Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Psychoeducation Training Program For Correctional Psychiatric Nurses, Katie Lyn Araja

DNP Scholarly Projects

This article describes a quality improvement project undertaken at a northeastern prison focusing on the psychiatric hospital unit. The project's primary aim is to implement training in nurse-led psychoeducation groups for psychiatric hospital unit nurses with the outcome of increasing confidence and competency through improved self-efficacy. The secondary aim of this project is to positively impact the psychiatric hospital unit nurses' intuition as a component of clinical decision-making through skill training that improves KSAs and care delivery to the highest level of the nurses' licensure. Participating nurses received pre and post-intervention surveys, including the Psychiatric Nurse Self-Efficacy Scales and the …

Tackling Burnout: Investing In Nurse Managers To Secure The Future Of Nursing, Enhance Manager Effectiveness, And Support High Quality Patient Care, Corey French

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Burnout is a widespread, pervasive issue the healthcare industry. Many efforts related to burnout reduction have been focused on front line caregivers but there is continued opportunity to address burnout in leadership. The global aim of this quality improvement project was to reduce burnout among the nursing leadership team at a large, academic medical center in the greater Boston area.

Problem Description: A preliminary survey was completed to assess for the presence of burnout within the leadership team. Results revealed that more than half of the nurse leaders surveyed were experiencing burnout at least 50% of the time. This …

Promoting A Culture Of Self-Care: Application Of A Caring Science Framework To Prevent Nursing Faculty Burnout, Angela M. Braswell

DNP Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Threats to nurses’ well-being from chronic workplace stress often leads to burnout. Lack of self-care contributes to nursing faculty burnout due to the inability to maintain well-being. Emerging evidence points to theory guided self-caring practices as effective coping strategies to manage the negative effects of workplace environments on well-being.

METHODS: This quality improvement project aimed to provide nursing faculty and staff in the academic workplace with opportunities to cultivate and enhance self-care practices to promote overall health and well-being following principles of Caring Science and Jean Watson’s 10 Caritas Processes^®. A multifaceted set of interventions were provided: …

Implementation Of A Standardized Medication Reconciliation Protocol In A Psychiatric Stabilization Setting, Sara Robinson

DNP Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Medication errors are a prevalent patient safety concern across healthcare settings. High-quality medication reconciliation is an intervention and expected standard of care that can help to prevent adverse drug events. This quality improvement project focused on implementing a standardized medication reconciliation protocol on a short-stay psychiatric unit.

INTERVENTION: An evidence-based toolkit supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Medications at Transitions and Clinical Handoffs (MATCH) was selected as the framework for developing and implementing this protocol.

Congruent with the evidence-based toolkit recommendations, baseline data collection and needs assessment provided context for tailoring the intervention to the …

Occupational Therapy Practitioners' Role In Advocating For Access To Transportation, Emily Rindermann Ots, Nancy J. Dooley Phd., Otr/L, Cdp

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones

Brookline, Massachusetts is a town neighboring Boston with a population of 63,191 (Census, 2020). The age-friendly town of Brookline provides extensive public transportation opportunities and services to engage in community mobility, with access to trains, trolleys, and buses. In 2020, 20.9% of Brookline residents were over the age of 60. As people age, the importance of access to transportation, public or private, becomes exponentially more important to their independence, freedom, and quality of life. Due to limitations with mobility, cognition, and other physical implications related to aging, many older adults may choose to not use public transportation. The issue at …

Transition To Motherhood: Creating Balance In Prenatal And Postnatal Working Mothers, Ashika Shah Ots, Jamie O’Day Bsn, Rn, Ibclc, Jennifer Swanberg Mmhs, Otr/L, Sujata Martin Ms, Otr/L

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones

Occupational balance is the ability to look after oneself, contribute to society, be economically active, enjoy life, have fun, and maintain health and wellbeing (Horne et al., 2005). Occupational disruption is when a person’s normal pattern of occupational performance is disrupted due to a significant life event, e.g., the birth of a child (Horne et al., 2005). This state should be temporary and with support can be resolved. Role overload is when a client takes on multiple roles simultaneously and lacks the resources needed, e.g., time and psychological demands. Postpartum and pregnant working women have been shown to experience occupational …

Improving The Health And Wellbeing Of Mothers Of Children With Disabilities, Kelly O’Brien Ots, Nancy Dooley Ph.D., Otr/L, Cdp, Tara Hayes Bs, Cchw

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones

Many parents, especially mothers, expend significant physical and emotional resources caring for their child with a disability.

