Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Hospital Footwear As A Vector For Organism Transmission, David J. Frederick

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the United States healthcare system, nearly one in 31 patients contract a nosocomial infection. Footwear worn in these hospital settings are a factor that should be considered when determining contributing agents and methods for organism transmission. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the current research on hospital footwear as a vector for organism transmission. Eight studies were included in this review to examine the impact of wearable interventions on footwear-related contamination in the hospital setting and organism transfer as it relates to footwear and hospital environments. The link between the organism load and diversity on hospital worn …

Awareness Of The Unaware: Anosognosia As A Comorbidity In Mental Health Conditions, Tiffany L. Baula

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The primary purpose of this integrative review of the literature is to describe healthcare provider’s recognition of anosognosia in individuals with comorbid mental health disorders, as a differentiating diagnosis needing preeminent early intervention. The secondary purpose is to examine how anosognosia influences outcomes in the population of individuals with severe mental illness. It is expected that early recognition by clinicians and implementation of additional interventions to address anosognosia as the most influential comorbidity of schizophrenia, will decrease exacerbations and improve treatment and patient outcomes.

A literature review exploring clinician’s acknowledgement of anosognosia was performed using various databases. Search terms included: …

The Effects Of A Plant-Based Diet On Inflammation Of Patients With Cardiac Disease, Rachel L. Butcher

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cardiac disease is the primary cause of death in the United States of America (CDC, 2017). Despite ongoing efforts and investments to improve cardiac health in the United States, most of the population will suffer from cardiovascular diseases. There is a multitude of research supporting that diet can contribute to cardiac disease, but it is less known that diet can greatly contribute to regulation and reversal of cardiovascular disease processes (Huang et al., 2012; Satija et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2019). Existing research supports the efficacy of plant-based diets to manage and reverse certain cardiac diseases (Tuso et al., …

Exploring The Impact Of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Related To Sexual Behavior In College Men, Dalton J. Poe

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective tool for preventing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition in sexually active at-risk individuals such as men who have sex with men (MSM). The purpose of this study is to examine factors associated with intent to engage in risky sexual behavior among HIV-negative college aged (18-24) MSM who are currently adherent to PrEP or who have expressed interest in the future adoption of PrEP. A multiracial/ethnic sample of 31 men expressing interest in the adoption of PrEP and 6 men currently taking PrEP completed a quantitative survey identifying key themes regarding attitudes towards PrEP and …

Millennial Attitudes Toward Telehealth: An Integrative Literature Review, Hannah Gwyneth Y. Tabora

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Purpose: The primary purpose of this research was to explore individuals born in the millennial generation’s likelihood of using telehealth and virtual office visits as a replacement for face to face provider interactions. The secondary purpose was to examine the feasibility and access of treatable conditions and ailments in a virtual environment.

Methods: A literature review exploring millennials and telehealth was performed using various databases with search terms combined to include: ‘millennials*’, ‘telehealth*’, ‘telemed*’, ‘finance*’, ‘primary care*’, ‘healthcare*’, ‘health knowledge*’, ‘literacy*’, ‘education*’, ‘misinformation*’. The data was conformed into tables that synthesized the relationship between the millennial generation and their access …

Exploring The Different Factors Associated With Burnout, Natassja J. Debra

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Maslach and Leiter determined burnout to be caused by three major components: exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficiency. This literature review focuses on factors that directly contribute to new graduate nurse burnout. Major factors discussed in this paper are differences in expectations versus reality, influences from past education, developing professional identity, and the effect of the workplace environment on new graduate transition. Interventions to combat burnout are discussed along with recommendations for future research.

Trophic Enteral Feeds In Mechanically Ventilated Adult Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome/Acute Lung Injury And Associated Clinical Outcomes, Kiersten Ann Tidwell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Enteral nutrition (EN) is often delayed in critically ill patients despite strong evidence to support that early enteral nutrition feeding is beneficial in this population. Adverse outcomes in critically ill patients in which nutrition is delayed include a longer length of stay and time on the ventilator, and a higher incidence of pneumonia and hospital mortality. The purpose of this literature review was to evaluate the current evidence regarding trophic enteral feeds in mechanically ventilated adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)/acute lung injury (ALI) and associated clinical outcomes. A retrospective literature review was performed to identify articles published …

The Impact Of Virtual Reality On Chronic Pain, Alexis Whitehead

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Chronic pain remains a prevalent problem across the United States. Chronic pain does not seem to have a function and relief of this symptom remains elusive for many sufferers. Virtual reality has been used as an adjunct therapy to decrease acute pain with promising results, but there is little research on whether virtual reality could be used as a successful intervention for those with chronic pain. Virtual reality has few side effects, so it warrants consideration for the treatment of chronic pain. There is growing evidence that there is potential for virtual reality to produce desired results with patients having …

Exploring The Effects Service Dogs Have On Veterans With Ptsd, Shelby E. Reeves

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness resulting from exposure to a traumatic event. Symptoms of PTSD vary, but those affected commonly experience nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and trouble sleeping; they may also avoid people or situations that trigger traumatic memories. It is estimated that PTSD affects about 10-30% of all United States veterans. Additionally, traditional treatment methods have an average dropout rate of 25% among military personnel. Inadequate PTSD symptom management may lead to depression, anxiety, suicidality, isolation, unstable relationships, and substance misuse. The purpose of this review is to examine the current research concerning the use of service …

Evaluating The Nutritional Status Of Peruvian Born Children, Chantelle Garcia Medina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Rural areas of Peru lack access to healthcare resources and poor nutritional knowledge of what should be given to their children throughout their growth and development. The majority of the rural areas rely on a high carbohydrate, moderate vegetable diet, and lacking a protein source. Lower protein intake can lead to problems of malnutrition and growth stunting. Families rarely have monetary resources to provide a protein at every meal for the entire family. There is also a lack of a clean water supply, free of parasites and helminths. Caregivers often rely on replenishing intake with other fluids high …

Interventions For Cultivating Civility In The Healthcare Team: Review Of The Literature, Elizabeth Knapp

Honors Undergraduate Theses

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this literature review was to examine the most current research regarding effective, evidence-based programs for reducing incivility among the healthcare team, particularly nurses. BACKGROUND: Incivility in the work environment is linked to a variety of negative outcomes, including diminished productivity, impaired judgement, and reduced employee retention. Incivility is especially detrimental to the healthcare team because it is correlated with decreased quality of patient care and increased medical errors. Despite regulations and statements made by the Joint Commission and the American Nurses Association to combat this serious problem, incivility continues to plague healthcare. METHODS: …