Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Implementation Of A Standardized Discharge Summary Template Specific To Kidney Transplant Patients In Order To Improve Provider Communication And Satisfaction: A Quality Improvement Project, Cassandre Alix

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Transition of care is the transfer of a patient from one care setting to another. Patient safety is paced in a susceptible position with the modification of their care setting and team due in part to the potential loss of critical clinical material and communication. Formal transitional care programs permit a connection between clinical settings and providers. Lack of a formal standardized discharge summary can negatively impact patient care for kidney recipients during the transitional process from inpatient hospitalizations back to the community provider by adversely impacting provider satisfaction and breaking the continuity in patient care. Purpose: This quality improvement …

Improving Informed Decision Making To Reduce The Health Risks Of Vaping Among Adolescents: A Quality Improvement Project, Lizzie A. Diaz

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Background: Smoking continues to be a concerning topic among healthcare providers as it is a common risk factor among all major diseases. A new variant, in the form of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have arrived at this mix. E-cigarettes, or vapes, have become the most often used tobacco product among young people since 2014 (Sharma et al., 2021). Statistics from the CDC show that in 2022, over 2.5 million youth, including 14.1%‡ of US middle and high schooler kids are not just experimenting with e-cigarettes, but are using them frequently, leading to an addiction that is difficult to …

Investigating The Effects Of An Occupational Safety Course On Needlestick Injury Prevention And Incident Reporting For Emergency Department Registered Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project, Shadaina Dessalines

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Abstract

Background: Needlestick injuries are a well-known hazard in the workplace, especially in healthcare settings. Despite knowledge of the potential consequences after sustaining a needlestick injury, numerous incidents remain unreported by healthcare workers.

Aim: This quality improvement project examined whether an interactive occupational safety course regarding needlestick injury prevention and incident reporting in the workplace would positively influence the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of emergency department registered nurses regarding needlestick injury prevention and incident reporting.

Design: Pre and post-test survey design.

Sample and Setting: Five registered nurses staffed in the emergency department of a public 716-bed, pediatric and adult hospital. …

Preoperative Education Regarding The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Eras) Guideline For Colorectal Surgical Patients: A Quality Improvement Project, Andrea Dipokromo, Deborah W. Sherman, Charles Lago Sr.

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

BACKGROUND: Advancements in colorectal surgeries can be attributed to the adoption of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) clinical guideline, which is a system of perioperative interventions bundled together cohesively to enhance a patient’s surgical experience, especially their post-operative recovery. One of the first interventions that initiates the ERAS process is the delivery of patient education before surgery. However, there are currently no standardizations on the kind of content or method of delivery for this education.

PURPOSE: This Quality Improvement (QI) project determined the effects of a private, in-person, educational program discussing in detail the ERAS guideline adopted by their …

Opioid-Sparing Anesthesia In Cardiac Surgery Requiring Cardiopulmonary Bypass, Daniel E. Baez, Charles Buscemi Dr, Jorge A. Valdes

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Background: Traditional anesthesia for cardiac surgery involved high opioid use associated with adverse events and poor outcomes which led to the adoption of multi-modal analgesic approaches. Although improvements in the overall opioid consumption are seen with multi- modal analgesic approaches, recent studies in opioid-sparing anesthesia and regional anesthesia can further reduce the operative use of opioids in cardiac surgery to improve patient outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive study search was conducted using CINAHL and MEDLINE (ProQuest) to identify research studies from the past three years that have focused on opioid- sparing anesthesia or opioid-free techniques in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with …

Fluid Resuscitation Optimization In Surgical Trauma Patients Utilizing Pulse Pressure Variation And Stroke Volume Variation: An Educational Module, Maritza J. Beza

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

This quality improvement project seeks to evaluate the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of anesthesia physicians on the need of fluid resuscitation and optimization using pulse pressure variation (PPV) or stroke volume variation (SVV) in surgical trauma patients. The intervention will be administered to certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and physician anesthesiologists. The sample will consist of roughly ten individuals. A pre-test survey, a virtual educational intervention, and a post-test survey will comprise the project. Utilizing pre- and post-test surveys, the consequences of the intervention will be measured. Additionally, statistical analysis will be used to evaluate the efficacy of the educational …

