Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons^™

Using Mindfulness To Decrease Stress In College Students, Saska Pavlovic

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The prevalence of stress is increasing in colleges, where students are experiencing anxiety at an alarming rate, with anxiety being the topic most discussed in university counseling centers. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to determine the effect of mindfulness exercises on college students’ perceived stress. The Stetler Model guided the project development and implementation. The literature search revealed that best practice included mindfulness exercises through a combination of face-to-face instruction and remote online audio meditation for a duration of eight weeks. For this project, 56 undergraduate students (health care-leadership, health-science, and nursing majors) enrolled in a health …

Guided Imagery And Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Pain, Brandy Alicia Kirk

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The standard of care in the treatment for women diagnosed with breast cancer includes identification and biopsy of the sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) of the breast (Chaterjee et al., 2017; Kneece, 2017). The process of identifying the SLNs involves radioisotope injections into or near the areola. Because this area is highly sensitive, women report this procedure to be considerably painful. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to determine if the provision of a 5-minute session of guided imagery (GI), as a complementary alternative medicine, prior to SLN injections was effective in mitigating reports of procedural pain. A …

Complementary And Alternative Medicine: The Effects Of Aromatherapy On New And Expectant Mothers, Heather Tran

Nursing | Senior Theses

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is vastly expanding and is now being used in the clinical setting as an effective management of various symptoms. Pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period can be beautiful yet overwhelming moments in a woman’s life. The symptoms that are usually accompanied along this journey include nausea, vomiting, anxiety, pain, fatigue, stress and more. Aromatherapy has been proven to be a safe and natural, non-pharmacological method in reducing these symptoms that may make it harder for the mother to enjoy her pregnancy. This holistic approach to treatment is inexpensive, noninvasive, does not require a prescription from …

Prenatal Dietary Education, Using The Midwifery Model, In Ireland Vs The United States, Allison Erby

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Prenatal dietary education is a very important component of care in healthy pregnancies, but more than that, dietary education can be an indicator of the value a healthcare provider places on holistic care or preventive medicine. The United States and Ireland are compared in this study because they represent high intervention vs. low intervention approaches, respectively, to obstetric care. Healthcare professionals from the United States and Ireland perceive the most important nutrients and method of receiving those differently. Maybe the most telling contrast, healthcare professionals in Ireland perceive food as the way pregnant women should receive vital nutrients, but healthcare …

Zero Balancing In The Chiropractic Practice, Michele Doucette Dc

Journal of Transformative Touch

Discovering the profound gifts of the leading-edge structural and energetic manual therapy Zero Balancing (ZB), and adding it to my chiropractic and nutrition practice, has unified my personal growth with the sustainability of my professional practice. Much of humanity is starving for wholeness, authenticity, and meaningful connection with ourselves, others, and something greater. Chiropractors are well positioned to be leaders in a true evolution of healthcare, especially if, as we continue to explore the various branches of our therapeutic repertoires, we stay connected to our vitalistic roots that are now more supported than ever by new findings in the fields …

Music Therapy For Treatment Of Bpsd, Heather Cunningham

MSN Capstone Projects

Alzheimer's disease can cause a decline in cognitive and physical abilities, however, behavioral and psychological issues can occur as well. With the many ways to alleviate behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD), music therapy shows to be an effective, low-cost, feasible, and safe option for patients. Music therapy can reduce BPSD and equips caregivers with a non-pharmalogical way to provide their loved ones with comfort.

Aromatherapy Essential Oil Usage In Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: A Benchmark Study, Ariana C. Smith

MSN Capstone Projects

This capstone project details the usage of essential oil aromatherapy in managing the common side effects of chemotherapy in the outpatient setting. Patients often report that these side effects to to burdensome and place significant effects on one's quality of life. Through this project, viewers will learn about four common oils, including ginger oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, and orange oil in managing the side effects of chemotherapy.

C16: On-The-Spot Transport Media For The Freshly Biopsied Soft Tissue Specimen: A Comparative Study, Snehashish Ghosh

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Nurse Practitioner Knowledge, Attitudes, And Likelihood Of Cbd Use In Clinical Practice, Kenita Murray, Deborah C. Gray

College of Health Sciences Posters

Problem: Many Americans have begun to seek alternative and natural remedies for common medical conditions previously treated by prescription drugs. As highly trained clinical professionals, nurse practitioners (NP) are responsible for adequately educating patients about their clinical disease process and treatment options. Due to limited clinical research surrounding CBD, NPs may lack the proper qualifications and resources to counsel patients on CBD use adequately. Despite an increase in CBD curiosity and use among the American population, there are no studies that assess Nurse Practitioner (NP) provider's knowledge and attitudes towards CBD or the factors affecting NP's decisions for its use. …

James's Choice: Treating An Infant With Craniosacral Therapy (Cst), Veronica Quarry

Journal of Transformative Touch

No abstract provided.

