Nursing Commons^™

Poster: Impact Of Educational Modules On Knowledge Among Neuroscience Nurses Working In The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (Emu), Shivani Bhatnagar, Joy Shoemaker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Background: Little data exists about nursing care and knowledge on an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU). This study evaluated the impact of an educational series (three modules) on nursing knowledge and confidence in providing care, using a pre-test/post-test design. Objectives: There were three objectives for this study. The first objective was to improve nursing knowledge and competence in educating patients and families. The second, to increase nursing confidence in providing care and decision-making for the specialized patient population on the EMU. The third, to evaluate the effectiveness of educational modules. Subjects: Thirty-eight nurses working in the neuroscience unit participated in the …

Report:Impact Of Educational Modules On Knowledge Among Neuroscience Nurses Working In The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (Emu), Shivani Bhatnagar, Joy Shoemaker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Background: Little data exists about nursing care and knowledge on an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU). This study evaluated the impact of an educational series (three modules) on nursing knowledge and confidence in providing care, using a pre-test/post-test design. Objectives: There were three objectives for this study. The first objective was to improve nursing knowledge and competence in educating patients and families. The second, to increase nursing confidence in providing care and decision-making for the specialized patient population on the EMU. The third, to evaluate the effectiveness of educational modules. Subjects: Thirty-eight nurses working in the neuroscience unit participated in the …

A Faith-Based Quality Improvement Project To Increase Awareness, Prevention, And Management Of Coronary Heart Disease In African Immigrants, Temitope S. Okpebho

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Problem Description: Coronary heart disease (CHD) affects people globally, and it is the leading cause of death in the United States. Despite increased CHD awareness, evidence shows the increased prevalence and low CHD awareness among African Immigrants. According to Boateng et al. (2017), African immigrants are more likely to have CHD risk factors and be unaware. This may be due to changes in eating habits, lack of physical activity, increased stress level, and the adaptation of the Western diet.

Rationale: This project included implementing a culture care theory in a faith-based organization to increase awareness, management, and prevention of CHD …

The Effects Of Nursing School Peer Tutoring On Tutors, Yelyzaveta Soboleva

Undergraduate Honors Theses

An integrative review was used to examine the effects of being a tutor versus not being a tutor. The matrix method was used to guide the research process, to identify articles that met the inclusion criteria, and to reduce data into common topics of peer tutoring. The results of the integrative review yielded 20 articles and suggested that students in the position to assist others are more confident in communicating in groups and have higher knowledge in the subject they help with than their fellow peers. The literature showed that students in the position to assist others have defined personal …

Effect Of Gender On Intentional Learning Orientation, Sarah Anderson, Loyd Lee Glenn

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Knowledge of how gender affects learning is scarcely understood in the realm of nursing education. Prior studies have indicated certain learning styles are predictors of passing board examinations. Pinpointing specific learning styles could improve educational outcomes and produce thoroughly equipped nurses. Previous researchers have studied the differences in learning preferences according to gender; however, no studies have solely concentrated on gender specific learning preferences among undergraduate nursing students. Learning Interest, as well as Goal Orientation, were found to be statistically significant between genders.

Hospital To Home: Fall Prevention Interventions For The Discharging Patient, Joy Bridewell

Nursing Masters Papers

Falls is a major public health problem globally, with an estimated 646,000 fatal falls per year. This makes falls the second leading cause of unintentional injury death. Falls are very costly with non-fatal fall injuries costing about $50 billion per year and fatal falls with an estimated $754 million. Many risk factors contribute to a person’s risk of falling. Risk factors include age, gender, muscle strength, underlying medical or disabling conditions, and unsafe environments. Patients who have been hospitalized are also among those at risk. Most hospitalized patients are assessed frequently to determine their risk of falling so that care …

Developing A Clinical Practice Guideline For Surgical Diabetic Patients, Barbie Denise Harbaugh, Diane Whitehead

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Diabetes is a recognized risk factor for postoperative infection, acute renal failure, ileus, and lengthy hospital stay. Optimal screening, management, and scheduling of elective surgery for diabetic patients has been shown to improve quality care, decrease complications, and increase the efficiency and lower the costs of preoperative patient care. However, surgery cancellations are common due to inadequate preoperative glycemic control and poor intraoperative glycemic control, which is a recognized risk factor for perioperative or postoperative complications. There were no clinical practice guidelines or optimization protocols for elective surgery patients at a small rural hospital in the Northeast United States. The …

The Management Of Cancer Pain: Should Interventional Therapies Be Approached As First-Line Treatment Along With Beginning An Opioid Regimen?, Sarah Holmes