Oncology Patients Oral Hygiene Education Intervention Mapping Among Nursing Staff: A Repeated Measure Non-Experimental Design, Maura Poleon

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

OBJECTIVE: Oral health conditions mainly cavities and tooth decay had been implicated in oral cavities neoplasm incidence, complications, prognosis, and survival. The current study aimed to assess the knowledge and skills of oncology nurses, prior to the application of the training and education module on oral hygiene, and thereafter re-assessment.

MATERIALS & METHODS: A repeated measure, the non-experimental design was used to assess the knowledge and skills of nursing staff. The study was conducted at 5 Hope, 6 Hope, and 5 Clarke, Baptist Hospital of Miami, with 145 nurse participants in the pretest assessment, while 63 nurses completed …

Increasing Cervical Cancer Screening Rate Among Uninsured South Asian Females Between Ages Of Twenty-One And Sixty-Five: A Quality Improvement Project To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of Video-Assisted Targeted Education In A South Florida Clinic, Husna Oleed

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Abstract

The literature review suggests the underutilization of healthcare and screening tests among the uninsured in the United States. South Asian population, the fastest-growing immigrant population in the country, possesses an extra burden due to a lack of knowledge about screening and hesitance to change health behaviors. The primary focus of the Quality Improvement project is to improve the awareness of South Asian females about cervical cancer screening and ultimately to increase the screening rate. A video-assisted education in native languages of Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali was introduced to educate the South Asian females in a primary care community clinic …

A Quality Improvement Project On The Utilization Of Preoperative Airway Ultrasonography To Predict Difficult Intubations, Stephanie Tewes

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

No abstract provided.

An Educational Module On The Utilization Of Haloperidol As A Pharmacological Complement For Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting Prophylaxis In Adult Surgical Patients, Xenia Marie Del Pozo, Ann B. Miller

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) commonly influence the perioperative experience of general anesthesia patients. Although current guidelines suggest the use of combination therapy for PONV prophylaxis, there is diminished application in practice. A potentially efficacious and under-utilized medication being studied in combination with anti-emetics is haloperidol. The main foci of this quality improvement project are to assess anesthesia provider knowledge and attitudes regarding utilization of haloperidol for PONV prophylaxis in adult surgical patients. This quality improvement project provides a segue to enhance anesthesia practice by diminishing PONV using haloperidol. The primary methodology of the quality improvement project is to implement …

Knowledge Awareness Of Coping Skills In Individuals With Serious Mental Illness Among Healthcare Providers In Miami, Florida: A Quality Improvement Project, Tamara Dewar

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Nearly 1 in 5 Americans have some form of mental illness, with 1 in 20 experiencing a serious mental illness (SMI) in 2020. Thirty seven percent of adults incarcerated in state and federal prisons have a diagnosed SMI, and 20.8% of people experiencing homelessness in the United States (US) have a SMI. Costs related to mental health treatment and services in the U.S. reached $225 billion in 2019, an increase of 52% since 2009. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to enhance knowledge awareness among healthcare providers, regarding coping skills in individuals with SMI at a behavioral health …

Improving Anesthesia Provider Knowledge And Competence In Patient Blood Management, Eduardo J. Subero

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Background: In the United States, blood transfusions are the most common medical procedure performed in hospitals. When used appropriately, allogeneic blood transfusions are crucial life-saving interventions essential in perioperative management. The use of blood transfusions should be based on safety, efficacy, and quality of treatment. However, a significant volume of evidence has emerged correlating blood transfusions to adverse patient outcomes, increases in cost, increases in morbidity, and mortality in surgical patients. Noting this, current transfusion practices require further evaluation. Patient Blood Management is a novel multidisciplinary approach that mitigate these negative outcomes.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was …

Bridging The Knowledge Gap In The Management Of Dyslipidemia: A Quality Improvement Project., Annery Diaz

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Background: Dyslipidemia is noted to be a leading cause of death globally. In the United States, patient compliance with medical advice for treating dyslipidemia is often overlooked, exacerbating health complications for the patient. The lack of patient engagement with care has been traced back to a lack of provider knowledge and poor counseling of patients to foster participation in their care.

