Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Ubiquinol Reduces Muscle Wasting But Not Fatigue In Tumor-Bearing Mice, Yvonne Clark, Loren E. Wold, Laura A. Szalacha, Donna O. Mccarthy

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: Fatigue is the most common and distressing symptom reported by cancer patients during and after treatment. Tumor growth increases oxidative stress and cytokine production, which causes skeletal muscle wasting and cardiac dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine whether treatment with the antioxidant ubiquinol improves muscle mass, cardiac function, and behavioral measures of fatigue in tumor-bearing mice.

Method: Adult female mice were inoculated with colon26 tumor cells. Half the control and tumor-bearing mice were administered ubiquinol (500 mg/kg/day) in their drinking water. Voluntary wheel running (i.e., voluntary running activity [VRA]) and grip strength were measured at Days …

Exceeding Survival Rates For Ecmo: Making It Happen, Martina Oswald-Remaly Msn, Rn, Ccrn, Csc

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Patients' Perception Of Feeling Known By Their Nurses And The Nurse Practice Environment, Deene' L. Mollon

Dissertations

Healthcare leaders have a responsibility to understand the connection between healthy practice environments and patients’ perceptions of care. The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between the nurses’ perception of the practice environment and the patients’ perception of feeling known by their nurses.

This descriptive, correlational study used quantitative and qualitative methodology. A convenience sample of 123 patients, on six patient care units, completed the Patients’ Perception of Feeling Known by their Nurses Scale and a supplemental survey designed to determine the content validity of the Patients’ Perception of Feeling Known by their Nurses Scale. To …

A Measure Of Soft Skill Gains Acquisition With Engagement In Baccalaureate Nursing Programs, Wendy J. Williams-Buenzli

Dissertations

This dissertation examined soft skill acquisition from engagement in baccalaureate nursing programs. Baccalaureate nursing programs prepare nurses to be the future leaders of nursing practice. Soft skills include critical thinking, interpersonal communications, and ethical decision-making. To explore the acquisition of soft skills, this research study analyzed data from the National Survey of Student Engagement to explore for gains in critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and critical thinking. After gains scores were identified, then correlations were run to identify key engagement indicators. The findings of the study found gains in soft skill behaviors from freshman year to senior year of baccalaureate education. …

Integrating Institute Of Medicine (Iom) Core Competency Of Evidence-Based Management Practice With Senior Leadership Nursing Students, Rose Powell, Karen Migl

Bright Ideas Conference

The purpose of this project is to provide an environment for the senior leadership nursing student to analyze a current leadership/management research article and apply the findings to nursing management practice.

When Stress Causes A Heart To Break, Jared M. Madeo, Blaine Winters

Student Works

Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare but serious form of heart disease. It present like acute coronary syndrome but, unlike acute coronary syndrome, tako-tsubo is not caused by narrowing in the coronary arteries. This syndrome predominately affects post-menopausal females and is typically associated with a stressful event. The stressful event can be either emotional or physical. The left ventricle is left temporarily stunned from large amounts of catecholamines that are theorized to be present because of the stressful event. The Left Ventricles will typically take on the appearance of an octopus trap or the “tako-tsubo” in Japanese.

Access To Healthcare: Understanding Disparities Among Lgbt & Black Communities, Taylor Jones

Honors Theses

This paper aims to explain and improve the disparities that intersect the Black and LGBT communities of Berrien County as it relates to access to healthcare, specifically those at risk for HIV. This paper identifies the various resources used to highlight these including the Kalamazoo Community AIDS Resource Education Services (CARES). There are many factors that put these populations at risk. The LGBT and Black communities are at risk due to factors such as STIs, multiple sex partners, unprotected sex, use of drugs during sex, low socioeconomic status, inadequate data on race, ethnicity, and language lowers the likelihood of effective …

A Post Discharge Support Program For Patients Experiencing Psychological Non-Epileptic Seizures: A Pilot Project, Lahoma Prather

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

Rationale: There are no accepted standards of care for patients with psychological non-epileptic seizure (PNES) disorder. However the literature regarding PNES identified three common themes including acceptance of the diagnosis; consistent support and follow up; and development of appropriate outcome indicators. This pilot project was designed to address these themes rather than focus on a specific treatment modality.