Two primary issues that mothers of children with disabilities face are mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression and decreased physical health and well-being. A health and wellness program called Healthy Mothers Healthy Families (HMHF) targets Australian mothers of children with disabilities and combines important supports and interventions that provide quality care for mothers in need for the purpose of improving their overall health and wellness.

Research Aims:

Determine the acceptability and relevance of the Australian based HMHF program to the mothers …

The Impact Of Assistive Technology On Social-Emotional Learning From A Teacher Perspective, Lia R. Cucinotta Ots, Tania Rose Otd, Otr/L, Nancy Dooley Phd, Otr/L, Cdp

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones

Building social-emotional (SEL) skills is vital to obtaining success in the school environment. SEL skills aid students in building and maintaining friendships and understanding how to self-regulate and problem solve when difficult situations arise. Assistive technology can be used as a tool to help students with various needs develop competence in this area (Mitchem et al., 2007). Assistive Technology, referred to as AT, can be defined as any item or piece of equipment used to enhance, improve, or maintain functional status of individuals with disabilities (ATIA, 2022). In contrast to recently published literature, this capstone project focused on implementing classroom-based …

Development Of A Career Skills Training Program For Adults With Down Syndrome, Lydia Gruber Ots, Rebecca Simon Edd, Otr/L, Faota

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones

Unemployment rates across the globe for persons with disabilities (PWD) are disproportionately higher than rates for the typical population. As of September 2020, the unemployment rate for adults with disabilities in the United States was over 13%. Individuals with disabilities as a collective are comprised of many domains, including physical disabilities or intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). Statistics pulled from the results of the National Core Indicator’s Adult Consumer Survey showed that only 16% of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) 18 years and older were employed, which corroborates the information provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. While the employment …

Development Of Site-Specific Programming And Policies To Support Level Ii Fieldwork In A Role-Emerging Practice Area, Leila C. Schaper Ots, Jennifer Swanberg Ph.D., Mmhs, Otr/L, Sharon Swift Otr/L, Atp, E.D.

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones

The profession of occupational therapy is facing, and will continue to face, shortages among level II fieldwork sites. Traditionally, a level II fieldwork placement is a 12-week, full-time experience, with a 1:1 student: supervisor ratio in a typical healthcare or school setting (1). The shortage of placements is occurring because there is of a shortage of fieldwork educators, an increased demand for occupational therapy (OT) services, and an increasing number of students entering OT programs. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has shared ways for fieldwork coordinators to combat placements shortages. Suggestions included one supervisor for multiple students, developing a …

At Home Educational Resources For Caregivers Of Children With Feeding Difficulties, Julia Testori Ots, Rebecca Simon Edd, Otr/L, Faota, Kayla Pirri Otr/L, Clc

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones

Pediatric feeding difficulties are common all across the world. In fact, 1 out of 4 children worldwide will have a feeding difficulty stemming from a behavioral tendency, sensory issue, autism diagnosis, or other condition that affects their ability to eat similarly to their typically developing peers. Feeding difficulties include aversions to food because of taste, texture, etc., swallowing disorders, oral motor difficulties, failure to thrive, inability to cue hunger or fullness, or challenging behaviors at mealtime. Primary caregivers who are not properly educated on their children’s feeding difficulties may experience increased difficulty caring for them in their natural settings. They …

Sensory Education And Resources For Staffatan Adult Day Habilitation Center, Jessica Karcher Ots, Nancy Dooley Ph.D., Otr/L,Cdp, Eve Montague Msm, Mt-Bc

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones

Site Description:

• New England Village provides residential, employment, community-based day services, day habilitation, and community enrichment programs for adults who are 22 years of age or older and who have a diagnosis of a developmental or intellectual disability or a developmental delay.

• The Efron Center for Enrichment, the primary site for this capstone project, is one of the day habilitation programs that New England Village provides.

• The Efron Center for Enrichment focuses on the overall function of its members. The staff members provide skill-based programming focused on developmental, motor, and life skills, communication, and meaningful participation in …

Evaluating The Data Of Patient Scales (Phq-9, Bdi, Gad-7) From The Lehigh Valley Health Network Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Tms) Program, Courtney Chellew, Eugene Kim, Brett Williamson Msw, Mba

Department of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Body Tempering On Force Production, Flexibility And Muscle Soreness In Collegiate Football Athletes, Christopher B. Taber, Roy Colter, Jair J. Davis, Patrick A. Seweje, Dustin P. Wilson, Jonathan Z. Foster, Justin J. Merrigan

