomes And Safety By Reinforcing Nursing Staff Education About Fall Risks And Prevention In The Orthopedic Unit: A Quality Improvement Project, Sarah S. Walsh

Master's Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Inpatient falls remain a significant concern for orthopedic units, especially among elderly post-surgical patients. Despite existing protocols, fall incidents persist due to various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Nursing staff play a critical role in fall prevention, and targeted education is essential to reinforce best practices.

Local Problem: The orthopedic microsystem reported 13 falls during the 2023–2024 fiscal year, with contributing factors including post-operative weakness, patient confusion, and inconsistent communication. Staff surveys revealed gaps in education, awareness, and communication related to fall incidents.

Methods: A quality improvement initiative using the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) model was …

Directing Patient Hand Hygiene Before Meals In The Icu: A Quality Improvement Project To Enhance Patient Safety, Nicholas Davini

Master's Theses and Capstones

BACKGROUND:

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a major problem in healthcare, increasing patient morbidity, mortality, and costs. While staff hand hygiene is a well-established infection control measure, less attention is paid to patient hand hygiene (PHH) despite CDC recommendations.

LOCAL PROBLEM:

An intensive care unit (ICU) in northeastern Massachusetts had no formal policy for patient hand hygiene, and hospital leadership expressed support for enhancing infection control practices.

METHODS:

Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act model, a quality improvement project was implemented to encourage PHH before meals. Baseline PHH rates were collected through observation. The intervention involved registered nurses (RNs) directing patients to use hand …

Educating Staff On Effective Ways To Improve Medication Discharge Instructions In Emergency Departments (Ed): A Quality Improvement Project, Isabelle L. Kuhn

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Emergency Departments (EDs) serve a vital role in treating acute conditions, yet they face challenges in ensuring patients understand discharge instructions, particularly those related to medications. Approximately 70% of ED patients demonstrate deficits in at least one discharge domain, including medication understanding. Limited health literacy, time constraints, and rushed environments contribute to these gaps. Improving discharge communication is critical to reduce medication errors and prevent avoidable readmissions.

Local Problem: In a Northern New England ED, an assessment of the microsystem highlighted that patients often struggled to understand medication discharge information, increasing the risk of non-adherence and readmission. …

Optimizing Surgical Count Accuracy And Efficiency Through Enhanced Operating Room Communication To Promote Patient Safety: A Quality Improvement Project, Jessica L. Limbocker

Master's Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Retained surgical items (RSIs) are classified as “never events” because they are preventable and pose significant risks to patient safety. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to reduce the risk of RSIs, particularly during Cesarean sections by identifying gaps in surgical count practices and implementing targeted interventions.

Local Problem: At the project site, baseline assessments revealed gaps in surgical count practices. These included inconsistent documentation, absence of formal education on count procedures, and communication barriers among the intraoperative team—all contributing to increased risk of RSIs.

Methods: This QI project implemented a multi-faceted intervention to enhance …

Enhancing Patient-Centered Suicide Prevention: A Quality Improvement Project Addressing Educational Gaps In Staff Caring For Veterans, Shayla Craigue

Master's Theses and Capstones

Veterans are at significantly higher risk for suicidal ideation (SI) than the general population and often encounter barriers to care such as stigma, trauma, and distrust in healthcare systems. This quality improvement project, conducted at a Veterans Affairs (VA) Urgent Care Clinic, aimed to enhance trauma-informed care by addressing educational gaps among clinical staff. Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model, the intervention included a pre-intervention survey to assess baseline knowledge, a targeted educational poster informed by survey findings, and a post-intervention survey to measure changes in staff confidence, resource awareness, and understanding of the role of the mental health response team, …

Improving Nurse Knowledge And Attitudes Through Education On Integrative Pain Management In A Medical-Surgical Unit: A Quality Improvement Project, Samantha Hamilton

Master's Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Pain management in medical-surgical microsystems is complex, with many patients experiencing acute and chronic pain that can be difficult to control. Nurses often receive limited continuing education on integrative and comprehensive pain management strategies, highlighting a need to improve their knowledge and attitudes toward evidence-based, multimodal approaches.

