A Quality Initiative To Reinforce Nursing Staff Education On Fall Prevention Interventions To Enhance Patient Safety And Outcomes On A Medical-Surgical Unit, Jolena Senesombath

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background:

Patients are at an increased risk for falls on a medical-surgical unit due to a variety of factors such as increased age, medications, altered mobility, and more. Several fall prevention interventions are used to prevent falls, including use of call bells, bed and chair alarms, maintain a clutter free environment, using a fall risk assessment upon admission, and providing patient and staff education. Reinforcing education for nursing staff has been shown to be one of the most effective interventions in preventing and reducing the number of falls as it increases awareness of falls.

Local Problem:

Within the microsystem, patient …

Improving Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Knowledge And Confidence In Performing Effective Spontaneous Awakening Trials: A Quality Improvement Project, Sophia T. Merry-Carreiro

Master's Theses and Capstones

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Mechanically ventilated ICU patents often require sedation for comfort and ventilator compliance. However, oversedation is linked to negative outcomes such as delirium, prolonged ventilation, and increased duration of ICU stay. Current best practices now support the use of daily sedation interruptions such as Spontaneous Awakening Trials (SATs). Despite these recommendations, implementation of SATs remain inconsistent and suboptimal.

LOCAL PROBLEM:

Within the ICU in a northern new England hospital, there was a need to improve nurse confidence and knowledge in SATs practices through staff education.

METHODS:

Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model, a quality improvement project was developed to improve …

“Why Do I Have To Do This?”: Examining General Education For Cte Students, Jennifer Hough

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Student complaints regarding their general education courses are nothing new. Research has shown students often do not see the value and view them as obstacles to their degrees (Reardon et al., 1990; Vander Schee, 2011). Unsuccessful completion of general education courses can keep students from attaining their degrees. Although research regarding student perceptions exists at the 4-year institutional level, little to no research exists focusing on community colleges or career and technical education (CTE) students connected to general education. For CTE students in particular, the question remained regarding complicating factors affecting their experiences in their general education courses. Social, economic, …

Rural Girl Comedy Hour, Riley Mccall

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

No abstract provided.

Check All That Apply: The Persistence And Problem Of The Black/White Racial Binary In Iowa Public Schools, Jessica Nessan Kluck

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The promotion of monoracial normativity has profoundly influenced the language used in policies, creating societal expectations that other the identification of Black/white Biracial and multiracial identities. Despite the reality of our quickly shifting demographics, multiracial identities continue to be marginalized and misconstrued through racial reporting guidelines. Racial reporting used on forms required by the Iowa Department of Education are comingled with non-racially categorized data to further distance reality in education and the public-school rankings (Iowa Department of Education, 2012; State of Iowa, 2024).

The purpose of this study was to trace the legacy of the socially constructed racial binary, preserved …

Age As More Than A Number: An Applied Geography Of Elderly Vulnerability To Heat Events In The Southeastern United States, John Darko

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Perception Of Learning Environment Among Undergraduate Medical Students In South India – A Cross-Sectional Study, Suba A, Suma S, Shobana R, Abeetha S, Chitra M, Shruthy K M

Health Professions Education

Purpose: The term "learning environment" refers to the combined social, physical, and psychological context in which the students learn. While a dismissive environment can lead to stress and burnout, a supportive environment enhances professionalism and academic success. Students' perceptions of the medical school learning environment might vary significantly depending on their age, gender, kind of institution and based on their academic year. Comprehending the disparities in perceptions towards the educational setting related to the above said variations may aid in devising interventions that promote favourable experiences for medical students. This study aimed to assess perception of learning environment by South …

Empowering Future Physicians: The Role Of Structural Competency Education To Improve Patient Care And Prevent Burnout, Audrey Shawley, Emily Gault, Ann Yacoubian, Grace Kooi, Minna Yoshikawa, Madison Boudreaux, Abdul Zia, Kathy Jo Carstarphen

Health Professions Education

Purpose. Medical education falls short of training students to understand and act upon systems that shape patients’ health. Physicians consistently report the importance of addressing social issues in medicine, while at the same time express a lack of confidence in their ability to meet their patients' social and emotional needs, leading to burnout in the face of these challenges.

