Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Implementation And Program Evaluation Pilot Study: Educating Health Care Providers About Protecting Population Health During Climate Change., Christine Fasching Maphis

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

Recommendations regarding the need to prepare nurses and other health care providers (HCPs) for the health impacts of climate change (CC) have grown ubiquitous in the literature. Timely, efficient and sustainable strategies by the health care industry are necessary. Failure to act is predicted to result in catastrophic and lethal population health consequences. A growing body of research identifies related knowledge gaps and supports HCP competencies and best practice interventions to mitigate adverse population health impacts of CC. A social ecological framework and the PRECEDE-PROCEED approach were employed to develop and evaluate a series of online webinars designed to equip …

Postpartum Depression: Educating The Provider And Staff About The Importance Of Screening, Referrals, Follow-Up And Adherence To The Maternal Mental Health Safety Bundle Toolkit, Natalie Regis

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately 10%-20% of women after childbirth. PPD is a disabling condition that can have serious health implications on mothers and their infants. Experts estimated that only 50% of women with PPD are diagnosed. Lack of education about screening practices can cause the disorder to go undiagnosed and untreated.

Purpose: The purposes of this quality improvement (QI) project were 1). To increase the provider and staff knowledge about the importance of screening with the implementation of a standardized screening tool 2). To increase PPD screening rates to 100% 3). To increase appropriate referrals to mental …

A Systems Approach To Increase The Icu Nursing Workforce During A Pandemic, Jennifer Mendenhall

Master's Projects and Capstones

A Systems Approach to Increase the ICU Nursing Workforce During a Pandemic

Abstract

In early March 2020 an intensive care unit (ICU) patient died of COVID-19 in an integrated healthcare system hospital in Northern California. Data from China and the CDC indicated that more healthcare members would require intensive care and could overwhelm the 21 acute care hospital macrosystem. A microsystem pilot program to upskill peri-anesthesia care unit (PACU) RNs to care for ICU patients was initiated. Concurrently the upskill pilot program was reviewed by macrosystem nursing leadership. Over a three-week period, the program was standardized, disseminated and implemented across …

Valley Fever: Education For Primary Care Providers And Allied Health Care Professionals, Michelle Elizabeth Bergen

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Valley Fever: Educating Primary Care Providers and Allied Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Problem: Coccidioidomycosis (cocci), informally Valley Fever (VF), infects the lungs with the fungal spore coccidioides. It is prevalent in areas where soil disturbance occurs. Currently, there are no related educational or standardized guidelines exist for primary care providers (PCPs) in California’s Central Valley, where VF is highly endemic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).

Context: A Doctor of Nursing Practice project educational program for PCPs and allied healthcare workers (AHWs) at the Adventist Health Central Valley Network (AHCVN) clinics. The project aimed to educate PCPs to …

Transformational Leadership For Frontline Leaders, Marta L. Hudson

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Problem. Transformational leadership (TL) represents the gold standard of leadership styles in contemporary healthcare organizations. The transformational leader's ability to motivate, influence, stimulate, inspire, and attend to followers' individual needs is an antecedent to job satisfaction, quality, and patient safety. The project aimed to improve TL constructs among frontline leaders (managers and assistant nurse managers). Based on the results of a needs assessment, these frontline leaders were provided an opportunity to improve their TL style.

Context. Leadership development is a strategic priority for a medium-sized medical center in a healthcare system in Northern California. Frontline leaders within patient care …

An Education Program For Novice Nurses To Increase Case Management Knowledge, Emily Trefethen

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease where the heart cannot deliver an adequate amount of blood that the body requires. HF is one of the costliest cardiovascular diseases plaguing public health in the United States (Go et al., 2014). HF is the main reason for hospitalizations in adults and a leading contributor to the rise in healthcare costs. Approximately 25% of Medicare patients are readmitted within 30-days of discharge (Go et al., 2013). To address excessive hospital readmissions, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2019) initiated the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program in October 2012 to reduce Medicare …

Continuous Glucose Monitoring And Diabetes Management During Pregnancy, Nicole Beamish

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Diabetes Management During Pregnancy

Abstract

According to the Scope of Practice, Standards of Practice, and the Standards of Professional Performance for Diabetes Educators, registered nurses play an integral role in the promotion of diabetes self-management education and training in diabetes care (AADE, 2017). This paper upholds the standards set forth by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (2017) governing body, to stimulate the process of peer review, promote documentation of the outcomes of diabetes self-management education and training (DSME/T), encourage research to validate practice and improve quality DSME/T and diabetes care for pregnant women who use …

A Review Of Horticultural Therapy And Horticultural Therapy Education In The United States: Addressing Challenges And Opportunities, Derrick R. Stowell

Doctoral Dissertations

The Horticultural Therapy (HT) profession has been formally organized in the United States since 1973. Despite the long history of horticulture being used as therapy, the profession of HT in the United States has not advanced as quickly as other allied healthcare professions. This study will review the current challenges and opportunities for HT and HT education in the United States.

