Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Beers Medication: Empowering The Elderly Through Education, Amanda J. Parker

DNP Projects

The elderly population (those aged 65 years and older) has an increased risk of experiencing adverse effects from their prescribed medications. These adverse effects are due to many reasons, one being changes that naturally occur in the aging body, such as diminished kidney function or decreased gastrointestinal motility. This project explores the prescribing practices of one primary care practice setting. Specifically, this project sought to determine the number of patients in a primary care practice who were prescribed medications on the Beers list and whether or not the patients received education on adverse effects. The results concluded the most frequently …

A Biomechanically Based Observational Tennis Serve Analysis Method Can Be Used To Assess Serve Mechanics, Natalie Myers

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Traditional sports science motion analysis techniques using three-dimensional (3D) kinematics have demonstrated that proper mechanics enhance serve performance and improper mechanics overload tissues resulting in injury. However 3D analysis is costly, time-consuming, and requires extensive knowledge of biomechanical properties and data analysis. Currently there are no simple, reliable, and valid observational methods for health care providers (HCP) and tennis professionals to evaluate tennis serve mechanics. Researchers investigating observational analyses have determined that superior reliability may be a result of specific operational definitions and the incorporation of educational training sessions on how to perform the analysis.

The first purpose of this …

Clinical Educator And Student Perceptions Of Ipad™ Technology To Enhance Clinical Supervision: The Electronically-Facilitated Feedback Initiative (Effi), Suzanne J. Snodgrass, Darren Rivett, Scott Farrell, Kyle Ball, Samantha E. Ashby, Catherine L. Johnston, Kim Nguyen, Trevor Russell

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Growing demands placed upon healthcare systems require more health professionals to be trained. Clinical placement education is an integral component of health professional training, however accommodating increasing numbers of student placements is a challenge for health services. Personal digital assistants such as iPads™ may assist in delivery of clinical education, by facilitating transfer of knowledge and skills from clinical educators to health professional students, however such an initiative has not been formally investigated. The present study sought to explore perceptions of clinical educators and allied health students regarding the impact of an iPad™-based feedback delivery system on student …

Impact Of An Occupation-Based Practice (Obp) Learning Module On Perceptions Of Obp And Selection Of Occupation-Based Interventions By Occupational Therapy Assistant Students, Allen S. Keener

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Capstone project was to immerse OTA students in classroom experiences designed to increase their knowledge of key concepts of occupation, OBP, and ability to select occupation-based interventions. The hypothesis of the researcher was that engagement in the module would create an increase in OTA student knowledge in the areas of occupation and OBP, as well as the ability to select occupation-based interventions based on client scenarios.

Prior to engagement in module class sessions, students engaged in pretesting activities, consisting of demographic information, a short essay, and an intervention selection task. Once completed, students participated in a …

Assesement Of An Occupation-Based Practice Module For An Occupational Therapy Assistant Curriculum, Mary Kim Qualls

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Occupational therapy practitioners who also serve as fieldwork educators are not utilizing the profession's historically distinctive qualities and purpose of occupation-based practice, and that the occupational therapy assistant student needs to be prepared with these skills upon beginning fieldwork.

Purpose: The primary purpose of this capstone is to improve the understanding of occupation-based practice by occupational therapy assistant students through an additional educational module focused on occupation-based principles by their ability to implement an occupation-based practice intervention.

Theoretical Framework: The occupation-based practice module has a knowledge component (look), an activity component (think), and evaluation/simulation component (act) (Skinner, …

Kenya: Helping Adolescent Mothers Remain In School Through Strengthened Implementation Of School Re-Entry Policies, Esther Lwanga Walgwe, Nancy Termini Lachance, Harriet Birungi, Chi-Chi Undie

