Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Heart Failure Education On Knowledge And Readmission, Sara A. Golden

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Heart Failure (HF) is a chronic progressive disease affecting over 5 million individuals with an expected increase in incidence as the population ages (Yehle & Plake, 2010). The costs associated with managing HF continue to increase and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have attempted to identify ways to improve patient management of HF to reduce the revolving door of hospital readmissions and decrease expenditures. According to 2006 data, as many as one fourth of the Medicare beneficiaries discharged from acute care to skilled nursing facilities (SNF) were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days and the majority …

The Fourth Color, April Emily Drafts-Johnson

Senior Theses

This thesis centers around short stories based on the student's favorite author, David Sedaris. Sedaris is a modern humor essayist who uses experiences from his daily life to create vivid, “real-ish” stories to entertain his readers. In nursing and in life, there are interesting tales to be told. The following stories are imaginative events that are based on the author’s personal experiences. Stories about family, coming of age, reflections on life, and fictional recounts of time spent working odd jobs in the hospital are all divided into five themes—the human experience, making the best of it, loss, darkness, and light. …

National Institute Of Health Stroke Scale (Nihss) Inter-Rater Reliability And Confidence Among Nihss Certified Nurses: Implementation Of A Standardized Patient Simulation, Kelly J. Trieglaff

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is the most common stroke assessment used by nurses. Nurses certified on the NIHSS do not consistently demonstrate inter-rater reliability nor are they confident when assessing stroke patients using the tool (Josephson, Hills, Johnston, 2006). This EBP project evaluated a standardized patient simulation for maintaining inter-rater reliability and confidence in NIHSS certified nurses. A literature review showed that a decrease in inter-rater reliability occurs within four weeks to three months of NIHSS certification. A single cohort of intensive care nurses and emergency department nurses used the NIHSS tool in a standardized patient …

Identification Of Student Nurses’ Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding Pediatric Pain Management, Jessica Laprise

University Scholar Projects

Background

To determine existing knowledge and attitude gaps about pain assessment and management in junior and senior nursing students at the University of Connecticut (UConn), School of Nursing, Storrs, CT.

Methods

Student nurses were recruited through in person presentation of the study in the classroom setting on three separate occasions over a 20-day period. An email with information included during the presentation as well as the link to the online survey were sent through the School of Nursing listserv. A flyer was attached in the initial email and shown to participants during the initial recruitment meeting. As an incentive, sixty …

Impact Of Emergency Department Sepsis Policy, Lynette Rayman

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Sepsis is a serious concern of key healthcare stakeholders due to high incidence, mortality, and cost. The objectives of this evidence-based project were to 1) identify potential sepsis patients early during the emergency department (ED) triage process and 2) implement Sepsis Order Sets. Kotter’s change model and the Stetler model of evidence-based practice guided this project. An extensive literature search was undertaken to find best practice evidence regarding care of sepsis patients. Recommended care includes a protocolized format utilizing a screening tool and point of care lactate levels for early identification of sepsis, and early treatment with antibiotics and fluid …

Effect Of An Emergency Nurse Heart Failure Educational Intervention, Lori Hudgens

Doctoral Projects

Background: Research indicates many nurses lack the appropriate heart failure (HF) education necessary to assist with readmission reduction efforts. Employer approved nurse HF education has resulted in improved nurse HF knowledge, and, reduced readmissions.

Problem: ED nurses require a competent knowledge of heart failure to effectively educate heart failure patients upon admission to the ED. No research has been conducted with ED nurse specific populations to assess ED nurse knowledge of heart failure, and, to determine if heart failure educational interventions increase ED nurse' HF knowledge.

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of an ED nurse b.eart failure educational intervention in …

Becoming Baby Friendly: Rooming-In For Patient Centered Care In The Maternal Setting, Liana Macdonald

Honors College Theses

This thesis paper discusses the concept of rooming in on the maternity unit while pertaining to the QSEN nursing competency of patient centered care. Through an extensive review of the literature, the following question will be addressed: On the post-partum unit, does having the newborn rooming in with his or her mother improve patient-centered care compared to rooming in the nursery? After an introduction of the problem and its significance to patient-centered care, research that was conducted will be reviewed that discusses the importance of rooming in. A case example of a maternal-newborn couplet is provided, demonstrating the relevance of …

Understanding The Preparation And Support Needed For Undergraduate Clinical Faculty, Sara Mcpherson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

