Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Fall 2021

Scientia

A Decade of Progress and Success; Speech Language Pathology Program; COVID-19 Long-Hauler Study; Peer Mentors Initiative; Faculty Update; Expert Engagement: Three CSH initiatives further education and scholarship while supporting communities in need; Strategic Command: Business consultant and med tech expert Stephen Sichak helps others face pandemic challenges; Taking Care: A School of Nursing research team plumbs the pandemic experiences of nurses nationwide

Addressing Farm Safety: Farm Safety Dinner Theaters In The Shenandoah Valley, Tammy Kiser, Michelle Seekford, Jeremy Daubert

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Statistics demonstrate that farm safety and wellness issues affect all ages in the agricultural community. However, an increased proportion of youth and older farm workers comprise the highest rates of farm-related morbidity and mortality. Engaging farmers in increasing safe practices in the agricultural community is an important, ongoing challenge.

Methodology

Farm Safety Dinner Theaters, an initiative created through community-based participatory research (CBPR) at the University of Kentucky, provide a relaxed environment where farmers and their families can identify safety and wellness issues, watch as the actors process these issues, and enjoy a meal. Seeing the situations played out in theater …

Enhancing Community Engagement: Perspectives From Researchers, Community Members, And Service Providers, Anne-Marie O'Brien, Elyssa Wood

Virginia Journal of Public Health

Purpose: Compare and contrast perspectives from Research Team Members (RT), Community Members (CM) and Service Providers/Others (SP/O) about barriers and facilitators to community engagement and participation in health research.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey study with a convenience sample of adults who lived and/or worked in the Commonwealth of Virginia was conducted between May and July 2022. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were conducted to identify similarities and differences across the three stakeholder groups.

Results: A total of 303 participants were involved in this study. In general RTs, CMs and SP/Os were similar in their responses to perceived barriers and …

Using Gerontechnology For Care Transition Conversations In Senior Living, Roschelle L. Fritz, Catherine Van Son, Chris Veloicaza, Stephanie Soriano, Gabrielle Barling

ICHRIE Research Reports

Every day across the United States, thousands of senior living organizations assist with housing transition decisions for older adults experiencing health-related changes. These decisions impact resources for older adults and senior housing corporations, yet these decisions are based primarily on subjective observational data regarding older adults’ changes in function or cognition. Smart homes offering continuous, unobtrusive health monitoring with artificial intelligence capabilities are emerging as solutions offering health maintenance support and objective functional and health information. Such systems are well-positioned to support hospitality staff conversing with residents about transitioning from independent to assisted living. Our interdisciplinary nursing research and hospitality …

Evaluation Of Breastfeeding Interventions To Improve Duration In Women At Risk For Breastfeeding Attrition, Anthonia Anukam

The Corinthian

Children that are optimally breastfed have the healthiest start in life. The World Health Organization and the CDC recommend that mothers optimally breastfeed. Benefits of breastfeeding to children include the receipt of antibodies, reduction of ear, respiratory, and gastrointestinal infections, decreased sudden infant death syndrome, allergies, diabetes, and childhood leukemia. Several research studies have reported a strong positive correlation between breastfeeding and reduced infant morbidity and mortality. Evidence illustrates that the health benefits from breastfeeding are dose-dependent, thus the longer the breastfeeding duration the greater the acquisition of the enumerated benefits. However, premature cessation of breastfeeding less than the WHO …

Atrial Fibrillation, Julianna G. Perritt, Jennifer Goldsberry

The Corinthian

Atrial fibrillation, also known as A-Fib or AF, is a cardiovascular abnormality that is characterized by an abnormal heart rhythm or muscle contractions in the atria. These abnormalities are a result of disorganized electrical impulses. AF has various causes including, but not limited to, hypertension (HTN), heart surgery, thyroid disorders, heart defects, and acute alcohol ingestion. Persons with AF are often asymptomatic; however, some patients report heart palpitations, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness. A review of literature was conducted in order to determine the availability of risk factors, patient education, and treatment of AF.

Effectiveness Of Intra-Operative Gentamicin Irrigation In Reducing Post-Operative Surgical Site Infections: A Systematic Review, Kritika J. Kumar, Zaneta Smith

Journal of Perioperative Nursing

Aim: To evaluate and synthesise the effectiveness of intra-operative gentamicin in reducing post-operative surgical site infections compared to other irrigating solutions or no irrigation.

Background: Surgical site infection has posed challenges to health care providers around the globe. It is influenced by many risk factors, only a few of which are under the control of the surgeon and operating team. Wound irrigation is considered an essential part of the intra-operative process. It aims to minimise the risk of surgical site infection by thorough lavage of the operative site.

Design: Systematic review of effectiveness.

