Nursing Commons^™

The Clinical Healthcare Provided To Homeless Communities Across The United States: A Literature Review, Saylor Sisemore

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Homelessness has become a global public health concern as it results in poorer physical and mental health than age-matched people living in permanent housing (Ortiz & Roser, 2017). The area that comprises Northwest Arkansas (NWA), like other areas of the United States experiencing rapid growth, has seen a marked increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in recent years. The homeless population is one of the most vulnerable and underserved groups of individuals in NWA and beyond. Public health nursing as a discipline is dedicated to providing compassionate care and exceptional service for all members of communities, with special …

Understanding Alcohol Use Discourse And Stigma Patterns In Perinatal Care On Twitter, Fritz Culp, Yuqi Wu, Dezhi Wu, Yang Ren, Phyllis Raynor, Peiyin Hung, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Kacey Eichelberger

Faculty Publications

(1) Background: perinatal alcohol use generates a variety of health risks. Social media platforms discuss fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and other widespread outcomes, providing personalized user-generated content about the perceptions and behaviors related to alcohol use during pregnancy. Data collected from Twitter underscores various narrative structures and sentiments in tweets that reflect large-scale discourses and foster societal stigmas; (2) Methods: We extracted alcohol-related tweets from May 2019 to October 2021 using an official Twitter search API based on a set of keywords provided by our clinical team. Our exploratory study utilized thematic content analysis and inductive qualitative coding methods …

Food Resources For The Allen Family Center, Anna Kolbjornsrud, Jagrup Kaur, Simran Kaur, Talyn Miller, Chloe Schrader

Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects

Food Resources for the Allen Family Center

Allen Family Center (AFC), a part of the nonprofit organization Mary’s Place, is a family driven resource hub that focuses on the needs and goals of families experiencing or on the verge of homelessness (Mercy Housing, 2022). They use a multigenerational approach to break the cycle of homelessness which promotes inclusivity, safety and provides opportunities to improve health (Mercy Housing, 2022).

When meeting with the team, we identified a concern as the limited food supplies available to AFC and the lack of food outreach they can provide. Providing resources to the community is …

Screening For Social Determinants Of Health To Improve Care In Pediatric Patients With Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: A Scoping Review, Emily Gray Msn, Fnp-C, Michelle Rickard Dnp, Cpnp-Ac

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose: To describe what is known about how SDoH screening impacts adherence to treatment in pediatric patients with recurrent UTIs.

Creatively Capturing Structure And Energy: Zero Balancing's Essential Elements (Article & Video), Lisa Bardarson

Journal of Transformative Touch

Through the creative use of coloring, I am devising a way to document Zero Balancing’s two foundational elements, structure and energy and the changes that occur following a ZB session. I believe this experiential activity will be a creative fulcrum, helping the client connect more effectively with the deepest part of themselves thereby experiencing greater ease and freedom from their issues. As the activity of coloring is a “right brain”/ creative endeavor, I believe it can serve to enhance a client’s expanded state of consciousness, one of the hallmarks of a Zero Balancing session, as well as improve their overall …

Parent And Child Anxiety Evaluated During An Early Period Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study, Karla M. Abela, Darlene Acorda, Stanley Cron, Geri Lobiondo-Wood

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore parent and child anxiety during the pandemic. Unlike previous pandemics, measures implemented to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been much more limiting.

Methods: An explanatory convergent mixed-methods design was used to describe anxiety of children 9–17 years of age and their parents during August–October 2020. Adult and child versions of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to examine levels as measured on STAI’s state-anxiety subscale. Web-based interviews with a subset of patients were conducted qualitatively to analyze anxiety-related themes.

Results: A total of 188 parents …

An Evaluation Of Covid-19 Vaccination Rates Of The Patients At The Kentucky Racing Health Services Center, Aditya Mehta, Dedra Hayden

The Cardinal Edge

COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available to the U.S. public since early 2021. However, vaccination rates still vary considerably across geographical areas and different populations. The objective of this study was to research overall vaccination rates against COVID-19 for Latinx patients at the Kentucky Racing Health Services Center (KRHSC). Vaccination and booster data was collected from June to December 2021 for all unique patients visiting the center. It was initially hypothesized that these rates of vaccination and booster doses for the KRHSC patients would be lower than the data reported by Kentucky and Jefferson County. After a retrospective review, the …

Inspire Yourself: Volunteer!, Judith Sullivan

Journal of Transformative Touch

Doing volunteer short Zero Balancing sessions once a month for 13 years for staff, volunteers and sometimes "guests" at The Haven, a a multi-resource day shelter in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia supports the community in many ways.

Emergency Care For Youth Who Experience Suicidality And Identify As Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning (Lgbtq+): An Interpretive Phenomenology, Theresa Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Suicide is a leading cause of death in children; youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are at an exponentially higher risk of suicide. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of young adults who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency care for suicidality when they were adolescents.

