Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evidence Based Falls Management Program In The Nursing Home, Deloris Jacobs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The cost of fall injuries for both nursing homes and patients can be staggering. Facilities can incur large financial penalties following notices of severe deficiencies from regulatory agencies and will incur substantial legal fees in the event of a wrongful injury or death lawsuit. Patients injured in falls are at risk of increased financial costs for care in the nursing home as well as a lower quality of life. They are likely to incur co-pay or coinsurance costs for care by physicians and other professional services, and costs for rehabilitative services, out of pocket expenses, medical equipment, prescription drugs, and …

Heads Up: The Importance Of Brain Rest After A Concussion A Paper Presented To Meet Partial Requirements, Kacie Wilkes

Graduate Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Postoperative Oxygenation Improvement In Weight Loss Surgery Patients, Stephen Meadows Bsn, Rn, Dana Valasek Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Point In Time The Fitsteps For Life Exercise Program Improves Quality Of Life Of Persons With Cancer, Barbara Haas, Gary Kimmel, Melinda Hermanns

Faculty Posters

This poster was presented at the National Collegiate Honors College Conference in Fall of 2014 at Denver, Colorado.

Lymphedema: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis & Management, Bernadine Cruz

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Lymphedema is a disfiguring condition whose hallmark is progressive, increasing swelling which occurs as a result of the accumulation of protein rich fluid in interstitial spaces. Those individuals who are affected suffer from either primary lymphedema or secondary lymphedema; the pathophysiology of both conditions is similar. Lymphedema can be a chronic, acute, or transient alteration, which can eventually lead to keratinization of the skin. An increase in the incidence of lymphedema has also been observed with increase in levels of obesity.

Review Of The Effectiveness Of Tissue Plasminogen Activator For The Treatment Of Plastic Bronchitis In Patients With Fontan Physiology, Ruth Ferroni

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Plastic bronchitis is a condition characterized by the formation of bronchial casts ranging from small to large obstructions of the pulmonary airways. Cast formation is intricate and resembles a plastic, rubbery model of the airway it obstructs. Its form was first described by Galen (A.D. 131-200). One of the patient populations at risk for developing this rare complication are those with single ventricle disease who are surgically corrected to Fontan physiology. It is a very abnormal type of circulation that is suspect in the development of plastic bronchitis. The cellular composition of plastic bronchitis differs from the casts seen in …

A Spatial Analysis Of Functional Outcomes And Quality Of Life Outcomes After Pediatric Injury, Nathaniel Bell, Sami Kruse, Richard K. Simons, Mariana Brussoni

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are more regularly being monitored during the first year after injury. Monitoring changes in HRQoL using spatial cluster analysis can potentially identify concentrations of geographic areas with injury survivors with similar outcomes, thereby improving how interventions are delivered or in how outcomes are evaluated.

METHODS:

We used a spatial scan statistic designed for oridinal data to test two different spatial cluster analysis of very low, low, high, and very high HRQoL scores. Our study was based on HRQoL scores returned by children treated for injury at British Columbia Children's Hospital and discharged …

Use Of Complementary And Alternative Therapies: A Pilot Survey, Hector Ortiz-Cintron

HIM 1990-2015

Meeting patient expectations in relation to pain management is an essential component of palliative and end-of-life care. However, previous research has demonstrated that pain is highly prevalent, especially during the four months prior to death. Poorly controlled pain contributes to cognitive failure, depression and an inability to complete daily activities. Unfortunately, pain and symptom management are often inadequate for patients placed in hospice care. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the perspectives of hospice nurses on complementary and alternative therapies to determine if there is an educational need in order to aide in the management of chronic pain …

The Prevalence Of Smoking In Nursing Students, Jennifer Trotter

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tobacco use is one of the most preventable sources of death and disease, and yet remains a worldwide problem. With the rising costs of healthcare, the focus of efforts to control them has honed in on lifestyle behaviors that contribute to the escalating costs. Within the scope of this scrutiny, the prevention or cessation of smoking and tobacco usage has become a global priority and a major focal point of worldwide anti-tobacco initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified cessation interventions by health care professionals as a crucial factor in successful patient smoking cessation, and studies have shown that …

The Impact Of The Ohana Mana Challenge On Native Hawaiian And Pacific Islander Children, Kristin Kay Van Tassell

Theses and Dissertations

In this four-week, family-focused pilot intervention study, researchers studied the impact of culturally relevant nutrition and activity sessions on eleven children from eight Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) families. Mixed methods were used in analysis. In their favorite meal drawings, children included more fruits and vegetables at week four than week one, which was consistent with their self-reported intake of healthy foods that were new to them. From week one to four, mean total scores increased on the nutrition and exercise knowledge exercise questionnaire and the physical activity self-efficacy tool; however, the mean total score decreased on healthy diet …

