Faculty, Alumni And Students Shaping The Field Of Canine Cognition, Rachel Mccarthy

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Medication Adherence To Successful Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome Among Tb/Hiv Patient At Prof. Dr. Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital, Yusmaniar Yusmaniar, Adin H Kurniawan

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Research

Tuberculosis/Human Immunodeficiency Virus (TB/HIV) co-infection has poorer treatment outcome compared to non-co-infected patients. To benefit from therapy and to avoid contracting treatment-resistant strains, the individuals must adherent to medications. There is limited information regarding successful TB treatment outcomes and their associated factors. Thus, the study was designed to identify medication adherence associated with treatment outcomes among TB/HIV Patients at Prof. Dr. Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital. This research was an observational study with retrospective approach from January 2015 to December 2017 by taking data from medical records and TB-01 form of TB/HIV patients in the outpatient clinic of the disease …

Maternal Prenatal Cortisol Programs The Infant Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis, Jessica L. Irwin, Amy L. Meyering, Gage Peterson, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman, Laurel M. Hicks, Elysia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

One of the key proposed agents of fetal programming is exposure to maternal glucocorticoids. Experimental animal studies provide evidence that prenatal exposure to elevated maternal glucocorticoids has consequences for hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning in the offspring. There are very few direct tests of maternal glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, during human pregnancy and associations with infant cortisol reactivity. The current study examined the link between maternal prenatal cortisol trajectories and infant cortisol reactivity to the pain of inoculation in a sample of 152 mother-infant (47.4% girls) pairs. The results from the current study provide insight into fetal programming of the infant …

An Innovative Contest: A Team Approach To Improving Patient Satisfaction Scores For Medication Side Effects, Jennifer Natsch-Jensen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem The Home Healthcare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS) survey question 14 regarding providers discussing possible side effects is below the organizational goal of 74.1 linear mean in this home health microsystem.

Context According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), nearly 20% of patients discharged home from the hospital had an adverse event within the first few weeks of discharge and most are related to medications (AHRQ, 2019).

Interventions An innovative contest was introduced to promote engagement and to use teach-back best practices, including planned discussions with the patient and caregivers regarding name of …

Challenges Of Electrifying Medium And Heavy Duty Vehicles In California And How These Challenges Can Be Overcome, Tracy Tilley

Master's Projects and Capstones

California is electrifying medium and heavy vehicles (vehicles weighing over 8,500 pounds) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide environmental justice for disadvantaged communities. These vehicles are used for delivery, construction, refuse collection or long haul trucking. The three main challenges of electrification are infrastructure, policy and funding. To address these challenges, policy analysis was used to review California’s policies already in place for electrification of medium and heavy duty vehicles. Comparative analysis was used to look at policies in other countries and environmental programs for strategies to help electrification efforts.

California faces a lack of infrastructure of medium and …

The Diamond, December 11, 2020, Dordt University

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page: Dordt Ends Semester with 153 Total Recorded Positive COVID-19 Cases; Home to Quarantine: Dordt Students to Spend Last Two Weeks in Isolation; Saving Those Who Served
• News: Marriage Culture at Dordt University; Ed Starkenburg to Retire from Dordt University; Is Theft a Problem at Dordt?; Small Business Saturday a Life Vest to Some; Students on Campus During Online Learning
• Feature: A Fractured Faith; Rain or Snow, Hot or Cold, 712 Nutrition Has the Healthy Treat for You; Married Professors Share Their Story; De Vries' Agricultural Journey; Custom Clips and College Profits; Buker Brought to Dordt
• Art & Entertainment: …

Effects Of Agricultural Intensification Practices On Smallholder Farmers’ Livelihood Outcomes In Kenyan Hotspots Of Climate Change, F. O. Ouya, O. I. Ayuya, M. I. Kariuki

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Developing countries, Kenya included are mostly affected by food shortage and poverty as a result of high dependence on agriculture constrained by climate variability, declining land sizes and low agricultural technologies. Agricultural intensification is key in solving these problems to ensure increased farm output per unit land area. This study analyzed the role of agricultural intensification on smallholders’ poverty and food security status. The study is based on data collected from a sample of 320 smallholder households from two Sub-counties of Kenya, Makueni and Nyando. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) was first used to group agricultural intensification practices into clusters. The …

Policy Analysis: Appropriate Opioid Prescribing Practices For Post-Surgical Patients, Joan S. Daversa

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

The pervasiveness of legally prescribed opioids in the United States has led to increased post-surgical patients succumbing to opioid dependence. There is a vast disparity in pain management practices across clinical settings. The lack of well-defined policies specifying opioid prescribing practices for post-surgical patients has created inconsistency among providers. This situation creates a risk for misuse and long-term opioid dependence for patients. This policy analysis aims to implement an evidence-based opioid prescribing policy for post-surgical patients to improve current opioid prescribing practices and implement a best practice culture to reduce excessive opioid practices. Collins (2005) health policy analysis adapted from …

