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Meaningful Use Criteria And Staff Accountability In An Office Setting, Marcia Ionie Pender Jan 2021

Meaningful Use Criteria And Staff Accountability In An Office Setting, Marcia Ionie Pender

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Proper documentation for meaningful use (MU) criteria within electronic health records (EHRs) was identified as an issue for office staff at a local primary care office in a metropolitan area of Central Florida. The project question addressed the local gap in knowledge about MU standards necessary to ensure correct documentation of EHRs. The purpose of this doctoral project was to provide an educational program for staff to ensure compliance with the HITECH Act of 2009. Lewin’s Change Theory and Knowles Theory of Adult learning were the conceptual foundations for the educational program. The project question was to determine whether a …


Educational Strategies For Healthcare Providers Of Postpartum Women With Substance Use Disorder, Agnes Denise White Jan 2021

Educational Strategies For Healthcare Providers Of Postpartum Women With Substance Use Disorder, Agnes Denise White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractProviding educational strategies to maternal-child staff members can improve their attitudes, perceptions, and stigma towards the childbearing age women who are substance users. In the United States, an increased number of pregnant women have substance abuse problems. It is important that the maternal child staff have the resources and are equipped to care for women who are substance users struggling with their addictions and motherhood. The purpose of this project was to determine whether an educational program provided to postpartum nurses increased knowledge on the special needs of the new mother with a substance abuse issue. The education of the …


Improving Fall Risk Knowledge Through Staff Education In An Assisted Living Facility, Assumpta Egowure Ike Jan 2021

Improving Fall Risk Knowledge Through Staff Education In An Assisted Living Facility, Assumpta Egowure Ike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPatient safety and fall prevention are crucial for nurses and healthcare workers especially in assisted living facilities considering the age and health status of the patients. Low staff knowledge of fall risk measures in an assisted living facility may have contributed to an increase in the number of falls recorded in the facility by 20% in the last 2 years. This project addressed the questions of whether an education project could increase staff’s level of knowledge on fall risk measures, and whether any improved knowledge would coincide with the number of falls per patient day in the assisted living facility? …


Evidence-Based Strategies Used By Primary Care Providers In Early Hospice Referrals, May Tanay Jan 2021

Evidence-Based Strategies Used By Primary Care Providers In Early Hospice Referrals, May Tanay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite scientific evidence suggesting that hospice care improves quality of life (QOL) at end of life (EOL), terminally ill patients are being referred to hospice too late. A considerable number of terminally ill patients are referred directly from the inpatient unit. Often, these patients have not had a goal-of-care conversation (GOC) with their primary care provider (PCP) nor have they been offered hospice care until hospitalization. It is imperative that PCPs, advocate and support patients and families during all stages of life including EOL. This doctoral project was completed for the purpose of identifying strategies used by PCPs that enhance …


Development Of A Preceptorship Program For Novice Nurses In Long-Term Care, Loice Moraa Collins Jan 2021

Development Of A Preceptorship Program For Novice Nurses In Long-Term Care, Loice Moraa Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe practice problem is that of high turnover rates of novice Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). The practice–focused question addressed whether or not a preceptor program for LPNs in a long-term care facility (LTC) would increase their competency in serving as a preceptor for novice and newly hired LPNs. The purpose of this doctoral project was to address the significant gap in practice that is made evident in the nursing leadership due to a lack of onboarding process which has led to a 62% turnover rate of the novice LPNs. The theories and models used to inform the doctoral project included …


Educating Staff Nurses On Opioid Use Disorder, Moses Ikejiofor Jan 2021

Educating Staff Nurses On Opioid Use Disorder, Moses Ikejiofor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a public health epidemic causing a rise in morbidity and mortality in the United States with disruption of victims and their families’ lives and a financial burden on the nation’s economy. The problem identified for this DNP project was nurses’ lack of knowledge of OUD and the impact on care and attitudes toward OUD patients. Framed within the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model of instructional design, the purpose was to plan and evaluate a staff education program on OUD. The evidence from the literature to support the need for this project showed that …


Decreasing Pressure Injuries With Early Mitigation Strategies For The Elderly In The Intensive Care Unit, Janet L. Wilson Jan 2021

