Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Benson’S Relaxation Response: Psychological And Physiological Responses Among Patients With Copd, Crista Reaves

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. In patients with COPD, distress is significantly prevalent and can have adverse psychological and physiological effects. Considering the increased rate of COPD, a mind-body intervention focusing on the reduction of both psychological and physiological responses such as anxiety, elevated blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), dyspnea, and respiratory rate must be integrated into the patient’s plan of care. The relaxation response (RR) is a term coined by Dr. Herbert Benson in the 1970s describing the body’s ability to counter the fight-or-flight response to decrease …

Peer Mentorship: Reported Outcomes Among Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Aja Rivera, Champagna Conner

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Background: Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist (SRNAs) experience high levels of stress and anxiety while enrolled a demanding nurse anesthesia program; a peer mentorship program fosters an encouraging support system for SRNAs. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate if a peer mentorship program was effective at diminishing stress & anxiety, social isolation, enhancing preparedness amongst the first and second-year SRNAs, and to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of mentorship amongst students enrolled in the NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia (NSUHS SONA). Methods: This quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study design involved three cohorts of SRNAs. Participants communicated through personal …

Nursing Campus Therapy Dog, Deborah A. Hall

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

An acknowledged bond has existed between humans and animals throughout history. Therapeutic physical and psycho-social effects of these bonding relationships have been noted in health care settings. Professional nursing education is known to be one of the most demanding and stressful fields of study. Students begin to experience extreme stress early in their nursing education. An animal-assisted intervention with a therapy dog is an innovative and inexpensive action that can help decrease the stress, anxiety, and depression students experience in higher education.

The focus of this dissertation portfolio was an animal-assisted intervention with a nursing campus therapy dog. The initial …

Perinatal Mood And Anxiety Disorders, Stigma, And Social Support Among Postpartum Women, Ellen K. Fleischman

Dissertations

Purpose/Aims: The purpose of this descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships among perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) symptomatology, select demographics, stigma of mental illness, and social support, among inpatient postpartum women. Rationale: PMADs affect as many as 21% of childbearing women, yet these disorders are identified and treated less than half the time. There is a gap in the literature regarding the relationships among stigma, social support, and PMADs in postpartum women.

Conceptual Basis/Background: Despite recommendations from professional organizations, screening for PMADs is not consistently completed using a valid, reliable instrument. Stigma contributes to the low …

Toward Expert Consensus On Guidelines For The Use Of Yoga In The Treatment Of Anxiety In Children And Adolescents., Laura J. Abels

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problem Statement: Despite clinical evidence to support the use of yoga as a treatment option for children and adolescents with anxiety, clinical practice guidelines do not exist. Purpose: This project used the modified Delphi technique to determine if consensus exists on the need for clinical practice guidelines among experts in the fields of child and adolescent psychiatry, psychology, and yoga. Additionally, this project aimed to determine if consensus exists on what should be included in clinical practice guidelines for the use of yoga as a therapeutic intervention for anxiety in children and adolescents. Methods: Three rounds of questionnaires were used …

Increasing Utilization Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy To Reduce Morbid Obesity In A Primary Care Setting, Erin J. Mccue

Doctoral Projects

Background: Obesity among adults is characterized by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. The impairment and disability resulting from obesity indicates a significant health problem that is often seen in primary care settings. Research indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an underutilized, but extremely beneficial intervention that may support individuals in achieving weight loss. Adults suffering from obesity with or without comorbid conditions such as psychiatric disorders (e.g. anxiety and depression) have benefitted from CBT.

Purpose: To implement the increased utilization of CBT in the adult population with obesity and depression or anxiety in a primary …

Association Of Skeletal Muscle And Psychological Responses To Immobility After Major Injury, Jacob T. Higgins

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the physical and psychological responses to the combination of major trauma (Injury Severity Score [ISS] > 15) and variable periods of immobility. Specific aims were to: 1) develop a conceptual model that illustrates physiological and psychological alterations that occur after injury and subsequent immobility, and their association with skeletal muscle responses and recovery; 2) evaluate daily measures of skeletal muscle strength (bicep and quadricep) using dynamometry and skeletal muscle (rectus femoris and biceps brachii) muscle thickness measured with ultrasound in patients after major trauma; and 3) assess the predictive ability of anxiety and …

Evaluating Pre-Procedural Anxiety In Adults Undergoing Interventional Radiology Procedures, Rebecca Doll

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate pre-procedural anxiety with the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) in the adult population of the Interventional Radiology department at University of Kentucky Medical Center. The objective is to provide meaningful data to providers in this clinical area that could potentially facilitate better departmental workflow and also promote quality patient outcomes.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review, using a pre/post design, was used to evaluate the departmental implementation of APAIS. Case logs for the department were observed from January 2018 to June 2018 and then again, following APAIS implementation, from July …

Utilizing Telecommunication To Provide Patient Centered Care For Adults Newly Diagnosed With Gi Cancer: A Quality Improvement Project, Laurie Miller

DNP Scholarly Projects

INTRODUCTION: A confirmed diagnosis of GI Cancer causes anxiety and stress as patients become overwhelmed with questions, worries and fears. At diagnosis, patients are not yet formally connected to the support services available to those actively receiving chemotherapy, creating a “gap period”. To help reduce anxiety, as well as, foster therapeutic relationships and improve overall patient experiences, a structured telephone communication by the gastrointestinal cancer oncology nurse practitioner (GI NP) was proposed.

AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE: Reduction of anxiety has been shown to enhance the quality of life, increase compliance with a prescribed treatment plan and foster the ability to sign informed …

Prescreening Recommendations For Patients On Medical Cannabis, Wen Chieh Hu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal substance in the United States and is most widely used among young people aged 12 to 21 years. Accurate screening and monitored issuance of medical cannabis recommendations have been shown to decrease abuse rates of the substance, create fewer deaths from opiates, reduce crime rates, reduce marijuana use in youths, decrease car crash deaths, and lessen prevalence of suicide in young men. The purpose of this project was to explore whether multiple screening methods for depression and anxiety in patients who seek medical cannabis referrals for anxiety and depression would improve screening and …

Evaluating State Anxiety Levels In Nursing Students, Rachel Stevens, Rachel Nussbaum, Tyler Blake

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anxiety, dependent upon the frequency and severity, can be a serious problem that reduces physical, cognitive, and clinical performance. Nursing students have been found to experience especially high levels of state and trait anxiety which, according to Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory, causes a deficit in health promotion and the health of oneself. There is little evidence available about how progression through a baccalaureate nursing program in the United States impacts anxiety. This research investigates anxiety in baccalaureate nursing students and how progression through the program influences self-reported anxiety levels. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on a convenience sample …