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

There has been limited research to explore the use of body tempering and when the use of this modality would be most appropriate. This study aimed to determine if a body tempering intervention would be appropriate pre-exercise by examining its effects on perceived soreness, range of motion (ROM), and force production compared to an intervention of traditional stretching. The subjects for this study were ten Division 1 (D1) football linemen from Sacred Heart University (Age: 19.9 ± 1.5 years, body mass: 130.9 ± 12.0 kg, height: 188.4 ± 5.1 cm, training age: 8.0 ± 3.5 years). Subjects participated in three …

Comparing Mean & Peak Barbell Velocity During Traditional And Accentuated Eccentric Loaded Back Squats, Zach S. Schroeder, Lauren K. Marshall, Lea C. Katanick, Brookelyn A. Campbell, Conor J. Cantwell, Christopher B. Taber, Timothy J. Suchomel

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

MV: There were statistically significant main effects present for both condition (p = 0.002; g = 0.10-0.23) and load (p < 0.001; g = 0.95-3.93). However, the condition x time interaction effect was not statistically significant (p = 0.259). • PV: There were statistically significant main effects present for both condition (p = 0.016; g = 0.11-0.23) and load (p < 0.001; g = 0.42-1.6), but there was no statistically significant condition x time interaction effect (p = 0.101). • Post hoc analysis indicated that there was a significant difference between MV (p = 0.006) and PV (p = 0.032) between the traditional and 100% AEL conditions. • Moderate effect sizes were found with MV between the traditional and 100% AEL conditions at both 70% CON (g = 0.55) and 80% CON (g = 0.70). • No practically significant differences were found for PV.

Barring Methadone Behind Bars: How Prisons Err When Denying Methadone Treatment To Inmates With Opioid Use Disorder, Julia Durst

Mitchell Hamline Law Review

No abstract provided.

Boarding Mental Health Patients In Minnesota Emergency Departments--The Unintended Consequence Of An Inadequate Mental Health System, Jordan Engler

Mitchell Hamline Law Review

No abstract provided.

Education For Ltach Nurses On Clinical Monitoring Systems, Deneen Stokes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alarm fatigue is a patient safety issue. The gap identified in practice is that nurses did not know how to navigate the monitoring system properly such that improper use of the alarm system was the result, which compromised patient safety. The goal of this project aimed to fill the gap in knowledge and skill among the staff and improve the confidence level among nurses by providing an educational program. The practice-focused question focused on whether knowledge, skills, and confidence would increase among nurses after receiving education on the clinical monitoring system. The model to facilitate organizing and analyzing this project …

Boost Tool Implementation And Sepsis Readmissions, Length Of Stay, And Patient Satisfaction, Jane Venus-Nocentelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sepsis is a global concern because it contributes to high mortality rates, increased healthcare costs, and poor patient outcomes. Health care organizations have used risk stratification tools such as the Better Outcomes by Optimizing Safe Transitions (BOOST) tool to reduce unnecessary readmissions, decrease length of hospital stays, and improve patient health outcomes. But there is limited data on the use of the BOOST tool in the sepsis population and the impact on readmissions and length of stay. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between BOOST tool implementation, readmissions, and length of stay in patients with …

Staff Education Program On Postpartum Depression Screening, Pamela Barstow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPostpartum depression (PPD) in the US is a serious health concern that negatively impacts an average of 11.5% of women, with 13.36% of women in Virginia in 2018 reporting PPD symptoms. Mothers experiencing PPD may have trouble bonding with their infants, which may negatively impact childhood growth and development. However, fewer than one-half of pediatricians screen mothers of infants for PPD. Literature supports staff education on PPD to promote the wellbeing of postpartum mothers and their infants. Using the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model of instructional design, the purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to …

Annual Financial Performance, Efficiency, And Quality Of Care In Accountable Care Organizations In Florida And Texas, Tony Lavance White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The association between efficiency and quality of care among accountable care organizations is not fully understood. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationships between ACO efficiency, ACO financial performance, and ACO quality scores in the states of Florida and Texas. Guided by structural contingency theory, the research questions explored whether there was a statistically significant relationship between ACO efficiency and financial performance, as well as ACO efficiency and the quality of care among ACOs in the states of Texas and Florida in 2018 using all ACOs located in those states. The results of the study …

Perceptions Of Contraceptive Practice Among Arab American Victims Of Intimate Partner Violence, Linda Humaidan-Zayed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been limited research on Arab Americans as they are an unidentified minority population. The specific research problem addressed through this study is that there is little research pertaining to the role of intimate partner violence (IPV) in poor contraceptive practice among Arab Americans, contributing to the larger problem of unwanted pregnancies, reproductive coercion, and other aspects of reproductive health. The problem with a high prevalence rate of IPV among Arab American women is that they are more susceptible to becoming pregnant and not accessing the reproductive health services that they may need. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative …

Huddle Implementation In The Perioperative Setting, Tina Thomas

DNP Projects

Background: Communication is essential for safe and effective patient care. In the perioperative setting, information sharing is critical to care coordination. Lack of communication between caregivers can lead to medical errors. Evidence shows that huddles lead to increased communication, satisfaction, and engagement between team members resulting in better patient outcomes. Huddles are short, less than 10-minute gatherings that focus on the daily schedule, identify potential obstacles, explain unique needs, and discuss preceding day issues.