ABSTRACT

Even as nursing programs attempt to meet public demands for more registered nurses in the workforce, they are challenged with finding qualified clinical faculty to teach them. Many programs have had to turn away otherwise qualified applicants due to lack of faculty. One solution to the shortage of nursing faculty has been to increase the number of part-time clinical faculty. Many clinical faculty hired for part-time positions hold degrees outside of nursing education. Additionally, new, full-time faculty are frequently expected to immediately begin teaching one or more clinical groups. While those new full-time and part-time faculty enter their role …

Nursing Perception Of Psychogenic Nonepileptic Spells: Improving Patient Outcomes, Amanda J. Cramer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Patients with psychogenic nonepileptic spells (PNES) have generally poor outcomes and many fail to engage in evidence-based treatments (Thompson et al., 2013). Negative healthcare provider perceptions have been implicated as a barrier to patient engagement in treatment recommendations for PNES (Whitehead, Kandler, & Reuber, 2013; Worsely et al., 2011). Illness perception of these patients has been evaluated from the perspective of physicians in multiple settings but perceptions by nurses are not well studied despite the close interactions that nurses have with these patients.

This project used Pender’s health promotion model to collect information about the nursing experience with patients with …

Nurses’ Perceptions Of Importance And Achievability Of The Ten Attributes Of Health Literate Healthcare Organizations In Their Institutions: A Descriptive Study, Anna Ten Napel

Theses & Dissertations

Health literacy defined is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain process and understand basic health information to make appropriate health decisions (IOM, 2004). To be a health literate consumer, a person must be able to read, listen, understand, and make decisions related to their health. Hospitals seeking to be Health Literate Organizations must have a strong commitment to improving and reengineering to make it easier for patients to navigate, understand and use information and services to take care of their health (IOM, 2013). High quality, safe health care depends on clear communication between patients, families, providers, …

The Effect Of Standardized Patient Encounters On Undergraduate Nursing Student Empathy And Self-Efficacy In Therapeutic Communication, Alana M. Urness

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Therapeutic communication between the nurse and patient is an essential component of optimal nursing care. Current evidence supports the use of standardized patient (SP) encounters to assist students in learning therapeutic communication skills. In addition to offering students an opportunity to practice in an environment free of clinical consequence, SP encounters have been shown to increase clinical knowledge and skill, improve diagnostic reasoning, and improve communication skills and interviewing skills. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to assess the effect of SP encounters on undergraduate nursing student empathy and self-efficacy related to therapeutic communication. Secondary outcomes included participant …

Implementation Of A Nursing Workload Tool To Reduce Nurse Burnout, Nicole K. Greives

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Nursing burnout and workload is a complicated issue with far-reaching effects. Nursing burnout and inappropriate nursing workload have been linked to increased risk of urinary tract infection, respiratory infections, decreased patient satisfaction, decreased quality and safety of care, and increased mortality. The purpose of the project was to decrease nursing burnout on a Medical Progressive Care Unit (MPCU) by moving patients with high workloads and medical instability to a higher level of care. Within this project, Rosabeth Kanter’s Theory of Structural Power was used for the theoretical framework, and the Stetler Model guided the implementation. The intervention consisted of a …

Affecting Tdap Vaccination Rates Among Women: A Multifaceted Intervention, Soneka Wynter

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Despite the availability of a preventive vaccine, the incidence of pertussis in the United States has continued to increase over the past two decades and it is now considered the most common preventable infectious illness. Highly contagious in nature, it is estimated that about 50 million people are infected each year, and approximately 300,000 deaths occur worldwide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). In 2013, Indiana reported 616 cases (Indiana State Department of Health [ISDH], 2014). In spite of CDC recommendations on strategies that can improve vaccine delivery, rates of immunization remain low nationwide (CDC, 2014). The purpose …

The Effects Of Education On Compassion Fatigue Experienced By Oncology Nurses, Ina Wilson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Oncology nursing is widely viewed as a rewarding and emotional challenging specialty. Oncology nurses witness terminal illness, death, physical, and emotional suffering which increases their risk of developing compassion fatigue. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to increase awareness of compassion fatigue among oncology nurses by providing them with knowledge, effective coping skills, and self-care management skills. The Theory of Human Caring was used as the theoretical framework to support this EBP project and the intervention was guided by The Iowa Model of Research-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care. The project used a pre-test and post-test design. …