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cancer produces many symptoms, and pain is one of them. When a person is having pain due to cancer, many aspects of the person’s life may be altered or inhibited; for example, activities of daily living may be difficult to perform, their psychological state may be altered, their social lives may be changed, and their overall physical function may be affected in a way that the person may need to modify what they typically do in a normal day. The pain a person experiences depends on the type of cancer, how far the cancer has progressed, and the treatment being …

Improving The Self-Esteem Of Early Adolescent Girls, Kelly Inoue

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Self-esteem varies throughout an individual’s life and influences a person’s overall wellbeing and self-efficacy. A reduced self-esteem is associated with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse amongst other negative outcomes that impact the individual’s quality of life. A known decrease in self-esteem occurs in early adolescence and is more pronounced in females. There is an abundance of factors that influence self-esteem, such as body image, social support, and physical activity. Programs such as Free Being Me have been created to improve body image and self-esteem in young adolescent girls. The Free Being Me program was implemented in the afterschool program at …

Reflections On Texas Back Institute Internship, Shelby Jones

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

For my honors project, I chose to do the experimental option to gain more knowledge on topics that we do not spend much time covering in nursing school. I had the privilege to complete an internship with the Texas Back Institute, their main office is located in Plano, Texas. I worked closely the Scoliosis and Spine Tumor Center that is a branch of their team, and completed my internship from May to the first week of August 2019. I worked 20 hours a week during my internship between the clinic and the hospital. I was able to observe physicians in …

Honors Internship Evaluation, Lauren Nolan

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper addresses the experience of an undergraduate nursing student in a Student Nurse Intern Position. The student addresses how her position differed from a certified nursing assistant (CNA), how the position helped her to imrpove organization and time management skills, and addresses patient scenarios that were encountered during her internship. These scenarios were used to address how this student will carry her experience into her nursing practice. This paper also addresses changes that could be beneficial for future honors students participating in nursing internships.

Nurse Practitioners’ Perceptions Of Telehealth Behaviors, Michelle Austin

Doctoral Projects

Problem: NP’s must be proficient in the behaviors that are required for a successful patient encounter to provide the full benefit of nurse practitioner (NP) telehealth. Consequently, it is imperative for NPs to understand telehealth etiquette behaviors which include the technical and non-technical skills that are necessary for an effective NP-patient patient telehealth encounter (Haney, Kott & Fowler, 2015). Telehealth has been incorporated into healthcare delivery and its use is expanding. In the United States, it is predicted to be used by seven million patients in 2020 (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). Appropriate access to health care …

Improving Caregiver Health Literacy Of Pediatric Febrile Illness: A Patient Care Initiative, Rebecca T. Shipley

DNP Final Reports

Background: Pediatric fever, though typically harmless and incredibly common, can cause substantial fear and anxiety for caregivers unfamiliar with how to manage or treat this condition at home. Studies evaluating pediatric emergency department (ED) rates have repeatedly found fever to be a leading reason for clinical evaluation. Local EDs record percentages as high as 40% of pediatric patients seek evaluation primarily for fever. Purpose: Provide educational resources for high-risk populations to reference at home regarding fever so that avoidable ED visits decreased and caregiver knowledge of fever improved. Methods: An educational program was implemented at a pediatric primary care clinic …

The Relationship Of Self-Efficacy And Clinical Reasoning Of Undergraduate Nursing Students, Amy G. Holder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aim. This investigation aimed to discover if a there is a correlation between a student’s clinical reasoning self-efficacy and a student’s actual clinical reasoning ability. Also, this research sought to discover the connection between an undergraduate nurse’s self-efficacy of clinical reasoning and the locus of control of that student. Finally, this investigation sought to discover if perceived self-efficacy of clinical reasoning changed over time.

Background. The ability to successfully navigate the process of clinical reasoning is critical to providing safe, effective care for patients. For nurses, this process begins to develop in nursing school. Unfortunately, evidence suggests that newly graduated …

The Experiences And Well-Being Of Mexican Immigrant Women Living In Traditionally Non-Latinx Communities In Western North Carolina, Melinda Bogardus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North Carolina has, in recent decades, experienced significant growth in its Latinx, and more particularly Mexican immigrant population. As a traditionally non-Latinx state, or a state without a long-standing, large Latinx population, many communities and healthcare and service providers within North Carolina still lack knowledge, resources, and skills needed to serve and support Latinx immigrant populations well. Guided by interpretive description, this qualitative study on Mexican immigrant women in Western North Carolina sought to gain knowledge and understanding of what it is like for them to live in a traditionally non-Latinx region and how immigration has affected their well-being. Asking …

