Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons^™

Postpartum Hemorrhage: Improving Patient Outcomes With Improved Communication And Post-Drill Debriefing, Sheila L. Lafortune

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Background: A woman is at risk of dying from postpartum hemorrhage every four minutes. Maternal hemorrhage is found to be the direct cause of maternal mortality, overall accounting for 27% to 75% of maternal deaths worldwide. In the United States, 54% to 93% of maternal mortality could have been prevented. Postpartum hemorrhage remains among the top causes of pregnancy-related deaths worldwide. The purpose of this project is to educate providers of obstetrical care regarding best practices for effective communication during a postpartum hemorrhage by implementing a debriefing educational tool during postpartum hemorrhage mock code drills. Methods: The postpartum …

Polymer-Based Strategies For Therapeutic Delivery To Bacterial Biofilms, Cheng-Hsuan Li

Doctoral Dissertations

Bacterial infections are emerging threat to public health. Antibiotics once provided front-line treatments to bacterial infections; however, bacteria adapted to resist antibiotics through drug resistance mechanisms and biofilm formation. In this dissertation, I describe polymer-based strategies for therapeutic delivery as treatments of bacterial biofilm infections. Initially, I developed a functional polymer for delivering hydrophobic carvacrol (the primary constituent of oregano oil) to the bacterial biofilms. This strategy incorporates a cross-linking strategy to fabricate a robust yet biodegradable nanoemulsion, improving antimicrobial activity of carvacrol and overcoming antimicrobial resistance development. Next, I demonstrated that this functional polymer-based emulsion platform provides a general …

Tai Chi And Mindfulness Training To Improve Balance In People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Community-Based Intervention Study, Julianna Eve

Doctoral Dissertations

Introduction: Tai Chi and meditation have led to improved quality of life, and reduced fatigue and depressive symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Tai Chi interventions have successfully improved balance, however the few studies evaluating meditation impact on motor skill improvement have reported conflicting results. Benefits of meditation on improving alertness and attention have been reported, but it is unknown whether these benefits might extend to physical balance. Objective: determine the impact of an 8-week Tai Chi or Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention on physical balance, psychosocial wellbeing, and sensorimotor function; and whether benefits are retained after …

Nurse-Delivered Shoe-Lacing Intervention: Effect On Comfort And Toe Pressures For Active Community-Dwelling Adults (Age 65+), Mary C. Clayton-Jones

Doctoral Dissertations

Significance: Problems with shoe fit are endemic, affect gait and balance and lead to falls. Falls are physically, emotionally, and economically costly. Low-cost, easily implemented interventions, that reduce pain and improve balance meet the “triple aim” of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Purpose: Evaluate the impact on community-dwelling adults (65+) of two nursing interventions involving foot repositioning and shoe relacing. Outcome measures: Toe pressures, experiences of pain and comfort. Method: Repeated-measures, mixed-methods lab-based study. Walk #1 Control. Intervention #1, participant’s heel secured to back of shoe, the participant’s chosen lacing pattern snugged. Intervention #2, heel secured to back of …

Assessing The Association Between Physical Activity And Prediabetes Using The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2014, Mabeline Velez

Masters Theses

Prediabetes, a condition in which glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes, affects approximately 37% of adults in the United States and is a major public health concern. Extensive research has evaluated the association between physical activity (PA) and type 2 diabetes; however, few studies have examined the association between PA and prediabetes. Therefore, we evaluated the association between PA (including leisure time, occupational and total) and prediabetes status among adults, stratified by gender, using multinomial logistic regression models fit to serial cross-sectional 2007-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey …

Hybridized Polymeric Nano-Assemblies: Key Insights Into Addressing Mdr Infections, Ryan Landis

Doctoral Dissertations

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria contribute to more than 700,000 annual deaths world-wide. Millions more suffer from limb amputations or face high healthcare treatment costs where prolonged and costly therapeutic regimens are used to counter MDR infections. While there is an international push to develop novel and more powerful antimicrobials to address the impending threat, one particularly interesting approach that has re-emerged are essential oils, phytochemical extracts derived from plant sources. While their antimicrobial activity demonstrates a promising avenue, their stability in aqueous media, limits their practical use in or on mammals. Inspired by the versatility of polymer nanotechnology and the sustainability …

Stress Relieving Lavender Aromatherapy For Inpatient Nurses, Kaneisha Deburgo

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Lavender essential oil as a form of aromatherapy is proven to be an effective way to relieve occupational stress among nurses, providing them with a healthy self-care outlet. The purpose of this DNP project was to decrease the stress levels of inpatient nurses by implementing lavender essential oil aromatherapy as a self-care initiative. Willing inpatient Registered Nurses within a fast-paced inpatient telemetry unit were given a vial that contained three drops of Young Living lavender essential oil enclosed within at the beginning of their shifts. The nurses were asked to carry it with them during their eight-hour shifts for three …

Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy To Treat Insomnia In Adults, Alexandra Christodoulou

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Insomnia is a physically, mentally, and psychologically complicated and distressing medical condition that can affect adults with or without comorbid conditions. Research indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an underutilized, but extremely beneficial intervention that may support individuals in overcoming insomnia and other comorbid conditions, without ever ingesting a pill. Unfortunately, CBT is underutilized due to the patient educational time requirements; therefore, medication is often prescribed as a first line of treatment for insomnia. Adults suffering from insomnia with or without comorbid conditions such as psychiatric disorders or cancer have benefitted from CBT as opposed to oral …

Alternative Methods For The Treatment Of Chemo-Resistant Cancers, Kaitlyn Wong

Doctoral Dissertations

Great strides have been made in cancer therapy in the past century, yet it remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States today. This work aimed to shed light on novel methods to treat a variety of aggressive and often chemo-resistant cancers both in vitro and in vivo. The first aim of this work was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of poly(methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (polyMPC) prodrugs compared to standard chemotherapeutic agents. Conjugation of polyMPC to drugs such as doxorubicin (Dox) can result in its improved solubility, prolonged half-life and therapeutic efficacy. PolyMPC and polyMPC-Dox (at a …

The Politics Of Psychiatric Experience, Shuko Tamao

Masters Theses

This paper examines the correspondence, manuscripts, and speeches of ex-mental patient activists. I chronicle the activities of the emergent psychiatric survivors movement from its beginnings in the early 1970’s focusing on the work of the Boston based activist, Judi Chamberlin (1944-2010). This paper examines how mental patients in post-war America began to organize in order to have their voices included in the process of their own recovery. I present Chamberlin’s experience as a mental patient as being representative of the “rootlessness” that many post-war women experienced. Chamberlin’s work as an ex-patient activist presented one aspect of the overall struggle on …

Effect Of A Tai Chi Chuan Slow Walking Intervention On Balance And Mobility In Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis, Julianna Averill

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

In people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) balance impairments may lead to increased falls and mobility loss. In quiet stance, people with MS display greater postural sway than healthy controls. Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art that has decreased the risk of falling in frail elderly individuals (Wolf et al., 1996). The purpose of this study was to determine if a three week Tai Chi intervention would improve postural stability in people with MS. Seven participants (6F/1M, age 48.5 ± 10.8 years, height 1.66 ± 0.08m, mass 68.6 ± 19.8kg) attended nine one hour training sessions to practice two types …

Effect Of The Flavonoid Quercetin On Adipocytes, Jennifer C. Swick

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Obesity is an urgent global public health concern as prevalence rates continue to increase, especially among children. At the cellular level obesity is defined by an increase in adipocyte number (hyperplasia) and size (hypertrophy). Both lead to the dysfunction of adipose tissue, which has been identified as the link between obesity and chronic disease. Bioactive compounds, naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables, hold enormous potential in regulating adipocyte biology. Quercetin, the most commonly consumed dietary flavonoid, is a strong potential anti-obesity agent that has been implicated as an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator and shown to ameliorate symptoms of metabolic …

Feasibility Of Family Participation In A Delirium Prevention Program For The Older Hospitalized Adult, Deborah Rosenbloom-Brunton

Open Access Dissertations

Objective . To examine the feasibility of family participation in a nurse-supported, multicomponent intervention program for delirium prevention in the older hospitalized adult. Background . Delirium is the leading complication of hospitalization for older adults and is associated with important consequences including increased morbidity and mortality, increased use of health care resources, and increased caregiver burden. The potential role that family caregivers could play in delirium prevention and how nurses could facilitate family participation has been largely unexplored. The Calgary Family Intervention Model (CFIM), operating on the assumptions of a family-centered care philosophy, provided a framework for understanding the feasibility …

The Adoption Of Shamanic Healing Into The Biomedical Health Care System In The United States, Lori L. Thayer

Open Access Dissertations

Following cultural anthropological inquiry, this dissertation examines the adoption of shamanic healing techniques into Western medicine and the resultant hybrid modality of health care fostered by two disparate healing traditions. As the U.S. populace increasingly turns to alternative forms of healing in conjunction with, or in lieu of, conventional Western medicine, shamanic healing has been added to the list of recognized non-conventional therapies. Shamanism, once prevalent throughout most of the world in various cultural forms, is purported to be the oldest healing modality, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic in Siberia. Historical excoriation and extermination from religious and political dogma …