Nursing Commons^™

Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake Among Hispanic/Latino Patients: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Erick Hernandez Campos, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi

DNP Projects

Background: In 2021, cancer (CRC) screening rates for Latino men (42%) and women (47.5%) remain well below the Health People 2020 target (70.5%). Extensive documentation of barriers for screening include language, insurance status, and other sociocultural barriers which contribute to delays in diagnosis and/or diagnosis at advanced stages of the disease, and worse health outcomes. Latinos need culturally and linguistically appropriate health promotion interventions aimed to increase CRC screening rates with any modality (FIT, Cologuard, or Colonoscopy).

Methods: The Donabedian Structure-Process-Outcome (S-P-O) Model for quality improvement was used to develop and target a provider-driven, language-concordant communication interventions for …

The Effects Of Hospital-Mandated Nurse To Patient Ratios On Patient Care, Vince Latorre

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background Nurse to patient ratios or nurse staffing is a controversial topic that is often discussed and argued in the medical field for its pros and cons. Nonetheless, the nurse to patient ratio plays a vital role on how nurses’ deliver quality care and provide safety to patients in a hospital setting. In 1999, California’s legislation passed a mandated nurse to patient ratio (AB 394) that requires all hospitals in California to have a set amount of patients a nurse can have depending on the unit the nurse works for. In 2023, California is still the only state that has …

Exploring Hapi Incidence In Patients Admitted Through The Ed: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Alexa L. Tietgens

DNP Projects

Each year in the U.S., pressure injuries, or PIs, are responsible for more than 60,000 patient deaths and billions of dollars’ worth of treatment costs. Research shows that roughly 95% of all PIs are preventable by following evidence-based practice guidelines which include early identification of patients at risk, frequent skin assessments, and implementation of prevention strategies. However, the ED environment creates unique risks for PI development due to the routine use of hard surfaces (i.e., stretchers, backboards, exam tables) and frequent hospital overcrowding. Although nurses play a pivotal role in PI prevention, frequent staffing shortages, high patient acuity levels, and …

Improving Diabetes Management For School Health Workers Using A Live, Virtual Training Course, Bonnie Mccann-Crosby, Lisa Setchfield, Yvonne Barham, Dawn Espinosa, Jennifer Bailey, Beth Pali, Amanda Garey, Sarah Lyons, Rona Sonabend

Journal of Nursing & Interprofessional Leadership in Quality & Safety

Background: Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Optimal school nurse and staff education is critical to creating a safe learning environment and influencing long term outcomes of students with type 1 diabetes. The purpose of this project was to develop a virtual continuing education diabetes management course for school health workers to improve their knowledge of diabetes management and evaluate the effectiveness of the learning platform.

Methods: A total of 199 participants completed the live, virtual continuing education course. Participants completed a pre and post-test to assess improvements in the key learning objectives …

Implementation Of A Hospital-Wide Surge Plan To Reduce Emergency Department Length Of Stay, Laura Massey

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Suboptimal patient flow throughout the hospital has resulted in an increased length of stay (LOS) for emergency department patients and the potential for adverse events.

PICOT: In admitted and discharged emergency room patients (P), how does a hospital-wide surge plan (I) compared to current throughput plan (C) affect the length of stay (O) within 8 weeks?

Evidence: The literature evidence reviewed supported the implementation of a hospital-wide surge plan approach positively impacts the emergency room length of stay and patient outcomes.

Intervention: The primary intervention for this project was the implementation of a hospital-wide surge policy. Targeted …

The Lived Experiences Of Icu, Med-Surg, And Er Nurses In The United States Attempting To Breastfeed During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amy Seay

Dissertations

Breastfeeding is important to promote the health of both mothers and babies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Many mothers experience workplace barriers and stress which negatively impact breastfeeding duration (McCardel & Padilla, 2020; Nagel et al., 2022). However, a gap in the literature exists surrounding specific barriers and the impact of stress on U.S. nurses who breastfeed. Specifically, workplace challenges and stress among nurses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic lack exploration.

This interpretive phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of ICU, Med-Surg, and ER nurses who attempted to breastfeed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Roy’s adaptation model was …

Developing, Implementing, And Evaluating A Clinical Dashboard To Improve The Efficiency And Ease Of Tracking Institute For Healthcare Improvement Ihi Age-Friendly 4ms Framework Data., Margaret Parniawski Nsn, Ne-Bc, Kenneth Forte, Denis Mohess Md, Ray Wauthier Bsn, Erica Zerl Ssa, Edward Ostrowski Msn

Posters

The purpose of this study was to describe a user-centered development, implementation and preliminary evaluation of clinical dashboards to track Age-Friendly 4M Framework Data.

