Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Standardizing Patient Education For Living Kidney Donors, Diana Thompson

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Living kidney donation occurs when a person voluntarily donates a functioning kidney to another individual in need. The kidney donation process is lengthy, complex, and can be overwhelming for many potential donors. A gap was identified in the patient education process at the project site as evidenced by frequent postoperative questions and concerns expressed by living donors and their caregivers. A literature review suggested this was a national problem, yet a standardized education process for living kidney donors has yet to be developed. The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop a standardized process for living kidney donor education …

Efficacy Of A Novel Role-Playing Based In-Class Simulation On Enhancing Clinical Judgment Skills In Senior Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Melodie Jolly

Dissertations

Clinical judgment is a critical skill for nurses, directly impacting patient outcomes and quality of care. However, studies have shown that newly graduated nurses often lacked sufficient clinical judgment abilities to meet the demands of increasingly complex patient populations. This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel role-playing based in-class simulation designed to enhance clinical judgment skills among senior baccalaureate nursing students. The study employed a single-group pre-assessment and post-assessment design using Lasater’s Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) as the primary measurement tool. Using a convenience sample, 37 senior nursing students who enrolled in a Term 4 clinical …

The Lived Experience Of Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence In Trinidad And Tobago, Lyris Antoinette Greenidge

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an increasing public health issue worldwide and is predominantly committed by males against females. One in every three women worldwide has experienced IPV (World Health Organization [WHO], 2024). The Pan American Health Organization studied IPV in 12 Latin American and Caribbean countries (Bott et al., 2019), and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was included. At the inception of this study in 2018, the prevalence and effect of IPV, though captured in the media by Fraser (2014) and others, were recognized as a widespread monumental problem in Trinidad and Tobago. However, it appeared to …

Development And Validation Of An Adolescent Sleep Algorithm For Pediatric Primary Care, Holly Hink

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

Poor sleep quality is a common challenge for many adolescents due to various developmental, environmental, and social factors. Nearly half of all adolescents reported regularly experiencing sleep disruptions. Poor sleep quality among adolescents might have severe mental, emotional, and cognitive consequences including an increased risk for several psychiatric conditions, obesity, and poor academic performance. However, sleep disorders among this population frequently go unreported and are rarely screened during annual well-child exams with primary care providers. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based sleep algorithm for pediatric primary care providers designed to improve screening and treatment of adolescent …

The Effects Of Retrieval Practice On Knowledge Acquisition And Durable Learning In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Jessica Everritt Gay

Dissertations

Recent reports of unpreparedness and failure to rescue incidents among new graduate nurses are concerning for nurse educators and health care. New graduates must retrieve and apply learned knowledge to make sound clinical decisions, emphasizing the need for durable learning and knowledge acquisition. Durable learning, which involves understanding and recalling learned information days, weeks, or months later is crucial for clinical judgment. Nurse educators should facilitate durable learning through effective, evidence-based learning techniques such as retrieval practice (RP), which has shown promise in health professions education but is underutilized in nursing education.

This study explored the impact of RP on …

Is There A Relationship Between Motivation And Nursing Student Engagement? A Quantitative, Cross-Sectional, Correlational Study, Angela Coes

Dissertations

Nursing education is concerned with helping to alleviate the nursing shortage in the United States; this can be done by graduating safe competent novice nurses. Motivation and engagement levels in nursing students have been tied to better academic outcomes including graduation rates, transition to practice, and first time National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses pass rates. There was a gap in prelicensure nursing education research in the United States concerning the relationship among motivation, engagement, and possible influential variables.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between motivation and academic engagement among prelicensure nursing students in …

The Role Of Self Esteem Upon The Recovery Of Eating Disordered Patients, Samanta Flores Velazquez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Eating disorders such as anorexia-nervosa, bulimia-nervosa, and binge-eating disorders are detrimental to overall health and well-being. The demands of beauty ideals and attitudes impact young adults negatively as they attempt to meet societal beauty standards. The need for approval, fitting in with the community, and confidence drive the behaviors of people in negative ways. In recent years, the modernization of social media has contributed to dieting cultures, the thin ideal, harmful weight-loss practices, and the cycle to use the body as a means to control or repent. External factors affect the risk of eating disorders which contribute to the challenge …