Decreasing Pressure Injuries With Early Mitigation Strategies For The Elderly In The Intensive Care Unit, Janet L. Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) are a serious and debilitating condition in the elderly, and it is therefore critical to reduce the incidence of HAPIs. Mitigation strategies are often implemented for patients who score in the highest risk categories on the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk©. Yet, the evidence suggests vulnerable older adults who score in the midrange of the Braden Scale, and specifically, the mobility subscale, develop HAPI more frequently. The review question centered on the evaluation of the current evidence for early mitigation strategies in response to Braden Scale midrange mobility subscale scores. The gap addressed …


Exploring The Effects Of Generation And Leadership Style On Nurses’ Organizational Commitment, Kim M. Hedley Jan 2021

Exploring The Effects Of Generation And Leadership Style On Nurses’ Organizational Commitment, Kim M. Hedley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is an impending shortage of nurses; therefore, healthcare leaders must use strategies that promote staff nurses’ organizational commitment (OC) to retain a clinically competent workforce. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study guided by the transformational leadership theory and generational theory was to determine whether OC differs according to generational cohort (GC) and leadership style (LS) and then explore the combined effects of GC and LS on staff nurses’ OC. One-hundred sixty acute care staff nurses in the United States responded to the survey that included the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5x-Short and Three-Component Model Employee Commitment Survey. A …


Relationship Between Employee Satisfaction And Patient Satisfaction Within The Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Krista Penn Jan 2021

Relationship Between Employee Satisfaction And Patient Satisfaction Within The Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Krista Penn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within health care organizations, the experience of care is a critical measure of the quality of a health care system and is an important measure of success. Over the past several years, the quality and experience of care have been criticized within the Veterans Health Administration. Veterans Health Administration hospitals suffer from low patient satisfaction scores and high nurse turnover rates. Research shows a correlation between patient satisfaction and employee satisfaction within other health care organizations, yet there has been limited research on whether this type of relationship exists within facilities across the Veterans Health Administration. Using Donabedian’s quality health …


Staff Education Program On Smoking Cessation In Patients With Cardiovascular Disease, Jennifer Shipp Jan 2021

Staff Education Program On Smoking Cessation In Patients With Cardiovascular Disease, Jennifer Shipp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cigarette smoking in the United States constitutes a public health crisis, with millions of people having cigarette-related diseases and comorbidities. Although there is an increased prevalence of uncontrolled smoking among patients with cardiovascular diseases, many healthcare facilities, including the project site, lack adequate screening for tobacco use among cardiovascular patients. The 5As (asking, advising, assessing, assisting, and arranging) model of behavioral change provided the framework for the project. The practice-focused question for this project addressed whether a staff education program specifically designed to instruct healthcare providers on using the 5As intervention with cardiovascular patients would increase their knowledge of smoking …


Family Texting In The Perioperative Care Setting, Crystal Chantel Vestal Jan 2021

Family Texting In The Perioperative Care Setting, Crystal Chantel Vestal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Family members experience anxiety not knowing how their loved one is progressing during the surgical process. Communication between perioperative staff and the family can be challenging due to the operating room being in a restricted location. Communication between perioperative staff and the patient family, as reflected in scores on the Press Ganey evaluation report, was below the benchmark for a hospital located in the Western United States. This report measures how satisfied patients were with the information provided to their family during surgery. To address this gap in practice, the hospital implemented a text messaging quality improvement project from August …


Staff Development Project For Fall Prevention In Long-Term Care, Afua Ofosuhene Jan 2021

Staff Development Project For Fall Prevention In Long-Term Care, Afua Ofosuhene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFalls pose major healthcare problems in long-term care (LTC) facilities. Falls significantly impede quality of life for the elderly and their caregivers. The purpose of the project was to determine if the fall prevention program Stopping Elderly Accidents Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) increased staff knowledge regarding fall prevention and reduced fall rates at the LTC setting. The project addressed whether educating LTC staff regarding a fall prevention program could increase their knowledge of fall prevention and decrease the rate of falls. The gap identified was that nurses lacked education regarding fall prevention strategies. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model was the evidence-based …


Smoothing Patient Flow By Improving Bed Turnover Time, Carrie Lanasha Percell Jan 2021