Ntchs© Health Literacy Intervention Pilot Study, Genevieve Evenhouse

Doctoral Projects

This pilot study explored the effectiveness of a validated curriculum called, “Navigating the Health Care System” (NTHCSÓ) in improving the health literacy of high school-aged adolescents in response to the national call to promote knowledge and skills in all ages, and socio-economic and cultural groups to achieve healthier lives. Low health literacy has been shown to greatly affect the quality of lives, health outcomes, and health spending of individuals with and without health conditions across social demographics. High school-aged adolescents are the population of interest of this study due to their developmental milestones which allows for knowledge and skill building …

The Collaborative Health Objectives In Combatting The Effects Of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (Choice): A Second Chance To Change Diabetic Destiny, Alishia A. Claibourn

Doctoral Projects

The Collaborative Health Objective in Combatting the Effects of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (CHOICE); A Second Chance to Change Diabetic Destiny, is a research pilot study that will test the validity of The Diabetic Foot Book. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) affects 60-70% of the diabetic population. The CHOICE project will use The Diabetic Foot Book, a patient education booklet, created explicitly for the DPN population. The goal of the pilot study is to evaluate the effectiveness of The Diabetic Foot Book to increase health literacy and affect behavior change in the DPN population.

Respiratory Distress Observation Scale Implementation For Comfort Care Patients In The Acute Care Setting, Marianne Wachalovsky

Doctoral Projects

One of the most common symptoms at the end of life is respiratory distress. Respiratory distress or dyspnea is a subjective symptom and therefore challenging to assess, especially when the patient is unable to communicate. Controlling symptoms depend on the knowledge and assessment skills of the clinicians and their willingness to administer the necessary pharmacological intervention. Assessment and treatment of this symptom presented a gap in the quality of care for the patients in the hospital of the author. An exhaustive literature review established that this existed also in other clinical settings and led to the Respiratory Distress Observation Scale …

Iatrophobia: How It Impacts Health, Jessica Newbury

Senior Honors Projects

According to Mara Hollander (2019), iatrophobia is “the fear of doctors, medical care, or the medical care system." The most severe cases of this fear only affect a small percentage of the population; however, many people, for a variety of reasons, reported that they disliked or felt uncomfortable seeking medical care. An anonymous survey was created and distributed to males and females between the ages of 18 to 75 to retrieve self-reported data regarding specific questions about doctor's visits and the healthcare system. The total sample consisted of 379 participants who voluntarily completed the assessment. Quantitative data was collected using …

Development And Validation Of A Scale To Measure Nurse/Medical Resident Physician Collaboration, Bruce St. Amour, W. Brady Dehart

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction: The purpose of this pilot study is to investigate the reliability of an interprofessional collaboration measurement scale used for nursing interactions with resident physicians. To date, the collaboration between nurses and residents has not been adequately investigated and a validated tool specifically for this purpose is not yet available. Our objective is to adapt a previously validated interprofessional scale for health care settings to the specific nurse/resident physician collaboration.

Methods: In 2019, nurses from two hospitals were contacted via email and were invited to complete an anonymous survey that asked about the nurses’ interaction and collaboration with resident physicians. …

Implementing Inter-Professional Patient-Family Centered Plan Of Care Meetings On An Inpatient Hospital Unit, Nicolas Hernandez, Alice Fornari, Sage Rose, Leanne Tortez

Patient Experience Journal

Inpatient plan of care meetings support efforts to encourage collaborative practice and patient-family centered care and result in an effective strategy to enhance communication and patient satisfaction. Clinical team members participated in patient/family centered plan of care meetings at a community hospital in a selected inpatient unit with full time hospitalist physicians. Quantitative data were gathered pre/post implementation from the external Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers (HCAHPS) survey. HCAHPS data were collected independently, specifically for questions related to communication between patients, family members/guardians and the medical team and also the effects of care transition. There was a slow …

Official Mentor Program Benchmark Project, Gabriela O'Hara

MSN Capstone Projects

Nursing shortage, turnover, and low job satisfaction are constant issues that often trouble healthcare organizations. These issues have led organizations to implement programs, such as externship, internship, and preceptor programs to strengthen new nurses’ professional practice and skills. However, these issues continue to be organizational challenges. Considering the need for new nurses to have a supportive foundation for their career and to further encourage workplace satisfaction and retention, the following PICOT question was developed: In a healthcare organization, how does an official mentor program, compared with not having a mentor program, influence nursing retention and nursing job satisfaction over 2 …

A Descriptive Phenomenological Study Of Body Art Patients And Their Health Care Experience, Lacee Kaufmann