Interventions Of Eating Habits And Healthy Behaviors, Diego Armando Mazariegos Espinosa

Undergraduate Honors Theses

About thirty to fifty percent of college students report having negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, sadness, anger, hopelessness, shame, fear, and more. And over seventy percent feel exhausted or overwhelmed by schoolwork. According to scholarly research, these emotions pose obstacles during college life impacting the eating habits and healthy behaviors of college students. These habits can have a possibility of bringing lifelong issues in social, educational, and self-esteem aspects. Technology has revolutionized the world in a spectacular way in a short period of time. As students today have access to all sorts of technology like phones and computers, the …

Sexual And/Or Gender Minority (Sgm) Stigma Within Nursing Schools: The Relationship Between Stigmatic School Attributes, Minority Stressors, And Sgm Nursing Student Mental Health, Michelle Gee

Dissertations

Nursing education is heteronormative and cis-normative, which has been correlated to stigma and ignorance exhibited by nurses towards sexual and/or gender minorities (SGM). Minority Stress Theory (MST) states that circumstances in the environment that promote stigma related to minority identities lead to unique minority stressors, such as discrimination. These minority stressors subsequently affect mental health. While it is known that SGM patients experience mental health issues that relate to stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings, nothing is known about SGM nursing students dealing with stigma and discrimination within nursing education. The aim of this descriptive correlational study was to inform …

Impact Of Education For Bedside Nurses In A Community Hospital To Increase Intent Or Utilization Of A Career Ladder Advancement Tool, Carrie E. White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This scholarly project is centered on lack of engagement in a new career ladder program. This project includes the creation of career ladder education with an intent to help with understanding, support, and engagement of the nursing caregivers. Education was created to propel the work of the career ladder within a small rural hospital. The program is 12 weeks long and covers eligibility criteria, activity details, technology education, and one-on-one support for understanding of the career ladder program. The hopes for the educational program were to increase nursing satisfaction, with the intent to stay with the organization, and foster participation …

Use Of Interdisciplinary Rounds For The Identification Of Hospitalized Adults In Need Of Palliative Care, Brenda A. Blunt

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Palliative care (PC) is specialized care that aims to provide relief from the stress and symptoms of living with a serious illness (Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2022). PC services are often underutilized in the hospital, leaving a significant number of patients with unmet needs (Haranis et al, 2023; Kawashima & Evans, 2023; Smith et al, 2019). The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to improve processes for identifying hospitalized patients for referral to specialty inpatient PC. The intervention involved interdisciplinary rounds (IDR) for adult inpatients on two medical-surgical (MESG) units in an 84-bed community hospital in suburban Milwaukee, …

The Effect Of Nursing Students' Level Of Readiness For Professional Practice On Self-Efficacy And Clinical Stress Perception: A Cross-Sectional Study, Uğur Öner, Dilek Yılmaz, Sinan Aslan, Ercan Çınar

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: It is essential to evaluate students’ readiness before graduation and support them with education accordingly. This study investigates the effect of the level of readiness for professional practice as a purpose on the self-efficacy and clinical stress perceptions of nursing students.

Methods: The data for this cross-sectional study were collected between May and July 2024. The study included 733 3rd and 4th-year students studying nursing departments at state universities in Turkey. The Student Identification Form, Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Scale (CFRPS), Student Self-Efficacy Scale (SSS), and Nursing Students Perceptions of Clinical Stressors Scale (NSPCSS) were used.

Results …

Health Literacy, Health Perception, And Influencing Factors Among Immigrants, Canan Birimoglu Okuyan, Ebru Deveci, Fatma Karasu

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Individuals living in rural areas face several healthcare disadvantages, including limited access to medical facilities and specialists during emergencies. This study examines healthy lifestyle behaviors, health perceptions, and influencing factors among immigrants in a rural region of southern Türkiye.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved immigrants registered at a family health center. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Perception of Health Scale, and the Health Literacy Scale.