Aim: This quality improvement project aimed to educate providers about the proper management of dyslipidemia to improve their knowledge of the topic.

Methodology: A pre-/post-educational intervention design was used to evaluate the knowledge of healthcare providers working in convenient …

Improving Transgender Patients' Access To Care In The Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Steven M. Cardenas, Eric A. Fenkl

Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing Student Projects

Background: In the United Sates, nearly 1 million people identify as being transgender and 2% (671) of transgender people were diagnosed with HIV in the U.S. and dependent areas in 2019 (CDC, 2022b). Studies have reported of transgender people avoiding the healthcare setting due to fear of facing stigma and discrimination. Due to this stigma and discrimination in the healthcare setting, transgender people may choose not to participate in HIV screening. The studies also emphasized a lack of LGBTQ+ education in the academic setting. The purpose of this quality improvement project (QIP) was to improve the knowledge of healthcare professionals …

Preparing To Break Barriers: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of The Knowledge, Attitudes, And Perceptions Of Hiv, Prep, And Hiv Risk Behaviors Among Women Of Color In Miami, Florida, Amanda C. Ichite

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. HIV epidemic is characterized by regional, racial, and ethnic disparities. HIV rates are disproportionately higher in the South and Black and Hispanic populations are most impacted. Moreover, the intersectional identity of being a Black or Hispanic woman living in the South has been associated with profound disparities in HIV impact. Prior to the advent of the biomedical HIV prevention tool pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in 2012, women were limited in their options for female-controlled HIV prevention strategies. Despite the proven efficacy of PrEP, utilization in women is significantly lower than other at-risk groups. In the present study, secondary analysis …

Serpin-Derived Novel Peptide For The Treatment Against Hiv-Induced Inflammation In The Central Nervous System, Yemmy Soler

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the brain, HIV predominantly infects microglia/macrophages and astrocytes to a lesser extent. These cells form virus reservoirs with low levels of infection that are very hard to eradicate. Even though the use of cART increases survival rate in HIV patients, the virus persists as a chronic condition. cART is not able to effectively cross the BBB, control HIV replication, or attenuate inflammation in brain reservoirs. Therefore, the virus still causes neuronal dysfunction, pain-related pathology, and ultimately HAND. In this study, we decided to test the hypothesis that a serpin-derived small peptide, SP16, can serve as an anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, pro-survival, …

Means To An End: A Qualitative Interview Study On Medical Students And Debt, Alberto Juan Diaz Jr

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Today, 43.4 million Americans owe 1.7 trillion dollars in student loan debt (Hanson, 2022). The American Association of Medical Colleges (2021) reported that 73% of medical students graduate with educational debt, of which the average medical student borrowed $203,062 in student loans. The problem addressed through this study is that as the narrative about student loan debt grows, the hegemonic understanding of debt revolves around the undergraduate student's experience and their eminent struggles regarding repayment of student loans and employment. However, limited research exists on how medical students understand and experience debt.

Several researchers have discussed the lack of understanding …

"I Got To Be Healthy For Me Beyond Covid": The Influence Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Hypertension Prevention Among Black College Students: A Mixed Methods Study, Talegria Brown

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black college students are at an increased risk of developing hypertension resulting from their race, ethnicity, family history, and added stressors of college life. Hypertension is a risk factor for COVID-19 disease severity hence the need to investigate its impact on hypertension risk factors. The purpose of this mixed-methods explanatory study was to understand the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on hypertension awareness among Black college students.