A qualitative study of the status of the profession was conducted to determine what challenges and opportunities the profession of HT currently has and how the profession can meet those challenges and opportunities. The study sample was recruited from …

The Practical Applications Of Video Games Beyond Entertainment, Jack Martin

School of Professional Studies

Much of the attention directed toward video games is focused on their role as entertainment. However, researchers have found that video games can have other, more practical uses for society. This thesis is designed to examine three specific examples of the practical applications of video games: video games in education, video games as accessible technology, and the social uses of video games. This project is based on pre-existing research conducted by professionals studying the aforementioned subtopics. Anecdotal stories from educators, people with disabilities, and developers are also discussed. The thesis explores specific examples of video games being used practically, and …

The Contributing Factors To Student Nurse Medication Administration Errors And Near Misses In The Clinical Setting As Identified By Clinical Instructors, Kristen M. Selig

Theses and Dissertations

The report, To Err is Human, by the Institutes of Medicine (IOM, 2000) brought attention to medication safety in the United States healthcare system. While advances have been made in patient safety, including electronic medication dispensing systems, electronic medication administration records, and scanning systems, it is estimated that 7,000 to 9,000 people die each year due to medication errors (Tariq et al., 2019). The medication administration process involves steps from prescribing to administration. However, nurses administering the medications are the final check point. James Reasons’ Swiss Cheese Model of Accident Causation illustrates the role that systems play in medical errors. …

Nurses' Attitudes Toward Physician-Assisted Suicide, Cheyenne Star Lowrey-Lagrone

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Physician-assisted suicide, or PAS, is end-of-life option in which patients self-administer physician-prescribed lethal medication to end their life. Nurses' own interpretations and understandings of the legalities, ethical dilemmas, and factors that influence their attitudes can be analyzed to determine the nurses’ role in the support or opposition of the practice. Although nurses do not have an active role in PAS, they play a pivotal role in patient advocacy and education. This paper analyzes the factors that contribute to nurses’ attitudes toward the practice, along with the benefits of education of this topic going forth.

Nursing Students’ Knowledge And Attitudes About Pain Management And Opioids, Hedieh Hatami Sirjani

Health Services Research Dissertations

Statement of the problem: healthcare professionals’ knowledge of using opioids for pain management safely is critical in preventing opioid abuse and overdose. Undergraduate curricula of health professional schools, including undergraduate nursing programs, need to improve and adopt a comprehensive education regarding this issue.

Method: the first project was a systematic analysis of the literature regarding the educational interventions’ impact on healthcare professional knowledge and practice behavior regarding prescription opioids. The second project was a qualitative study of nursing students to explore their experience, self-efficacy, and knowledge of prescription opioid use for pain management and whether they feel the need for …

Developing Competencies For Public Policy Advocacy: A Comparative Case Analysis, Amy L. Lewis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

While health care and social service students in Ontario are expected to graduate with competencies in policy advocacy, the lack of knowledge and skills negatively impacts their participation as licensed providers. This study used an exploratory, comparative case study methodology with a critical theory lens to identify the process of how community-based organizations engaged in public policy advocacy to create educational competencies for undergraduate curricula. Eight organizational leaders participated in semi-structured interviews that were transcribed and analyzed both inductively and deductively using major concepts from Kingdon’s multiple streams theory to distinguish the policy advocacy process and Bloom’s taxonomy to identify …

Achieving An Inclusive Nursing Culture: Developing A Model For Diversity And Inclusion Education, Amber K. Charleville

Theses and Graduate Projects

The creation of an inclusive environment is essential in health care. Therefore, this paper describes the development of an educational project to achieve a more inclusive nursing culture with registered nurse case managers at a large Midwest teaching hospital. This project sets forth the goal of establishing and discussing diversity and inclusion education by proposing a model with reflection, learning, and growth as self- sustaining practices in an ongoing cycle of praxis with Chinn and Kramer’s emancipatory knowing. Over the course of a year, monthly modules will be taught by a facilitator who will encourage discussion and reflection on various …

Cardiac Resuscitation Training: An Integrative Literature Review, Dominick Pahl

Nursing Masters Papers

Despite highly trained healthcare professionals being readily available to respond to In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (IHCA), a patient experiencing an IHCA often remains a devastating event for the patient. Each year in America, 13.5% of all deaths result from sudden cardiac arrest. Even with healthcare professionals certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), the survival rates following an IHCA are not inspiring. The median survival rate to hospital discharge of an adult experiencing IHCA is 26.4% and 49.5% for the pediatric population. Despite a continued focus on improving CPR quality from the American Heart Association (AHA), …

Ppe Compliance And Knowledge Among Healthcare Staff, Beatrice Hagert, Nicole Krummel

Nursing DNP Projects

Abstract

Problem: One of the most important steps in infection prevention is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect patients and staff from infectious agents; yet, research indicates that PPE compliance remains suboptimal in many healthcare institutions.