Reducing Blood Culture Contamination In The Emergency Department: A Multi-Method Quality Improvement Project, Daryn Brauner Msn, Marlene Schmidt Msn, Nikki Campbell Bsn, Anthony Renzoni Pharmd, Keri Bill Msn, April Alfano

Posters

The goal of this quality improvement project is to reduce the monthly percentage of BCC in an academic emergency department (ED) through implementation of a multimethod intervention targeting registered nurses (RN) and patient care technicians (PCT) who perform phlebotomy for blood cultures

Implementing The Fall Tailoring Interventions For Patient Safety (Tips) Program To Increase Nursing Knowledge Of Fall Prevention & Reduce Falls & Falls With Injury In The Medical-Surgical Setting, Anne M. Aquila, Palumbo John Mba, Ms, Mt (Ascp), Karen Bauce Dnp, Mpa, Rn, Nea-Bc

Posters

The purpose of this translational research project was to determine if the reimplementation of the Fall TIPS Program in the medical-surgical setting reduced falls and falls with injury over a 10-week period.

The aims of this project were to:

1) improve RNs’ and PCTs’ Fall TIPS knowledge

2) reduce patient falls and falls with injury

Bedside Safety Nurses: A Novel Approach To Reducing Patient Harm, Kenneth Forte, Corinne Booth Bsn, Rn, Nikki Campbell Bsn, Rn, Danielle Jimenez Msn, Rn, Alexandra Mingolello Bsn, Rn, Heather Nachilo Msn, Rn, Heidi Steller Msn, Rn, Joubin Bavarian Rn, Mary Christoffersen Dnp, Rn, Morine Cebert Phd, Aprn

Posters

The purpose of this longitudinal interventional pre-and post-intervention study was to assess the ability of Bedside Patient Safety Nurses to Identify and intervene in patient safety issues before they reach the patient.

Implementation Of A Patient Satisfaction Survey At A Free Community Clinic: A Quality Improvement Project, Nora O'Sullivan

DNP Projects

Background: The uninsured, underinsured, and underserved populations in the US are impacted by health disparities and have unique experiences with healthcare. Yet, settings which serve these populations – the “safety net”- are not adequately supported to gather patient experience data. In Connecticut, Fairfield County has a higher percentage of uninsured people than the overall state. Additionally, this population has demonstrated higher frequency of emergency department utilization than the overall population. Therefore, processes to measure the barriers to accessing quality care and patient experience and satisfaction with care are needed in safety net clinics to promote elimination of health disparities and …

Use Of A Worksite Physical Activity To Improve Subjective Daytime Sleepiness Among Night Shift Healthcare Workers: A Quality Improvement Project, Marthe Sooh Nkongo

DNP Projects

Background and Significance: Shift work including work schedules beyond the typical "nine-to-five," causes the disruption of sleep-wake behaviors (Healy et al., 2021). The circadian misalignment is a potential pathway for the development of metabolic diseases, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep deprivation, and declines in alertness and performance among night shift workers (James et al., 2017; McHugh et al., 2020; Parry et al., 2018). Emerging evidence suggests that physical activity synchronizes the sleep-wake cycles (Healy et al., 2021).

Purpose: This quality improvement project (QI) aimed to improve night-shift nurses ‘subjective daytime sleepiness by incorporating a 4-week worksite walking activity during working hours. …

Implementation Of A Daily Central Line Maintenance Audit Form In An Outpatient Infusion Center: A Quality Improvement Project, Sarah E. Christiana

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: Best evidence supports central venous access device (CVAD) dressing changes occur every 7 days or sooner, if indicated. At a community hospital in New England, patients receive outpatient antimicrobial therapy via CVADs. It is vital that nurses adequately maintain CVAD dressings according to evidence-based protocols to reduce the risk of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). CLABSIs, associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs, are largely preventable through proper CVAD maintenance. At the project site, a review identified that dressing changes were frequently changed beyond the 7-day parameter. Documentation and surveillance processes were identified as opportunities …

Sunscreen Is Not Just For White People: Church-Based Sunscreen Education For Black Women, Lauren Mitchell

DNP Projects

Significance and Background: African American women are an undeserved population in healthcare, particularly regarding skin cancer prevention. The lack of education and misinformation surrounding skin cancer has resulted in general mistrust of the healthcare system amongst African Americans. Proper education on sunscreen use and skin cancer screening is essential to prevent late diagnosis of skin cancer and to promote prevention efforts.

