Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of A Webinar To Improve Icu Nurses’ Competency In Palliative Care, Justine Kirschner

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Patients with serious illness lack access to quality patient-centered care despite the growth in palliative care awareness and services. Palliative care is an interdisciplinary care system intended to optimize the quality of life of patients with serious, life-limiting illness and their families. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) are facing critical illnesses and can benefit from palliative care integration into their care. This DNP quality improvement (QI) project, grounded in Benner’s Novice to Expert nursing theory, aimed to increase ICU nurse competency in palliative care from novice to competent through a continuing education webinar. The study analyzed nurses’ …

Effectiveness Of A Frailty Assessment Index To Predict Early Readmission Rates In Frail And Older Adult Renal Transplant Patients, Marilyn Barnett

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Background: Renal transplantation is a complex intervention integrating both medical and surgical modalities, and is considered the treatment of choice for many individuals with end-stage renal disease. The complicated care of patients undergoing renal transplantation puts them at risk for adverse outcomes including infection, allograft loss, and a greater risk for some types of cancer. Evaluating patients to ensure they have the ability and support to cope with the stress of surgery and recovery, is an important part of determining the most appropriate candidates to receive the limited supply of organs available. Frailty has increasingly been identified as a predictor …

To Flash Or Not To Flash, Christy Overly

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

In 2015, healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevalence survey found that there were an estimated 110,800 surgical site infections (SSIs) associated with inpatient surgeries in 2015. Consequently, instruments and implants sterilized by immediate use steam sterilization (IUSS) have been found to increase the patient’s risk for an SSIs. Due to these risks, the Joint Commission (TJC) determined that organizations should implement evidenced-based protocols to reduce IUSS use. A needs assessment revealed a gap in care in that the increasing SSI rates appeared to be correlated with the misuse of IUSS at the physician owned surgical hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This Doctor of …

Development And Implementation Of A Protocol For Denosumab Administration In An Outpatient Infusion Clinic, Erin Stavrakas

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Denosumab, or Prolia, is a medication given to increase bone mineral density (BMD) and prevent fracture risk in patients with osteoporosis. Guidelines for monitoring of side effects, data on long-term effects, and appropriate precautions are still being researched and developed. Healthcare teams are often unaware of preventative care measures to guide informed clinical decision making and patient care management. The recognized gap in care also reduces the standardization of health care delivery in clinics administering Prolia; this gap can lead to errors and miscommunication between patients and healthcare teams an increased risk for side effects. The aim of this translation …

Nurse Practitioner-Led Heart Failure Education Program, Ruairi Fox

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Heart failure is a chronic, progressive disease that has a global burden on the healthcare system and on patient’s lives. HF patients who experience a hospital admission are at a greater risk of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, impacting healthcare spending costs and patient quality of life. Self-care activities by patients, such as monitoring weight and making lifestyle changes, are the hallmark of outpatient care, and is shown throughout the literature to reduce readmissions and impact patient quality of life. Unfortunately, many patients are either unaware of proper self-care management techniques or find them hard to follow. …

Weight Management Program Using Myfitnesspal© In A Rural Primary Care Setting, Taylor Rittman

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Obesity is a growing health concern that is linked to the development of chronically debilitating physical and mental illnesses. Obesity is a result of a long-term positive imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Evidence has shown more than one third of U.S. adults suffer from obesity. Primary care providers in the United States report being overburdened in treating obesity, citing a lack of time, structured approach, and structured resources. Furthermore, the disparities in obesity are even more prevalent in rural areas where older adults are the fastest growing part of the population at risk for this disease. Evidence indicates …

Colorectal Cancer Screening In The Latino Population At A Family Medicine Clinic: A Quality Improvement Project, Michael S. Vinson

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a preventable and curable disease that affects all genders, races, and ethnicities, and its impact on society can be reduced with early screening. The Latino population is at greater risk compared to groups or ethnicities due to social determinants and health disparities within the community. Review of Literature: Language barriers, low education levels, persistent social stressors, poor healthcare navigation, and structural barriers make it difficult for this population to be properly screened at appropriate intervals. Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project was designed to combat reduced screening rates seen in the Latino population. The target …

Improving Patient Discharge In The Ambulatory Surgical Setting Utilizing A Preoperative Educational Video, Leeann Kluth

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Background: Use of ambulatory surgery centers providing outpatient surgical procedures has grown due to medical advances, short stays that reduce costs, and convenience for the patient. However, due to the reduced time between diagnosis and surgery, there is a decreased amount of time available for education and discharge teaching. Historically, discharge education is provided after surgery in written form while the effects of anesthesia and pain medication impair a patient’s ability to retain information. This leads to increased reports of uncontrolled pain, poor comprehension, and higher rates of adverse events due to poor comprehension of discharge orders.

Methods: The development …