Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating The Nutritional Adequacy Of Peruvian-American Children, Delainey Dietz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As people move and integrate cultures, nutritional trends may change from those of their native country to those of their new country. With today's increasing global immigration, studies have only scratched the surface of the impact of acculturation on children's health and nutrition. Specifically, the Peruvian-American diet is one that has garnered minimal research. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the common foods and drinks that Peruvian-American children consume, assess the children's physical health, and discuss the possible causative factors of any diet trends. The population sampled is children under 18 years living in the United States whose …

Home-Based Interventions To Lower Neonatal Mortality Rates In Developing Countries, Josee Sarah Etienne

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To evaluate Home-based interventions to lower neonatal mortality rates in developing countries.

Background: A developing country is a country that is lacking in the services and facilities enjoyed by people in developed countries, such as personally owned automobiles and homes with indoor plumbing and water-carried sewage disposal systems. The difference in resources compared to developed regions, has been evident to the correlation of the increase neonatal mortality rates.

Method: An electronic, systematic review of four databases were used to retrieve 209 articles initially, later filtered to 42 articles utilized in this review. The following databases used are as listed: …

Pineal Gland Abnormalities And The Relationship Of Melatonin To The Development And Symptom Severity Of Schizophrenia: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Kathryn Margretta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to critique the literature focusing on the role of pineal gland volume and function and the development of schizophrenia by asking the question, "What is the relationship between pineal gland physiologic function and development and symptom severity of schizophrenia? It is crucial that health care providers continue advocate for better understanding of schizophrenia in order to develop a more appropriate treatment and relive the suffering of those with schizophrenia. A review of published literature focusing on the pineal glands association with schizophrenia was performed using several databases including: ScienceDirect, PubMED, Google Scholar, Cumulated Index …

Facilitation Of Enviromental Factors To Reduce Sound Decibels In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Literature Review, Cassandra Hanlon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This literature review investigates nursing interventions to reduce decibel levels in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The secondary purpose of this review was to evaluate if the interventions to reduce noise in the NICU had different outcomes for normal weight premature infants and infants afflicted with neonatal abstinence syndrome. The data bases for completing this review were Google Scholar, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Plus), PubMed, and Elton B. Stephens Co. (EBSCO). The key search words included ‘NICU and decibels', ‘reducing decibels', ‘neonatal abstinence syndrome' ‘decibels', ‘preterm infants' and 'normal weight preterm infant*'. The …

The Impact Of Immersive Virtual Reality On Procedural Pain In Children And Adolescents, Abigail J. Dannels

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Children commonly undergo uncomfortable and often times painful procedures, including those that may not be perceived as painful to adults (Çelikol, Büyük, & Yıldızlar, 2019). It is important to note when a child's pain is poorly managed, it causes adverse effects related to their well-being and reduces their ability to cope effectively with pain in the future (Gates et al., 2020). Virtual reality (VR) has been used in a multimodal approached to manage acute pain in adults, but there is little research related to its use in treating procedural pain in children and adolescents. This thesis reviewed the published research …

Racial Disparities Among Black Women In Maternal Health: A Literature Review, Tatiyana Rich

Honors Undergraduate Theses

African American women are at a higher risk of experiencing maternal health complications than women of other races. Determining the factors that contribute to the severity of their maternal health complications can help bring awareness and exposure to the disparities among black women in maternal health. The purpose of this study was to explore the various elements that contribute to the high pregnancy mortality ratio and infant mortality ratio in black women and black infants. The secondary purpose was to determine the relationship between stereotypes about African American women as healthcare consumers and the disproportionate percentage of black women experiencing …

Using Physical Exercise Interventions To Reduce Depression And Anxiety In People With Lung Cancer, Jordan E. Dubocq

Honors Undergraduate Theses

People with lung cancer are at a high risk of developing anxiety and depression during cancer treatments. Previous research has shown physical activity to be effective in improving psychological symptoms in people with cancer, however, the majority of studies have focused on female breast cancer survivors. The purpose of this literature review was to determine if physical activity interventions can effectively and feasibly reduce anxiety and depression in people with lung cancer who are undergoing treatment. A database search was conducted in CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, and SPORTDiscus. The search resulted in 265 articles and 9 were selected for …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) For Individuals With Epilepsy, April Detrick