Purpose: This quality improvement project utilized evidence-based practice to provide education on the proper use of sunscreen and skin cancer screening to African American women in a faith-based setting in Southern Connecticut.

Methods: A pre-survey was conducted to assess …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Medication-Assisted Treatment For First Episode Psychosis: A Scoping Review, Chanel Thomas Msn, Aprn, Fnp-Bc, Rn-Bc, Alexandra Wittenberg Bsn, Rn-Bc, Anttrenika Anderson Bsn, Rn, Tracy Mcclinton Dnp, Aprn, Agacnp-Bc, Ebp-C

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recommends that individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) receive medicated-assisted treatment (MAT), as a complete approach to substance use treatment (SAMHSA, 2019). However, treatment measures using combination treatment for SUD in individuals experiencing first episode psychosis (FEP) are seldom used. This scoping review assesses the efficacy of MAT in conjunction with antipsychotics compared to the use of antipsychotic monotherapy for FEP individuals on hospital readmission rates.

Methods

The authors conducted a literature review utilizing PubMed, EBSCO, Elsevier, Google Scholar, PsychINFO, and Medline from August 2020 to November 2022. Key phrases …

Crna Decision-Making Within The Anesthesia Care Team, Cindi L. Dabney

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

This research focused on Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologists’ (CRNAs’) perspectives on the value placed on their decision-making skills within the Anesthesia Care Team (ACT). The emphasis of the study was to examine CRNA’s perspectives on the strengths, challenges, conflict resolutions, and any other information they were willing to divulge when working with physician anesthesiologists in the ACT model. An electronic survey questionnaire was sent to practicing CRNAs, primarily in the southeast region of the United States, with 171 informants completing the questionnaire. Data analysis included demographic information of the convenience sample that included age, gender, initial educational preparation as a …

Orienting Patients To Their Own Care: Implementing Goals And Progress On Whiteboards, Grace Beer, Leah Mcgough

Scholars Week

Introduction: Goal-setting within the hospital setting can be a useful tool for health care professionals. By using a white board in a patient’s room, nurses can work with patients to create goals in their plan of care. Implementing daily goals on these boards can improve patient satisfaction, increase nurse-patient communication, and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Methods: We researched scholarly articles that discuss the use of goal-setting in clinical practice. These articles engage in the idea that patients visually seeing their goals helps them stay focused and motivated in their health care. The researchers used methods such as interviews, focus …

The Effect Of Magnet Hospitals On Nursing Burnout, Jonathan Settle, Michael Davis, Eric Pulice, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

Introduction:

The World Health Organization [2019] defined burnout as a syndrome caused by chronic job stressors that are not successfully managed, characterized by exhaustion, depersonalization, job detachment, and feelings of inadequacy (WHO, 2019). According to Murthy [2022], the nursing burnout crisis was underway before COVID-19. Nurse burnout recognized pre-COVID-19 was due to systemic organizational problems such as inadequate organizational support and underinvestment in public health (Murthy, 2022).

A 2022 survey of 2500 nurses exhibited increased rates of burnout during the pandemic, with 75% of respondents experiencing burnout, while 65% of those surveyed expressed their desire to leave the healthcare field …

Screening For Social Determinants Of Health In The Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project, Winifred Ann Shouse

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which individuals are born, age, work, and live that affect health status and outcomes (Rivich et al., 2019). These social and environmental factors can create barriers to patients being able to access and adhere to recommendations for chronic disease management (Gold, et al., 2019). Communication gaps between patients and primary care providers make it challenging for healthcare providers to be completely aware of the financial burdens their patients encounter (Patel et al., 2016). Research supports that identifying and addressing the barriers related to social determinants of health can improve the management of …

Advancing Health Equity In The Us Military, James D. Mancuso, John Young, Jennifer Rusiecki, Shauna Stahlman, Natasha Schvey, Toya Randolph, Candy Wilson, Catherine Witkop, Patrick Hyde, Althea Green, Patcho Santiago, Donald Shell, Tracy Sbrocco

