Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Deprescribing Medications At The End Of Life At A Community Hospice Setting, Shannon Dickson

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Polypharmacy can yield various adverse outcomes for patients over the age of 65. The lack of a standardized process and education for hospice nurses to implement into their clinical practice can increase polypharmacy, which burdens patients and families at the end of life.

Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to increase hospice nurses' knowledge and confidence to initiate deprescribing for non-essential or inappropriate medications with hospice patients.

Methods: A multimodal educational program that incorporated evidenced-based resources composed of STOPP Frail Criteria, Garfinkel algorithm, and the BUILD model was presented at a community hospice agency. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were …

Utilizing A Stress And Coping Model Into A Preventive Abusive Head Trauma Parent/Caregiver Educational Program, Camile Williams

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a serious form of child maltreatment that is the primary cause of fatal head injuries in children younger than 24 months and is the cause for over 50% of severe or fatal traumatic brain injury incidences. These injuries can be caused by impact, shaking, or the combination of shaking and impact. These multi-factorial injuries can cause intracranial and spinal damage, retinal hemorrhages, and fractures of ribs and other bones. The age and severity of injuries will be used to assess the diagnosis of AHT. When AHT occurs, it is often tied to the behavior from …

Critical Choices Conversation Pilot Project, Lorena Paul

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) and advance directives (AD) inform the provision of health care that aligns with clients’ goals and wishes. Less than 30% of female cancer care clients presented AD when admitted for care to a Magnet® designated hospital located in the Southwest United States (U.S.).

Methods: A quality improvement project took place on a 25 bed in-patient cancer care unit to improve these rates. The nurses received ACP training and used a clinical support tool to facilitate discussions with clients. A Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist assisted as needed.

Results: Seven nurses accomplished a self-paced learning activity …

Integrating Improved Geriatric Content Into A Nursing Curriculum: Enhancing The Competencies Of Nursing Students In Gerontological Care, Sylvia Andrade

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

The United States is facing a critical shortage of health care professionals who are trained in geriatrics. Among the health care professions, nursing, with more than 3 million members, comprises the largest segment of the nation’s health care workforce. New nurses entering this workforce find themselves caring for an extraordinarily large number of older patients with complex health care needs, regardless of the care setting. Currently, 36 million Americans are aged 65 or older. By 2030, that number will double. Accordingly, the need is significantly greater for more gerontologically trained registered nurses to address the complex health care needs of …

Improving Nurses’ Pain Management In The Post Anesthesia Care Unit (Pacu), Amelia D. Madenski

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Pain after surgery is distressing to patients and is a significant problem in post anesthesia care unit (PACU). Ineffective pain management in the immediate postoperative period can prolong the patient’s length of stay in the PACU which may lead to increased cost of care. The nurses’ lack of knowledge regarding pain management and ineffective team communication are barriers to effective pain management. An educational intervention based on the Knowledge- to-Action Model was implemented to 22 nurses in the recovery room at an urban hospital. A one group pre-test and post-test measure design was used to evaluate educational program. The data …