Reproductive Health

By applying robust evidence, securing the support of decisionmakers, and engaging stakeholders, STEP UP enabled national and local decisionmakers to better understand the consequences of unintended pregnancy for adolescent girls’ schooling in Homa Bay County, Kenya. STEP UP is playing an important role in informing the implementation of policies within the Kenyan educational sector that will improve educational opportunities for school-age mothers. Through early stakeholder engagement, strong partnerships, the support of implementers and policymakers, effective communication and dissemination strategies, decisionmaker capacity, and the dedication of the adolescent mothers themselves, evidence generated by STEP UP was successfully utilized by key stakeholders. …

Improving Pain Management For Hospitalized Patients, Ronda Sweet

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Uncontrolled pain has proven effects on both physiological and psychological responses of hospitalized patients. These incapacitating sequelae most often negatively impact patient outcomes resulting in unnecessary suffering and prolong hospitalizations. First line nurses often have preconceived notions about a patient's pain without developing an individualized patient context that considers appropriate pain management knowledge translated from best practice standards. Guided by Bandura's social learning theory and Lippitt's change theory, the purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if use of the Curriculum Outline on Pain for Nursing from the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) improved nursing …

Bedside Nurse Recognition Of Delirium In The Medical-Surgical Setting, Bridget Ann Denzik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Delirium in adults aged 65 and older is a common occurrence in the acute care setting and is often unrecognized by bedside nurses. Delirium can trigger a negative cascade of events resulting in an increase in morbidity and mortality, functional decline, longer length of stay, and high rates of post hospital institutionalization and has a significant socioeconomic impact. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to establish a solid foundation using scholarly literature to support the development of a delirium prevention, recognition, and treatment program in the medical-surgical acute care setting applying the program logic framework. The goal was …

Chiropractic Student Infection Control Practices And Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Skin Infections, Jonathon Todd Egan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chiropractic training involves many hours of skin contact, and chiropractors have manual contact with millions of patients annually, but chiropractic has only had professional clinical hygiene guidance since 2010. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most common cause of cultured skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) in the United States. Using the epidemiologic triad of person, place, and time as a framework, this quantitative, cross-sectional study obtained the first assessment of MRSA SSTI incidence among chiropractic students and its association with infection control behaviors (hand and table hygiene, sharing gowns, and sharing lotion) and initiation of patient care. The study …

Advanced Practitioner Provided Pre-Hospital Discharge Asthma Education, Lyndsay E. Gardner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Asthma is a leading cause of pediatric hospital admissions. Parents of children under the age of 18 with asthma require education to recognize and manage the signs and symptoms of the disease. Parent education has shown to decrease their children's hospital admission and readmission rates. The purpose of this pilot project was to develop an asthma educational module for the parents of children with asthma and obtain parent feedback on the content. Families with children under the age of 18 who had been admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of asthma, an asthma exacerbation, or status asthmaticus were invited …

Improving Nurses' Knowledge Of Stroke, James Trone Mcdaniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stroke is a devastating disease. Stroke care has advanced greatly in the past 20 years with innovations in radiologic imaging, development of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), organized systems of care, telestroke, and best practice guidelines via Get with the Guidelines Stroke (GWTGS). However, stroke remains the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. To provide current and quality care for stroke patients, nurses need ongoing stroke education. Additionally, stroke centers must provide a sustainable stoke education program to their nurses to keep their knowledge current. Guided by Rosswurm and Larrabee's model, this quality improvement project addressed whether an …

An Exploration Of The Effectiveness Of Problem-Based Learning In Nursing Education, Yvette Marie Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical-thinking is an essential skill that graduate nurses need to make sound clinical decisions. While traditional lecturing is the method most commonly used in nursing education, incorporating problem-based learning (PBL) into nursing curricula has been suggested as a better option for students' learning of theory and practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the difference in critical-thinking and problem-solving skills between nursing students taught using PBL versus those taught with traditional classroom lectures. A quasi-experimental approach, with cognitive learning theory as the foundation, was used to compare the results of an Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) Comprehensive Predictor posttest …

An Educational Initiative To Prevent Unnecessary Hospitalization For Hospice Patients, Alkeisha Hill Mims