Results: Statistically significant differences in THLS-32 scores were found based on participants’ occupation, marital status, and education level (p < 0.05). A moderately positive correlation was observed between health literacy and health perception scores (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Research on the relationship between …

The Effect Of Using Pelvic Floor Exercises Administered Through A Smartphone Application In Postpartum Women With Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Elizabeth A. Russell

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) affects 50% of postpartum women and can lead to pelvic pain, stress urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, or sexual dysfunction (Grimes, 2023). The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to determine if the implementation of pelvic floor exercise (PFE) as guided by a smartphone application, to improve adherence and technique of exercises, will improve PFD symptoms and quality of life (QOL). At an OBGYN clinic in northern Indiana, all women who presented for their 6-week postpartum appointment were screened for PFD with the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20) and QOL with the Pelvic …

A Jewel In The Crown Is Better Than Money In The Pocket": Historical Data On The Role Of Midwives In Caring For Families In Southern Appalachia, Kristen Montgomery

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Background: Midwives have provided care to women since the beginning of time. Early midwives had little training but learned their craft from experienced women. Later, formal training became available. Midwives have a rich history in Appalachia.

Purpose: to explore the rich history of all types of midwives in Appalachia.

Methods: Materials from the Archives of Appalachia were reviewed. Both written and oral materials were evaluated. This included a review of the document, identification of themes, and then comparing those themes with previously identified themes. Documents were reviewed in a random order by two researchers who met to discuss results.

Results: …

Quality Improvement Project Building Confidence In Critical Thinking Through Faculty Implementation Of Simulation, Melissa Morris

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Simulation provides nursing students with experiences that are as effective as clinical experiences in a non-threatening environment. Clinical experiences such as obstetrics, pediatrics, and mental health have been observation only at the project site. With observation-only clinicals, students do not have opportunities to master skills specific to nursing, which bridge theory to practice. The purpose of this Quality Improvement (QI) project focuses on educating nursing faculty who may not be simulation experts to learn the skills to build and implement simulations that align with the International Nursing Association Clinical and Simulation Learning (INACSL) simulation standards. The Primary Investigator (PI) utilized …

The Ability Of Algebra Final Grades And Teas Scores To Predict Undergraduate Nursing Student Grade Point Averages: A Quantitative, Non-Experimental, Predictive Correlational Study, Jeanna L. Kerchner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A major concern for many nursing programs is student completion rates. This is due in large part to the demands and rigor of curriculum in accredited nursing programs. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental, predictive correlational study was to determine if final nursing program GPA can be predicted by the linear combination of college algebra final grades and TEAS scores in an undergraduate nursing program at a private university. A quantitative, non-experimental research design was used to address the proposed study’s purpose. The study’s sample of participants was purposive and convenient in nature, and was accessed using an existing, archival …

Meanings And Understandings Of Racial-Ethnic Minority Prelicensure Associate Degree In Nursing And Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Students Who Experience Uncivil Faculty Behaviors In United States Nursing Programs: A Transcendental Phenomenological Inquiry, Lenora Valdez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the meanings and understandings of racial-ethnic minority (REM) prelicensure Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students who experience uncivil faculty behaviors in United States nursing programs. The literature points to a wide range of faculty behaviors that nursing students experience as incivility. However, little data was found in the literature regarding REM prelicensure ADN or BSN students’ experiences with nurse faculty incivility. Purposive snowball sampling was used to recruit 10 REM currently enrolled junior and senior prelicensure ADN and BSN students who experience …

Analyzing The Effectiveness Of Dance Movements In Enhancing Activities Of Daily Living For Geriatric Patients And Relevant Implications For Nursing Care, Rachel Ann Bruce

Student Scholar Showcase

Within the healthcare industry, the geriatric population holds a unique set of patient-care needs due to a myriad of physical and cognitive challenges. The presentation of these challenges can negatively impact the quality of a patient’s life and overall independence. One specific challenge providers must account for when providing care to geriatric patients is a decreased range of mobility as age increases. Reasons as to why mobility decreases varies, and include but are not limited to degenerative musculoskeletal conditions, poor nutrition, poor physical mobility or lack thereof, and other comorbidities.

