Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Lived Experiences Of People With Substance Use Disorder As Healthcare Education To Develop Empathy For This Population, Whitney Bynum

Nursing | Senior Theses

The negative attitudes and feelings of healthcare workers towards patients with substance use disorder are well documented. These include, but are not limited to, believing a person with this disease is “drug seeking”, “violent”, and “unmotivated”. While this population has challenging issues to address, these beliefs can decrease the quality of care provided and results in less people seeking out needed treatment. Reducing stigmas through alternative education methods, like learning the life story of a patient, can help health care workers develop feelings of empathy and compassion. Subsequently, this education can result in better care and outcomes for these patients. …

Prescription Opioid Misuse And Addiction: Healthcare’S Contribution To The Opioid Epidemic And What Can Be Done About It, Emily Larsen, Katrina Ecke

Nursing | Senior Theses

Up to one in four patients undergoing prolonged opioid therapy in a primary care setting battle opioid addiction. In 2020, the CDC found that more than 16,000 deaths involving prescription opioids (limited to natural and semi-synthetic opioids and methadone) had occurred, which is equivalent to about 45 deaths per day. Opioid overdose death can be identified through three distinct waves; increased prescribing of opioids in the 1990’s began the first wave, the beginning of the second wave came in 2010 with a rapid increase in heroin related overdose deaths, and in 2013 the third wave began with a significant increase …

Barriers To Obtaining Healthcare In The United States, Nikita Laungani

Nursing | Senior Theses

One barrier to obtaining healthcare in the United States (U.S.) has been the type of healthcare insurance that someone has. It is important for nurses to understand the impact of the patient’s access to care, which is a factor in their health outcomes. Health insurance, race and ethnicity, income, and zip code are at the top of a long list of social determinants of health that affects where and how they receive care. To find out more about how barriers to obtaining healthcare affect outcomes, I researched various types of barriers around the country. It is important to understand how …

What Impact Does The Ability To Access Healthcare Have On Maternal Outcomes In Africa?, Helena Harris

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Maternal mortality rates reflect health inequities in access to obstetric care in some parts of the world including many African countries. Geographical barriers and limited number of skilled human resources have put women in rural areas at a significantly higher risk of maternal mortality.

Research Question: What impact does the ability to access healthcare have on maternal outcomes in African rural areas compared to urban cities?

Methods: A literature review was performed of credible databases. Six articles were reviewed extensively highlighting the purpose, strengths, and limitations of each study. Refer to Appendix A for the literature review table.

Findings: …

Exploring Relationships Among Race, Mothers' Perceptions Of Discrimination During Perinatal Healthcare Visits, And The Prevalence Of Adverse Maternal And Neonatal Health Outcomes, Fiona So

Nursing | Senior Theses

The institutionalized marginalization of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) population is not an uncommon theme throughout American history. Although a majority of American society actively refers to racial discrimination in the past tense, recent events such as the Black Lives Matter movement demonstrates that countless biases based solely on skin complexion are still ingrained into the minds of many. Due to the pervasiveness of implicit biases, American healthcare professionals are also subject to believing and acting upon these biases, either consciously or subconsciously, which could directly affect the quality of care that their BIPOC patients receive.

A …

Neonatal Health Outcomes And Access To Care, Riki Desjarlais

Nursing | Senior Theses

This paper will review existing research regarding the importance of prenatal healthcare. The research included covers the barriers existing to pregnant mothers and the consequences these barriers pose for mothers and babies with prenatal care that is unobtainable or undesired. This paper will also review current interventions that have provided under-served mothers with the resources they need to better ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Research analyzing mother’s attitudes and beliefs regarding prenatal care will be addressed in addition to how these beliefs may attribute to the health outcomes of their babies. Finally, this paper will include my own research …