Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Mindfulness Education And Resources On Stress In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jacqueline James

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

The purpose of this project was to reduce stress levels of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by teaching them mindfulness practices and education on free and accessible methods to integrate mindfulness into their daily lives, as well as the benefits of mindfulness in reducing stress and improving psychological well-being.

Parents of children with ASD experience high levels of stress and numerous research studies support the use of mindfulness techniques to reduce stress levels in adults. The participants in this project included mothers who have at least one child with ASD who attend the Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental …

Incorporation Of Mindfulness Application Use In Doctoral Nurse Anesthesia Curricula For Mitigation Of Stress And Anxiety In Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Kerrie Rodgers

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

The nurse anesthesia specialty is highly stressful, with educational training being no exception. High didactic demands and intensive clinical experiences are placed on student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs), increasing stress and anxiety in their personal and professional lives. High levels of psychological distress can lead to inadvertent consequences in students’ mental, emotional, and physical health and can contribute to illness, burnout, substance use, and compromise in patient safety. Some degree of stress is necessary for motivation to succeed and perform at high levels, and encountering stress while enrolled in a doctoral nurse anesthesia program is expected and unavoidable. A search …

Life After The Pandemic: Use Of An Educational Coping Strategy Tool Kit For Healthcare Professionals, Christine Thorpe-Gilpin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has proven that acute care healthcare professionals (i.e., nurses, certified nursing assistants, and respiratory therapists have been experiencing ongoing challenges and ineffective coping mechanisms. The Toolkit for Emotional Coping for Healthcare Staff (TECHS) educational toolkit has introduced practical coping skills that could benefit healthcare workers. Using the TECHS has effectively inspired the development and usage of practical coping skills among healthcare workers. There were three tools included in the TECHS educational material to understand and manage adversity, which can be repeated for new or recurring stressful situations in a personal or team-based approach. These tools were based on cognitive-behavioral …

Er Staff & Burnout: Interventions For Stress Management, Sara Elizabeth Kerbow

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing is one of the most difficult professions, not only physically exhausting but the mental and emotional toll can create havoc for the person’s life (Scala & Drummond, 2016). This DNP project, “Reset”, was founded on the concept of nursing burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma causing overwhelming stress related to the emergency room nurse and staff. The purpose of this project was to show how a 15-minute mental health reset can play an essential role in stress reduction. By using complementary health modalities such as lavender essential oil with diffuser, visual imagery, and massage while listening to soft calming …

Cardiovascular Disease In Firefighters, Emily Jordan Baldwin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This quality improvement project aimed to address the problem of increased cardiovascular events in firefighters in a county in the foothills of North Carolina. Nola Pender and Dorothy Orem’s theories were utilized for this project. The literature review exhibits the prevalence and significance of cardiovascular disease in firefighters. The literature review demonstrates the benefits healthy eating and exercise have on the heart and towards the prevention of cardiovascular disease. A pre- and post-test was utilized for this project and allowed for the collection of data appropriately. The results showed education on cardiovascular disease, exercise, and healthy eating increased the knowledge …

Mindfulness Based Self Care Toolkit For Psychiatric Healthcare Staff, Harkirat Kaur Bajwa

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Background: Healthcare personnel (HCP) are at high risk of stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue (CF). Up to 50% of physicians and 33% of nurses experience burnout in the United States. Higher rates of burnout were noted during the recent SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic due to the increased need for mental health services among patients and HCP.

Problem: Stress, burnout, and CF are associated with increased medical errors, poor patient safety, and higher staff turnover rates. One-third of nurses report they intend to leave the profession because of burnout which contributes to financial burden for hospitals. A higher nurse turnover rate …

The Impact Of Self-Compassion Strategies To Reduce Stress And Support The Transition To Practice For New Graduate Nurses: A Pilot Project, Charity Michelle Ballmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract The purpose of the study was to analyze the impact of self-compassion exercises to reduce stress and support the transition to practice for new graduate nurses. As the years pass, one thing remains a consistent topic in healthcare, and the need for nurses remains constant. The nursing staffing shortage gap seemingly widened further as the COVID-19 pandemic created additional challenges for healthcare systems, patient care, and employees. Retention of the workforce and an intentional focus on new graduate nurses' well-being have become increasingly important. New graduate nurses are a pipeline for the nursing workforce. Supporting the transition to practice …

Stress And Its Associated Factors In Mothers With Preterm Infants In A Private Tertiary Care Hospital Of Karachi, Pakistan, Salima Akbar

