Interprofessional Education Commons^™

Implementation Of Endometriosis Toolkit: A Quality Improvement Project To Enhance Nurse Practitioners’ Knowledge And Management, Hasbun Rachel

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Abstract

Background: Endometriosis, characterized by the ectopic growth of endometrial-like tissue, affects approximately 11% of reproductive-aged women in the United States. Diagnosing endometriosis is challenging due to its diverse clinical presentations, reliance on laparoscopic procedures, absence of biomarkers, and limited awareness among healthcare providers and patients.

Local Problem: The diagnostic complexity of endometriosis, compounded by reduced provider awareness and a lack of comprehensive resources, leads to delayed and suboptimal care for affected women.

Methods: This Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project aimed to enhance nurse practitioners’ (NPs) knowledge and management of endometriosis through a 1-hour educational session at the …

Improving Knowledge And Confidence Of Family Nurse Practitioners In Offering The Hpv Vaccine, Leni Terano Fisher

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Abstract

Introduction

Despite the recommendations of the United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, HPV immunization lags behind other routine vaccines by up to 31%. Although there are many reasons for the low vaccine rate, provider hesitancy and lack of confidence significantly contribute to suboptimal HPV vaccine uptake.

Objectives

This project aimed to utilize evidence-driven interventions to increase family nurse practitioners' (FNPs) knowledge and confidence in offering the HPV vaccine.

Methods

Participants were given pre- and post-questionnaire surveys. The Wilcoxon Rank Test was used to compare, quantify, and measure the results of the eight-week data collection.

Results

The subjects were …

Resilience And Reality: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of People Living With Hiv In Texas During The Covid-19 Pandemic – A Qualitative Study., Ahmed F. Alanazi

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This study investigated the lived experiences of individuals living with HIV (PLWH) in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area of Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework. The research examined the intersection of health, social dynamics, and psychological resilience among PLWH, who faced compounded vulnerabilities due to systemic inequities and the dual public health crises of HIV and COVID-19. Through semi-structured interviews with ten participants from diverse backgrounds, the study captured the profound impacts of disrupted healthcare systems, heightened stigma, and social isolation on this marginalized population. The findings reveal that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequities …

The Potential Of Bioactive Foods In Chemotherapy-Induced Gastrointestinal Distress, Haizhu Patterson

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background: Cancer continues to have a profoundly detrimental impact on global health, and chemotherapy is widely accepted and utilized as one of the most effective cancer treatments. Unfortunately, the downside of chemotherapy is its significant adverse effects, which often manifest as gastrointestinal (GI) distress, leading the patient to discontinue treatment. Recent research has increasingly focused on bioactive foods as a means to mitigate chemotherapy-induced GI distress. By identifying which bioactive foods can alleviate these distresses, nurses can offer valuable recommendations to cancer patients to help them reduce chemotherapy's adverse effects, enhancing their quality of life (QoL) and improving treatment adherence. …

Awareness Of The Physiological Changes Occurring In Older Adults Can Reduce Dehydration And Electrolyte Imbalances, Lisa Isley

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background: Individuals over 65 years are at an increased risk of dehydration. The physiological changes that occur with age and medication consumption can cause fluid and electrolyte imbalances that can physically and mentally impair individuals over 65 years old. Objective: By providing education to individuals 65 years and older regarding the significance of drinking water and consuming electrolytes daily, older adults can reduce their dehydration symptoms and improve their quality of life. Method: The proposed research is a quasi-experimental study geared towards individuals 65 years and older. The quasi-experimental study will include two pre-surveys and then two post-surveys. The survey …

Improving Glucose Levels In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Kaitlin Castillo

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Type 2 diabetes is a growing health crisis, posing significant challenges not only to individual well-being but also to healthcare systems' financial sustainability. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise annually, contributing to increased medical costs, hospitalizations, and long-term complications. Houston, Texas, has a diabetes prevalence of 13.5%, exceeding the national average of 10%. A clinical gap exists in providers’ ability to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes. Prioritizing prevention, early intervention, and improved patient monitoring can reduce incidence rates, lower healthcare costs, and enhance overall population health. A Plan Do Study Act model was utilized for the …

Bundled Approach To Improve Colorectal Cancer In Primary Care, Elizabeth Reddiar

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, despite being preventable through timely screening. National guidelines recommend regular screening for adults aged 45 to 75; (American cancer Society (ACS), 2025) however, screening rates remain suboptimal, particularly in primary care settings serving diverse and high-volume populations. Local Problem: At the project site, a community-oriented primary care clinic in North Texas, baseline data revealed CRC screening completion rates were below benchmarks set by the organization. Barriers included limited patient awareness, inconsistent provider reminders, and workflow challenges in distributing and tracking fecal immunochemical test …