Purpose: To identify the effect of a multidisciplinary education campaign on PPE compliance and knowledge among healthcare workers (HCWs) on a rehabilitation unit of a large, midwestern teaching hospital.

Methods: This project utilized pre-intervention observational audits and a survey to determine baseline PPE compliance and knowledge on the piloted units. A post-intervention survey was sent to HCW to assess for a …

Improving Care Experience Of Total Joint Home Recovery Patients Through Nursing Education, Earvin Ledi

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: At a Northern California hospital (NCH), there is a current effort to ensure the perioperative patients are satisfied with their care. These patients receive the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) survey after surgery. The scores regarding discharge process and patient knowledge over the last five quarters have fluctuated between the 10th percentile and the 36th percentile. NCH relies on patient satisfaction scores to better serve their members.

Context: NCH understands the higher the scores, the more members they will retain and the higher the overall income. Based on the low OAS …

An Education Initiative To Increase Referral Acceptance Rates Among Hispanic Women, Anna Gale

Nursing (graduate) Student Scholarship

Background: Hispanic women consistently experience the highest rates of cervical cancer mortality in the United States, leading to major health disparities in this vulnerable population. Problem: Barriers to cervical cancer screening for Hispanic women include lack of access to women’s healthcare and a lack of knowledge related to cervical cancer risk factors. Consequently, many Hispanic women do not receive adequate cervical cancer screening tests. Methods: After a thorough literature search and critique, available evidence supported the use of an educational intervention to improve access to women’s healthcare by increasing referral acceptance rates for women’s health services in the Hispanic population. …

A Strategic Plan To Thread Genomics Competencies Into Undergraduate Curriculum, Holly Mathis

Dissertations

Problem: Genomics in undergraduate nursing education has experienced slow adoption in the United States. Various approaches have been proposed but do not address barriers to successful implementation.

Methods: A strategic plan was developed to increase the amount of genetics and genomic content in the curriculum of an undergraduate nursing program. A gap analysis was performed on the curriculum revealing a paucity of content. A SWOT analysis informed the strategic plan, which included a faculty education program using the ANA/ISONG’s Essentials of Genetic and Genomic Nursing: Competencies, Curricula Guidelines and Outcome Indicators (2^nd ed.) (2009) as a foundation.

Results: Faculty …

Sepsis Screening Education, Brittany R. Horn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Sepsis is a significant burden to the healthcare field with 1.7 million Americans annually diagnosed with this condition. Earlier diagnosis and treatment are the most effective ways of reducing morbidity and mortality related to sepsis. The current sepsis screening tool in place at Stormont-Vail Hospital, in Topeka, Kansas, is the systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) criteria; however, this screening tool has proven to be less effective than other screening tools available. The screening tools proven more effective than the SIRS criteria, are the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA). For this project, nursing staff …

Breastfeeding Education In The Postpartum Period., Kiersten Proctor

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Breastmilk is the best source of nutrients for an infant, yet many mother-infant dyads do not sustain breastfeeding past initiation. Breastfeeding education and support offered to the motherinfant dyad in the postpartum period have the potential to increase maternal breastfeeding selfefficacy, and attribute to a longer duration of breastfeeding. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was to implement breastfeeding education and support in the postpartum period to mothers who have initiated and maintained breastfeeding by the time of the newborn well-child check, occurring at two to eight days postpartum. This project aimed to increase …

Pediatric Asthma, Monica Stricklin

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Effective management of asthma will improve pediatric patient quality of life. This may be achieved through the prevention of asthma exacerbations by continuous pediatric and guardian/parent education to proper inhaler technique, appropriate medication management and the avoidance of environmental triggers. These modalities may prevent trips to the emergency department, hospital admissions and the pediatric patient can avoid missing days from school.

Improving Hypoglycemia Protocol Compliance Through Nursing Education, Concepta Onyatta

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nurses hold a vital role in glucose management in order to ensure safety and quality outcome for hospitalized patients.

Background: Assessing serum and point of care glucose results and bringing abnormal results to the attention of the healthcare team can help maintain optimal management. Despite challenges to hypoglycemic protocol compliance, informed nurses can advocate effectively for their patients. Understanding insulin action and the effective use of evidence-based guidelines/protocols can help nurses promote optimal patient outcomes. Common barriers to glucose control and education of current best practices in the acute care setting were reviewed.