Dissertations

This study aimed to update dated research by exploring the relationships between patients with body art (tattoos and body piercings) and their interaction with health care providers. This creates a current description of the body art patient’s health care experience. Previous research indicates that body art has been associated with risk taking and deviant behaviors and these behaviors have been used to justify why people with body art are negatively perceived. If the presence of body art and the associated behavior are viewed as a threat to normalcy, then Stangor and Crandall’s theory (2000) suggests that stigma may surround the …

Dnp Final Report: Changing Admission Criteria In A Vocational Nursing Program To Decrease Attrition, Gabrielle O. Davis

DNP Final Reports

By the year 2030 Texas will have a shortage of 33,500 Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN). The LVN is responsible for providing safe, compassionate and focused nursing care to assigned patients with predictable health care needs. Most LVNS work in settings caring for our ever increasing and aged population. To combat the coming shortage VN programs need to graduate safe, competent, and compassionate nurses, but programs across the state are experiencing high student attrition rates. Admission criteria is a common method to determine student success in nursing programs. This evidence-based practice improvement project synthesized evidence and integrated best practices along with …

Patient With Questions About Cancer Risk, Deborah O. Himes, Jennie Vagher

Faculty Publications

Primary care nurse practitioners routinely care for patients with personal or family histories of cancer. Approximately 5% to 10% of all cancers are related to hereditary cancer syndromes (HCSs), which cause an increased risk for developing more cancers and cancers at earlier ages than the general population. Nurse practitioners in primary care must become comfortable with identifying patients at risk for HCSs. Ordering genetic tests can be a challenge because the number of genetic tests available is growing at a rapid pace. This case highlights a woman who survived breast cancer at age 25 and basal cell carcinoma at age …

Impact Of Meaningful Recognition On Work Environment Perception Of Critical Care Nurses, Kristin Meinershagen

Dissertations

Problem: Absence of nursing staff recognition can lead to compassion fatigue, burnout, job dissatisfaction, and increased turnover rate resulting in high costs for hospitals. Meaningful recognition has been found to decrease compassion fatigue and reduce burnout. A meaningful recognition program was implemented over a 3-month period for staff nurses in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a large midwestern, metropolitan hospital to determine its effect on nurse’s perception of work environment and turnover rate in the ICU.

Methods: This was an observational, descriptive, cohort design utilizing the AACN Healthy Work EnvironmentSurvey instrument for assessing results before and after implementation …

Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death: Benchmark Study, Marilyn R. Strait

MSN Capstone Projects

Abstract

In potential organ donors after circulatory death (P), does the utilization of an evidence-based critical pathway from identification of potential donor to organ donation (I) versus no utilization of an evidence-based critical pathway (C) increase the rate of organ procurement and the satisfaction of donor families with the donation process (O)? A benchmark study was conducted to answer this question, and in short, yes, it does. The utilization of a critical pathway, when individualized to a local population and hospital’s organization increases the organ procurement rate, the donor family satisfaction with the process, and increases staff satisfaction with the …

Implementation Of A Patient Acuity Tool And The Impact On Nurse Satisfaction, Amber M. Denson

MSN Capstone Projects

Increased workloads contribute to nurse stress, affect nurse-patient relationships, and can ultimately lead to nurse turnover (O’Connell, Nettleton, Bunting, & Eichar, 2020). Nurse satisfaction can also be influenced by nurse-patient assignments (Allen, 2019). Implementation of a patient acuity tool (PAT) to balance workload and evenly distribute patient acuity in nurse-patient assignments can improve nurse job satisfaction, quality of care, and nurse retention (Firestone-Howard, Gonzalez, Dudjak, & Rader, 2017; Al-Dweik & Ahmad, 2019).

Discussions were held on a 20-bed medical-surgical unit in an acute care hospital with stakeholders that included the nurse manager, charge nurses and bedside nurses at staff meetings …

Nurs 230: Ebrp: The Gold Standard Of Checking Ng Tube, Estela C. Hurd, Caroline Nham, Mayana Hamilton

Virtual 2020 Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of End Of Life Education On Stress, Anxiety, And Attitude Of The Healthcare Profession Student, Chiquesha Davis

DNP Final Reports

Providing comfort and support to the dying patient is a significant part of the dying process. When soothing a patient, who is dying, the goal is to prevent or relieve suffering as much as possible. Respecting the patient's health and quality of life goals and decisions is essential. Healthcare profession students can experience multiple levels of anxiety, stress, and a negative attitude while taking care of the dying patient. The implementation of a successful intervention is at the cornerstone of helping reduce stress, anxiety, and attitude change in healthcare profession students. The application can also have a positive impact on …