Review methods: The databases CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, …

Improving Healthcare Workers’ Biohazardous Spill Safe Handling Skills, Zeina Mhanna, Ahmad Tassi

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

All healthcare workers (HCWs) are exposed to biohazardous material. Biohazardous material may come in the form of spills, posing a risk of infection to (HCWs) who are not trained on how to safely handle them. While international guidelines recommend training HCWs on how to safely handle biohazardous spills in order to improve their skills, there are no studies that tackled this recommendation. The aim of this study is to improve HCWs’ biohazardous spill safe handling skills through training, and to evaluate the association between the HCWs’ improvement level and demographical characteristics. The study was conducted in a Southern Lebanese hospital …

Parents And Health Care Teams Perceptions Of Communication In Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Marjan Mardani, Haydeh Heidari

The Qualitative Report

Parents experience a lot of stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Then effective communication between parents and members of the care team is an essential component of improving the quality of care. The present study was conducted by qualitative exploratory research method for explaining parents and health care teams' perceptions of communication in NICU. We selected 39 participants by purposive sampling. We collected data through in-depth semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. The transcripts were analysed using the conventional content analysis approach. Three themes were obtained by analyzing the data included, the nature of communication, the theme of factors affecting successful …

Drivers Of Being Unhoused And The Prevalence Of Health Conditions Among Unhoused Individuals In Asheville, Nc, Andrea K. Yontz, Amber Beane, Tessa Frank, Amy Upham, Dustin V. Patil, Dan Pizzo, Steve Buie, Jacqueline R. Halladay

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the number of unhoused individuals in Asheville, North Carolina resulting in more tent encampments.

Understanding the physical, mental, and socially determined health characteristics associated with being unhoused can help guide stakeholders with policy development, healthcare program planning, and funding decisions to support unhoused individuals.

Methods

In this study, we used an observational cross-section methodology. Using a convenience sample approach, we interviewed 101 participants who were receiving services from 2 emergency hotel shelters, a day center, and a resource center. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were collected …

A Conceptual Model Of Organizational Compassion In Healthcare, Rachel Thienprayoon, Eli Awtrey, Teresa Pestian, Beth A. Lown, Naomi Winick, Jason Kanov

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: In healthcare, while the suffering of patients is often evident, the suffering of clinicians receives less focus. Some sources of clinician distress are directly related to constant exposure to patient suffering, but others are caused by the health care system, and thus potentially preventable. Looking at clinician suffering through the lens of compassion fosters a new paradigm of individual, team, and organizational capabilities, and moves the responsibility to alleviate this suffering from the individual onto the organization and team. Yet research into the impact of organizational compassion in healthcare has been extremely limited.

Approach: Our conceptual model of organizational …

Faith Community Nursing: Ministering To God's People In Ukraine Through Lamentation, Pam Dandre

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

None

Faith Community Nursing Case Study: Share Grant Procurement During The Covid-19 Epidemic, Deborah J. Ziebarth, Deborah Fell-Carlson, Marcy Shanks

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

A group of faith community nurses (FCNs) in rural Oregon joined together to form the Faith Community Health Network (FCHN). They applied for and received a grant to provide care coordination services to the residents of Lebanon and the greater Linn County. This case study is used to present the FCHN’s journey from coalition to a funded non-profit during the COVID-19 pandemic and the grant, “Rebuilding the Bridge Between Healthcare and Faith Communities” they received from the Intercommunity Health Network Coordinated Care Organization. The grant’s intent was to support the FCNs to expand their network, document electronically, and provide care …

The Effect Of The Covid Pandemic On Parish Nursing In The Uk, Helen Wordsworth

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

This article describes the impact that the Covid pandemic of 2020/2021 had on the work of UK Parish Nurses and the churches with which they worked. It explains how they adapted to the restrictions imposed by the government, changing the nature of the interventions they were able to make. It concludes that the resilience, flexibility, and creativity of the Parish nurses and of their national umbrella organisation, Parish Nursing Ministries UK, have enabled the emergence of a growing and vibrant ministry.

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Parish Nursing In Germany, Phyllis A. Solari-Twadell Phd, Mpa, Rn, Faan, Angela Glaser

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020/2021 had an impact globally on churches and the ministry of Parish Nurses. This article presents a brief historical overview of Germany, the uniqueness of the church in Germany, and parish nursing in Germany which is called vis-a- vis. The ministry of parish nursing in Germany is considered in light of the impact on the nursing profession and the demands created by COVID-19 within German society and the church in Germany.