Stop The Madness! An Examination Of Mental Health Stigma And Proposal To Implement Widespread Efforts For Its Reduction, Karon Donahue

Research Papers

Many people in the United States are affected by mental health conditions. Mental health stigma is a social problem characterized by negative representation in the media, numerous barriers to obtaining treatment, and feelings of shame for those affected by a mental health disorder. While there is evidence of positive outcomes to some anti-stigma campaigns, there has been a failure for these programs to become widespread, covering all parts of American society. This paper has been created to present recommendations for widespread initiatives at the federal and state level. Recommendations for training and sensitivity programs targeting places of employment and schools, …

Standardizing The Bedside Shift Report: Improving Nurse-To-Nurse Communication, Deepi Sahota

Master's Projects and Capstones

PROBLEM: The Community Living Center (CLC) reveals an immense concern on shift-to-shift handoff report. Shift-to-shift report is done in the report room, often times unclear information is given and critical information is not appropriately conveyed.

CONTEXT: The project was implemented on a 50-bed unit at the Veterans Affairs. The improvement project was focused on collaborative partnerships, standardized bedside shift report, and utilization of the SBAR tool. in the prevention of communication errors.

INTERVENTIONS: The SBAR tool was utilized to provide a framework for effective communication between nurses. The CNL facilitated an hour in-service on bedside shift report to nurses …

Perinatal Substance Use Screenings In Marin County: A Brief Overview Of Screening Protocols And Identifying Gaps In Care, Breanna Wiliams

Master's Projects and Capstones

Introduction

Perinatal substance use continues to be a major public health issue in women’s health. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of substance use screenings in care and assess how well the existing services in Marin County are serving the needs of pregnant and parenting women and identifying the gaps and/or weaknesses in current practice.

Methods

Data for this study was collected via semi-structured interviews with five professionals that worked at the local community clinic, hospital and a non-profit agency. Some questions were slightly modified to be configured toward the participant’s specific profession.

Results

Results from …

The Role Of Family Dynamics In Receiving Autism And Neurodevelopmental Services: A Needs Assessment, Bianca Kalia

Master's Projects and Capstones

This study aims to document the effects an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) diagnosis, or other behavior disturbances has on the family unit as a whole. Through this analysis, we can develop measures that are personalized for the child with autism as well as the caregiver and family unit.

Introducing A New 12 Week Education & Simulation Program To Optimize Financial Performance Of Nurse Managers, Melissa Hathcoat

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Several nurse executives (Waxman 2018; Massarweh, 2017; Hunt, 2018) agree that in today's increasingly complex health care environment, the reality of decreasing reimbursements and increasing focus on value-based metrics reflects a crucial knowledge base for nurse managers. Therefore, it is imperative for unit-based nurse leaders to receive education and support to attain and maintain the requisite business competencies to achieve both fiscal and quality targets in their microsystem (McFarlan, 2020). In an integrated managed care delivery system in northern California, no education curriculum exists for nurse managers and assistant nurse managers that addresses gaps in financial knowledge, skills, and …

Nurse Interrupted: Educating Nurses To Reduce Work Interruptions In The Intensive Care Unit, Lelayitu Shiferaw

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background: Interruptions occur in high frequency in the critical care hospital setting.

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of work interruption for the critical care nurse and to examine ways to mitigate predominant, non-urgent interruptions.

Methods: The nurse interrupted project followed the Lean methodology framework to identify which high-frequency interrupters to address. Baseline assessment of the intensive care unit (ICU) nurses identified alarms and patient family member calls as predominant causes of interruption. A literature review was conducted to understand work interruption for nurses and to identify available solutions.

Intervention: To address the …

A Systems Approach To Increase The Icu Nursing Workforce During A Pandemic, Jennifer Mendenhall

Master's Projects and Capstones

A Systems Approach to Increase the ICU Nursing Workforce During a Pandemic

Abstract

In early March 2020 an intensive care unit (ICU) patient died of COVID-19 in an integrated healthcare system hospital in Northern California. Data from China and the CDC indicated that more healthcare members would require intensive care and could overwhelm the 21 acute care hospital macrosystem. A microsystem pilot program to upskill peri-anesthesia care unit (PACU) RNs to care for ICU patients was initiated. Concurrently the upskill pilot program was reviewed by macrosystem nursing leadership. Over a three-week period, the program was standardized, disseminated and implemented across …

Safeguarding Surgical Technologists And Reducing Costs Related To Upper Extremity Strain Injuries In The Or, Wilhelmina Hofilena

