Using Empathic Design Principles To Improve Surgical Nursing Efficiency, Roberta Sutton

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Improving efficiency to increase operating room utilization, improve turnaround time, and first case on time starts, is a goal of hospitals to increase surgical case volume. Increasing case volumes improves the hospitals bottom line by increasing reimbursement. In addition, improving the utilization will improve patient and caregiver satisfaction, show less wasted time between cases, and allowing for more timely starts. In the hospital that this study was be performed, located in Atlanta, Georgia, there is a need to improve these metrics which will improve the bottom line of the facility. This study addressed inefficiencies in processes, job duties, and preparation …

Using Empathic Design Principles To Improve Surgical Nursing Efficiency, Roberta Sutton

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Improving efficiency to increase operating room utilization, improve turnaround time, and first case on time starts, is a goal of hospitals to increase surgical case volume. Increasing case volumes improves the hospitals bottom line by increasing reimbursement. In addition, improving the utilization will improve patient and caregiver satisfaction, show less wasted time between cases, and allowing for more timely starts. In the hospital that this study was be performed, located in Atlanta, Georgia, there is a need to improve these metrics which will improve the bottom line of the facility. This study addressed inefficiencies in processes, job duties, and preparation …

Assessing College Students’ Perceived Risk For Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Carletta Weatherspoon

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

This study assesses the effectiveness of an evidence-based educational intervention affecting the perception of the risk for developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in college students and examined relationships between demographic factors and perception of risk for T2DM. Seventy-seven students from the Georgia College Association of Nursing Students (GCANS) and the Personal Health and Fitness Class participated. Of these, 43 participants completed the post-educational email survey. Instruments measured demographic characteristics, perception of risk for developing diabetes, and diabetes risk. The Risk Perception Survey for Developing Diabetes (RPS-DD) assessed students’ perception of risk at baseline and one week post intervention. There was …

Improving The Self-Esteem Of Early Adolescent Girls, Kelly Inoue

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Self-esteem varies throughout an individual’s life and influences a person’s overall wellbeing and self-efficacy. A reduced self-esteem is associated with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse amongst other negative outcomes that impact the individual’s quality of life. A known decrease in self-esteem occurs in early adolescence and is more pronounced in females. There is an abundance of factors that influence self-esteem, such as body image, social support, and physical activity. Programs such as Free Being Me have been created to improve body image and self-esteem in young adolescent girls. The Free Being Me program was implemented in the afterschool program at …

Eliminating Routine Gastric Residual Volume Assessments In The Intensive Care Setting, John Marshall Smith

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

This evidence-based project sought to evaluate the practice change of routine GRV elimination within a 14 bed adult intensive care unit (ICU) at a large teaching hospital in the southeastern United States. For decades, the gold standard to determine tolerance to enteral nutrition (EN) has been routine GRV assessments via aspiration. However, recent studies have concluded the practice ineffective. Critical Care guidelines published in 2016 now recommend cessation of routine GRV assessments (Ozen, et. al, 2018). In-servicing, education, and implementation of a validated protocol from the University of Virginia Medical Center was used to enact the practice change. A 30-day …

Impact Of A Modified Early Warning Score Tool On Nurses’ Ability To Recognize And Respond To Clinical Deterioration, Talecia Y. Warren, Leslie C. Moore, Sterling L. Roberts, Laura Darby

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Timely recognition of signs of impending clinical deterioration in acute care hospitalized patients can prevent an unexpected illness from becoming a fatal event. Failure to recognize the precursors of impending doom can have many factors, but the most influential of these is the role of the bedside nurse in detecting the subtle signs of decline. The Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) has been used successfully to detect clinical deterioration in hospitalized patients, while simulation has been used successfully to provide an environment to test reaction to acute patient decline without harm to actual patients. A translational research project implemented the …

The Impact Of A Faith-Based Education Network For Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Chandila Tutt