Creating A Best Practice Model For Reopening Parish Nurse Sites Post-Pandemic, Mary Lynne Knighten Dnp, Rn, Nea-Bc

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to the healthcare delivery system. Parish nurses, faith community nurses, and congregational nurses found their practice frequently adapting to comply with government issued restrictions and the changing needs of the community. QueensCare Health & Faith Partnership (QHFP), a parish nurse program which is part of QueensCare, a non-profit public benefit corporation, and St. Dominic Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California designed a replicable model for safely reopening parish nurse sites. QHFP provides supportive healthcare services and case management services at no charge to underserved and vulnerable populations in cooperation with numerous churches, temples, …

Guest Editorial, Phyllis Ann Solari-Twadell Phd, Rn, Mpa, Faan

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

None

The Future Of Artificial Intelligence In Perioperative Nursing, Nick Nijkamp, Erin Wakefield

Journal of Perioperative Nursing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands poised at the forefront of health care innovation, promising transformative advances across multiple domains. In the field of perioperative nursing, where precision, efficiency and patient safety are paramount, the integration of AI holds immense potential to revolutionise clinical practice.

Defined as the imitation of human acumen, AI enables computers to perform tasks ‘that typically require human intelligence, such as decision-making, problem-solving and learning’. This editorial explores the current landscape of AI, future prospects for AI in perioperative nursing and the ethical imperatives that accompany this transformative paradigm shift.

As technology continues to evolve rapidly, perioperative nursing …

Impact Of Exercise On Burnout Of Nursing Students, Kelly Foudray

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Background: An important topic as a nurse educator is how to provide nursing students with adequate self-care strategies to help prevent feelings of burnout. Burnout is an issue not only that affects healthcare workers, but also those who are studying to work in the medical field, for example nursing students. Nursing students experience high levels of stress due to the significant workload throughout nursing school. Nursing students also go through a rigorous curriculum that is often inflexible. Many nursing programs have a competitive atmosphere among classmates, and they are also preparing for the NCLEX examination. All these factors can …

Naloxone Prescribing For High-Risk Opioid Patients In Primary Care, Theresa Turk

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Objective: Primary care providers have an integral role in combating the opioid epidemic and preventing opioid-related deaths. One method of prevention is prescribing naloxone to patients at high risk for overdose. Naloxone is a medication that bystanders may administer during an overdose situation that can reverse the life-threatening side effects of opioids. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase the number of naloxone prescriptions written by primary care providers to patients on opioids considered at high risk for overdose. High-risk patients were considered those prescribed opioids over 50 morphine equivalents (MME) and those who had co-prescribed benzodiazepines. …

Adherence To Standard Precautions In A Clinical Setting, Nwamaka Okoye

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Abstract

Influenza is typically caused by viruses that circulate during the winter months. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2022), in the United States, flu season occurs in the Fall and Winter, and peaks between December and February. The influenza season is often accompanied by highly transmissible upper respiratory viral infections, which prompts infected people to seek medical treatment at doctor's offices. Annual seasonal influenza epidemics result in 290,000–650,000 deaths worldwide, while influenza pandemics have resulted in many more, the A(H1N1) pandemic of 1918–1919 caused 20–50 million deaths (Tyrrell, 2021). Healthcare organizations need to adopt strict …

The Effect Of Simulation On Self-Confidence And Anxiety Related To Clinical Decision-Making In Undergraduate Bsn Students, Vivian Bowman

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Objective: Nursing students face challenges as they transition to the workplace and juggle the tasks of effective communication, delegation, prioritization, and clinical judgment during stressful situations. Research has shown that simulation is one method to improve clinical decision-making skills, increase confidence, and decrease anxiety. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to measure participants’ perceptions of their levels of self-confidence and anxiety related to clinical decision-making before and after a simulation session at George Washington University (GWU). Method: 21 third-semester Accelerated BSN students enrolled in the Adult-Geriatric Nursing 2 course were recruited for this study. Participants completed the Nursing …

Implementation Of A Healthy Skin Committee And Education On The Number Of Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries, Laura Viana

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Abstract

Over the years, hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) have emerged as a significant challenge in the healthcare industry. Despite significant advancements in healthcare, pressure injuries continue to be a persistent global healthcare issue, closely linked to the safety of patients, affecting patient outcomes, and increasing healthcare costs (Gaspar et al., 2019). HAPIs are associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates. HAPIs are likely to experience longer hospital stays, increased risk of infections, higher treatment costs, and potentially more significant health complications. HAPIs commonly occur in the hospitalized patient and are costly and preventable. Given the implications of HAPIs, there is …

Measuring The Impact Of Primary Care Team Composition On Patient Activation Utilizing Electronic Health Record Big Data Analytics, Kristen K. Will, Yue Liang, Chih-Lin Chi, Gerri Lamb, Michael Todd, Connie Delaney

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose

Team-based care has been linked to key outcomes associated with the Quadruple Aim and a key driver of high-value patient-centered care. Use of the electronic health record (EHR) and machine learning have significant potential to overcome previous barriers to studying the impact of teams, including delays in accessing data to improve teamwork and optimize patient outcomes.