Deconstructing Patriarchy In The Healing Arts, Rebekah Harbour

Journal of Transformative Touch

Sometimes we perpetuate the very systems we want to change because it's the only way we know. Making a change in the outer world can require a shift in our inner perspective.

Addressing Psychosocial Outcomes Of Social Isolation In Older Adults, Megan Friesen, Madeline M. Christensen

Nursing DNP Projects

Purpose and Rationale

The aim of the evidence-based practice (EBP) project is to improve psychological outcomes for socially isolated older adults enrolled in a Homebound Program (HP) through the implementation of an EBP intervention. Social isolation has a multitude of negative consequences, including impacting the psychological health (e.g. depression, loneliness, anxiety) of the older adult population.

Synthesis of Evidence

Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials addressing the clinical problem of social isolation were identified. Through critical appraisal of the evidence, physical activity, psychotherapy, and socialization interventions have shown to decrease depression and loneliness in older adults. There were mixed …

Hello Darkness My Old Friend: An Experience Of A Transformative Session With Zero Balancing, James Mccormick

Journal of Transformative Touch

An Experience of a Transformative Session with Zero Balancing showing the effects of client experiencing an expanded state of consciousness furring a Zero Balancing session.

Are Nurses Joining The Ride? Equine-Assisted Activities And Therapies Review, Khalid Bandar Almasloukh, Pamela Stewart Fahs

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Background: Equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) is a rapidly growing practice that is described as therapeutic and entertaining. Complementary therapies such as EAAT are gaining acceptance as the health care needs of the population are changing.

Method: This systematic review draws from four databases. The final review included 52 articles.

Purpose: To explain what is known about EAAT and identify literature gaps. Nursing and rural perspectives are included in the analysis and recommendations.

Findings: There are more than eight types of EAAT and different organizations around the world are providing certification for EAAT. Rural communities and organizations may benefit from …

The Effect Of Physical Activity On The Mental Health Of Pre-Nursing Students And Undergraduate Student Nurses, Larinda J. Fandrich

DNP Research Projects

Abstract

Mental health concerns are on the rise among the college-aged student. College students face a great deal of stress, which can lead to depression and anxiety. Nursing students, as a sub-group of college students, are under even greater stress related to rigorous course work and the responsibility of caring for other people, which can lead to greater depression and anxiety. This study aimed to determine what effect, if any, physical activity has on depression and anxiety scores using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 instruments in pre-nursing and nursing students. In this study, physical activity is defined as is “any bodily …

A Mixed Methods Evaluation Of An Intensive Therapeutic Lifestyle Change Program For Nurses With Obesity, Theresa L. Free

DNP Research Projects

No abstract provided.

The Green Rx: An Intervention In Nurse Anxiety And Depression, Melissa Dawley

DNP Research Projects

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Web-Based Education Among African Americans With Cardiometabolic Syndrome: A Qualitative Case Study, Sarah Omodele

DNP Research Projects

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Nutrition Education On Dietary Knowledge And Fruit And Vegetable Consumption In Children, Colleen A. Thompson

DNP Research Projects

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of A Sleep Training Program For Night Nurse Shift Workers, Adelaide C. Durkin

DNP Research Projects

Abstract Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the NIOSH training on sleep quality scores, determine the association between intention to perform sleep improvement strategies and sleep quality, and identify strategies, barriers, and facilitators for implementation among night nurse shift workers. Methods: A pre-test and post-test design was used. Data were collected electronically between September 2020 and February 2021 before and after online intervention (NIOSH training). Participants who met the inclusion criteria were night shift nurses who worked full time in a hospital setting in the midwestern and southern United States (N = 42). After screening for risk of sleep apnea, …

Dnp Proposal: Implementing Staff Education To Reduce Stress And Increase Resiliency, Samantha Lambert, Mariana Corpus

Nursing DNP Projects

Problem: Increased stress and decreased resiliency are concerning concepts that continue to be common themes within nursing practice. Stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout among nurses pose a great risk to the health care system, the patients it serves, as well as the nurses. Persistent levels of high stress additionally impact work activities and job performance, leading nurses to experience burnout, compassion fatigue, lower job satisfaction, high workplace turnover, and poor quality of care for patients. Nurses who demonstrate resiliency can adapt to unexpected events with a positive attitude, self-esteem, and tolerance.

Purpose: To decrease stress levels and improve resiliency among …

Shu Altop News Issue #2, Spring, Dr. Susan L. Davis, Rn & Richard J. Henley College Of Nursing

News, Magazines and Reports

Updates from the Davis & Henley College of Nursing Sacred Heart University Alternatives to Opioids for Pain Grant.

Alternatives to Opioids for Pain (ALTOP) is a HRSA funded project to help combat the opioid epidemic in Connecticut.

Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) For Individuals With Epilepsy, April Detrick

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Individuals with epilepsy manage the clinical manifestations of the condition, primarily seizure-related activity, with daily use of pharmacologic agents, making it one of the most common neurological conditions treated with drug therapy for symptom management. Pharmacologic agents for epilepsy, also known as anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), are commonly prescribed to treat seizures and neurologic conditions associated with epilepsy but can lead to a reduced quality of life and many unwanted side effects. Complementary and alternative treatments can also provide relief from seizures associated with epilepsy. The purpose of this literature review was to evaluate the effectiveness of complementary and alternative treatments …

Non-Pharmacological Pain Managment In Labor: A Systematic Review, Angela Young, Madison Shipe, Madeline Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

During childbirth, women experience labor pain throughout the three stages of labor. The first stage is where the contractions start and end which creates the need for a form of pain management. Various techniques are used to manage first stage labor pains. The use of non-pharmacological methods is becoming more prevalent because natural births are becoming more popular and pharmacological interventions have side effects and drug interactions. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of the literature comparing non-pharmacological pain management methods in women during the first stage of labor. This will answer the PICOT question: …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Integrative Group Medical Visits For Low-Income Patients With Anxiety Disorders In Primary Care, Annamma Udaya Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High utilization of the emergency department (ED) by patients with anxiety symptoms has brought attention to mental health access disparities among low-income racially/ethnically diverse populations. The health system in this study attempted to increase access to mental health care with integrative group medical visits (IGMVs), a nonpharmacological intervention with biomedical care consultation, health education, and peer support. The purpose of this retrospective comparative analysis, guided by integrative health equity in primary care framework, was to determine whether patients with diagnoses of anxiety who attended four or more IGMVs had reduced nonemergent ED utilization, reduced prescribed doses of benzodiazepine (BZD), and …

Opioid Free Anesthesia, Sarah Medina

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Patients undergoing surgery are often given opioids intraoperatively. Administration of opioids is associated with untoward side effects that include nausea, respiratory depression, constipation, ileus, hyperalgesia, prolonged length of stay, and the potential for dependence (Garimella & Cellini, 2013). Emerging research on the topic of opioid-free anesthesia (OFA) is available and indicates several benefits of OFA, including reduction in postoperative pain, reduction in postoperative nausea and vomiting, reduction in postoperative shivering, and improved oxygen saturation levels (Mulier et al., 2018). This quality improvement project aimed to advance anesthesia providers' understanding of OFA by creating an OFA guideline and providing a learning …

The Use Of Life-Like Robotic Animals In The Acute Care Setting To Assist In The Care Of Patients With Dementia, Abby Denby

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

The purpose of this pilot project was to describe the effect of life-like robotic animals on the nurses’ ability to provide care, patients’ level of agitation, use of antipsychotic medications, restraint and sitter use for patients with dementia in an acute care setting. Nurses report challenges and feelings of helplessness while caring for patients with dementia. Dementia may cause depression, agitation, aggression (physical or verbal) and a decrease quality of life. Animal Assisted Therapy (ATT) is a growing therapy in many healthcare settings but there is a lack of literature specifically related to the use of AAT in the acute …

Implementation And Evaluation Of Whole Health Opioid Safety Shared Medical Appointments In A Veteran Population: A Quality Improvement Study, Sherry Cox

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2018b) suggest that 130 Americans die from an opioid overdose each day, thus creating an unprecedented number of opioid-related deaths in the United States to date.

Context: Of particular interest to the author and this DNP project is that Veterans are twice as likely to die from an opioid overdose, compared to the average American, making this epidemic a priority for Veterans Health Administration (Wilkie, 2018).

Interventions: The author developed a 9-session Opioid Safety Shared Medical Appointment (SMA) program to reduce opioid reliance in …

Continuous Glucose Monitoring And Diabetes Management During Pregnancy, Nicole Beamish

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Diabetes Management During Pregnancy

Abstract

According to the Scope of Practice, Standards of Practice, and the Standards of Professional Performance for Diabetes Educators, registered nurses play an integral role in the promotion of diabetes self-management education and training in diabetes care (AADE, 2017). This paper upholds the standards set forth by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (2017) governing body, to stimulate the process of peer review, promote documentation of the outcomes of diabetes self-management education and training (DSME/T), encourage research to validate practice and improve quality DSME/T and diabetes care for pregnant women who use …

Exercise To Improve Cancer-Related Fatigue, Jennifer Watson

MSN Capstone Projects

For the average patient, medical professionals typically recommend exercise to enhance the health of their patients in multiple ways. Oncology patients, however, often have different issues that the treating physicians are more concerned about, so physical activity gets placed on the back burner. The need for exercise in oncology patients is certainly a decision that should be part of an individualized treatment plan, but it is reasonable to believe that most of these patients will benefit from participating in an exercise program. With the high demanding need to decrease chemotherapy side effects and improve lives of those undergoing it, this …