Purpose: To improve hypoglycemic protocol compliance …

Education Module For Serotonin Syndrome With 24-Hour Dose Monitoring Intervention., Jonathon Blake Hicks

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: Serotonin Syndrome (SS) is recognized by a combination of mental status changes, neuromuscular hyperactivity, and autonomic hyperactivity (Volpi-Abadie, Kaye, & Kaye, 2013). Despite the severity and commonality of SS, it is an under reported and an under treated condition (Boyer, 2018). The purpose of this project was to 1) implement an education module on SS using a pretest and posttest design to increase LTC staff knowledge, and 2) evaluate the effectiveness (e.g., confidence level, satisfaction) of the intervention among nursing staff. Method: An education module was implemented focusing on recognizing and treating SS in aging adults. A pretest-posttest design …

Preoperative Opioid Education: Total Knee And Total Hip Arthroplasty., Brittany Durbin

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Opioids are commonly prescribed for the treatment of acute pain symptoms such as surgical pain. The United States is struggling to deal with abuse, misuse, and accidental death associated with prescription opioids. Lack of knowledge regarding safe opioid use is partly to blame for this crisis. The purpose of this evidence-based quality improvement project is to implement a dual-modality (written and spoken) opioid educational intervention to both health care providers and patients. Intended outcomes include increased opioid knowledge for providers yielding more effective opioid education to patients. A pre- and post-test design was used to evaluate provider knowledge and intent …

Hepatitis A Educational Program In Food Service Workers., Katherine Barker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Louisville, KY was affected by a significant outbreak of Hepatitis A in 2017-2018. Kentucky consisted of one-third of the national deaths. The outbreak influenced not only human mortality but had an economic impact on the food service industry. Many restaurants were affected, and some were forced to close due to Hepatitis A outbreaks. To address this issues, a two-step educational process was designed for management to gain understanding of hepatitis A content. The first step was to survey staff (kitchen staff, waiters/waitress, busier, etc.) to determine the compliance rate and variables that influence the compliance rate for vaccination of Hepatitis …

Improving Palliative And Hospice Knowledge Among Nurses In A Long-Term Care Facility., Kelly Rae Smith

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: Early referral and implementation of palliative best-practices in patients with chronic diseases and at the end-of-life (EOL) significantly decreases patient symptom burden, increases quality-of-life, contributes to patient and family satisfaction with care, and reduces healthcare costs. Nurses in long-term care (LTC) are poised to help identify patients appropriate for referral, to provide quality palliative and EOL care, but lack adequate knowledge. Objectives: To determine if a short one-on-one or two-on-one palliative and hospice educational offering can improve (a) knowledge of best-practice palliative and hospice care symptom management techniques (b) the ability of nurses to identify patients appropriate for hospice …

An Exploration Of Leadership Qualities Demonstrated During Level Ii Fieldwork, Amy Maurer, Summer Besteman, Jessica Mooney, Katelyn Campbell

Education

Background. Occupational therapy (OT) students are expected to demonstrate leadership qualities throughout their Level II Fieldwork experiences; however, it has been reported that students lack this quality. The purpose of this project was to identify the leadership characteristics that master’s-level OT students demonstrate and develop during their Level II Fieldwork experiences.

Method. This study utilized an online survey tool, Qualtrics, to understand the perceptions of Fieldwork Educators (FWEds) who have taken a Level II Fieldwork student within the past five years. A code-recode procedure was used to analyze open-ended questions. The frequency and mode of responses were used to report …

Effects Of Standardized Self-Care Behavior Education On Self-Efficacy Outcomes In Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Nishita Patolia Bsn, Rn, Dnp Student

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

An evidence-based practice (EBP) project was implemented in a primary care setting to decrease Hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c) levels and increase self-efficacy in Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) diagnosed individuals. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 30.3 million adults have diabetes in the United States, and one in four do not know they have it (CDC, 2017). It is a disease that can be managed and reversed with standardized self-management education. Self-management interventions can improve diabetes knowledge and encourage patient participation in caring for their health (Flode, Iversen, Aarflot, & Haltbakk, 2017).

The purpose of this evidence-based project was …

Insulin Injection Re-Education For Improved Glycemic Control, Daniela Shon

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Title: Insulin Injection Re-education for Improved Glycemic Control

Background: Patients on insulin therapy often continue to show suboptimal glycemic control. Data from adult patients with T2DM have demonstrated that 56.1% had poor control, despite adherence to treatment, oral and injectable. Poor glycemic control stems from many sources, including poor self-efficacy regarding insulin dosage adjustment, inaccurate insulin dosing, expired insulin, lipohypertrophy of the injection site and technique, and equipment issues.

Purpose: This project aimed to implement and assess the efficacy of re-education in the insulin injection technique for improved glycemic control.

Methods: This project was conducted based on …