Methods: The pilot project was initiated at the University of Louisville Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (CEC) to evaluate the feasibility of a post-discharge support program for the PNES population. Outcomes identified for measurement included seizure frequency, health care utilization, anti-epileptic medication use …

Preparing Nurse Practitioners To Diagnose, Treat, And Educate About Sports Related Concussion: Textbooks Are Not Enough, Pamela Mapstone

Nursing Faculty/Staff Publications

Sports related concussions are a major public health concern for children, parents, coaches, and health care providers. In 2006, the CDC estimated that 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreational concussions occur each year (Langlois, Rutland-Brown, & Wald, 2006). Emergency department visits for kids with sports related concussion increased 92% from 2002-2011 according to a study conducted at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (Hanson, Pomerantz, & Gittleman, 2013). In the past 10 years, medical evaluations for sports related head injuries increased by 62% (Hanson, Pomerantz, & Gittleman, 2013). Effective management of sports related concussions in the pediatric population requires timely and accurate diagnosis and …

Nurse’S Perceptions Of Best Practices To Assess Pediatric Patients And Educate Their Families Experiencing Delayed Effects Of Cancer Therapy: “Chemo Brain:” A Pilot Study, Jennifer A. Tapping

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

With more advanced and more aggressive chemotherapy cancer treatment leading to higher survival rates, complications with quality of life are becoming more prominent. Of these complications, delayed cognitive processing, commonly known as “chemo brain,” is becoming a topic of interest. Cognitive changes are some of the most common as well as most challenging complications associated with central nervous system (CNS) directed treatment, such as intrathecal chemotherapy, for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and brain tumors. The term “chemo brain” is often used to describe self-reported or observed cognitive processing delays in patients who receive chemotherapy as a form of cancer treatment …

Literature Review Of Nosocomial Infections Passed Through Nurses' Personal Items, Corina Hickman

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

As defined by the encyclopedia, nosocomial infections are infections whose development is favored by a hospital environment, such as one acquired by a patient during a hospital visit or one developing among hospital staff. There has been more of a prevalence of hospital-acquired infections that are linked directly to medical personnel – especially nurses. Nurses have the most contact with patients and are potentially putting patients at highest risk for nosocomial infections. Even though nurses are following isolation precautions and standard hand washing in between patients; there are still a few things on nurses that could be harmful to their …

A Literature Review Of Vertical Violence Between Staff Medical Surgical Nurses And Nursing Students During Clinical Rotations, Lisa N. Cunningham

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

Vertical violence is defined as any act of violence including yelling, snide comments, withholding information, ignoring, and humiliating behaviors occurring between two or more persons on different levels of a hierarchical system that prohibits professional performance and satisfaction within the workplace (Cantey, 2013). Vertical violence can occur in any unit of the hospital but is mainly felt and witnessed by student nurses and their clinical instructors in the medical surgical units. According to research done by Fenush and Hupcey (2008), the nursing shortage is most severe in the medical surgical units. Their research found that the two greatest factors in …

The Triage Experience, Susan F. Sanders Phd, Rn

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The interaction between nurse and patient in Emergency Department triage is a pivotal point in emergency care. The goal in triage is to rapidly assess a patient’s status and urgency of need. Determining urgency of need is absolutely crucial. The purpose of this study was to elicit the perspective of the triage emergency nurse to uncover possible components necessary for successful triage.

Methods: Using an interpretive phenomenological method, the experience of triage was explored by conducting semi-structured interviews. Seven emergency nurses in the coastal Georgia area, with a mean age of 40, were interviewed after accepting an open …

Reduction Of Poor Birth Outcomes Among Low-Income First-Time Mothers: Gis-Assisted Analysis Of The Nurse-Family Partnership, Elizabeth Macquillan

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Poor births occur disproportionately among women in poverty, teens and African-Americans. The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) aims to reduce poor births in Calhoun County among low-income first-time mothers; however, it was unknown if the program recruited effectively across the commuinity and whether outcomes were favorable. Geographic information systems (GIS) mapping using ArcGIS, statistical analysis of county birth records (2012), and 2013-14 NFP data were used to evaluate program recruitment and outcomes. NFP experienced no poor births to blacks or teens despite over-enrolling from these high-risk groups. GIS enables evaluators to examine NFP coverage of the at-risk community to improve program effectiveness.