Smoothing Patient Flow By Improving Bed Turnover Time, Carrie Lanasha Percell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bed Management Solutions (BMS) is a bed tracking system that provides real-time data into hospital activities, including admissions, transfers, discharges, bed turnover rates, and processing time frames. When BMS is used appropriately, it has the potential to improve bed turnover rates, reduce stress of clinical staff, improve patient satisfaction, and improve patients’ well-being. Delays in bed turnover times can create overcrowding, extended wait times, bottlenecking, delays in patient care, and significant patient flow problems. The purpose of this DNP project was to develop a staff education program to answer the question if the implementation of an educational training program could …


Improving Nursing Knowledge On Antibiotic Therapy To Prevent Pneumonia Readmissions, Muskuda Deen Jan 2021

Improving Nursing Knowledge On Antibiotic Therapy To Prevent Pneumonia Readmissions, Muskuda Deen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of education on the appropriate use of antibiotic therapy can lead to an increase in early readmissions for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The purpose of this project was to educate medical-surgical nurses at an inpatient hospital in the southern region of the United States on the appropriate use of antibiotic therapy to decrease early CAP readmissions. The project practice question was whether the infection control clinical practice guidelines would increase the medical-surgical nurses’ knowledge on the appropriate use of antibiotic therapy to decrease the 30-day readmission rates for patients diagnosed with CAP. The staff education development was guided …


Staff Education Program Assessment Of Violence In An Acute Psychiatric Hospital, Steven Dickson Jan 2021

Staff Education Program Assessment Of Violence In An Acute Psychiatric Hospital, Steven Dickson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physical aggression and violence are sizable concerns for mental health nursing professionals. More than 80% of nurses working in mental health areas have faced verbal or physical abuse from patients. The practicum site noted that patient violence towards staff accounted for 18-20% of workplace injuries involving days away from work, compared to 10-11% in other healthcare settings. The purpose of this project was to develop a program to educate staff on the Brøset violence screen (BVC), an evidence-based, violence-risk screening tool, to increase staff's knowledge about this tool. Five behavioral health experts used the Lynn model to evaluate the project’s …


Staff Education On Diabetes Self-Management For Patients, Gloria Eberechukwu Okoye Jan 2021

Staff Education On Diabetes Self-Management For Patients, Gloria Eberechukwu Okoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Staff Education on Diabetes Self-Management for Patients by Gloria Okoye MSN, Walden University, 2016 BSN, Walden University, 2015 Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice Walden University May 2021 Abstract Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that poses health and financial burdens to patients, families, and society. An outpatient clinic in the Southeastern United States noted a gap in staff knowledge on diabetes self-management education for high-risk, diabetic patients. The purpose of the project was to educate clinical staff on lifestyle modification practices so that they could better educate diabetic …


Preparing Staff Nurses For Timely Management Of Hypertension In Acute Ischemic Stroke, Nneoma Oguguo Jan 2021

Preparing Staff Nurses For Timely Management Of Hypertension In Acute Ischemic Stroke, Nneoma Oguguo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When a blood clot obstructs the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, it can cause an ischemic stroke. Hypertension is the most important risk factor for ischemic stroke because it causes damage to the arteries, making them easy to burst or clog and subsequently increases the risk of stroke. Advanced treatments have been developed to dissolve clots and restore blood flow to the brain. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has been clinically beneficial in acute ischemic stroke if it is given early and under the right conditions. Nurses can improve patient care through application of evidenced-based management. The purpose …


Reducing Fall Rates At A Long-Term-Care Facility, Francis Ortego Jan 2021

Reducing Fall Rates At A Long-Term-Care Facility, Francis Ortego

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, older adults often experience fall events that may result in physical, mental, and financial hardship. Since the project site was experiencing a significant number of patient falls, a fall-prevention quality improvement (QI) program was implemented. Guided by the diffusion of innovation theory and the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) model, the purpose of this doctoral project was to evaluate the effectiveness of that program to determine if the monthly fall rate in the facility would decrease during the next 6 months. The project site provided deidentified data in the form of monthly fall-rate totals as collected from the long-term-care …


Introduction Of Simulation To A Rural Health Care Facility, Jaime Lynn Duke Jan 2021