Interventions For Childhood Obesity: Evaluating Technological Applications Targeting Physical Activity Level And Diet, Jessica Dipietro

HIM 1990-2015

Overweight and obese children have increased risks for multiple preventable diseases and conditions which can impair their physiological health and significantly increases the overall cost of their healthcare. Free mobile applications and technology for weight loss, dietary tracking, and physical activity may be quite useful for monitoring nutritional intake and exercise to facilitate weight loss. If so, nurses are well positioned to recommend such tools as part of their efforts to prevent childhood obesity and help children and parents better manage childhood obesity when it is present. However, there are no guidelines that nurses can use to determine what applications …

Processed Sugars And Coronary Heart Disease, Sonya Lovingood

Graduate Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Nursing Students' Perceptions Of Mental Health Patients And Mental Health Nursing, Susan Furr

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

This Capstone project evaluated the impact of a simulation-based learning experience on nursing students' anxiety levels, preparedness for psychiatric practicum, and stereotypical views towards individuals with mental illness. A sample of 15 bachelor level nursing students was utilized. The experimental group (n=8) was exposed to a four-hour simulation-based learning experience prior to the beginning of their clinical experience. The control group (n=7) began their clinical rotation without any simulation exposure. A pretest, posttest design utilizing the Mental Health Nursing Survey Part 1 (MHN-1) and the Mental Health Nursing Survey Part 2 (MHN-2) was used to measure the students' stereotypical views, …

Interprofessional Collaboration, Amy L. Brabec

Theses and Graduate Projects

The World Health Organization emphasizes the importance of interprofessional collaboration, which occurs when multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds work together with patients, families, caregivers, and communities to deliver the highest quality of care. As the blood and marrow transplant (BMT) practice continues to grow at a large Midwestern hospital, the need for improved interprofessional collaboration between the hospital-based nurses and the mrse coordinators in the outpatient clinic was apparent. Using Newman's theoretical framework of nurse-patient relationship, person-environment interaction, and rurses being fully present, the BMT partnership group was formed. An interdisciplinary group consisting of the hospital-based nurses and …

Health Care For All: Building A Public Health Workforce To Achieve The Uae 2021 Vision For Health, Sharon Brownie, Nelson Lebogo, Mohammed Hag-Ali

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Much has been written regarding the public health challenges facing the UAE, particularly the high levels of preventable non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal disease, and traffic related injuries. Committed to reversing this trend, the Government of the UAE have identified ‘Health for All’ as an important strategic priority in the ongoing development of the nation. The availability of an appropriately skilled workforce is a key consideration in the achievement of this aim. This is highlighted by the WHO report ‘A universal truth: No health without a workforce’, which was presented to inform the Third Global Forum in …

Routine Versus Ad Hoc Screening For Acute Stress Following Injury: Who Would Benefit And What Are The Opportunities For Prevention, Nathaniel Bell, Boris Sobolev, Stephen Anderson, Robert Hewko, Richard K. Simons

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Screening for acute stress is not part of routine trauma care owing in part to high variability of acute stress symptoms in identifying later onset of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The objective of this pilot study was to assess the sensitivity, specificity, and power to predict onset of PTSD symptoms at 1 and 4 months using a routine screening program in comparison to current ad hoc referral practice.

METHODS:

Prospective cross-sectional observational study of a sample of hospitalized trauma patients over a four-month period from a level-I hospital in Canada. Baseline assessments of acute stress (ASD) and subsyndromal ASD …

Factors That Relate To Registered Nurses' Readiness For Interprofessional Learning In The Context Of Continuing Professional Development, Collette Williams

Dissertations

Today’s health-care professionals practice in a highly technological, multidisciplinary environment. In order to provide safe, effective, and high-quality patient care, collaboration is required among all professionals. Traditionally each profession has operated independently in regard to continued professional development. The purpose of this study was to assess practicing registered nurses’ readiness toward interprofessional learning in order to align learning with current practice.

Method. An ex post facto study design was used to gather data to examine if there is a relationship between variables of demographics and readiness for interprofessional learning. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) assesses the readiness for …

A Tool To Assess The Signs And Symptoms Of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection: Development And Reliability, Thomas Blodgett, Sue Gardner, Nicole Blodgett, Lisa Peterson, Melissa Pietraszak

Thomas Blodgett

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the inter-rater reliability of four clinical manifestations of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) among hospitalized adults with short-term indwelling urinary catheters using a tool developed for this purpose: the CAUTI Assessment Profile (CAP). Study participants included 30 non-pregnant English-speaking adults, recruited from 2 community hospitals. Three nurses assessed each participant for fever, suprapubic tenderness, flank tenderness, and delirium using standardized techniques. Based on the generalized kappa statistic and 95% confidence intervals, there was evidence of strong inter-rater reliability for fever (kappa = 1.00, 0.793 – 1.207), suprapubic tenderness (kappa = 0.39, …