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Preterm births are the leading cause of death worldwide. Preterm births not only have devastating effects on the new born, but they also have psychological effects on the mothers. Identifying stress related to preterm births, and the factors associated with the stress among mothers with preterm infants is of great importance, for providing sound care to the newborns and their mothers. This study aimed to assess the level of stress and the factors associated with increased level of stress among mothers with preterm infants, in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.
Purpose: The study aimed to answer the …

Evaluation Of A Peer Support Group Implementation To Reduce Burnout In Nursing Staff On An Acute Inpatient Mental Health Unit, Marilyn Scott

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Burnout is feeling emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted due to stress in the workplace. Caring for acute psychiatric patients can impact the mental health of nursing staff and contribute to high-stress levels. Nursing burnout contributes to staffing shortages and increased risk for adverse patient safety events in an acute inpatient mental health unit.

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Quality Improvement (QI) project was to evaluate the impact of a peer support group on burnout reduction in the nursing staff working in an acute inpatient mental health unit.

Methods: A peer support group was implemented …

Increasing Music Therapy Referrals In A Surgical Intensive Care Unit., Brandi Cecil

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Medications have been the primary intervention in intensive care unit patients due to the fact that the patients are often unconscious, critically medically ill, or unable to actively participate in nonpharmacological treatment. Researchers have found the integration of music therapy in patient care has helped ease pain, anxiety, and stress, and has been useful in vital control, such as decreasing heart rate and respiration count. A study was conducted in a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) to examine the benefits of increasing music therapy consults. Critical care nurses were educated on the advantages of utilizing interdisciplinary care by consulting music …

Therapeutic Gardening For Addiction Recovery, Hugo A. Rivera Lopez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: The use of evidence-based alternative forms of therapy like horticulture therapy and therapeutic gardening is underutilized in substance use recovery programs in the United States. As the country continues to struggle with addiction, it is important that recovery programs look to and incorporate these alternative therapies into official curricula. Currently, 46.3 million individuals living in the United States are living with a substance use disorder (U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022).

Context: The intervention was implemented at an all-male substance use treatment facility in San Jose, CA that houses up …

Enhancing Nurse Manager Resilience With A Resilience-Enhancing Toolkit, Rosarina A. J. Pelikan

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Nurse managers have one of the most stressful jobs in nursing leadership. They experience more burnout and are more likely to leave the job or leave the nursing profession altogether, leading to vacancies or burned-out leaders.

Local Problem: The organization experienced high nurse manager turnover. Of 12 positions, four have more than two years of experience, three have less than two years, and five are filled with interims.

Context: Strategies to address burnout are decreasing stressors or arming leaders with skills to withstand stressors. The organization offers programs that address burnout but are designed to be used outside of …

Enhancement Of A Peer Mentorship Program For Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Cassie Starrett, Katrina Harlan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nurse anesthesia programs are associated with rigorous didactic work, doctoral projects, long clinical days, and high levels of financial debt (Mesisca & Mainwaring, 2021). Doctoral students experience significantly higher levels of stress than other graduate students, necessitating resources that support emotional wellness (Griffin et al., 2017). A mentorship program for student registered nurse anesthesiologists (SRNA) may help minimize perceived stress and lessen the adverse physical and psychological effects. While mentorships foster both personal and professional success for mentees, mentors also report increased interest in professional development, productivity, and satisfaction (Flexman & Gelb, 2011). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness …

Thirty-Second Mindful Body Scan Meditation For Bedside Nurses, Shruti Balwalli-Udyawer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue, or secondary traumatic stress, is a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by an inability to cope with the everyday environment that reduces the ability of the nurse to provide high-quality health care to a patient. The purpose of this staff education project, guided by Selye’s general adaption syndrome , was a 6-week, 30-second mindfulness exercise program to promote stress reduction for cardiac step-down and medical-surgical nurses. In this quantitative, pre- and posttest study, the Perceived Stress Scale was completed by a sample of 24 nurses who met the inclusion criteria. The practice focused whether educating nurses …

The Effects Of Kangaroo Care On The Stress Levels Of Parents In The Nicu, Niyati Sishodia

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Parents of NICU patients have high stress levels compared to other populations, which negatively impact their mental health. The kangaroo care (KC) method has been used for its numerous benefits for infants, but not as widely studied for its impacts on parental stress. The purpose of this integrative literature review is to examine and synthesize the existing evidence regarding kangaroo care and its impact on the stress levels of NICU parents.