Introduction Of Simulation To A Rural Health Care Facility, Jaime Lynn Duke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDisparities exist between the quality and safety of care provided to patients seen in rural critical access hospitals and patients seen in metropolitan and suburban hospitals. These disparities result from lack of education opportunities and the infrequent exposure of staff to high-risk patient situations. The project addressed the lack of continuing education opportunities by introducing the hospital’s nurse leaders to simulation-based education to improve staff competence. The practice-focused questions asked if providing the nurse leaders of the hospital with information about the benefits of simulation-based staff education would lead to increased knowledge about and support for this type of education. …


A Phenomenological Exploration Of How Nursing Experience Shapes The Transitional Performance Of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners, Helen Okeke Jan 2021

A Phenomenological Exploration Of How Nursing Experience Shapes The Transitional Performance Of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners, Helen Okeke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPoor access to healthcare and a shortage of primary care providers in underserved communities paved the way for reliance on advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). This increased reliance on APRNs as primary care providers necessitates expanded public policy on APRN practice; however, information on APRN transitional experiences remains inadequate to inform policymakers effectively. Illinois’ Nurse Practice Act requires APRNs to incorporate the scope of practice of registered nurses into their practice but does not describe what that experience should be. Using Kanter’s theory of organizational structural empowerment and Benner’s novice to expert nursing model as theoretical lenses to ground the …


Clinical Practice Client Education Guideline For Early Detection Of Thyroid Cancer, Marcia Miller Jan 2021

Clinical Practice Client Education Guideline For Early Detection Of Thyroid Cancer, Marcia Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThyroid cancer (TC) incidences over the last decade have increased significantly. The practice problem addressed in this project was nurses’ lack of knowledge on how to perform or teach clients how to perform self-exams of the neck region for early detection of TC. This lack of knowledge limits the nurses’ ability to properly educate their clients about TC and recognizing when to seek medical interventions. The purpose of this project was to develop of an evidence-based, clinical practice client education guideline (CPCEG), based on an in-depth literature review, to address the nurses’ lack of knowledge and enable clients to engage …


Clinical Practice Guideline For Palliative Care Referral, Samantha Jones Jan 2021

Clinical Practice Guideline For Palliative Care Referral, Samantha Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Palliative care is a type of specialty care that focuses on the improvement of the quality of life and prevention of suffering of those with progressive serious illnesses by addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and families. There are many misperceptions about palliative care by providers, patients, and their families. Inconsistent interventions and a lack of palliative care education for providers results in delayed palliative care involvement. Delayed involvement results in patients with unmet palliative care needs. The purpose of this project was to develop clinical practice guidelines to ensure appropriate care based on the best available …


Strategies To Reduce Costs Caused By Medication Errors In Us Hospitals, Janice Leah Chobanuk Jan 2021

Strategies To Reduce Costs Caused By Medication Errors In Us Hospitals, Janice Leah Chobanuk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medication errors result in patient harm, including deaths, costing American hospitals over $20 billion annually. The financial impact and reduced public confidence in safe patient care create a business problem for hospital leaders trying to contain costs, maintain a competitive edge, and sustain patient satisfaction. Grounded in the sociotechnical conceptual framework, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to identify strategies hospital leaders use to reduce costs caused by medication errors in hospitals. Data collection involved semistructured interviews with 10 hospital leaders from various high-reliability hospitals across the United States and a review of documents related to medication management …


Transition Of Care To Decrease Hospital Readmission After Acute Mi, Patricia Yoon Jan 2021

Transition Of Care To Decrease Hospital Readmission After Acute Mi, Patricia Yoon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The time period after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can be overwhelming for patients; while glad to be discharged from the hospital, they may not have the knowledge nor resources to properly manage secondary prevention measures and treatment of residual coronary artery disease (CAD). The gap in nursing practice this project addressed is the lack of follow up of care leading to increased rates of readmission. The goal of this quality improvement (QI) initiative was to evaluate pre/post data and synthesize results to make recommendations for possible practice change whether a 30-day transition of care program could decrease readmission rates …


Relationship Between Nursing And Nurse Practitioner Instructors’ Online Teaching Self-Efficacy And Their Students’ Online Academic Self-Efficacy, Pauline C. Stoltzner Jan 2021

