Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Acceptability Of Telepsychiatry In A Rural Kentucky Community Mental Health Clinic, Leslie Brauner

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

While telepsychiatry has been championed as a method to improve access to care and health care delivery to remote regions, the willingness of rural patients to receive psychiatric treatment via telehealth technology remains uncertain (Rohland, Saleh, Rohrer, & Romitti, 2000). Published studies concerning general patient satisfaction with telemedicine are available; however, there is little focus on satisfaction of specialized telepsychiatric care to rural mentally ill adults. A capstone project was conducted to examine the acceptability and satisfaction of telepsychiatry in a rural Kentucky mental health clinic. Patient satisfaction with the modality was assessed using the Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire …

The Nurse Manager's Leadership And Nurse Satisfaction, Deborah Bryant

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nurse managers face many challenges in today's healthcare environment including how to retain staff. The purpose of this capstone was to give tools to nurse managers on specific units to develop techniques for shaping a positive culture making a difference for the nursing staff, patients, families and others on the nursing units. Culture-shaping tools were taught to five nurse managers after completion of a pre-assessment survey by bedside nurses to determine if the behaviors of the nurse managers could impact the nurse satisfaction and improve retention. Nursing staff were queried for effectiveness in nurse satisfaction after the nurse managers had …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Team Simulation Training Program, Yvonne Rice

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Trauma care, characterized by complex, shifting priorities, presents many challenges to providers. Traditionally, immediate trauma care has been provided in emergency departments. It has recently been recognized that severely injured patients receive better care with improved outcomes when they bypass the emergency department and are admitted directly to the trauma surgical intensive care unit (TSICU). To assure that TSICU nurses and interprofessional staff are prepared to handle such patients, all new registered nurses in the TSICU of a Level I Trauma Center participate in a one-day Trauma Boot Camp. Originally, the focus of the Trauma Boot Camp was solely on …

Bordered Silver Foam Dressings For Colorectal Surgical Patients, Jessica Maynard

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Although a surgical site infection (SSI) is a risk of an operative procedure, most are preventable (Health Protection Agency, 2009). The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal 7 stipulates the implementation of evidence-based practice for SSI prevention in acute care facilities. The purpose of this pilot project was to implement a bordered silver foam dressing protocol for post-operative colorectal surgical patients. Using a pre- and post-comparison design, the new dressing protocol was implemented for a two-month pilot for colorectal surgical patients meeting the specified criteria at Cabell Huntington Hospital. SSI rate following the protocol was compared to the SSI rate …

The Effect Of A Facilitated Educational Program And Experiential Learning On Nursing Workplace Incivility, Nancy E. Armstrong

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Workplace incivility is a well-documented issue in nursing. It has the potential to cause emotional and physical distress in victims, and potentially affect the quality of care provided. Research in acute care settings found that facilitated educational training sessions related to workplace incivility, in combination with experiential learning activities, assisted nurses in improving their understanding of workplace incivility and their communication skills. It has also been found to reduce workplace incivility. The purpose of this Capstone Project was to implement a civility training program that included education about incivility through facilitated discussions, as well as teambuilding exercises and experiential learning …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Heart Improvement Toolkit Program: A Pilot Project, Cheryl L. Mitchell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, debilitating disease resulting in over one million hospitalizations with an estimated 30.7 million dollars in total health care cost per year (Go et al., 2014). Evidence shows that HF education programs that promote adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological provider recommendations are effective in reducing 30-day HF recidivism rates, increasing self-care behavior, and decreasing adverse clinical events. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to implement the Heart Improvement Toolkit (HIT) Program which is a one-on-one, comprehensive HF-specific education program, for patients with a HF diagnosis who have been admitted to non-cardiac specialty units. Program …

Improving A Fall Prevention And Management Program In An Acute Care Setting, Ashlee D. Gallion

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

In-patient falls are common but preventable adverse events. A patient fall has become a targeted event that hospitals across the country are trying to prevent by implementing new evidence-based strategies and techniques. The purpose of this capstone project was to implement a valid and reliable fall risk assessment tool and a post-fall huddle process. Following a 30-day pilot of the new fall prevention protocol on a medical-surgical unit at the Cabell Huntington Hospital, the documentation of fall risk and post-fall huddles was examined. Fall rates during the pilot were compared to pre-implementation rates. During this project, the new fall risk …

Simulation In Assisting Nurses To Better Recognize Early Signs Of Clinical Deterioration Of Patients, Loretta Elder

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The need to enhance the knowledge and skills of nurses caring for patients who exhibit signs of clinical deterioration has been validated in the literature. The literature has further supported the registered nurse as the key individual expected to recognize signs of clinical deterioration in the patient. The use of simulation as an effective teaching strategy has been well documented in the literature. The purpose of the project was to use simulation as an educational intervention to increase nurse knowledge, self-confidence, and competency when caring for patients exhibiting signs of clinical deterioration. The findings of this project are supported by …

Creating Opportunities For Personal Empowerment For Adolescent Students In A Rural High School, Sharon A. Edwards

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

BACKGROUND: With the incidence of 3% of children and 6% of adolescents diagnosed with depression, treatment appropriate for this population is needed. Provision of mental health care is limited due to barriers of access such as transportation, parental consent, and availability of services in the adolescent’s environment such as the school setting. OBJECTIVES: To decrease the depressive symptoms and increase the self-confidence perceptions of adolescents in a high school setting utilizing a cognitive-behavioral skills enhancing, seven-session intervention called COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment).

STUDY DESIGN: The project was an evidence-based nurse practitioner project utilizing pre- and …

Utilization Of Cope In The College Population, Rachael Hovermale

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: College is a major transition in the lives of many young adults. As early as 1997, Sax reported that stress and depression were on the rise among college students and that 9.7% of college freshmen experienced depressive symptoms. Mental health treatments are often geared to children or older adults.

Objective: The objectives of this project were to (a) assess levels of anxiety and depression in identified at risk college students; (b) implement a new cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based intervention; and (c) evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on students’ levels of anxiety and depression and satisfaction with the intervention. …