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An Exploration Of The Barriers To Diabetes Management Among West African Immigrants In The United States, Oluseyi Grace Abioye-Akanji May 2013

An Exploration Of The Barriers To Diabetes Management Among West African Immigrants In The United States, Oluseyi Grace Abioye-Akanji

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Purpose: To explore the barriers to diabetes management among West African immigrants living in Rhode Island. Study Design and Methods: Semi-structured interviews with adults (N=5); men (n=2), women (n=3), Nigerian (n=3), Liberian (n=1), and Ghanaian (n=1) ages ≥18 with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, living in Rhode Island. Demographic information of the participants was obtained using a questionnaire. Interviews were conducted by the researcher and lasted approximately 50 minutes, and were scheduled to accommodate participants’ needs. Interviews were audio-taped and statements of the study participants were recorded. Subjects were redirected to clarify responses when necessary. Content analysis and coding, …


Alarm Fatigue: A Risk Assessment, Erica Baillargeon May 2013

Alarm Fatigue: A Risk Assessment, Erica Baillargeon

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Alarm fatigue is the phenomenon which occurs when nurses become overwhelmed by the high number of alarms in the clinical environment. This is a significant patient safety issue as delayed or inappropriate responses can and have resulted in patient harm. The purpose of the observational study was to conduct a risk assessment of alarm fatigue at an acute care teaching hospital in Providence, RI. Observations of telemetry alarms and response were conducted, utilizing a standardized tool on two medical surgical units over a six week time period. Participants were 36 nurses working on the two units at time of observations. …


Mandatory Influenza Vaccination For Healthcare Workers: Do Nurses Agree?, Meghan Leah Nightingale May 2013

Mandatory Influenza Vaccination For Healthcare Workers: Do Nurses Agree?, Meghan Leah Nightingale

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Influenza is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients. Health care workers are considered a high-risk group for influenza, and annual vaccination is the most effective way to prevent getting influenza. Increasing concern about inadequate levels of healthcare work vaccination has led many groups to recommend mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers. The state of Rhode Island was considering mandatory vaccination in 2012 for all healthcare workers, with only medical exemption, but this movement was halted. Research focused on the perception of nursing personnel toward mandatory influenza vaccination is lacking, and considering that registered nurses are one of …


Prevention Management Of Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting In Ambulatory Setting: How Well Are We Identifying Patients With Motion Sickness?, Sheila A. Capasso May 2013

Prevention Management Of Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting In Ambulatory Setting: How Well Are We Identifying Patients With Motion Sickness?, Sheila A. Capasso

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and postdischarge nausea and vomiting (PDNV) continue to be a serious problem in the ambulatory setting. These symptoms are among the most undesired complications following surgery and can adversely affect the quality of recovery for many patients. Previous research has concluded that the identification of risk factors for PONV/PDNV is a first step in developing effective prevention strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of PONV/ PDNV in the ambulatory setting in female clients who were treated with transdermal scopolamine (TDS) for motion sickness as compared to those patients who were …


Improving Nurse Satisfaction And Knowledge Of Therapeutic Hypothermia Using A Staff Education Program And Evidence-Based Protocol, Laura Anne Cresap Goldstein May 2013

Improving Nurse Satisfaction And Knowledge Of Therapeutic Hypothermia Using A Staff Education Program And Evidence-Based Protocol, Laura Anne Cresap Goldstein

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Mild Therapeutic Hypothermia (TH) or Targeted Temperature Management (Nunnally et al., 2011) is defined as an intentional reduction of a patient’s core temperature to 32°C–34°C (89.6- 93.2° F) following ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) with return of spontaneous circula-tion (ROSC), and who remain unconscious, for the purposes of limiting neurologic reperfusion injury (Polderman, & Herold, 2009). Mild TH is a highly valuable post cardiac arrest procedure that can result in preservation of neurologic function and reduction of the inflammatory effects of neurologic reperfusion syndrome following cardiac arrest. This procedure requires specific educational preparation in order to perform the …


Online Learning Modules And Nursing Students' Knowledge Of Tuberculosis, Monica L. Kunkel May 2013

Online Learning Modules And Nursing Students' Knowledge Of Tuberculosis, Monica L. Kunkel

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Tuberculosis is identified as a major global health issue. Recommendations for increased training for health professionals from both the Institute of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health have been outlined. Nursing curriculum tools developed by the National Tuberculosis Consortium and presented through online learning modules were utilized in an experimental study of baccalaureate nursing students. Knowles’ Theory of Adult Learning provided the theoretical framework for the study. The test scores on a thirty question multiple-choice exam of students who participated in the intervention are compared to those of students who only participated in the regular course content. Although the …


Contributing Factors To Hospital Readmissions, Susan M. Amalfitano May 2013

Contributing Factors To Hospital Readmissions, Susan M. Amalfitano

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Aims and objectives. To investigate the elderly patient’s perspective about the reasons for discharge to home being unsuccessful, resulting in rehospitalization. Background. Elderly patients have a high rate of readmission to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. Starting in October of 2013, hospitals having a high rate of readmission of patients with heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), and pneumonia (PNA) will face financial penalties. Evidence indicated that by utilizing risk prediction tools and incorporating transition interventions the risk of a hospital readmission may be reduced. Design. A qualitative, descriptive design was used. Methods. In 2013, a student investigator …