Local Problem: Nurses in this 38-bed medical-surgical microsystem identified a gap in education related to integrative pain management strategies. This may lead to a reliance on pharmacological interventions and missed opportunities for holistic, patient-centered care

Methods: A 25-day quality improvement project was conducted using an asynchronous educational PowerPoint on integrative …

Enhancing Patient Safety And Nursing Satisfaction In The Operating Room By Implementing Standardized Handoff Communication Sheets: A Quality Improvement Project, Hayleigh Mcneil

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Communication is essential to workflow in the operating room. In this microsystem, circulating nurses required relief nurses when necessary breaks were needed. Written communication allows for nurses to quickly access information when they are giving handoff reports.

Local Problem: An operating room in a trauma level two hospital in New England had a verbal handoff that was inconsistent and left relief nurses with incomplete reports. This issue caused a decrease in nursing satisfaction with a potential decrease in patient safety.

Methods: Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act model, a written standardized communication sheet was created and implemented. Data was …

A Quality Improvement Project Reinforcing Nursing Education On Support Resources For Families In The Icu, Emily Siel

Master's Theses and Capstones

BACKGROUND: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is often a source of psychological, physical, social, financial, and spiritual distress for families of patients. Multidisciplinary support resources are available but are often underutilized. Nurses are uniquely positioned to assess needs and integrate resources into care. Therefore, enhancing nurses' ability to guide families to appropriate support resources may alleviate distress and promote holistic well-being for patients and their families.

METHODS: The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model was used to guide this project. A pre-intervention survey assessed awareness, utilization, and perception of ownership. Following dissemination of the intervention, a post-survey evaluated improvements in knowledge and integration. …

Favorite Foods Participant Packet, Caitlin Wollack

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Hemp Pests In New Hampshire, Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, William Hastings

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Leadership, Sabrena Craft

M.S. in Leadership

No abstract provided.

Artificial Christmas Trees More Popular Than Real Trees In Maine; Majority Expect White Christmas 12/17/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Maine residents prefer having artificial Christmas trees rather than real trees, while more than a quarter of Mainers say they will not have a tree at all this year. Two-thirds of Mainers prefer to say "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays". Just over half of Mainers expect a white Christmas where they live, particularly those living in Central Maine.

No Snow, Fake Trees In The Granite State For Christmas 12/17/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Mild weather in the Granite State is dampening expectations for a white Christmas and more people will have artificial than real Christmas trees. Granite Staters increasingly prefer to say "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays", though many say it does not matter to them which term businesses use.

Joseph Joachim And Bach's Chaconne, Robert Whitehouse Eshbach

Faculty Publications

And they will long to have heard Joachim's violin-playing as we long to have heard Bach at his organ: not from curiosity to verify an old record of technical prowess, but from the desire to recover the unrecorded manifestations of a creative mind.

Senior Capstone Launches Paul College Alum's Career, Aaron Sanborn

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Fostering Social Capital Through Community Events, Guangzhou Chen Ph.D., Bo Yu Ph.D., Luke Potwarka Ph.D.

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Optimism About Personal Finances Increases But Economic Outlook Slips In Ma After 2024 Election 11/26/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Massachusetts residents are more optimistic about their personal finances in the wake of the 2024 election, driven by dramatic increases in optimism among Republicans and Independents. However, Bay Staters are more pessimistic in their outlook for the state and national economies. With winter approaching, nearly two-thirds of Massachusetts residents are concerned about the cost of heating, particularly those with lower incomes. Lower income state residents are also quite concerned about holiday shopping, as half feel they do not have enough money to cover the costs.

Economic Outlook Unchanged Among Rhode Islanders After 2024 Election 11/26/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

After the 2024 election, Rhode Island partisans have switched their expectations for the national economy, with Republicans becoming optimistic and Democrats becoming pessimistic. Ocean Staters are generally pessimistic about their household incomes in the coming year. Home heating costs remain a significant concern, with seven in ten worried about energy costs this winter. Holiday shopping is likely to be down this year as few say they plan to spend more than last year.