A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted to study the effect of knowledge, attitudes, and practices on hypertension risk factors among Black college students (Aim 1). The mean hypertension knowledge score was 7.54 (SD …

Role Of Novel Immunoregulatory Long Noncoding Rnas In Airway Epithelial Pathophysiology And Chronic Pulmonary Disease, Marko Manevski

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

COPD is currently the third leading cause of death globally, accounting for approximately 6% of all deaths in 2019, and cigarette smoke (CS) is the primary risk factor for disease development.

Transcriptomic analysis of a 3D in vitro model using differentiated human airway epithelial cells (AECs) identified a novel lncRNA on the antisense strand of ICAM-1 or LASI that showed increased expression upon CS exposure. The lncRNA was significantly upregulated in CS-induced Rhesus macaque airways and in human COPD airways that exhibited higher mucus expression and goblet cell hyperplasia, which was recapitulated in vitro. Blocking lncRNA expression in cell culture …

Local Health Department Capacity To Improve Public Health - The Impact Of Public Health Accreditation And Public Health Funding, Nancy S. Elliott

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public health accreditation and public health funding have the potential to transform the way local health departments (LHDs) deliver public health, but it is unclear if they are having their intended impact. Since performance expectations are high and public health funding is scarce, LHD leadership will continually be interested in finding the most effective ways of improving public health. The purpose of this research is to examine whether LHDs are reaching their goal of public health improvement through public health accreditation and public health funding. Data from the National Association of County and City Health Officials Profile Surveys, Public Health …

Evaluation Of Swallowing Related Measures In Different Head And Neck Postures In Healthy Young And Older Adults, Mabell Vargas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated swallowing related measures (oral transit time and number of swallows, tongue force and lip force) and different head and neck postures in a group of healthy young adults and older adults. Participants consisted of 19 healthy young and 17 healthy old. They were asked to ingest 2 different liquid consistency to measure the time they take to swallow and the number of swallows. The maximum tongue and lip force was measured with the IOPI device for 3 seconds and repeated 3 times.

The results of the study showed that the number of swallows is not significant regardless …

Effect Of Using The Snackability Smartphone Application To Improve The Quality Of Snack Intake, General Diet Quality, And Weight Among College Students, Lukkamol Prapkree

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College is a challenging period to make healthy food and snack choices and this could lead to poor diet quality and weight gain in the future. The Snackability application (app) was developed using the Social Cognitive Theory for behavior change to help students choose healthy snacks based on the USDA guidelines. The objective of this study was to determine whether the app improved snack, diet quality, and body weight in overweight and obese college students within a two-arm, 12-week randomized controlled trial (RCT). A total of 139 participants completed all baseline measures and were randomized into the control or app …

The Politics Of The Self: Psychedelic Assemblages, Psilocybin, And Subjectivity In The Anthropocene, Joshua Falcon

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how psychedelic substances become drawn into particular sociohistorical and political arrangements, and how psychedelic experiences with psilocybin ‘magic mushrooms’ are used as tools of subjectivation. Guided by literatures in philosophy, critical theory, and the social sciences that focus on subjectivity, assemblage theory, and critical posthumanism, I argue that psychedelics are drawn into variegated assemblages, each of which conceptualizes the nature of psychedelics in highly specific ways that reflect implicit conceptions of the world and the self. In developing the concept of psychedelic assemblages, this research provides a window onto the politics of the self in the Anthropocene. …

Discovery Of First-In-Class Small Molecule Agonists Of The Rxfp2 Receptor As Therapeutic Candidates For Osteoporosis, Maria Esteban Lopez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Osteoporosis is a chronic bone disease characterized by decreased bone mass and increased risk of developing fractures, predominantly observed in the elderly. The pathophysiological cause of the disease is a decrease in the activity of the bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) that alters bone remodeling in favor of bone resorption, leading to a decrease in bone mass. Recent studies identified the relaxin family peptide receptor 2 (RXFP2), the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) for insulin-like 3 peptide (INSL3), as an attractive target expressed in osteoblast cells to increase bone formation. The goal of this dissertation is to discover and characterize small molecule agonists …