Intra-Femoral Sheath Time: Does It Increase A Patient's Risk For Developing A Hematoma?, Colleen O'Brien Planchon May 2013

Intra-Femoral Sheath Time: Does It Increase A Patient's Risk For Developing A Hematoma?, Colleen O'Brien Planchon

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Despite advancements in technology and medication therapy, coronary artery disease continues to remain the number one cause of death. Treatment for coronary artery disease requires life style modifications, medication therapy, percutaneous coronary interventions, and sometimes coronary artery bypass surgery. Though percutaneous coronary interventions are considered safe and are commonly occurring procedures, there are still risks for complications. One of the most frequently occurring complications is hematoma of the femoral artery site. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was an increased incidence of hematomas in individuals undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with associated sheath times of less than …


A Palliative Care Program Evaluation, Kathleen M. Robinson May 2013

A Palliative Care Program Evaluation, Kathleen M. Robinson

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Palliative care is a growing field in response to the healthcare needs of people suffering with the consequences of serious health issues. As an evolving specialty, palliative care needed criteria to denote and measure quality. National leading specialist in palliative care have developed and promoted standards for care and excellence in this field, however, it is critical for palliative care programs to evaluate the manner and extent to which these standards are incorporated into their care. A program evaluation of an existing Palliative Care Program at a VA hospital was undertaken. National guidelines and standards, that specify preferred structures and …


Booking The Appointment: A Strategy To Reduce Readmissions In Heart Failure Patients, Lindsey Moran May 2013

Booking The Appointment: A Strategy To Reduce Readmissions In Heart Failure Patients, Lindsey Moran

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition that is the cause for many hospitalizations in the United States. Hospital readmission is a common problem in many chronic conditions, especially heart failure. The purpose of this research was to determine if scheduling a follow-up appointment with a primary care provider (PCP) or cardiologist prior to hospital discharge decreases 30-day readmission rates in patients with a primary diagnosis of HF. A quasi-experimental, two-group study was performed at The Miriam Hospital, a 247-bed acute care hospital, with a sample of 60 patients. A retrospective chart audit was performed to determine if 30-day readmission …


Implementation Of A Nurse-Driven Mobility Protocol In Critical Care, Kim M. Uustal May 2013

Implementation Of A Nurse-Driven Mobility Protocol In Critical Care, Kim M. Uustal

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Prolonged immobilization plays an important role in negative outcomes of critically ill patients. Immobility is widely documented in the literature as a cause of increased mortality and complications. Despite the growing evidence in support of early mobility, many ICUs are unable to effectively integrate early/progressive mobility into their daily practice. Literature supports early mobilization and physical therapy as a safe and effective intervention that can have a significant impact on functional outcomes. A progressive mobility tool may help to force a daily structured assessment of current mobility status, which supports the critical thinking process by the nurse and team to …


Development Of An Ambulation Program At Kent Hospital, Joseph L. Rocheleau May 2013

Development Of An Ambulation Program At Kent Hospital, Joseph L. Rocheleau

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

An important aspect of nursing care in a hospital setting is mobilizing patients. Numerous studies have documented that prolonged bed rest is associated with negative patient outcomes. An ambulation program can assist patients to maintain functional status during the hospital stay in preparation for discharge. Nurses are the member of the health care team with responsibility for mobilizing patients. In order to do this successfully, nurses require updated knowledge related to implementing an ambulation program. Several factors facilitate ambulating patients on a regular basis, including adequate staffing, appropriate equipment, and availability of a mobility protocol. The purpose of the project …


An Exploration Of The Barriers In The Prevention And Control Of High Blood Pressure Among West African Immigrants In Rhode Island, Ntaobasi Patrick Udeh May 2013

An Exploration Of The Barriers In The Prevention And Control Of High Blood Pressure Among West African Immigrants In Rhode Island, Ntaobasi Patrick Udeh

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

This is a report of a pilot study to explore the barriers to the prevention and control of high blood pressure by West African immigrants in Rhode Island. The incidence of high blood pressure is high in African Americans with many possible contributory factors documented. However, little is known about possible barriers to the control of high blood pressure among specific black ethnic populations such as West African immigrants living in Rhode Island. A qualitative research design employing a semi-structured interview was utilize to explore the issue. The barriers to high blood pressure management reported by these West Africans immigrants …


Nurses' Attitudes Towards Drug-Seekers In The Emergency Room, Megan E. Gernt Jan 2013

Nurses' Attitudes Towards Drug-Seekers In The Emergency Room, Megan E. Gernt

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Emergency department patients often present with a chief complaint of pain. There is a unique population of patients who present with this chief complaint in an effort to obtain narcotics for non-medical use. This population is often referred to as drug-seekers and there is little information available to define what exactly nurses mean when they use this term. This study utilized a descriptive survey design to gain a better understanding of nurses’ use of the term drug-seeker. Respondents agreed on a variety of behaviors that lead them to identify patients as drug-seeking and expressed a frustration with this population of …