According to peer-reviewed resources, by engaging in frequent Dance Movement …

Responsible Pain Management For Postpartum Patients, Anna Beth Wyatt, Isabella B. Conwell, Kaley E. Edelbrock, Missy M. Sterkel

SPARK Symposium Presentations

At Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s postpartum unit on 4 East, uncontrolled pain is a leading cause of decreased patient satisfaction and increased risk for complications. Effective, timely, and conscientious pain management plays a crucial role in improving patient satisfaction and promoting safer recoveries. Given the wide range of pain management needs due to varied birth experiences and complications, nursing judgment and clear patient communication are essential in ensuring both comfort and long-term safety. This makes 4 East an ideal unit to explore standardizing communication strategies to optimize patient care. The primary goal of our intervention is to enhance patient satisfaction …

Improving End-Of-Life Care In The Medical Intensive Care Setting Of A Midwest Hospital Through Nursing Practice Analysis And Education, Hannah Myers

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The acuity of patients within the intensive care setting compounded by comorbidities and illness complications can lead to death in a large percentage of ICU admits annually. Increased mortality rates translate into end-of-life care being a prominent part of the critical care scope. Using a mixed methods approach the project looks to examine barriers, supportive measures, interdisciplinary communication, procedures, and leadership styles that determine quality end-of-life care. A comprehensive literature review revealed a number of barriers reported by nurses including a lack of interdisciplinary communication, disagreements on care plans, and a lack of communication with patients and their families about …

Intramuscular Injection Guideline Revisions Are Needed Based On Body Mass Index, Needle Length, Sex, And Skin To Muscle Depth, Pamela Strohfus

Boise State University Publications and Presentations

Background: Medications and vaccines are delivered via intramuscular injection throughout the world to improve health and to prevent or treat illness. Intramuscular injections are an essential nursing and pharmacist skill which includes choosing an appropriate injection site and selecting needle lengths and gages based on weight and muscle mass. Scientific evidence suggests changes in current practice and national guidelines to fully reach medication and vaccine efficacy.

Results: There is a direct relationship between medication/vaccine efficacy and health outcomes. The variance in weight provides vital information on the needle length and site of injection. Body mass index, age, sex, and skin …

Exploring Resilience In Nursing Education, Kylie P. Newsom

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the feasibility of integrating resilience education into nursing curricula. It evaluates the effects of the Registered Nurse Personal Resilience Enhancement Plan (RN-P.R.E.P.) on resilience and professional quality of life. An integrative review synthesized literature on educational interventions to enhance resilience among health science students, focusing on techniques and targeted internal protective factors. The multi-method study included a pilot implementation of the RN-P.R.E.P. intervention, collecting quantitative data from pre-/post-participant surveys and qualitative interviews with nursing faculty and administrators.

The integrative review followed Whitemore and Knafl's five-step methodology, guided by the PRISMA reporting guidelines. Interventions were analyzed using the …

Integrating Workplace Violence Prevention Into Nursing Curriculum: Preparing Future Nurses For Safer Practice ​, Noah Briere, Sarah Kegerreis, Molly Lasyone, Savannah Orris

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Nurses are under attack. 80% of nurses have experienced some form of workplace violence (WPV), which is seen as “part of the job.” Unfortunately, the agency responsible for protecting nurses, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), only offers voluntary guidelines. We have determined that nursing students are the best group to educate about WPV prevention in healthcare. Including this teaching to fit within their pre-clinical requirements, only needing one faculty to teach with an average salary of $80k, to further help set what should be foundational skills. By adding WPV de-escalation techniques and adequately preparing students prior to graduation. …

The Impact Of Electronic Health Record Training: How Students Utilize The Electronic Record To Inform Clinical Judgment, Sarah Marie Calonder