Use Of Mobile Technology: Effects On Diabetic Health Outcomes And Health Care Costs In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Ahmad M. Rayani

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes in Saudi Arabia has reached an epidemic rate and is a significant cause of major medical complications, premature death, and health costs. Recent statistics indicates that up to 30% of Saudi population are diabetic and this number is expected to increase. As diabetes is increasing in extremely high rates in Saudi Arabia, a texting intervention has the potential in improving the health outcomes for this population. This data is needed in Saudi Arabia to improve the outcomes with diabetic patients and to guide the development of practice models with the aim to improve diabetics non-adherence to medically prescribed treatments …

Understanding Exosomal Extracellular Vesicles And Morphine In The Neuropathology Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus And Differential Zika Virus Strain-Associated Pathology, Allen Caobi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exosomal Extracellular Vesicles (xEVs), integral to intercellular communication and regulation of immune responses, have functional effects based on their contents, which they transport to neighboring cells. However, in the context of infection, EV cargo can be modulated, by either infected or uninfected cells. We hypothesize that CNS-associated neuropathology, is partially, due to the cargo transported by the exosomes. We theorize that the cargo released from infected cell-derived xEVs may either facilitate or inhibit viral neuropathogenicity. Here we investigated xEVs in the case of two neurotropic viruses, Zika virus (ZIKV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The hallmark characteristic of ZIKV-infection is …

Determinants Of Waterpipe Smoking Trajectories And The Effects Of Pictorial Health Warning Label Among Young Waterpipe Smokers In The Us, Prem Gautam

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years waterpipe tobacco (WPT) smoking has increased among young people in the United States (US). Adequate characterization of the WPT smoking trajectories (initiation, progression, and cessation), their predictors, and examination of the effects of a pictorial health warning label (PHWL) on WPT smokers is essential to guide interventions and policies to curb WPT smoking among young people in the US. Using the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (PATH) and clinical lab data, this dissertation assessed: 1) prevalence and predictors of WPT smoking initiation and progression among adolescents and young adults; 2) magnitude and predictors of WPT …

Development Of A Microwave-Based Dna Extraction Method To Increase The Success Of Direct And Rapid Pcr Technique, Fabiana Taglia

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project was to develop a fast, microwave-based extraction technique that could be employed for direct and rapid DNA analysis. The hypothesis was that the use of a microwave could increase the yield of DNA by opening the cell membrane, rendering the DNA available without the use of any other chemical treatment, and improving results from very low quantity samples.

At present rapid human DNA analysis is mainly restricted to genotyping saliva and sometimes blood samples. We hypothesized that microwave processing could expand the types of samples assessable to these procedures and increase sensitivity.

There were two …

Changes Of Harm Perception And Effect Of Health Warnings On Electronic Cigarette Use In Us Youth, Wei Li

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation 1) assessed the influence of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) harm perception on ENDS initiation over time among US youth and young adults; 2) tracked the changes in harm perception of ENDS use and examined their predictors among US youth; 3) conducted a pilot study to address the effectiveness of graphic health warning labels (GHWLs) on important outcomes among US young adult ENDS users. Data from 2013-2018 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study were used for aims 1 & 2. Primary data with 26 participants that were collected from university campus during the year …

Examining The Effects Of Individual And Neighborhood Factors On Hiv Transmission Risk Potential Among People With Hiv, Semiu Olatunde Gbadamosi

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

HIV transmission risk significantly increases in late-diagnosed HIV and at HIV viral load (VL) >1500 copies/mL. The objective of this dissertation was to examine factors associated with HIV transmission risk potential for persons with HIV (PWH) using measures of time from HIV infection to diagnosis and trajectories of VL suppression. Additionally, we sought to determine whether a single yearly VL measure—the current standard to track the HIV epidemic in the United States—is reliable in assessing viral suppression for PWH. The first study estimated the distribution of time from HIV infection to diagnosis in Florida using a CD4 depletion model and …