Exploring The Complexities Of Daily Life And Healthcare For The Old Order Amish Of Central Wisconsin, Denise E. Barten

Theses and Graduate Projects

My heritage includes a long line of farmers dating back to the 1800's. This connection to farming, the land and my community in Clark County, Wisconsin was the impetus for me to create a cultural immersion experience for the students of Augsburg's nursing program. My projection is an exploration into the old order Amish community of central Wisconsin, a glimpse into farming both past and present and a celebration of the land. As a requirement for the completion of the DNP program I completed practicum hours at a small self-pay clinic owned and operated by a Mennonite physician in the …

Circle Of Care And Hope: An Adaptation And Empowerment Mental Health Healing Model For Blacks, Judy Edvaline Vansiea

Theses and Graduate Projects

PURPOSE- To engage and empower Black people with a "Circle of Care and Hope" that helps them to overcome their unequal access to effective mental health treatment. PROJECT DESCRIPTION- Black people in the United States have experienced unequal access to effective mental health care treatment due to centuries of oppression by the dominant Caucasian culture in the United States. This history has caused many Black people to distrust the purely Western and Caucasian-dominated model of mental health treatment. In response to this problem the author has adapted and integrated three healing modalities: multiple Western, theoretically-based therapies; culturally appropriate practices for …

Cervical Cancer Screening In Rural Tanzania, Shangwe Kiliaki

Theses and Graduate Projects

Healthcare is complex, ever-changing, and unpredictable, and the healthcare system in Tanzania is susceptible to such complexities. As one of the poorest countries in the world, with approximately 75 percent of the 50,000,000 people residing in rural areas, increasing access to health services in remote regions is crucial. The leading cause of death among women is cervical cancer in Tanzania. This is due to limited preventive health services such as cancer screening programs, shortage of healthcare facilities in rural areas, vaccination programs for HPV, and simple lack of cervical cancer awareness in rural communities. As a starting point, a cervical …

Retreat As A Learning Medium For Health, Empowerment And Transformation Of Tanzanian Girls, Rebecca S. Hartwig

Theses and Graduate Projects

Social determinants of health in Tanzania include poverty, low educational standards, and pandemic diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS. Girls in Tanzania are at an increased disadvantage in educational and vocational opportunities relative to boys. They are also an identifiable 'at risk' population regarding access to health care and health education. To address vulnerability of girls, a 5 day retreat for 12 year old girls was held in July, 2014 in Ruaha Mbuyuni, a small village in Iringa region of Tanzania. Using cirlce process, focused group discussions, and creative arts, participants were given the opportunity to express their hopes, dreams, …

Stepping Away From The Path: A Transformational Journey Affirming Emic Food Security Practices On The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation In South Dakota, Beth E. Grund

Theses and Graduate Projects

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project concerns improving the level of food security on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Despite attempts by etic, or mainstream society, food security for the indigenous Oglala Lakota people who live there remains an elusive goal. Life expectancy for both men and women continues to decrease due to skyrocketing rates of chronic diseases related to malnutrition. Although the project initially focused on how effectiveness of etic food security solutions might be improved, unforeseen events prompted and examination of Pine Ridge food security from an emic, or Lakota, perspective. This more personal outlook …

School Of Nursing News, Georgia Southern University

Nursing: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• School of Nursing Students’ Memorial Fund

Clinical Effectiveness Of Inr Patient Self-Testing: Adults On Warfarin Therapy In Private Practice, Anisa Munshi