Method. We implemented a six-week structural competency curriculum with 120 fourth-year medical students at The University of Queensland Medical School - Ochsner Clinical School (UQ-OCS) in New Orleans, LA, from January to November 2021. We assessed knowledge, attitude, awareness, and …

Uncovering The Perceptions Of Grades In Dentistry Students: How Are Grades Impacting Learning & Clinical Development?, Jenna J. Yuen, Andrew Horne, Tyler S. Beveridge, Sarah Mclean

Health Professions Education

Purpose. Educators have noted that grades may have negative impacts on students’ clinical performance; however, dental students’ perceptions of grading practices remains unknown. This study aims to: (i) identify the most prevalent grade perceptions and the underlying driving factors, and (ii) explore how students perceive the impact of grades on their learning and clinical development.

Methods. To address our aims, we used a mixed-methods research approach with a population of dentistry students at our institution. We distributed online surveys (Winter 2021; n=68), and conducted virtual semi-structured interviews (Fall 2021; n=6) and a focus group (Fall …

Experiences Of Young Adults With Mild To Moderate Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities In Transition Programs, Marjorie Cortico Ramirez

JWU Dissertations & Theses

Difficulties with socialization, obtaining employment, dependency on family, altered levels of stress, and community integration are factors that significantly challenge young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) upon exiting high school, and participating in transition programs (Athamanah et al., 2020; Biggs & Carter, 2016; Foley et al., 2012; Butterworth et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2023). Transition programs offer young adults ages 18-22 an opportunity to obtain the life skills and vocational training needed to better prepare them for employment, social interactions, and independent living (Curtis et al., 2009). Literature on post- school transition focuses on elevating the voices …

Enhancing Patient Safety By Increasing Daily Weight Measurement For Intensive Care Through Nursing Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Liz Prior

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: For critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), accurate daily weight measurements are crucial for monitoring fluid status and ensuring correct medication dosages. However, variations in measurement techniques, accuracy, and documentation can render this data unreliable. This often leads to a reliance on less accurate measures, which may contribute to longer treatment courses and suboptimal patient outcomes.

Local Problem: At a 3-bed ICU in a critical access hospital, staff interviews revealed inconsistencies among nurses in the daily measurement of patient weights. The lack of a standardized protocol created barriers to the usefulness of serial daily weight data. …

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 …

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 …

Improving The Effectiveness Of Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Transitions: A Quality Improvement Initiative Using A Standardized Nurse Handoff Report Sheet, Myra Mcauley

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Effective communication during patient handoff in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) is essential to ensuring patient safety and continuity of care. Unstructured or inconsistent handoff processes can lead to information omissions and care delays.

Methods: This quality improvement project implemented a structured nurse-to-nurse handoff report tool in the PACU. A pre- and post-intervention survey design was used to assess nurses’ perceptions of handoff clarity, completeness, and satisfaction. Educational sessions supported implementation.

Results: Pre-intervention survey data revealed dissatisfaction with the current handoff process, citing frequent information gaps. Following implementation of the structured tool, post-survey results showed improved communication clarity, increased …

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: Increasing Pre-Term Infant Safety By Enhancing Skin-To-Skin Time In The Nicu, Maureen A. Cassidy

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Skin-to-skin (STS) contact, also known as kangaroo care, is a critical intervention for preterm infants, especially for those in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It promotes neurodevelopmental outcomes, physiological stability, and parental bonding. However, STS often falls below recommended daily levels due to a variety of berries. Exploring aids like belly bands may help address these barriers and promote improved outcomes.

Local Problem: STS time in this NICU microsystem falls significantly below nationally recommended levels, with most preterm infants receiving less than one to two hours daily compared to the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 8-24 hours per …

Armed By Design: Posters And Publications Of Cuba's Organization Of Solidarity Of The Peoples Of Asia, Africa, And Latin America (Ospaaal), Jen Hoyer, Lani Hanna, Josh Macphee, Vero Ordaz, Sarah Seidman

Publications and Research

This book reflects on the intersection of graphic design and political solidarity work of OSPAAAL, the Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Based in Havana, Cuba, OSPAAAL produced nearly 500 posters, magazines, and books beginning in the late sixties. Their output provides one of the most robust examples of political design ever seen; it offers a wealth of opportunities for thinking about how design is—and could be—deployed today in the search for more egalitarian social transformation.