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Avoidable hospitalizations of hospice patients cost Medicare $3 billion a year. When hospice nurses are able to identify early signs and symptoms of acute illness and provide appropriate interventions to prevent such admissions, 20-60% of the hospitalizations are preventable. The practice problem addressed in this quality improvement doctor of nursing project was the 30% hospital admission rate of hospice patients as evidenced by chart review, admission data, and revocation data. The first purpose of the project was to identify evidence-based nursing care paths in the literature for the top 5 medical diagnoses related to avoidable hospital admissions. The second purpose …

Improving Quality Of Life In Older Adults With Depression And Diabetes Through Medication Compliance Education, Valreen Hinds-Beharrie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Improving Quality-of-Life in Older Adults with Depression and Diabetes through Medication Compliance Education

by

Valreen Hinds-Beharrie

MSN, Adelphi University, 1997

BSN, Adelphi University, 1986

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirement for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

March 2016

Diabetes and depression are prevalent diseases that cause morbidity and mortality. Diabetes is a heterogeneous metabolic disease in which hypoglycemia is a central feature. Depression is associated with increased counter-regulatory, hormone release, and alteration in glucose transport function. Depression occurs in some individuals with diabetes and is associated with poor metabolic control, inadequate control of diet, …

Educating Nurses About Spirituality's Effects On Quality Of Life With Chronic Illness, April Gant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spirituality has been associated with wholeness, inner peace, and key elements of well-being or quality of life. Spirituality support is particularly important for patients with chronic illness and patients who view spirituality as a way of coping with suffering. Evidence-based education is lacking in schools of nursing and in places of nursing employment on spirituality interventions that nurses can use to improve patient quality of life. The purpose of this project was to determine whether an educational intervention would increase knowledge of spiritual care in a small sample of clinic nurses (n = 37). This project used Watson's caring theory, …

Effects Of Education On Pressure Ulcer Prevention In Developmentally Disabled Individuals, Jasneth M. James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pressure ulcers were a continuing concern among the nonverbal developmentally disabled population of a state institution. The lengthy use of wheelchairs, the inability to body shift, and physical and mental impairment were attributes of the target population that have been cited in the literature as contributing to pressure ulcer. The purpose of this quasi-experimental pretest/posttest project was to evaluate the effectiveness of an education intervention for direct care staff on the prevention treatment, and eradication of pressure ulcers among patients with developmental disabilities. Orem's self-care deficit theory, particularly the emphasis on the need for nursing staff to perform self-care activities …

Socioeconomic Status As A Predictor Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Hilaire Saint-Pierre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While epidemiological research has generated new knowledge about the treatment and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through smoking secession, the socioeconomic status (SES) of people with the disease has been under investigated. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the predictability of association between SES and COPD. This study was based on the ecological theory, which states that health and disease may have multiple underlying factors. This study was a secondary analysis of archived data from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). The dataset was collected for the National Survey of Midlife Development …

Boîte À Outils: Renforcement Des Compétences, Judith Bruce, Sarah Engebretsen, Kimberly Glazer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Grâce à un processus appelé «conception intentionnelle», les outils d’apprentissage du Population Council aident à centraliser les besoins des filles. Ces outils s'appuient sur des preuves de la nécessité de maintenir les filles en bonne santé, de les intégrer socialement et de les préparer économiquement. La boîte à outils Renforcement des Compétences du Population Council aide les praticiens, les décideurs et les défenseurs à élaborer un contenu adapté, significatif et positif pour aider des sous-populations spécifiques de filles. La boîte à outils guide les praticiens à travers une série d'étapes qui doivent être suivies pour définir des cibles de bon …

Engaging Parents To Promote Girls' Transition To Secondary Education: Evidence From A Cluster Randomised Trial In Rural Gujarat, India, K.G. Santhya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Pallavi Patel, Neeta Shah