The Effect Of Reduced Carbohydrate Diet Education On Hemoglobin A1c In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Lauren Parker

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characteristically the result of modifiable risk factors, impacting the health and well being of all ethnic backgrounds across the lifespan. Research has indicated that despite the many risk factors associated with T2D, alterations in dietary macronutrient composition can lead to improvements in disease management and resultant complications. Therefore, the purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to provide individuals with reduced carbohydrate (carb) diet education to promote greater glycemic control and reduce associated risk factors through macronutrient modification, specifically carb intake. An integration of the most current evidence obtained from the critically appraised literature …

Mid-Atlantic Ethics Committee Newsletter, Spring 2016

Mid-Atlantic Ethics Committee Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Providing Care Beyond The Hospital: Perspective Of A Tertiary Care Hospital From A Developing Country, Saad Akhtar, Muhammad Waqas, Badar Uddin Ujjan, Adnan Salim, Gohar Javed, Syed Ijlal Ahmed, Malikah Surani, Marium Khan

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Neurorehabilitation is an important aspect of continuing care for neurosurgical patients with functional disability. In developing countries, where formal home nursing frequently is unavailable, ensuring care after discharge is a difficult task. Training attendants to provide nursing care is an alternate option. In this study, we compared the outcomes of patients nursed by family members versus those looked after by a professional nurse.
Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi. The study consisted of 2 groups. Group 1 (consisting of patients cared for by a professional nurse) included 94 patients and …

Faith Community Nursing: Bridging The Gap Between Effective Healthcare And Biblical Ministry, Moriah Kenna

Senior Honors Theses

The United States’ traditional health care system is unprepared to combat the growing rates of chronic illness in its population. With over 90% of those aged 66 years and older living with a chronic illness, an emphasis on preventative care must be enacted. Faith community nursing is a viable and effective option for long-term preventative management of chronic illnesses in the community. Faith community nursing fits both the mission of the Christian church and the needs of the healthcare community and greater awareness of this must be achieved in both the faith and healthcare sectors to bring about maximum results.

Ms171: Interview With Marianne Marcus, Marianne Marcus Edd, Rn, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

Texas Medical Center - Women's History Project

An oral history with Marianne Marcus, Professor Emerita at the University of Texas at Houston School of Nursing. Before she retired and assumed the title of Professor Emerita in 2104, Dr. Marcus chaired the UT Nursing School’s Department of Nursing Systems, directed its Master’s of Nursing Education degree track and directed its Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Education and Research. While at UT, she was elected to its Academy of Health Science Education and named as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She was appointed the John P. McGovern Distinguished Professor of Addiction Nursing at UT Health Science …

School Of Nursing News, Georgia Southern University

Nursing: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• School of Nursing Ranked #1 for Most Affordable Online Nursing Program

Comparing Act And Nln Pax Exams For Preadmission To An Associate's Degree Nursing Program, Tiffany Potter

Journal of Interdisciplinary Graduate Research

Outside of using the ACT exam for admission into the University, a pre-admission exam for the School of Nursing has never been required until recently. A correlational study was completed to determine the relationship between the performance on the ACT and NLN-PAX pre-admission for the students entering the School of Nursing program in January 2015. Additional statistics were calculated comparing gender, ethnicity, and student status (transfer vs. non-transfer) to further validate the student’s performance on the ACT and NLN-PAX exams. Mid-term grades of a fundamentals course were compared to the pre-admission exams to predict success in the nursing program. The …

Analyzing The Leadership Skills Of Nurses Through Mentoring Relationships, Barbara Jean Siwula

Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring relationships have the ability to create healthier working environments for nurses by encouraging better communication, teaching necessary leadership skills, and creating unity among nurses. In the same respect, mentoring relationships can instill negative habits, creating a cycle of ineffective leadership. Therefore, it is vital mentoring relationships be analyzed to ensure that nurses are being taught effective leadership skills that will lead to a healthy workplace environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze the leadership skills of nurses though mentoring relationships. Data collection consisted of a mixed methods study completed by student, certified and registered nurses from various …

Lois Whaley Highsmith, Lois Whaley Highsmith, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