Dissertations (1934 -)

Nurses practice within a complex healthcare environment and must make well-informed judgments about their patients to provide safe, quality care. The electronic health record (EHR) is a piece of healthcare and informatics technology which houses important patient information that nurses utilize frequently while making clinical judgments surrounding patient care. The importance of entry-level nurse competency with the EHR and similar healthcare and informatics tools has been outlined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials and other nursing organizations concerned with the preparation of future nurses (AACN 2021; QSEN, 2020). Currently, there are limited established best practices for …

Workplace Stress For Licensed Practical Nurses And Registered Nurses In The Hospital Setting: A Quantitative Review, Dakota Zerman

Honors Projects

Nurses often work in stressful environments. These stressors can have many causes and may vary between specialties. Some examples of stressors are death and dying, conflict with others, and workload. One scale that analyzes these stressful factors is the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS). This survey uses the ENSS to examine stressors experienced by Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses who work in a hospital setting and continues by asking nurses if these factors cause continued stress at home. A survey was distributed online through social media to nurses who reside within the United States. The survey used a Likert …

Acuity-Based Nurse Staffing, Kassandra E. Arnold, Hannah Powers, Sara Evans

SPARK Symposium Presentations

As future RNs preparing to enter the workforce in a few short months, we chose to explore the effects of nurse-to-patient ratios, specifically acuity-based staffing assignments. The Summit Medical Center’s 4th and 5th floor medical-surgical units currently utilize a fixed numerical assignment system, not considering the complexity of individual patients when assigning patients to nurses. This form of assignment-making poses potential problems with unequal workloads, contributes to an increase in nurse burnout, and potentially compromised care. Shifting to an acuity-based staffing ratio by utilizing a validated acuity assessment tool will work to improve patient outcomes and nurses’ job satisfaction. Such …

Implementing Standardized Patients In Simulation In Undergraduate Nursing Education, Taylor A. Murray

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Abstract

The integration of standardized patients (SPs) in simulation-based learning has emerged as a transformative approach in undergraduate nursing education. By providing nursing students with the opportunity to engage with trained actors simulating real-life patient scenarios, SPs offer a safe and controlled environment to develop essential clinical skills. This research explores the impact of SPs on promoting student confidence and enhancing their practical skills in nursing practice. Implementing SPs into nursing education not only supports students in refining their assessment and communication abilities but also prepares them for the complexities of patient care in real-world settings. Ultimately, this study aims …

Student Expectations And Outcomes In Virtual Vs In-Person Interprofessional Simulations: A Qualitative Analysis, Padmavathy Ramaswamy, Abbey M Bachmann, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, Chasisty L Gilder, Samuel E Neher, Jennifer L Swails

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Health-related programs frequently integrate interprofessional education (IPE) into their training. The COVID-19 pandemic transitioned many IPE programs online, making it essential to assess student expectations and perceived learning outcomes across virtual simulations and in-person settings.

Methods: This qualitative study compared student expectations and self-reported outcomes across in-person and virtual case scenarios at a Texas health science center. Responses to open-ended questions from two data collection periods were analyzed using inductive coding and thematic analysis.

Results: Students from nursing, medicine, dentistry, public health, and informatics participated in each group. Three major themes emerged from this study: communication, teamwork, and …

Disaster Management And Triage, Nicole Sebastian, Johanna Brown, Liubov Hamadou, Lisa Kuang, Josiah Padilla, Matthew Romero, Kailey Trummert

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Clarifying the Disaster Triage Plan for Volunteer Nursing Faculty and Students at a Private University Campus

This project provides a brief overview of the collaboration between campus security, the campus health clinic, and the nursing department at a private university in a disaster requiring medical triage. The partnership between campus security and senior nursing students aims to amplify the original plans of the current disaster preparedness and clarify volunteer roles for nursing students and faculty. Both agencies have emphasized the importance of disaster preparedness and the support role the nursing department can play in these plans. The main goal of …