Nursing Commons^™

Improvements Upon Reprocessing Of Orthopedic Single-Use Instruments, Alyssa P. Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Internal Medline data for Hospital A, a level I academic trauma center, identified a quality gap due to improper segregation and underutilization of orthopedic single-use device reprocessing bins. The baseline reprocessing rate of 4% for orthopedic products results in missed sustainability opportunities, financial strain, and increased regulated waste. A proposed quality improvement intervention implemented updated communication strategies, visual management tools, and education modules to reinforce current reprocessing workflows and close knowledge gaps. Outcome measures include the percentage of SUDs collected for reprocessing, survey results on reprocessing awareness, and potential financial savings in Appendix I. Early data showed a 10% year-to-year …

Increasing Specialty Certification Rate In An Emergency Department Through Use Of A Certification Champion: A Pilot Program, Alexandra Rowen

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

No abstract provided.

Cross Training Patient Care Technicians And Its Impact On Door To Balloon Times, Jo Zarnegar

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

No abstract provided.

Implementing A Prevention Bundle To Reduce Hapis In The Intermediate Care Unit, Angelica Taneca, Bsn, Rn, Pccn, Rebeca Zamora

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

No abstract provided.

Improving Early Recognition Of Patient Deterioration Through Mews Implementation On General Surgery, Colleen Siongco

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

No abstract provided.

Implementing Bedside Handoff In The Cvpacu In The Cardiovascular Short Stay Unit, Alyssa Ruud

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

No abstract provided.

Reducing Hospital-Acquired Clostridioides Difficile Infections In The Intensive Care Unit, Renae Sybesma

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

No abstract provided.

Using Evidence To Derive A Nurse-Driven Nicom Algorithm, Charles J. Pfeiffer Msn, Rn, Cen, Belinda N. Leos, Msn, Rn, Cen

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

No abstract provided.

Improving Patient Satisfaction Scores Using A Pictograph Discharge Binder, Christiane Pepitone, Bsn, Rn, Cen

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

No abstract provided.

Boosting Rn Compliance Access Site Care Through A Standardized Documentation Guide, Kimsa Nguyen

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

No abstract provided.

Improving Chemical Dependency Consultation (Cdc) Through A Standardized Ordering Process In Women’S & Children’S, Katrina Munoz

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

No abstract provided.

Using In-Situ Simulation To Increase Nursing Staff Confidence In Initiating Ekgs, Juleene J Mcgowan

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

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy Discharge Checklist Education On Nurse Knowledge And Confidence, Angela Maietta, Mph, Bsn, Bs, Rn, Phn, Mches, Ibclc

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

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Skin Integrity In Medical Intensive Care Unit Patients, Chelsea Lannoo

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

No abstract provided.

Improving Nursing Documentation Compliance For Acute Heart Failure Patients, Amy Nunez, Kassidi Wedemeyer

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

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Communication With Pre-Op Instructions To Improve Patient Experience, Marijoyce Dimatulac

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

No abstract provided.

Increasing Hand Hygiene Compliance I N The Operating Room Using Convenience, Education, And Nudge Measures, Ellen Campbell

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

No abstract provided.

Strong Steps, Safe Stays: Innovative Approaches To Promote Early Mobility, Merri Lynn M. Anderson, Carmyle Seville Bsn, Rn, Pccn

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

No abstract provided.

Improving Outcomes Through Standardized Nurse-Led Diabetes Education For Post-Transplant Diabetes Mellitus In Kidney Transplant Patients, Audrey Federis

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

No abstract provided.

Reducing Foley Catheter Reinsertion Through Implementation Of An Evidence Based Postpartum Urinary Retention Algorithm, Nicole Evaro

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

No abstract provided.

Utilizing A Patient Self Educational Tool For Intake And Output For Chf Patients In Med Tele Unit, Jacqueline Kimani

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

No abstract provided.

Sedation Minimization And Early Mobility To Prevent Intensive Care Unit Delirium, Alana M. Kugelard

Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science

The purpose of this paper is to synthesize current evidence on sedation minimization, early mobility, and multicomponent care bundles for the prevention of intensive care unit (ICU) delirium in critically ill adults. ICU delirium is a common and serious complication associated with increased mortality, prolonged mechanical ventilation, extended ICU and hospital length of stay, and long-term cognitive impairment, making it a significant safety and quality-of-care concern. A literature review was conducted using PubMed and the Cochrane Library, with search terms including “ICU delirium,” “sedation minimization,” “light sedation,” “early mobilization,” and “ABCDEF bundle.” Filters included adult populations, peer-reviewed studies, randomized controlled …

Program Evaluation Of A Parkinson’S Multidisciplinary Clinic To Enhance Neurological Care, Krista Naumann

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Patients with Parkinson's disease require coordinated interdisciplinary care to manage complex motor, cognitive, and psychosocial symptoms. Prior to implementation of a multidisciplinary clinic model, care delivery occurred through multiple separate specialty appointments, creating challenges related to care coordination and continuity. Although appointment adherence exceeded organizational benchmarks, the organization lacked formal evidence regarding the clinic's operational effectiveness and utilization.