Methods

This study utilized a large EHR dataset (n = 316,542) from an urban health system to explore the relationship between team composition and patient activation, a key driver of patient engagement. Teams were operationalized using consensus definitions of teamwork from the literature. …

The Impact Of Kangaroo Care On The Weight Gain Of Premature Infants, Heather Vincequere

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Premature birth remains a global health concern, affecting approximately 15 million infants annually (WHO, 2023). Kangaroo Care (KC), involving skin-to-skin contact between caregivers and infants, was developed as a promising intervention to mitigate the adverse effects of prematurity. This study aimed to investigate the impact of KC on weight gain among preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Doctors Hospital of Augusta (DHOA). A quasi-experimental quantitative posttest-only design was employed, with eight preterm infants (< 37 weeks gestation) participating in KC for at least 30 minutes daily. Daily weight measurements were collected over a four-week period and compared to the expected weight gain for infants receiving traditional incubator care. Results revealed a statistically significant increase in weight gain among infants receiving KC compared to the historical average for infants in traditional incubator care (t (7) = 2.443, p = 0.022). A large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.864) further supported the significance of these findings. Despite limitations such as a small sample size and convenience sampling, this study emphasizes that KC enhances weight gain in preterm infants, thus improving overall health outcomes. Implementation of KC requires ongoing support from nurse leaders to ensure proper education and successful integration into routine care practices. Nonetheless, continued research with larger samples and improved randomization is warranted to fully understand the long-term benefits of KC in neonatal care settings.

Nursing Implications For Transgender And Gender Diverse Perioperative Patients: A Discussion Paper, Oona O'Shea, Paula Foran

Journal of Perioperative Nursing

Perioperative nurses must provide culturally competent care to all surgical patients, and understanding gender identity and gender diversity may be the first step to creating an inclusive perioperative practice for transgender and gender diverse patients. In the nurse–patient relationship, limited exposure to and knowledge of diverse populations may negatively affect the health of this important demographic.

When nurses are unaware of how care can be affected by explicit (conscious) or implicit (unconscious) bias, they may use transphobic stereotyping behaviours or act with microaggressions, like using excessive protective attire. Such care may invalidate gender identity and impede trust. In contrast, nurses …

Pharmacological Interventions Versus Non-Pharmacological Interventions On Pain In Chronic Pain Patients, Harley Page, Olivia Mcswain

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

The study is a comparison experiment that looks at the different types of interventions to treat chronic pain. This study is set at Haysmed Rehabilitation to gather data on adult patients with chronic pain. When studying the interventions used for chronic pain, we found numerous ways of treatment. They are categorized as pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. During the study we found, that an understanding of what is causing the pain and the use of both interventions is the best way to go about treating/managing chronic pain.

Use Of An Electronic Health Record System In The Nursing Education Lab & Simulation Setting, Easlyn Koch

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Simulation has become a significant component of nursing education in recent years, especially with the increasing demand for high-fidelity simulations. However, nursing education struggles to keep up with the ever-changing healthcare technology, specifically electronic health records (EHR). Integrating EHRs into nursing education in areas such as the lab or simulation settings has the potential to impact overall patient safety, familiarity with similar technology, critical thinking skills, and practice readiness of student nurses. A review of the literature was performed, and it was found that the implementation and integration of an EHR in nursing education has overwhelming effects on overall student …

Undergraduate Nursing Education Simulation Training Using Virtual Reality Goggles And Teamstepps Methodology, Jennifer Koalenz

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Abstract

Due to changes in educational processes during global pandemic restrictions and the rapid pace of innovation and developments in virtual reality technology, this modality of education is expected to become a common presence in healthcare education. Immersive simulation activities can be an effective way to facilitate collaboration and communication skills in a constructivist-based classroom. Evidence shows that virtual simulation improves critical thinking skills, psychomotor skills, and decision making (Padilha et al., 2019). In addition, the availability of an on-demand, customizable scenario is highly useful to supplement clinical learning when necessary. But many caution that virtual simulation, just like any …

Emotional Support Animals And Mental Health, Kyla E. Barnett, Kaia Miller

SACAD: John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activity Days

Depression and anxiety disorders are a significant problem in adults and teenagers. These disorders continue to increase in prevalence year by year. One way to combat this is the use of emotional support animals (ESA’s), which have become increasingly popular. This study investigates the relationship between the use of emotional support animals and mental well-being of students with mental health disorders. This study is designed to illustrate the increase in sense of well-being in patients with mental health disorders who utilize ESA’s. This study applies both a qualitative and quantitative study design, the qualitative design of this study is phenomenological. …