Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Huddle And Safety, Jaelynn Hall Bsn, Rn

MSN Capstone Projects

The purposed evidence-based practice (EBP) project focuses on a nursing intervention (team huddles) to increase safety and reduce inpatient fall rates. Negative outcomes to consider from an inpatient fall are harm and injury to the patient along with increased health care cost for the patient as well as hospital facility. Accrued cost associated with an in-patient injury resulting from a fall is not reimbursed according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The additional cost for hospital-acquired falls is estimated to be $6,694 (95% CI: -$1,277 to $14,665) (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2017). This was only related …

Clostridioides Difficile Infection Rates And Diabetes Mellitus In The Acute Care Hospital Setting: A Pilot Retrospective Study, Abigail Howe

Honors College

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) are bacterial infections severely affecting an individual’s health and financially affecting health care settings. These infections are a persistent health care issue despite implementation of preventative measures. Research on the risk of acquiring CDI for individuals with comorbidities is scarce. Diabetes mellitus (DM) may negatively impact an individual’s immune system and consequently increase the risk of CDI. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if the incidence of DM differed between patients who had CDI and patients who did not have CDI. After receiving an Internal Review Board (IRB) exempt status, electronic medical records …

Development And Psychometric Analysis Of The Patient Preferences For Engagement Tool, Teresa Jerofke-Owen, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Assessing patients’ preferences for engaging in healthcare is needed to inform the planning and delivery of individualized healthcare. Unfortunately, patients are often not engaged in their care to the extent that they would like, leading to patient feelings of disempowerment and frustration.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to (a) develop and (b) psychometrically test the Patient Preferences for Engagement Tool (PPET), a clinical assessment tool that can be used by nursing staff to identify patient preferences for engagement in healthcare. The usability of the PPET was also examined for both nurses and patients participating in the study. …

Advance Directives And Intensity Of Care Delivered To Hospitalized Older Adults At The End-Of-Life, Marsha Helen Tyacke, Jill L. Guttormson, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Kathryn Schroeter, Wendy Peltier

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Older adults prefer comfort over life-sustaining care. Decreased intensity of care is associated with improved quality of life at the end-of-life (EOL).

Objectives

This study explored the association between advance directives (ADs) and intensity of care in the acute care setting at the EOL for older adults.

Methods

A retrospective, correlational study of older adult decedents (N = 496) was conducted at an academic medical center. Regression analyses explored the association between ADs and intensity of care.

Results

Advance directives were not independently predictive of aggressive care but were independently associated with referrals to palliative care and hospice; however, …

The Validity And Utility Of Violence Risk Assessment Tools To Predict Patient Violence In Acute Care Settings: An Integrative Literature Review, Manonita Ghosh, Di Twigg, Yvonne Kutzer, Amanda Towell-Barnard, Gideon De Jong, Mary Dodds

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To examine risk assessment tools to predict patient violence in acute care settings. An integrative review of the literature. Five electronic databases – CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE, OVID, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched between 2000 and 2018. The reference list of articles was also inspected manually. The PICOS framework was used to refine the inclusion and exclusion of the literature, and the PRISMA statement guided the search strategy to systematically present findings. Forty-one studies were retained for review. Three studies developed or tested tools to measure patient violence in general acute care settings, and two described the primary and …

Evidence-Based Interventions: Improving Influenza Vaccination Rate Among Health Care Workers (Hcws) Targeting Direct Care-Givers, Jennelyn Fraser-Johnson

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Influenza is a contagious disease affecting over three million people every year. It is associated with yearly seasonal outbreaks which increases the risk of mortality among immune-compromised, hospitalized clients, clients in long-term care facilities and also enhances the risk of infection in healthcare workers (HCWs). Nosocomial infections and employees’ absenteeism are often associated with the flu. A high influenza vaccination rate in health care professionals reduces the risk of influenza infection as well as being a cost- effective strategy to reduce lost work hours. A Joint Commission criterion for accreditation for healthcare facilities is to achieve a 90% …

Reducing Medication Errors In The Acute Care In-Patient Setting: An Integrative Review, Ronni T. Rothwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Scholarly Projects

Promoting a culture of safety in healthcare organizations has become a necessary goal to ensure that patients are safe, well cared for, and satisfied with the services they receive. One of the areas recognized as a major safety concern across hospitals in the United States and abroad are medication errors, which continue to occur at a staggering rate. This integrative review seeks to serve two purposes to combat this pandemic problem. First, the project will attempt to determine if an appropriate intervention or strategic initiative exists that can reduce medications errors for adult patients on an acute care patient unit …

Is There An Economic Case For Investing In Nursing Care – What Does The Literature Tell Us?, Diane E. Twigg, Helen Myers, Christine Duffield, Margaret Giles, Gemma Evans

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim

To determine the cost effectiveness of increasing nurse staffing or changing the nursing skill mix in adult medical and/or surgical patients?

Background

Research has demonstrated that nurse staffing levels and skill mix are associated with patient outcomes in acute care settings. If increased nurse staffing levels or richer skill mix can be shown to be cost-effective hospitals may be more likely to consider these aspects when making staffing decisions.

Design

A systematic review of the literature on economic evaluations of nurse staffing and patient outcomes was conducted to see whether there is consensus that increasing nursing hours/skill mix is …

Psychometric Properties Of Three Instruments To Measure Fatigue With Myocardial Infarction, Ann Eckhardt, Anne Fink, Michelle Fennessy, Jessica Jones, Donna Kruse, Kathryn Vanderzwan, Catherine Ryan, Julie Zerwic

Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of three questionnaires to measure fatigue with myocardial infarction. The Fatigue Symptom Inventory Interference Scale, Profile of Moods States Fatigue subscale (POMS-F), and Short Form 36 (SF-36) Vitality Scale were completed during hospitalization (n = 116) and 30 days after hospital admission (n = 49). Moderate to strong correlations were found among each of these fatigue scales and between each fatigue scale and measures of other variables to include vigor, depressed mood, anxiety, and physical functioning. POMS-F scores decreased significantly at Time 2, but this decline in fatigue was …

Transitioning From Acute Care To Ambulatory Care, Beth Ann Swan

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

Trends in health care financing and changes in care delivery from the hospital to outpatient settings have caused an unprecedented demand for registered nurses in ambulatory care.

Nurses transition to ambulatory care expecting to use the same knowledge base and skill set used in their acute care practice.

While some knowledge and skills may be transferable, competencies (and additional knowledge and skills) needed by acute care nurses and ambulatory care nurses are not the same.

The purpose of this article to is describe and dispel myths associated with ambulatory care nursing practice and discuss the knowledge, skills, and competencies that …