Aim of the Project: The aim of this summative program evaluation was to assess appointment adherence, clinic utilization, and operational performance of an established multidisciplinary neurology clinic serving adults with Parkinson's disease. Findings were intended to inform organizational decisions regarding program …

Reimagining Clinical Education: Interprofessional Simulation And Clinical Skill Readiness In Nursing And Occupational Therapy Curricula, Gretchen Johnson, Linda Barnett, Lori Aaron-Brija, Emily Berkowitz

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: As the healthcare landscape evolves, education for health professionals must prepare future practitioners to meet emerging challenges and navigate diverse care settings. Integrating interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities within healthcare curricula supports the development of essential clinical skill competencies and collaboration across multiple disciplines. The Clinical Skill Readiness interprofessional model prepares students for successful clinical rotations by integrating assessment and skill development. Students develop vital interprofessional skills, with specific emphasis on communication, professionalism, and role clarity, all of which are essential for effective practice in a collaborative clinical setting. Methods: Nursing and occupational therapy students participated in timed treatment sessions …

Don’T Fall For It: Just-In-Time Staff Education To Reduce Patient Falls On An Adult Telemetry Unit, Forrest Wilcox, Kyle Knight, Jennifer Paiz, Zaira Garcia-Vega

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: Patient falls remain a leading cause of preventable harm among hospitalized adults and carry significant clinical and financial consequences. On an adult medical-surgical telemetry unit at this study site, a one-year review of 45 fall events found that most falls occurred among patients classified as high risk on the Morse Fall Scale, frequently without continuous observation or consistent purposeful rounding. Aim: The aim of this project is to reduce falls on the telemetry unit to the national benchmark of 3.2 falls per 1,000 patient days within a 6-month period. Methods: A just-in-time (JIT) education intervention was delivered to registered …

The Efficacy Of Transversus Abdominis Plane Block As An Adjunct To Spinal Anesthesia For Cesarean Delivery: An Evidence Synthesis And Implementation Toolkit, Alyssa Hebert, Alex Potts, Gabriela Robertson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Postoperative pain hinders cesarean delivery recovery and overall patient experience. Although spinal anesthesia with intrathecal opioids remains the standard of practice, associated side effects and concerns regarding opioid exposure highlight the need for effective opioid-sparing strategies. Anesthesia providers play a critical role in advancing postoperative pain management through evidence-based protocol development, provider education, and interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize maternal outcomes. The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block provides somatic analgesia to the anterior abdominal wall by targeting the thoracolumbar nerves (T6–L1) and has increasingly been incorporated into multimodal postoperative pain management strategies for abdominal surgery. Nevertheless, a gap remains in obstetric …

Pain And What It Means For Preterm Infants: Overcoming Barriers To Pain Management In The Nicu, Angela Michele Byrd

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Many Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) do not provide consistent pain management for their patients. This is problematic for all infants, but particularly the preterm baby. Assessment/treatment of pain is important for preterm infants whose brains continue to develop after delivery. Repeated pain exposure has consequences, including immediate physiologic changes and long-term alterations in infants’ neurological development, which can affect future cognition and behavior. This 5-week Quality Improvement (QI) project aimed to identify barriers and educate NICU staff to better assess and treat infant pain in a Level III NICU in western NC. A literature review was conducted using the …

Standardizing Group Visits For Gestational Diabetes Education: A Quality Improvement Initiative In An Outpatient Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic, Nha Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective: At an outpatient maternal-fetal medicine clinic in Northern California, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) education is delivered inconsistently across nurse practitioners (NPs) and registered dietitians (RDs), with no standardized curriculum, referral criteria, or educational materials. Aim: By August 12, 2026, this project aimed to develop and implement a standardized GDM group visit framework for NPs, RDs, and scheduling staff in maternal-fetal medicine clinic, increasing compliance with standardized referral, enrollment, and educational processes from a baseline of 0% to 50%. Methods: Using baseline observations, workflow assessment, stakeholder input, and a literature review, the QI team developed standardized bilingual slide …

The Comfort Cart Initiative: A Quality Improvement Intervention To Improve Patient Satisfaction In The Emergency Department, Heidy Cladimir Ayala

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

The Comfort Cart Initiative: A Quality Improvement Intervention to Improve Patient Satisfaction in the Emergency Department

Purpose

The Comfort Cart QI project aimed to improve Emergency Department patient, parent, and guardian satisfaction by 10% over an 8-week implementation period.

Background

In healthcare, patient satisfaction is an important indicator of the quality of care provided, and many literature reviews suggest it is closely associated with patient-centered care.

 Methodology

The Comfort Cart intervention is an evidence-based quality improvement project employing a pre- and post-intervention design, conducted over an 8-week period, in the Emergency Department. The project was guided by Kolcaba's Comfort Theory …

Skin Is In: Promoting Breastfeeding Through Immediate Cesarean Skin-To-Skin, Autumn Spencer

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists identify immediate, uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact as a standard of care that improves neonatal stability, breastfeeding outcomes, and maternal satisfaction. Despite these recommendations, timely initiation following cesarean birth remains inconsistent. At the project site, skin-to-skin initiation averaged 72 minutes after birth, exceeding the 10-minute benchmark, and exclusive breastfeeding rates were below the national standard of 70%. Contributing barriers included workflow variability, unclear role expectations, and inconsistent communication.

Aim of the Project: The aim of the project was to improve infant and maternal …