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Individuals with epilepsy manage the clinical manifestations of the condition, primarily seizure-related activity, with daily use of pharmacologic agents, making it one of the most common neurological conditions treated with drug therapy for symptom management. Pharmacologic agents for epilepsy, also known as anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), are commonly prescribed to treat seizures and neurologic conditions associated with epilepsy but can lead to a reduced quality of life and many unwanted side effects. Complementary and alternative treatments can also provide relief from seizures associated with epilepsy. The purpose of this literature review was to evaluate the effectiveness of complementary and alternative treatments …

Home Healthcare Embodied Agents: Priorities And Opportunities, Faith Sauber

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Prevention is a central tenet of modern healthcare. New ways of informing, educating, and allowing patients to keep track of their health are continually developing. Integrating technology that bridges the gap between healthcare providers and their patients is essential in today's digital age. One emerging idea is the use of home healthcare embodied agents. Embodied agents are conservational interfaces that can interact and look like human beings. They can exhibit both verbal and non-verbal language cues and be capable of having a natural conversation. This kind of technology could help both patients and healthcare providers by giving patients a helpful …

Nursing Education For Lgbtq Patients: A Literature Review, Shelley A. Jones

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the United States (US), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are at an increased risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections, are less likely to receive recommended health screenings, are more likely to abuse alcohol and other substances, are at a higher risk for attempting suicide, and experience greater health disparities compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Compounding these health-related problems is a significant discrepancy whereby LGBTQ people have poor or no access to health care. One approach to correct the health disparities the LGBTQ community faces is through LGBTQ-specific health education for nursing students. A review of the …

Race-Based Adjustment In Egfr Algorithms: An Integrative Literature Review, Leah E. Utt

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: There is a 3-fold risk of developing end stage kidney disease in Non-Hispanic African Americans compared to Non-Hispanic White Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), one of the fundamental algorithms for coordinating treatment for kidney disease which factors in age, race, gender, and levels of creatinine, may pose an issue in this vulnerable population. Currently African Americans receive a correction factor between 1.21 and 1.16 to their eGFR to adjusting the value higher, potentially impacting appropriate kidney disease classification, and delaying beneficial interventions (National Kidney Foundation, 2020).

Methods: A systematic literature search …

The Effect Of Covid-19-Related Stress On Registered Nurses In The United States, Samantha Jacqlyn Genova

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The United States, as of October 2021, is the country with the most reported COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths in the world. Since the first case was confirmed, Registered Nurses working in the acute care setting have been at the forefront of this public health crisis. As the pandemic has continued, studies have been conducted to collect, analyze, and reveal the effect of COVID-19-related stress on Registered Nurses in the United States. This critical literature review takes eleven published studies related to this topic, discusses the commonalities between them, addresses limitations in the literature and offers recommendations for future research. …

Playing Music As A Nursing Intervention To Reduce Distress In Neonatal And Pediatric Acute Care Patients: A Literature Review, Seren E. Özoğlu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Pediatric and neonatal patients are especially vulnerable to suffering from distress. This literature review identifies research which applies passive music listening to distressed neonatal and pediatric acute care patients. Databases searched to find relevant studies include CINAHL plus with full text, MEDLINE, Alt HealthWatch, APA PsycArticles, and APA PsycInfo from EBSCOhost. Six studies were identified to meet search criteria. The studies that supported music listening with the neonatal and pediatric populations had a positive effect in reducing distress levels. Additional research is warranted to further validate these findings. Music listening with neonatal and pediatric patients is a simple, cost-effective intervention …

Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality On Reducing Pain In Burn Patients, Jillian R. Carr

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Burn patients undergo excruciating levels of pain throughout their treatment in the hospital. Pain levels increase during medical procedures, such as wound care and debridement. As a part of the treatment plan, traditional pharmacologic interventions are provided. Over time, patients become tolerant of pain medications, specifically opioids. The developed tolerance contributes to more pain felt by the patient. Medical providers limit the number of opioids prescribed to prevent addiction and other adverse effects, contributing to the challenge in treating burn pain. Virtual reality (VR) has been studied as an intervention across various settings to alleviate distressing symptoms in patients. Many …

Use Of Mechanical Pronation Beds In Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome In The Intensive Care Unit: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Amanda St. John

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The increasing rate of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) reinforces the need for additional resources to assist clinical staff with an individual's care and recovery. Pronation therapy involves physically rotating an individual from the posterior position to the prone position. Pronation therapy has successfully been used for individuals diagnosed with ARDS in Intensive Care Units for decades. However, manual pronation maneuvers by staff members poses risks for those who are critically ill and risk of physical injury to caregivers. Mechanical pronation beds have revolutionized the art of pronation therapy, minimizing risks, and decreasing possibility of kinking or pulling out life …