Methods: A literature search was conducted utilizing CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE, and APA PsychInfo databases to identify relevant articles. Articles were included if they were published …

Managing Nurse Leader Stress To Promote Leader Retention, Rebecca Sue Hawkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse leaders are a health care group that has been provided limited support to managestress and burnout symptoms, yet the impact of leader stress burden on staff satisfaction, patient outcomes, and their own health is vital to the provision of safe, high-quality health care. The problem of leader fatigue and burnout is the ability to retain current leaders and recruit the next generation. The purpose of this staff education project was to address leadership burnout due to stress and the lack of knowledge of how to manage stress in the moment. A combination of Watson’s theory of caring and Ray’s …

Thirty-Second Mindful Body Scan Meditation For Bedside Nurses, Shruti Balwalli-Udyawer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue, or secondary traumatic stress, is a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by an inability to cope with the everyday environment that reduces the ability of the nurse to provide high-quality health care to a patient. The purpose of this staff education project, guided by Selye’s general adaption syndrome , was a 6-week, 30-second mindfulness exercise program to promote stress reduction for cardiac step-down and medical-surgical nurses. In this quantitative, pre- and posttest study, the Perceived Stress Scale was completed by a sample of 24 nurses who met the inclusion criteria. The practice focused whether educating nurses …

Managing Nurse Leader Stress To Promote Leader Retention, Rebecca Sue Hawkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse leaders are a health care group that has been provided limited support to managestress and burnout symptoms, yet the impact of leader stress burden on staff satisfaction, patient outcomes, and their own health is vital to the provision of safe, high-quality health care. The problem of leader fatigue and burnout is the ability to retain current leaders and recruit the next generation. The purpose of this staff education project was to address leadership burnout due to stress and the lack of knowledge of how to manage stress in the moment. A combination of Watson’s theory of caring and Ray’s …

Using Family Focused-Care Solutions To Improve Child’S Quality Of Life, Joshua M. Del Sol

Nursing | Senior Theses

Chronic illness in children impacts not only themselves but their families too. Everyone in the family supports each other and provides each other with pretty much all our physiological needs including our emotional needs. Parents/caregivers are the role models for their young children and really shape the person they become because basic values and their early relationships are formed. A family provides that consistent balance in our life that is the center of our life at a young age. When children are diagnosed with a chronic illness, parents may feel responsible, ashamed, guilty, or angry. Families may turn on each …

Thirty-Second Mindful Body Scan Meditation For Bedside Nurses, Shruti Balwalli-Udyawer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue, or secondary traumatic stress, is a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by an inability to cope with the everyday environment that reduces the ability of the nurse to provide high-quality health care to a patient. The purpose of this staff education project, guided by Selye’s general adaption syndrome , was a 6-week, 30-second mindfulness exercise program to promote stress reduction for cardiac step-down and medical-surgical nurses. In this quantitative, pre- and posttest study, the Perceived Stress Scale was completed by a sample of 24 nurses who met the inclusion criteria. The practice focused whether educating nurses …

Stress And Coping Among Sud Certified Peer Recovery Specialists, Cynthia June Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRSs) are individuals with lived experience in the successful recovery of substance use or mental health disorders. CPRSs provide services for individuals seeking or enrolled in substance use disorder (SUD) recovery, provide mentoring and coaching, service and resource connections and lead recovery groups but, the job of a CPRS can have beneficial and detrimental impacts on the CPRS’s personal recovery. The purpose of this quantitative study, guided by Lazarus’s theory of coping and stress, was to determine whether there is (a) a relationship in stress and coping effectiveness among CPRSs, (b) a difference in the level …

Decreasing Nursing Burnout Post Covid-19 Pandemic Through Complementary Therapies, Linda Martiin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This quality improvement project aimed to address the problem of nursing burnout post COVID-19 pandemic through complementary therapies. Nursing burnout can be mental, emotional, or physical exhaustion which an excessive amount of prolonged stress can cause. Nursing burnout has affected nursing staff worldwide, directly impacting the care provided to patients and the patient's satisfaction. The Nursing Worklife Model was utilized as the theoretical framework for this project (Appendix A). The literature review exhibits the prevalence of nursing burnout in nursing staff. A quantitative study was utilized for this project. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory was utilized to establish the participant's level …

How Essential Oils Help Prevent Against Healthcare Workers’ Burnout, Lauren Casey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This project set out to see if stress and anxiety (leading to burnout) could be combatted with the use of essential oils (EOs). Burnout is a common concern amongst the medical community and healthcare providers are leaving their jobs and field at unprecedented rates. While EOs have been used for patients, they are rarely used for the healthcare providers’ benefit. Because of that, this project wanted to focus on the employee for a change, which in turn would benefit the patient by having a mentally-present provider and the company by having less turnover. The project consisted of a pre-survey prior …

An Integrative Review: The Experiences Of Stress, Burnout, And Compassion Fatigue By Ambulatory Care Nurses, Rajean Adams

Master of Science in Nursing Final Projects

Abstract

Aim: One aim of this integrative review is to highlight workplace issues outpatient (ambulatory care) nurses experience, related to stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Another aim is to bring awareness to and discuss recently implemented tools and strategies to help alleviate these manifestations.