After originally studying chemical engineering at Penn State, Lois Highsmith decided to instead pursue nursing. At Jefferson she found a passion for community health nursing, specifically related to obstetrics, gynecology, and maternal child health. Ms. Highsmith graduated in 1986 and over the years worked mostly in maternal care but also in psychology. Among other positions, she worked for ten years at Pennsylvania Hospital where she founded STEPS, Strategies to Encourage Parental Self-Sufficiency, a teen pregnancy clinic, and worked as a home visitor for Mercy Home Health educating new moms about postpartum care. Since 2002 she has worked for Nurse Family …

Vera Paoletti, Vera Paoletti, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Vera Paoletti became interested in nursing as a teenager after watching a close family member succumb to leukemia. This experience led her to work as a candy striper at Jefferson Hospital through her high school years and then enroll in the Jefferson Hospital School of Nursing in 1966. Once she graduated in 1969 Ms. Paoletti began her career as a nurse at Jefferson, first in surgery on Ninth Pavilion and then in oncology on Eleventh Pavilion before becoming head nurse first of a nineteen-bed unit reserved for VIPs and then two years later of Sixth Main. In 1975 she left …

Joan Walker Randolph, Joan Walker Randolph, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Joan Randolph is a 1956 graduate of the Jefferson School of Nursing’s Diploma Program. Though she enjoyed all of her nursing rotations as a student, upon graduation she decided to go into medical-surgical nursing, starting her career at Jefferson Hospital working with, among others, Dr. John Gibbon. After leaving Jefferson, Ms. Randolph spent the bulk of her career at Jeanes Hospital, where she worked her way up from staff nurse to head nurse and eventually on to Vice President of Patient Care Services. Though now retired Ms. Randolph continues to be involved with the field of nursing by serving on …

Colleen Young Elwood, Colleen Young Elwood, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Colleen Young Elwood discovered her interest in nursing after finishing a Bachelor’s of Science in psychology and starting her career at Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Learning about diabetes and working with diabetics sparked an interest in public and community health so she enrolled in Thomas Jefferson University’s two-year BSN program, which she graduated from in 2013. While at Jefferson her clinical experiences confirmed she was not interested in hospital nursing but instead in community nursing. After graduating she started working at Nurse Family Partnership, first as an intern and then as a Nurse-Home Visitor, where she helps new mothers during …

Grace Spena, Grace Spena, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Grace Spena grew up with an interest in health sciences, first wanting to be a medical laboratory technologist and later a registered nurse after attending an open house on nursing at Saint Agnes Hospital, where she volunteered as a teenager. Upon completing her education in 1971 from the Jefferson Diploma School of Nursing, Ms. Spena began her career as a Staff Nurse in the Surgical ICU at Jefferson Hospital. She then went to Medical College of Pennsylvania, working as a Staff Nurse in the combined Medical/Surgical ICU and later as the Head Nurse of the 3 West Medical/Surgical unit. After …

Eileen Healy Garrity, Eileen Healy Garrity, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Eileen Garrity’s first draw to the medical field came through her interest in Christiaan Barnard’s work as a cardiac surgeon. After deciding to pursue nursing instead of medicine, Ms. Garrity entered the Jefferson School of Nursing’s Diploma program, graduating in 1976. She began her career as an ER and ICU nurse, working at Atlantic City Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Mercy Fitzgerald. She eventually left hospital nursing to work at Blue Cross, ending there as the manager of their risk programs department before moving on to Taylor Hospital as a director of social work case management and later manager of …

Breanne Ward, Breanne Ward, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

Though she originally decided to become an accountant during college, Breanne Ward soon realized she would rather be in a field where she could work more closely with people. She chose nursing because she wanted the opportunity to physically care for others. Ms. Ward was accepted as a nursing student in Jefferson’s Full-time Accelerated Coursework Track (FACT) program, during which time she discovered an interest in community health through both her non-hospital clinical experiences and volunteering with Jeff HEALTH (Helping East Africa Link To Health). After working in the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and completing her Master’s in Community Systems …

Pat Owens, Pat Owens, Kelsey Duinkerken

Jefferson Nursing Oral Histories

From a young age Pat Owens had a strong interest in nursing, and as a high school student she was even the President of her school’s Future Nurses Club. However, she also really liked home economics so when she went to college she decided to pursue home economics rather than nursing. After working as at the Dairy Council as a nutrition consultant and later at Campbell’s Soup in their test kitchen, Ms. Owens decided that she wanted to instead pursue a career in nursing. After looking into different programs in the Philadelphia area, she chose Jefferson, entering in 1990 and …