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Warfarin is the most commonly prescribed oral anticoagulant for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism. Due to its narrow therapeutic index, warfarin requires close monitoring of the international normalized ratio (INR) to ensure proper anticoagulation control and safety. INRs outside of this range are strongly associated with an increased risk of major bleeding, thromboembolic events, and death. Patient self-testing (PST) using a point-of-care device allows patients to monitor INR results at home. Evidence shows that PST improves the clinical outcomes of warfarin therapy compared to usual care, which includes laboratory INR monitoring. Purpose: To compare the clinical effectiveness …

New Graduate Registered Nurses In Public Health, Rachel Pollard, Kathryn J. (Katy) Smith

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

This presentation investigates the following objectives: 1) to discuss current challenges facing the public health nursing profession; 2) to synthesize existing literature regarding new graduate registered nurses (RNs) in public health; 3) to present the benefits of hiring new graduate RNs with baccalaureate degrees into public health agencies; 4) to utilize existing literature to suggest support measures that will optimize new graduate RNs’ success in public health.

Process Fun: The Ultimate Integration Of Policies And Procedures, Joan Dinbokowitz Ba, Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Combating Compassion Fatigue By Creating Moments That Matter, Nicole Reimer Bsn, Rn, Ocn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Improving Patient Satisfaction After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Using Nurse Practitioner-Driven Preoperative Education, Jennifer A. White

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Total joint arthroplasty is an undisputed option for relieving pain and improving the function of an arthritic joint. The number of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) annually is expected to increase by 600% in the next two decades (Lau, Gandhi, Mahomed, & Mahomed, 2012).

Current research shows that while 81-89% of patients who have had a TKA are satisfied postoperatively, there is room to improve patient satisfaction by providing further education preoperatively. While research cannot agree on a single, specific variable that influences patient dissatisfaction, a review of the literature shows that patients repeatedly note their “unmet expectations” as …

Lgbt Advocacy: One Leader's Journey Through Fear To Transcendence, Paula Suffrins

Theses and Graduate Projects

The LGBT population experiences healthcare disparities at higher rates than their heterosexual counterparts. Fear among this population prevents them from seeking health care. Nurses can be influential in addressing this fear and decreasing healthcare disparities within the LGBT population. However, LGBT content offered in nursing programs is not adequately preparing students to care for this specific population in a culturally sensitive manner. Healthcare organizations lack LGBT content in orientation programs as well. Transformational nursing leaders can initiate and support the effort to create a safe and welcoming environment for the LGBT population where healthcare can be delivered by culturally sensitive …

Strangulation Assessment, Evidence Collection, And Documentation Guidelines For Forensic Nurse Examiners: A Pilot Project, Sally Sturgeon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Accurate and thorough physical assessment, with accompanying documentation, are essential components for appropriate legal intervention for victims in all strangulation cases. There is a need for this strangulation assessment, evidence collection, and documentation protocol. Forensic nurse examiners who work with strangulation victims need to be sure that their assessment, evidence collection, and documentation are complete, accurate, and consistent to help ensure perpetrator accountability.

Development And Evaluation Of A Skin-To-Skin In The Operating Room Protocol, Sara Lang

Nursing Masters

This article describes the development and evaluation of a skin-to-skin in the operating room protocol. A protocol would standardize the practice of skin-to-skin in the operating room and provide a resource for the team members involved to use. The protocol evaluation and feedback was obtained from several members of the health care team, including an obstetrician, an anesthesiologist, a pediatrician, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and nurses who work as a labor nurses, baby delivery nurses, and/or lactation nurses.

Breastfeeding Education For Adolescent Mothers, Emily Osgood

Nursing Masters

Purpose: The WHO, AAP, and DHHS recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continued supplementary breastfeeding until two years of age. Breastfeeding initiation and duration rates are low worldwide, particularly among the adolescent population. The national initiation rate for teen mothers is only 43%, as compared to their adult counterparts at 73.9%; and at six months, only 19% of those teenagers were still breastfeeding.

The objective of this research project is to develop a prenatal educational program geared toward the adolescent population at a local community hospital.

Study Design and Methods: This breastfeeding educational program was …

“Cpr” For Cpoe Implementation, Karen Marsiglio Rn, Bsn, Marguerite Petsuck Rn, Bsn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.