Rhode Islanders Had Easy Time Voting But Many Gop Voters Unsure Votes Accurately Counted 11/26/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Almost all voters in Rhode Island felt it was very easy to vote in the 2024 general election, regardless of the method they used. Those who voted on election day averaged 14 minutes at their polling place. Nearly three-quarters of all voters are very confident their vote was counted accurately but only half of Republicans agree. More than one-third of Rhode Islanders say they felt unsettled, sad, anxious, and angry after learning of the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Easy To Vote In The Bay State, Most Think Ballots Counted Accurately 11/26/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Voters in Massachusetts believe it was easy to vote in the 2024 general election. Those who used a ballot drop box or voted early at a polling location are particularly likely to say it was easy to vote. Most voters are also confident that their vote was accurately counted. More than one-third of Bay Staters, and more than half of those who voted for Kamala Harris, report having felt unsettled, sad, and anxious after learning of the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Post Election Voting Assessment In Nh: Easy To Vote, Vote Was Accurately Counted 11/26/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Most voters in the 2024 New Hampshire general election say it was very easy to vote and that they are confident their vote was counted accurately. Those who found it difficult to vote cited long lines or wait times as the reason.

Post-Election Change In Expectations For Family Finances In Nh 11/26/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Following the results of the 2024 General Election, New Hampshire residents are more likely to expect to be better off financially a year from now, driven largely by higher optimism among Republicans and Independents. However, expectations for the broader state and federal economies are largely unchanged. Many feel that their household is in a worse position than it was a year ago, and heading into the holiday shopping season, four in ten plan to spend less on presents than a year ago and a quarter say they do not have enough money to cover their present spending this year.

Major Choices: Students’ Personal Intelligence, Considerations When Choosing A Major, And Academic Success, Kateryna Sylaska, John D. Mayer

UNH Personality Lab

A student’s choice of major is influenced by their parents and peers, as well as by the quality of the college department that offers the major and by broader cultural and economic issues. The student’s own personality, including their ability to reason about themselves and their interests, also contributes to the choice and its outcomes. In a preliminary study, we developed a Choice of Major Scale that depicts key aspects of students’ consideration of their major. Then, across three studies (Ns = 304, 466, and 492), we examined the students’ personal intelligence, defined as their capacity to reason about their …

Music Manuscript From The Cdss Collection, Osgood, Bessie

Music and Dance

A music manuscript folio with the notation and lyrics for the songs "The Whistling Plowman" and "Pray Goody Please to Moderate" on the front. The inside pages contain notation for the songs "The Bear"—which is labelled as an English Dance—"French Dance", "The Bonnet"—which is labelled as a Californian Dance—and "The Black Dance", which is labelled as a contradance. The back page has the notation for the songs "Cinderella" and "The Flowers of Edinburgh", both of which are labelled as contradances. Sources are listed on the manuscript. Part of the collection of songs and dances from the 17th and 18th centuries …

Music Manuscript From The Cdss Collection, Osgood, Bessie

Music and Dance

A music manuscript folio with five variations of the melody for "Yanky Doodle" on the front. The inside pages contain notation and lyrics—in English and Dutch—for five versions of the song, "Hier Komt Paul Jones Aan" as well as an additional melody for "Yankee Doddle". The back page is blank. Sources are listed on the manuscript. Part of the collection of songs and dances from the 17th and 18th centuries gathered by Bessie Osgood; The variations on "Yanky Doodle" is in D major and 2/4 time, as is the additonal version on the inside pages; The versions of "Hier Komt …

Book Review Of Motorsport And Fascism. Living Dangerously. By Paul Baxa. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022. 313 Pages., Alessio Giovene

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

No abstract provided.

A Book Review Of Speed Capital: Indianapolis Auto Racing And The Making Of Modern America. By Brian M Ingrassia. Urbana, Chicago, And Springfield, Il: University Of Illinois Press, 2024., Paul Baxa

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

No abstract provided.

Harris' Lead Over Trump Narrows In Nh; Likely Voters Split On Expected Winner Nationally 11/3/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Vice President Kamala Harris continues to hold a lead over former President Donald Trump in New Hampshire as the campaign comes to an end, but her advantage has shrunk since September. Voters are evenly split when asked which candidate they expect to become president, a change since September when a plurality expected Harris to win. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, are more popular among likely New Hampshire voters than Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. There is widespread anxiety in the state about political violence, as more than four in five likely voters …