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in the United States. Racial disparities related to cardiovascular disease also exist, especially in African Americans. It is imperative to explore solutions to close the gap among these individuals. This study measured the effectiveness of an educational intervention on cardiovascular disease prevention targeting African Americans in a faith-based community setting. This study aimed to target individuals in community and faith-based settings for health promotion and disease prevention through an education network, increase participant’s awareness and knowledge about cardiovascular disease, determine the impact of a cardiovascular disease program on perceived cardiovascular disease …

Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Guideline To Improve Knowledge And Prescribing For Rhinosinusitis, Gerlana Vargas

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

This study measured the effectiveness of an evidence-based guideline intervention regarding provider’s and antibiotic use in a rural health clinic. Sixty percent of providers in the clinic participated in the study. The Antibiotic Knowledge Survey (AKS) was used to measure provider’s knowledge of antibiotic overuse at baseline and 10 weeks post-intervention. Antibiotics prescribed with the diagnosis of sinusitis was measured 6 months pre-intervention and 6 months post-intervention. There was not a significant change in provider’s knowledge from pre-intervention to post-intervention (77.2, SD 9.4), t(16) = 0.63, p = 0.53. However, antibiotic prescribing did decrease from pre- to post-intervention, though …

An Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Workshop For Advanced Practice Nurses, Linda Gay

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Osteoporosis is noted as one of the foremost causes of disability and morbidity worldwide (Rapp et al., 2016). An osteoporotic fracture can result in significant debility, resulting in significant financial burdens. Screening guidelines for osteoporosis are in place, but confounding variables often lead to missed screening and treatment opportunities. Xu, Lombardi, Jiao, and Banfi (2016) state that bone health is essential for maintaining quality of life and overall health and that one out of two Caucasian women will suffer an osteoporotic-related fracture in her lifetime. Current research supports identifying those at risk, screening, and potentially implementing pharmacological treatment regimens to …

Increasing Knowledge And Self-Efficacy In Nurses Orienting To Cardiovascular Surgery Using A New Periop 202 Program, David Reinhart

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

The operating room theater can be intimidating for new nurses, thus leading to a shortage of nurses who are comfortable working in this environment. Evidence supports that 50% of perioperative nurses in 2017 were between the age of 50 and 59. Additionally, no formal didactic courses are being offered in undergraduate programs and the challenging environment related directly to the future shortage of perioperative nurses. This negatively impacts the number of trained perioperative cardiovascular nurses. The project proposed a new didactic educational Perioperative (Periop) 202 program that aimed to increase nurses’ self-efficacy to function on the cardiovascular operating room (CVOR) …

Implementation Of A Heart Failure Discharge Guide And Its Effects On Patient Self-Care, Nickelow Carlton

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic progressive disease that, if not managed adequately, may result in complications including rapid disease progression, frequent hospitalization, and early death. The prevalence of HF related deaths in Muscogee County, Georgia is the highest of all counties in Georgia. Additionally, Georgia is a state with one of the highest prevalence of heart- related diseases in the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2016). The purpose of this translational project was to identify a standard HF discharge guide to implement on admission and determine if implementation increased self-care in HF patients after discharge. Self-care management …

The Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Training Program, Shantee Henry

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Sexual assault is a growing concern in the United States. Appropriate care of its survivors is essential to controlling the short and long-term effects of this trauma. A sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) is a registered nurse that acquires additional training specializing in the comprehensive care of sexual assault survivors. Research indicates that there are not enough SANEs to provide coverage for the increasing number of sexual assaults, especially in rural areas. To increase the number of certified SANEs in rural areas, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. government provided funds through a grant that was …

Implementation Of Doll Therapy For Agitated Residents With Dementia, Jechell Lary-Waller

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Abstract

The aim of this evidence-based practice (EBP) intervention project was to decrease agitated behaviors in residents with dementia as well as educate the staff on the proper implementation of doll therapy. The facility used was a local skilled nursing and rehabilitation center that offers short-term and long-term care processes to residents with dementia. A sample of residents with dementia (N = 8) and staff caring for the residents (N = 14) participated in the project. Residents and staff were evaluated before the EBP project and four weeks after the education program on introduction to EBP. Despite the …