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: In the operating room (OR), complex procedures and processes are performed under time pressures, which presents unique challenges regarding ergonomic-related injuries. Handling surgical instrumentation trays with awkward postures is one of the high-risk tasks performed in the OR that can result in upper extremity (UE) strain. A healthcare system-based hospital in Northern California had five reported upper extremity strain injuries by the surgical technologists (STs) in workplace safety (WPS) performance year (PY) 2018-2019. The project aims to decrease UE strain injuries among STs by improving the quality of surgical instrumentation trays and promoting the culture of safety through …

Optimizing Transitions Of Care To Reduce Readmission Rates, Karen Calura Bayan

Master's Projects and Capstones

The timeliness of post-discharge outreach, a component of the Transition of Care (TOC) process, is a critical determinant for readmission. The Health Plan (HP) serves over 260,000 residents of a large San Francisco Bay Area county by working with community partners to provide health care services through its Medi-Cal (MC) and Cal MediConnect (CMC or Medicare-Medicaid Plan) insurance plan.

This project aims to reduce the HP’s readmissions by 1.5% to 7.37% from a baseline of 8.87% for CMC members and to 6.8% from a baseline of 8.3% for MC members within one year from the onset of the improved TOC …

Creating A Culture Of Teamwork And Communication, Ikjae Yang

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper aims to explain an innovative strategy for integrating research processes and quality improvement in a medical/ surgical telemetry unit (2 North). The project is targeted to improve health care team communication regarding patient safety to improve patient outcomes. The PICO question guiding this project stated: Does the implementation of TeamSTEPPS during orientation improve communication and teamwork? CINAHL database searched terms "TeamSTEPPS", "new graduate nurses", "communication", "healthcare", "teamwork", and TeamSTEPPS effectiveness. In addition to CINAHL, Google Scholar and PubMed databases were used to narrow down database searches.

The project includes a TeamSTEPPS planning guide that offers the planning organization, …

Prospectus For Mitigating Loneliness During Quarantine For Older Adults In Long Term Care Facilities, Emily Gines

Master's Projects and Capstones

In 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in quarantine safety measures and facility closures, facilities that cared for older adults in particular were hit the hardest. Long term care facilities (LTCFs), specifically those that care for older adults with memory care problems, must find ways to provide high-quality, standard care, despite many regulations and changes. Although infection control is an important aspect of care among this population, we must also consider how we can maintain quality of life and social connection. Loneliness is defined as the subjective feeling of being alone or perceived isolation. It can also relate to the …

That’S Fall She Wrote: Decreasing The Patient Fall Rate On A Medical-Surgical Unit Through An Enhanced Fall Algorithm In The Electronic Medical Record, Lauren A. Fast

Master's Projects and Capstones

All falls, regardless of harm, increase the length of stay for the patient in the hospital (Dunne et al., 2014), and are thus a focus for the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) in improving patient outcomes at the microsystem level. This paper will focus on the use of an enhanced fall algorithm (Moskowitz et al., 2020) that combines the use of nursing assessment, medications, laboratory results, and service to assess risk of the patient for falls. This algorithm will be integrated into the electronic medical record (EMR) to aid in clinical decision making and communication between staff and the disciplines. The …

Three Good Things To Extinguish Caregiver Burnout, Justin Haley

Master's Projects and Capstones

Caregiver burnout is a widespread issue in healthcare and institutions should be increasingly concerned about burnout because of the significant impact on quality of patient care, employee health, and financial stability. Many interventions and studies regarding burnout are focused on improving systems issues or removing negative stressors on caregivers. Although such interventions may be necessary to attempt, comprehensive systems-wide changes can be cumbersome and expensive, while removing negative stressors may be an unrealistic goal in a fast-paced, demanding healthcare environment. The Three Good Things method is an evidence-based, effective, simple, low-cost intervention to improve feelings of caregiver burnout in which …

Improving Nurse Competency With Rapid Response Narrator Documentation, Sonam Ghoman

Master's Projects and Capstones

Rapid Response Narrator Documentation tool in Epic electronic health record (EHR) is used for scribing purposes during a rapid response event. The RN’s are the ones that usually scribe during a rapid response team (RRT) event. This new tool is able to make documentation easier and efficient for nurses. The rapid response documentation tool in Epic has been in place for a little less than six years. This tool allows for the replacement of traditional paper scribing. An additional benefit of the rapid response documentation tool is that it allows for the scribing to be in real time and is …

Aiming For Zero: Creating A Culture Of Safety And Improving Cauti Outcomes In The Microsystem, Shiela Escobar

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) remains the leading cause of hospital-acquired infection (HAI) despite being preventable. CAUTI increases the length of stay, morbidity, mortality, readmissions, and costs. There is also increasing antimicrobial resistance in pathogens causing CAUTI. Thus, reducing HAIs such as CAUTI should be a priority for every institution.