A Nurse-Driven Protocol To Increase Music Therapy Referrals To Manage Patient Pain And Anxiety In The Medicine Intensive Care Unit, Ashley Fox

DNP Projects

Background: Critically ill patients often suffer from pain and anxiety. Music therapy is a safe and effective treatment option. However, most nurses never receive education or training on it, resulting in a lack of awareness of its value and its actual usage in care.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to increase the number of music therapy referrals to manage pain and anxiety in eligible medicine intensive care unit (MICU) patients via a music therapy protocol that increased nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills related to the use of music as an alternative treatment option for pain and anxiety in …

Increasing Serious Illness Conversations In Patients At High Risk Of One-Year Mortality Using Improvement Science: A Quality Improvement Study, Kanishk D. Sharma, Sandip A. Godambe, Prachi P. Chavan, Agatha Parks-Savage, Marissa Galicia-Castillo

Department of Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Serious illness conversation (SIC) in an important skillset for clinicians. A review of mortality meetings from an urban academic hospital highlighted the need for early engagement in SICs and advance care planning (ACP) to align medical treatments with patient-centered outcomes. The aim of this study was to increase SICs and their documentation in patients with low one-year survival probability identified by updated Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores. Methods: This was a quality improvement study with data collected pre- and post-intervention at a large urban level one trauma center in Virginia, which also serves as a primary teaching hospital to …

Reducing Appointment No-Shows In An Occupational Medicine Clinic: A Quality Improvement Project, Diana S. Torres, Cynthia D. Linkes

Nursing Faculty Publications

Abstract

Background: Appointment no-shows in occupational medicine delay recovery, disrupt workers’ compensation processes, and undermine employer trust. A South Texas clinic reported an average 11% no-show rate over 16 months—above the ≤8% benchmark—resulting in an estimated $379,406 in lost revenue. Contributing factors included inconsistent reminder practices, unverified contact information, and language barriers within a predominantly Spanish-speaking population.

Objective/Project Aim: This project aimed to reduce no-shows to ≤8% by implementing a structured, bilingual, multimodal reminder system that improved patient adherence and operational efficiency without increasing staff workload.

Methods: Guided by the “Getting To Outcomes” 10-Step framework, interventions included …

Diagnosis And Management Of Cardiometabolic Disease After Spinal Cord Injury: Identifying Gaps In Physician Training And Practices, Chinenye Christa Nnoromele, Du Pham, Felicia Skelton, Ryan Solinsky

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

CONTEXT: Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) frequently occurs in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), with growing awareness surrounding the expansive scope of this problem. As CMD has significant morbidity and mortality, early guidelines-based screening and management have been established. However, the extent to which these guidelines have been adopted are unclear.

OBJECTIVE: Describe physicians' screening and management pattern for CMD in patients with SCI, as compared to SCI-specific CMD screening guidelines, and elucidate variables linked to screening and management patterns.

METHODS: SCI medicine-boarded physicians were surveyed on screening timing for CMD following acute SCI, along with their practice pattern and comfort …

Improving Anesthesia Technician Workflow: Implementation Of A Standardized Checklist And Formal Handoff Communication Tool To Enhance Management Of The Pediatric Portable Anesthesia Lockers Recommendation, Megan Shayna Sosnick Msel, Rn

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: The surgical department of a well-known Bay Area medical center faces substantial challenges in supply management. These challenges include inconsistent stocking, disorganized storage, and an inefficient ordering process. These logistical issues impact patient care negatively, increase supply costs, and weaken team morale and communication. U.S. hospitals spend $83 billion annually on medical supplies, with $25.4 billion wasted on preventable material expenses (Balkhi et al., 2022). Aim and Methods: This quality improvement project aims to train 80% of anesthesia technicians in proper stocking procedures for portable pediatric anesthesia lockers within three months. Interventions include the implementation of a standardized …

Transdisciplinary Collaboration Of Healthcare Professionals And The Emotional Connectedness With Working With Patients Coping With Death And Dying, Princess Nguyen, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores how an integrated approach to care for patients and families by transdisciplinary healthcare teams provides opportunities for a patient-centered care approach to support quality of life throughout one's chronic illness and at the end-of-life. Discussions and conversations about impending death or dying are often challenging and a complex task for healthcare professionals in whatever settings. While there is an understanding of aspects of collaborative care and transitions and processes to support patients and families about how to cope and communicate about death and dying, it is essential to recognize how best to support end-of-life care …