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council and partners, with the support of the Human Dignity Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, implemented a pilot intervention in India─Project Sankalp─to assess the acceptability and feasibility of engaging parents and communities to promote girls’ secondary education. The project's aim was to measure its effectiveness in improving adolescent girls’ transition to secondary education, their attendance at school, and learning outcomes. Findings show that the effect of Project Sankalp on creating an enabling environment for girls to pursue secondary education was mixed. On the positive side, the project showed success in raising girls’ educational …

Pap Smear Compliance Study At Emmc, Bangor Maine, Do Gwak

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Many factors contribute to the accurate reporting of pap smear compliance in patients population. The factors identified during the study are system failure of EMR to track pap smear records and lack of communication among different clinics.

Evaluation Of Educational Intervention And Management Of Patients With Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Elissa Johnson

DNP Projects

Background: Diabetes is a costly disease with devastating consequences. Patients with poor glucose control whether due to inadequate medical care or limited self-care are most at risk for complications. Evidence supports the efficacy of multifaceted interventions in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patient education, assessing behavioral and psychosocial elements, and focusing on lifestyle change (e.g. diet and exercise) are interventions shown to enhance self-efficacy and promote patient empowerment (Knight, Dornan, & Bundy, 2005).

Study Design: A retrospective chart review of 104 patients with established T2DM was conducted along with a qualitative interview with providers focused on management …

The Importance Of Collecting An Accurate Family Medical History, Danielle T. Leahy

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Family medical history has been recognized as an important non-modifiable risk factor for many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even several types of cancer. However, a number of studies have shown that patients’ recall of their family history is often inaccurate and missing important information such as family members’ age at onset or diagnosis of a disease. Additionally, there is substantial variation regarding how often family physicians are actually obtaining FMH during visits. Patients’ understanding of the importance of obtaining an accurate FMH and even their perception of familial risk of common chronic diseases is also highly variable …

A Confidential Sms Texting Service For Lgbtq Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health, Matthew A. Shear

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Compared to heterosexual youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth are at higher risk for depression, tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, suicide, and unhealthy sexual behaviors. The #1 priority set by Vermont's LGBTQ youth was access to queer-inclusive sex education during middle and high school. In collaboration with OutrightVT, an LGBTQ youth service organization based in Burlington, we worked to expand access to a 24 hour text-messaging based reproductive health hotline 724-888-7277 (SASS).

The number and frequency of text messages submitted to the hotline pre- and post-intervention were used measure the increase in access/awareness.

Childhood Obesity: A National Emergency, Elaine E. Wang

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Childhood obesity rates and the related public health costs are rising every year. Many projects have addressed family education on the importance of diet and exercise. However, though patients reportedly understand this concept, they are still have challenges implementing their knowledge. We seek to address this discrepancy with an educational brochure based on suggestions for parents from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Improving Awareness Of Low Health Literacy And Strategies To Overcome It, Sherilyn Destefano

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

This project outlines an intervention delivered at a family medicine residency program in Bangor, ME to increase residents' knowledge of the impact of low health literacy and supply them with communication techniques to help improve patient understanding. Over 36% of U.S. adults have basic or below basic health literacy skills and low health literacy has been shown to lead to poorer health outcomes, increased health disparities, and increased cost. Our presentation focused on communication techniques like Teach-Back, an evidence-based strategy that assesses patient understanding by asking patients to repeat back healthcare instructions in their own words, that has been shown …

Distress Among Psychologists: Prevalence, Barriers, And Remedies For Accessing Mental Health Care, Kimberly Patterson-Hyatt

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study completed a critical review of psychologists’ mental health by developing a conceptual analysis based on the current empirical literature of the mental health needs of clinical psychologists. Distress among psychologists was explored by examining the following domains: (a) examining the prevalence of mental illness and psychological distress that exist among them, (b) examining the barriers they encounter to seeking treatment when experiencing this distress, and (c) reviewing current interventions and integrating remedies for access to mental health care that best meets psychologists’ needs. Results included several themes within each domain shaping a contextual picture of some of the …