Context: The microsystem for this CAUTI quality improvement project is a 24-bed adult medical-telemetry unit in an acute care teaching hospital with excessive CAUTI. This project aims to improve the unit’s CAUTI standardized infection ratio (SIR) from a baseline of 2.54 to 1.75 by October 2020. A SIR …

Improving Frequency Of Hand Hygiene Education From Providers To Patients, Nancy Moran, Vanessa Hernandez, Christopher Sutton

Master's Projects and Capstones

Hand hygiene compliance is one of the most simplest forms of preventing infection. This paper focuses on improving the frequency and standardizing hand hygiene education to patients delivered by health care professionals from a primary care clinic. The ambulatory suburban community clinic in Oakland primarily serves the underserved population. The target population are the following providers: Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, and Medical Assistants. A survey was adapted from evidence-based studies, WHO, and CDC to collect data on current hand hygiene education provided to patients from healthcare professionals. An additional survey was given to patients …

Competent And Confident: Empowering English Language Learners Through Pronunciation Instruction, Faith Pellas

Master's Projects and Capstones

Compared to other language skills such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking, pronunciation is often neglected in ESL and TESOL curriculum planning and material design. Moreover, many English language teachers lack training in pronunciation instruction, therefore these techniques are not often addressed in class. Learning pronunciation is a top priority for many English language students because it enables them to communicate clearly, have better opportunities, and integrate well into Anglophone communities. The literature review discusses second language acquisition and the determining factors of accented and non-accented speech. It also addresses accent discrimination and the obstacles English language learners (ELLs) face …

Improving Quality Of Care Through Discharge Planning, Maria Pasillas

Master's Projects and Capstones

Providing good education for the new mother is key to improving the quality of care for both mom and baby. Since nurses are frontline health care providers who perform the most postpartum education, it is imperative they work to improve discharge education so information provided is consistent, appropriate, and evidence based (Suplee et al., 2016).

The aim of this project is to improve the discharge planning process of a local community hospital utilizing evidence-based research (EBR) with the intent to increase patient satisfaction scores in care transitions to above 65% within 3 months.

The community hospital is a 122-bed acute …

Exploring Reproductive Oppression Among Undocumented Immigrants In Texas, Darci Phillips

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Reproductive rights (RR) have been defined as all individuals and couples having the basic right to “decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information, education and means to do so” (United Nations Population Division, n.d.). Reproductive justice (RJ) was born from combining reproductive rights with social justice (Ross & Solinger, 2017, p. 9) and goes beyond RR by placing a greater emphasis on access. Access takes other factors into consideration such as the disproportionate number of women of color who cannot afford abortion care or are unable to travel long distances …

The Bay Area Rail System: A Sustainable Network Or A Social Equity Phenomenon?, Whitney Libunao

Master's Projects and Capstones

Sustainable transportation, as it relates to sustainable development, aims to achieve economic stability, social equity, and environmental preservation via transit projects. However, gentrification processes and transit-oriented developments or TODs have attracted more households inward toward reinvested transit-centric areas. The San Francisco Bay Area, California has continued to see positive economic growth, with that, higher-income households inhabiting more centralized locations. Native low-income residents have started to feel displacement pressures on both a social and economic scale. Over time, displacement risk inevitably leads to residential displacement where low-income families are forced to relocate to distant, more affordable neighborhoods. As more distance separates …

Amplification Of Legal Advocacy: Public Health Approaches To Releasing Immigrant Detainees At The Otay Mesa Detention Center, San Diego, California, United States, Kaylin Rosal

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper reviews the current health practices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers, focusing on asylum seekers housed at Otay Mesa Detention Center (OMDC) located in San Diego, California, United States. Many asylum seekers, or foreign nationals who have been confirmed to have a credible fear of persecution in their home countries, regardless of how they enter the United States, are placed into Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers. Two avenues for the release of detainees while they wait for their asylum cases to be heard by an immigration judge are bond and parole applications, the basis …

From Team Huddle To Team Cuddle: Rekindling Caring, Self-Compassion, And Joy In Work!, Amerizza Quemada

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: The healthcare industry suffers from a high level of burnout and unhealthy work environments, which has been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The consequences of burnout may be expressed in both individuals and teams as a lack of caring, disengagement, incivility, and staff turnover.

Context: One department in an integrated healthcare organization displayed a pattern of annual low employee engagement scores and alleged workplace bullying. Team members also observed that employees failed to speak up when experiencing incivility. The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) student determined that an improvement initiative was needed to create a culture of caring to improve …