Objectives: This project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of huddles on employee satisfaction, engagement, and communication of healthcare workers while also determining if huddles were …

Evaluating The Use Of A Diet Screening Tool For Diabetes And Weight Management In Primary Care, Christie Mcbride

DNP Projects

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a prominent disease and leading cause of death in the nation. Many complications can develop when glucose levels are poorly controlled. When patients receive education and support in diabetes self-management, including individualized dietary interventions, it leads to improved glycemic control.

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate the incorporation of a diet recall tool, Starting the Conversation (STC), in the standard care for diabetic patients with abnormal body mass index (BMI). The study aimed to examine: (1) patient opinion of the intervention and (2) healthcare provider satisfaction with use …

Examining The Impact Of A Protein Intervention To Improve Outcomes In Frail Perioperative Candidates: A Feasibility Study, Anna M. Rose

DNP Projects

Background: Frailty is a syndrome or grouping of clinical characteristics that collectively increases one’s vulnerability to acute and external health stressors. Higher rates of frailty are present in oncology surgical patients and is a predictor of postoperative complications, as well as increased morbidity and mortality. Long- and short-term survival of surgical oncology patients is worse in frail patients than robust patients. Prehabilitation interventions during the planning phase of surgical intervention may serve to mitigate already known health concerns prior to inflicting the stressor that is surgical intervention.

Purpose: To measure the feasibility of an educational prehabilitative nutritional intervention aimed at …

Implementing A Health-Related Quality Of Life Assessment Tool In An Outpatient Hematology/Oncology Clinic: A Pilot Quality Improvement Project, Jennifer Holl

DNP Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Although overall and disease-free survival remain the goals of cancer care, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during and after treatment is increasingly acknowledged as vital to the patient’s outcomes. The purpose of this project was to identify and implement a valid, reliable HRQOL assessment tool into daily clinical practice in an outpatient hematology/oncology clinic at a 25-bed critical access hospital in rural New Hampshire.

METHODS: This project used a methodological design. Descriptive and inferential statistics, plus qualitative analysis were used to determine results. Three nurses and seven patients participated in this quality improvement project.

INTERVENTIONS: The interventions …

Covid-19 Vaccine Policies, & Vaccine Hesitancy: Improving Vaccine Uptake Together With One Respectful Voice, Emmanuela Nwaonumah, Emilee Larson, Danielle Soler Lopes, Bettye Apenteng

Eagles Talking About the Public’s Health

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Improving Customer Retention For Medical Imaging Devices, Guillermo Sander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some sales managers of medical imaging devices lack strategies to improve long-term customer retention. Increasing retention can save these sales managers up to 50% of their customer acquisition costs. Grounded in the service profit chain theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies sales managers of medical imaging devices use to improve long-term customer retention. The participants comprised seven sales managers of medical imaging devices from three companies who successfully achieved long-term customer retention. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and public documents. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Three themes emerged: value-added …

Nursing Staff Education Project To Improve Diabetic Patients' Glycemic Control, Valerie R. Gaston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting more than 34.2 million people in the United States. The International Diabetes Federation predicted by the year 2045 an estimated 700 million people will have diabetes. In the clinic project site, the practice problem involved the increasing clinician’s knowledge about Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with improved glycemic control through self-care management. The purpose of this project was to develop an educational training and intervention for staff to increase their knowledge of self-care management to improve glycemic control and have it validated by a panel of experts before dispersing it to the intended audience. …

Relationship Between Rurality, Home Telehealth, And Bed Days Of Care For Military Veterans Readmitted For Heart Failure, Storm Li Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heart failure (HF), the leading hospital admission diagnosis for military veteran patients discharged from a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, is more common in patients residing in rural than urban areas. Primary care managers prioritize reducing readmissions for HF as up to 80% of health care costs for HF, projected to increase to $69.7 billion annually by 2030, incur during hospitalizations. Underpinned in Andersen’s behavioral model of health services use, the purpose of this quantitative ex post facto correlational study was to examine the relationship between residence rurality, home telehealth enrollment, and bed days of care for military veteran …