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity are central to US national health objectives and the Military Health System’s “quadruple aim,” which has readiness as its core aim. Because military service members enjoy universal eligibility for health care, it is sometimes assumed that health disparities do not exist in the Department of Defense (DoD). However, while some studies have shown that disparities have been attenuated or eliminated in the DoD, others suggest that significant disparities remain. Reasons these disparities may remain include that universal eligibility for care does not necessarily result in equal to access to care, and that equal …

Medical Device-Related Pressure Injury (Mdrpi) Prevention In The Intensive Care Unit (Icu): An Evidence Based Practice Quality Improvement Project, Sana Shah

DNP Projects

Introduction: All intensive care unit (ICU) patients utilize various medical devices for care and treatment, placing them at high-risk for medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPIs), which can lead to life-threatening infections, wounds/scars, and consumption of additional time and products to rectify these issues. Lack of appropriate decompression measures and improper bedside handoff report was recognized in the ICU at a hospital in Connecticut (CT).

Method: A literature search using CINAHL, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was conducted, restricting the search to the period between 2018-2022. The keywords searched were: “pressure injuries,” “adult patients,” “intensive care …

Optimizing Npo Times In Infant Outpatient Surgical Patients, Julie Colangelo Ward

DNP Projects

Background: All patients are standardly kept NPO prior to surgery to minimize aspiration risks. Increased NPO times for infants has been found to lead to patient distress, hemodynamic instability, ketoacidosis and acid-base imbalances. Optimizing NPO times for young pediatric patients helps to decrease fasting times, which minimizes the safety concerns listed above.

Objectives: The objective of this project was to implement specific education instructions to parents of infants during the pre-operative phone calls and confirm their understanding of this education through the teach-back method.

Methods: The intervention for this project added educational instructions with a teach-back question into the verbal …

Venous Leg Ulcers: An Analysis Of Nursing Knowledge, Shelia Moore-Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project evaluated the knowledge level of wound center nursing staff on venous leg ulcer etiology and treatments after an educational intervention. To determine the effectiveness of the educational intervention, participants completed a pretest and posttest evaluation. Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are chronic lower extremity ulcers affecting older Americans. VLUs are painful and negatively affect activities of daily living. Inadequate VLU treatment can become an infectious process that can ultimately threaten limb existence. A quantitative, quasi-experimental study was conducted over three weeks in a hospital-based wound care center in central Florida. The theoretical framework applied to this project is Lydia …

A Quality Improvement Project: An Educational Program For Nurses To Improve The Care For Patients Diagnosed With Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome, Daniel Davidson, Teresa Rangel, Kallie Anderson, Tobi Bryan, Cassie Baune

Providence Nursing Research Conference 2023 – Present

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Disability Related To De Novo Germline Loss Of The Distal End Of The P-Arm Of Chromosome 17: A Case Report, Eden Pope, Matthew Huertas, Amar Paul, Braden Cunningham, Matthew Jennings, Ryan Perry, Stephanie Chavez, John A. Kriak, Kyle B. Bills, David W. Sant

Annual Research Symposium

Hypothesis/Purpose: In this report we present a case of a 20-year-old female with congenital intellectual disability, stunted growth, and hypothyroidism. Competitive genetic hybridization (CHG) revealed a loss of 17p13.3, and the deletion was not present in either parent. This deletion has not previously been characterized, but mutations on the p-arm of chromosome 17 are responsible for Miller-Dieker Syndrome and Isolated Lissencephaly Sequence, both of which share symptoms in common with the patient.

Methods: Peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were used for karyotyping and competitive genetic hybridization (CHG). Bioinformatic analysis was carried out using the Genome Data Viewer (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome/gdv).

Results: Karyotype was …

Investigating Respiratory Simplification Caused By Prenatal Rage Upregulation, Paul Reynolds

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Potential Role For Rage In The Development Of Secondhand Smoke-Induced Chronic Sinusitis, Paul Reynolds

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Rage Inhibition Reduces Timp And Decreases Cell Invasion In Cigarette Smoke Extract (Cse) Treated Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cells, Paul Reynolds

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Inflammatory Cytokine Elaboration Following Secondhand Smoke Exposure Is Mediated In Part By Rage Signaling, Paul Reynolds

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Rage Availability Lessens The Degree Of Dysfunctional Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Following Chronic Secondhand Smoke Exposure, Paul Reynolds

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.