Understanding Provider Competency In Gender Affirming Care, Vanessa Castle, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual plus (LGBTQ+) individuals, especially transgender patients, face many healthcare disparities. It is extremely important for them to have access to high-quality healthcare, particularly Gender Affirming Care (GAC), to support their well-being and mental health. However, many healthcare providers, including clinical social workers, NPs, PAs, and MDs lack proper training to offer GAC. The current training opportunities available are often basic and lack comprehensive, detailed information. To reduce healthcare barriers for the transgender and gender-diverse community, we must have comprehensive training on GAC available for providers so they can treat their patients with …

Review Of The Diagnosis, Pathophysiology, And Treatment Of Naegleria Fowleri-Induced Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis, Terrance Zhang

MCB Articles

Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic, ubiquitous, free-living amoeba, but is also known as the “brain-eating” amoeba. This is the etiological agent of a rare and fulminant waterborne disease known as Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) that is acutely fatal in 90-99% of reported cases. Those who come into contact with infested waters are at risk of introducing the amoeba into their upper nasal canal, whence the trophozoite form is known to migrate along the olfactory nerve, through the cribriform plate, and enter the central nervous system. Although the exact pathogenesis of N. fowleri is not known, studies have demonstrated contact-dependent and …

Reflections From The Pandemic: Is Connectivism The Panacea For Clinicians?, Jennifer Benjamin, Tyson Pillow, Heather Macneill, Ken Masters, Anoop Agrawal, Neil Mehta

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent increased interest in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) highlight the need for interprofessional communities' collaboration to find solutions to complex problems. A personal narrative experience of one of the authors compels us to reflect on current approaches to learning and knowledge acquisition and use solutions to the challenges posed by GenAI through social learning contexts using connectivism. We recognize the need for constructivism and experiential learning for knowledge acquisition to establish foundational understanding. We explore how connectivist approaches can enhance traditional constructivist paradigms amid rapidly changing learning environments and online communities. Learning in connectivism includes …

Comprehensive Community Medicine, Alexander Walther

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Comprehensive Community Medicine (CCM) is a theoretical framework designed to address the complex needs of individuals with dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance use disorders (SUDs). Dual diagnosis is highly prevalent, particularly among populations experiencing homelessness, and is associated with poorer health outcomes and increased healthcare service utilization. Structural inequities, including a fractured healthcare system, exacerbate the challenges faced by this vulnerable group. Research indicates that effective care for dually diagnosed individuals requires a layered approach addressing clinical, systemic, legal, and housing barriers.

The development of CCM has been informed by interviews with local stakeholders, including County EMS board …

Hands-On Training About Data Clustering With Orange Data Mining Toolbox, Janez Demšar, Blaž Zupan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Data clustering is a core data science approach widely used and referenced in the scientific literature. Its algorithms are often intuitive and can lead to exciting, insightful results that are easy to interpret. For these reasons, data clustering techniques could be the first method encountered in data science training. This paper proposes a hands-on approach to data clustering training suitable for introductory courses. The education approach features problem-based training that starts with the data and gradually introduces various data processing and analysis methods, illustrating them through visual representations of data and models. The proposed training is suitable for a general …

To Develop/Implement An Evidence Based Order Set For Maternity Patients With Potential Opioid Use Disorder (Oud), Katrina Munoz

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Millennial Nurses Experience High Burnout And Turnover Risk During A Pandemic, Dana N Rutledge, Elizabeth Winokur, Sarah Douville

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Nurse-Led Interprofessional Pressure Injury Prevention In The Medical Intensive Care Unit, Chelsea Lannoo

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

S.T.O.P. Drop It At The Door: Reducing Caregiver Burnout In The Emergency Room, Alexandra Rowen

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Nurse Education On Icu Liberation To Improve Sedation Practices For Mechanical Ventilated Patients In Icu, Renae Sybesma

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project To Decrease Fall Rates On Oncology, Susan Hampton-Ash

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Battling Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, And Nurse Retention, Nicole Raab

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Breastfeeding Education Knowledge, Danielle Sees

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Prevention Of Post-Pci Impella Bleeds, Maureen Maloney-Poldek

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Reducing Overutilization Of Telemetry On A Medical-Surgical Unit, Melrose Melgar

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

An Order Set For Maternity Patients With Potential Opioid Use Disorder, Katrina Munoz

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.

Improving Confidence Level Of The New Graduate Level Nurse And Nurse Fellows With Managing The Cardiac Arrest Patient, Charles Pfeiffer, Belinda N. Leos

St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA. Evidence Based Practice Conference

No abstract provided.