Armed By Design brings together artists and thinkers from around the world whose work has been impacted by …

Robust Mitigation Strategy For Misleading Pheromone Trails In Foraging Robot Swarms, Ryan Luna, Qi Lu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

This study advances the security of swarm robotics by examining the resilience of stigmergic communication in foraging robot swarms against deceptive strategies. We specifically investigate the swarm’s vulnerability to attacks via misleading pheromone trails laid by detractor robots, which significantly hinder foraging performance. Through simulations, we evaluated the adverse effects of such attacks on resource collection and forager capture rates, highlighting a notable decline as the percentage of detractors increases. To counter these threats, we implement a robust defense mechanism utilizing DBSCAN for density-based clustering of pheromone trails, complemented by a cluster grouping method that effectively isolates batches of detractors …

Debating Justice, Tom Rozinski

Open Touro Created

2025

This book introduces students to a modified form of Lincoln-Douglas debate that is suitable for use in college philosophy or political science courses. Students will learn how to make good arguments and identify bad ones. They will learn how to structure the affirmative and negative cases in debate and the specific duties of each speech in the debate. There is also a section on preparing for, conducting, and defending against cross-examination. Students learn about four value systems to use in their debates: utilitarianism, libertarianism, Kantian justice, and Rawlsian justice. The text includes two full debates to illustrate how students …

Judicial Economy In The Age Of Ai, Yonathan Arbel

Articles

Individuals do not vindicate the majority of their legal claims because of access to justice barriers. This entrenched state of affairs is now facing a disruption. Lawyers and non-lawyers alike are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to perform legal tasks-tools that sharply reduce the costs of generating legal materials. There is finally hope that AI might allow many more to access justice.

Paradoxically, what we gain in access to justice we might lose in the delivery of justice. The problem is not that AI tools are ineffective. Indeed, they are even more effective than most realize-affecting every stage of the …

Bachelor Of Science In Professional Management, Nova Southeastern University

Undergraduate Programs Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Decreasing Food Waste In Home Kitchens By Increasing Food Literacy, Thao Rich

Student Publications

In a world that produces enough food for all of its occupants, a staggering amount of it bypasses empty stomachs and goes into landfills every day. There it sits in a plastic bag, which delays decomposition and increases the harmful greenhouse gas emissions. There are numerous reasons for the inequitable distribution of food ranging from politics to logistics, but the fact is that each person can make a dent in reducing their carbon footprint by simply reducing the amount of food they place in the trash each week. Food waste reduction is a small goal that requires no additional spending, …

‘Antibiotics Are Like Gold’: A Qualitative Study Of Patient Perspectives On The Use Of Antibiotics Without A Prescription, Lindsey A Laytner, Patricia Chen, Barbara Wells Trautner, Susan Nash, Ashley Collazo, Fabrizia Faustinella, Kiara Olmeda, Azalia Mancera, Roger Zoorob, Michael K Paasche-Orlow, Larissa Grigoryan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Using antibiotics without a prescription (non-prescription use) is common in the USA and contributes to antibiotic misuse, potentially harming individuals and threatening public health. At the individual level, safety issues related to non-prescription use include adverse drug reactions and disruption of healthy microbiomes. At the public health level, non-prescription use increases the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

Objectives: This qualitative study explored the reasons and motivations underlying non-prescription use among adult outpatients with varying healthcare coverage and education.

Methods: We used purposive sampling to recruit participants who endorsed using non-prescription antibiotics in a larger quantitative survey. Participants were patients recruited …

Internal Carotid Artery Sympathetic Plexus Neurofibroma – A Case Report, Pedram Daniel Maleknia, Victor Lara, Ailiang Zeng, Michael Benjamin Larkin, Vijay Nitturi, Diego Rojas, Sean Lau, Elizabeth Ledbetter, Akash J Patel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Neurofibromas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors most associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1 ). NF1 is an autosomal dominant disorder resulting from mutations in the NF1 gene located on chromosome 17. While neurofibromas frequently occur in cutaneous or plexiform forms, neurofibromas arising from the sympathetic plexus of the internal carotid artery (ICA) are rare. Only one case of an intracranial sympathetic plexus neurofibroma has been reported in the literature to date. Since most nerve sheath tumors arising from this region are schwannomas, and given the intimate association with the Internal carotid artery (ICA) and surrounding neurovascular structures of …

Pregnancy In Dystonia Or Tourette's Patients With Dbs Fourteen News Cases And A Review Of The Literature, Raja Mehanna, Arjun Tarakad, Lisa Yutong Taneff, Erin Furr Stimming

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been demonstrated to improve quality of life in patients with refractory dystonia and Tourette's syndrome (TS). Because of the young age at onset of these disorders, and the marked benefit from DBS, pregnancy in patients who have received DBS is becoming a more frequent clinical occurrence, although clear management guidelines are lacking.

Cases: We report 14 new pregnancies in patients with dystonia or TS and DBS.

Literature review: Upon review of the literature, 23 pregnancies in patients with dystonia or TS were previously reported in seven articles.

Conclusion: Based on the available data from …