Background: Stressors in the outpatient setting date back to the 1970s when psychologist Herbert Freudenberger mentioned the burnout he experienced while in a Free Clinic. In modern-day, half of nurses experiencing workplace burnout, confess to feeling emotional exhaustion. Various studies discuss the challenges nurses endure in the inpatient setting, but only a few focus on ambulatory …

How Has The Pandemic Exacerbated Nurse Burnout, And What Can Be Done To Improve Their Psychological And Emotional Well-Being?, Lisette Diaz

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people, both emotionally and physically. Nurses are among the people who are most affected. The nurses' quality of life and the way they provide care has been changed by the pandemic. Nurses are so focused on providing the best possible care for their patients that they neglect to look after themselves.

Objective: The purpose of this literature review is to identify and evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected nurses and their well-being. The significance of this research was to establish how the ongoing pandemic has impacted nurses’ performance and …

Factors Impacting Organ Transplant Outcomes, Katelyn Grubich

Nursing | Senior Theses

Organ transplants are crucial to the survival of those on the receiving end. With medicine advancing, so has transplantation. Health care providers are becoming more aware of the strategies necessary to prolong the transplanted organ and how to obtain better outcomes. Heart, lungs, kidney, liver, pancreas, and some where more than one organ are involved, are the types of organ transplants performed.

Providing patients information will allow them to be a part of their treatment and can help to ease their anxiety knowing what is being performed and what can be expected. Health care providers must ensure that patients and …

Addressing Stress In Graduate Nurse Practitioner Nursing Students, Shandria K. Sawyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project was developed to address the issue of high stress levels among graduate nursing students, which is a common phenomenon that increases the risks of mental health disorders, professional burnout, and poor-quality patient care among students and professional nurses after earning their degrees. This project sought to utilize a simple educational intervention delivered online to impart coping skills to graduate nursing students to assist them in reducing their stress levels. The intervention was a brief, single-session, self-guided educational module featuring informational and participative elements related to stress causes, the impacts of stress, and stress reduction techniques. In total, 11 …

An Evaluation Of Mindstrong™ Implementation With Graduate Nursing Students, Angela B. Sabblut

Dissertations

Problem: Nursing graduate students are at increased risk of greater stress, anxiety, and depression (Hoying, 2020; Melnyk et al., 2020). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the gold standard in the treatment of anxiety and depression (Hoying et al., 2020; Melnyk et al., 2015; Melnyk et al., 2020). MINDSTRONG™, a CBT-based training program, has been proven in many studies to be effective in helping individuals prevent or cope with these issues (The Ohio State University College of Nursing, 2020).

Methods: This Quality Improvement (QI) project was a descriptive-observational, pre-post design. Sample and setting were nursing graduate students from a Midwestern, middle-sized urban, …

Nursing Anxiety Self-Evaluation And Resiliency Methods, Dianne Deck

Dissertations

Abstract

Introduction: Nurses are stressed due to the demands of their job. This study aims to determine whether MICU nurses at a large Midwestern hospital would have reduced stress and anxiety after a 30-day meditation and exercise intervention.

Design and Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post pilot study design was adopted. The convenience sample consisted of eight Medicine Intensive Care Unit (MICU) nurses in a large Midwestern urban tertiary medical center. Data collected included demographics, pre- post-Beck Anxiety Inventory Scale (BAIS), pre- and post-Single Item Stress Scale (SISS), and weekly diaries on exercise and meditation.

Results: The pre- post-SISS showed statistical significance …

Establishing A New Graduate Nurse Peer Mentoring Program, Teresa Biediger Bowers

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Problem Statement: New Graduate Nurses (NGN) report increased stress, likely due to decreased confidence and social support (Frogeli et al., 2019). The most current NGNs are disadvantaged as much of their undergraduate clinical experience has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (Smith et al., 2021). At the end of their residency, information gathered from former NGNs suggested they feel they need "more support" during the residency. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if the addition of a peer mentor to the already existing nurse residency program would improve nurse confidence, job satisfaction, and intent to …