Relationship Between Nursing And Nurse Practitioner Instructors’ Online Teaching Self-Efficacy And Their Students’ Online Academic Self-Efficacy, Pauline C. Stoltzner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTo meet the high demand for nurses and nurse practitioners (NPs) and address the national shortage of these professionals, nursing and NP schools are rapidly moving courses online. With this trend, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities across the United States have been conducting classes in the online environment. The rapid transition from brick-and-mortar classes to online education has been a challenge for underprepared educators. The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate whether a relationship existed between potentially underprepared instructors’ online teaching self-efficacy and their students’ online academic self-efficacy. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory served as the theoretical framework. …


Nursing Staff Education Fall Prevention Program At A Skilled Nursing Facility, Solomon Lomo Jan 2021

Nursing Staff Education Fall Prevention Program At A Skilled Nursing Facility, Solomon Lomo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls have negative effects on the confidence, function, and quality of life in older adults and are major cause of injury and death among this population. The quality assurance report in a long-term care facility identified an average of 10 falls per week in the last quarter of 2017. The facility has a person-centered policy, which creates fall prevention challenges when usual fall protective practices are prohibited. The purpose of this education program was to educate staff nurses working with patients in a long-term care facility on additional evidenced based practices to prevent falls and injuries without compromising the person-centered …


Professional Nurse Attitudes Of Poverty Before And After Participation In A Poverty Simulation, Beth Mueller Jan 2021

Professional Nurse Attitudes Of Poverty Before And After Participation In A Poverty Simulation, Beth Mueller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implicit bias in healthcare toward those living in poverty may contribute to inequalities in care and increase the likelihood of patient noncompliance. The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in a poverty simulation had an impact on the attitudes of professional nurses toward those in poverty. Mezirow’s transformational theory was used to guide the study by allowing the learner to examine meaning and revise perspective after participation in an online module. This module included an online poverty simulation created by The United Way of Connecticut titled Making Tough Choices as well as a pre- and post-simulation survey …


Use Of Critical Thinking Strategies By Nurse Educators, Josephine Tundun Akintonde Jan 2021

Use Of Critical Thinking Strategies By Nurse Educators, Josephine Tundun Akintonde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNew graduate nurses often lack the clinical decision-making skills that are essential for developing clinical competency. Critical thinking abilities are essential for nursing excellence and professional competency. However, little is known about nurse educators' techniques and teaching practices for developing students’ critical thinking. The purpose of this phenomenological study, guided by constructivist learning theory, was to understand the lived experiences of nurse educators who used critical thinking teaching strategies in a baccalaureate nursing program to develop critical thinking skills in nursing students. Thirteen nurse educators from baccalaureate nursing programs were interviewed using open-ended questions. Interviews were transcribed and manually coded. …


Increasing Staff Knowledge Regarding The Use Of Nonpharmacological Interventions With Long-Term Care Residents Diagnosed With Dementia, Larissa Latrice Anderson Jan 2021

Increasing Staff Knowledge Regarding The Use Of Nonpharmacological Interventions With Long-Term Care Residents Diagnosed With Dementia, Larissa Latrice Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a clinical syndrome of progressive cognitive decline. The prevalence of a dementia diagnosis increases with age, making it a common occurrence within the older population. In long-term care facilities, where 5% of the older population reside, antipsychotic medications are the first line of defense and the choice of treatment among patients diagnosed with dementia. Recently, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new goal of decreasing antipsychotic medication usage by 15% by the end of 2019. Guided by Watson’s Theory of Caring, this project was conducted to determine if an …


Perceptions Of Midwestern Msn Nps Of The Dnp Degree, Margaret Gallagher Jan 2021

Perceptions Of Midwestern Msn Nps Of The Dnp Degree, Margaret Gallagher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Strong professional forces have emerged within healthcare with expectations for a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree for nurse practitioner (NP) practice. While NP contribution to societal healthcare is evident, most of these frontline workers are still only masters’ prepared nurses (MSN). A problem exists in that their views of the DNP have been minimally studied. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of Midwestern MSN NPs of the DNP. The study was supported by the self-determination theory (SDT) proposing that motivation for goal achievement was driven by perceptions of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, which set priorities …