Methods: Heideggerian hermeneutics phenomenology is the research method used in this study. Youth, ages 18-25 years, who identify as LGBTQ+ and sought emergency treatment for suicidality when they were adolescents (13-17 years) were recruited to participate;fifteen youth enrolled. Individuals ranged in age from 20 to 25 years. Participants described …

Quality Improvement: Piloting A Pediatric Obesity Prevention Screening Tool And Intervention In A Family Practice Setting., Erin Shaye Semeyn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

Background: In the United States today, nearly one third of children fall into the category of overweight or obese. Because it is extremely difficult to treat childhood obesity once it occurs, prevention is the optimal approach to childhood overweight and obesity (Brown & Perrin, 2018; Cooper & Mandel, 2020). An ideal time to address obesity prevention health behaviors is during pediatric primary care visits. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States in 2019, visits to primary care offices, including visits to an urban university-based family practice clinic in Kentucky, dropped as some pediatric patients and their caregivers worried …

Addressing Stress In Graduate Nurse Practitioner Nursing Students, Shandria K. Sawyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project was developed to address the issue of high stress levels among graduate nursing students, which is a common phenomenon that increases the risks of mental health disorders, professional burnout, and poor-quality patient care among students and professional nurses after earning their degrees. This project sought to utilize a simple educational intervention delivered online to impart coping skills to graduate nursing students to assist them in reducing their stress levels. The intervention was a brief, single-session, self-guided educational module featuring informational and participative elements related to stress causes, the impacts of stress, and stress reduction techniques. In total, 11 …

Effects Of Education On Correcting Misconceptions And Acceptance Of The Influenza Vaccination Among A College Campus, Travis E. Fairbanks

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Educating patients on the influenza vaccination is an important goal for health care providers. It fosters a working relationship between provider and patient and allows patients to make an informed decision on their health care needs. The percentage of individuals who receive the influenza vaccine in the United States has been consistently below goals set by the committee for Healthy People 2020. This DNP scholarly project aimed to determine whether the introduction of education was effective at increasing individuals’ choice to vaccinate against the influenza virus among college campus students. The study was a non-experimental, non-randomized control trial that utilized …

An Evidence--Based Intervention: Use Of Visual Aids For Patient Education During Bedside Team Rounding, Kristin Clifford, Shay Gruber

Nursing DNP Projects

Abstract Purpose: To increase patient health literacy and satisfaction in hospitalized adult medical-surgical patients through an evidence-based provider intervention (advanced practice providers, APPs, or physicians, MDs) adding visual aids to current verbal patient education methods during daily bedside team rounding (BTR).

Strength of Evidence: A literature review resulted in 15 studies meeting inclusion criteria including two meta-analyses, three randomized control trials, two quasi-experimental studies, five systematic reviews, two descriptive studies, and one clinical practice guideline. Evidence revealed the addition of visual information to verbal and written education methods significantly improves patient knowledge, understanding, and recall of health information and increases …

Increasing Mental Health Literacy In The Black Church, Jonathan Allotey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to increase mental health literacy, assess stigmatizing attitudes, and increase help seeking behavior in leadership within an African American church.

Background: The Black church has historically been a central institution for community support and leadership within these churches are often ill equipped to address the mental health needs of congregants. African Americans underutilize mental health services and are reported to have more chronic mental illnesses. Lack of mental health literacy may result in difficulty recognizing the risk factors, signs, symptoms, and treatments related to specific mental illnesses.

Evidence Based Intervention and Methods: Participating …

Integrating Culturally Tailored Interventions To Increase Cervical Cancer Screening: A Quality Improvement Initiative In A Primary Care Clinic, Marife Centeno Solomon

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Abstract

Background: While the incidence of cervical cancer in the US has significantly decreased due to the utilization of vaccination and screening tests, Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander women consistently have the lowest rate of cervical cancer screening, making them at risk for undetected cervical cancer disease.

Problem: The low cervical cancer screening uptake can be attributed to a knowledge deficit about cervical cancer and its screening and the importance of early detection. Being an immigrant and with limited English proficiency can hinder women of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander from getting screened for cervical …

Supporting The Nursing Workforce And Addressing The Phenomena Of Nursing Burnout With Evidence-Based Mental Health Interventions, Kelly Leung

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Burnout within healthcare has been an existing phenomenon, contributing to increased hospital staff turnover rates and the nationwide nursing shortage. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue leading to a decrease in the quality of patient care, nurse satisfaction, and organizational financial security.

Context: At a South Bay Area public healthcare system, staff were displaced throughout the community to support the overflow of COVID-19 patients at ambulatory clinics. Due to the nature of COVID-19, this healthcare system has experienced barriers in maintaining available staff for the demand of work. Studies indicate that signs of increased stress and burnout observed …

Improving Patient Satisfaction And Preventative Health Service Utilization For Limited English Proficiency Immigrants At Pearl Medical Centr, Chioma Holland

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Background: Despite research efforts to address health disparities within immigrant communities, immigrant health continues to lack the attention from healthcare stakeholders it needs. Many immigrants already face dire health threats like extreme poverty, political unrest, and mental health concerns in their countries of origin, making them even more vulnerable to poor physical, mental, and social health outcomes upon arrival to the United States (U.S.). The purpose of this project was to improve patient satisfaction and increase immigrant use of preventative care by utilizing appropriate interpreter services. Method: The Quality improvement (QI) project involved surveying limited English proficiency (LEP) immigrants older …

Evaluation Of Awareness, Knowledge, And Preventive Intervention Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Among Chinese Young Adults, Yi Du

Theses & Dissertations

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Chinese young adults (CYA) aged 18-25 years ranges from 4.7% to 15.1% and has kept increasing in recent years. Previous studies reported limited awareness and knowledge of NALFD among middle-aged and older Chinese populations, however, they have not investigated awareness in CYA, for which there is no well-validated questionnaire. There is currently no efficacious educational intervention on NAFLD for CYA.

The objectives were 1) to develop and validate a questionnaire which can be used to assess the awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among CYA; 2) to assess the awareness and knowledge …

Increasing Obesity Education In An Underserved Latino Population, Morgan Lippert, Kelsey Beard

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Obesity is a rapidly growing health problem in the United States. Certain populations are at high risk for developing obesity including the Latino population and underserved communities. This Quality Improvement project aimed to develop a more patient centered approach for primary care providers use to deliver obesity education to an at-risk Latino population. The project was completed at a clinic in southern Illinois where the majority of the population is underserved and Spanish speaking. Obesity education tools in both Spanish and English were given to the patients in order to decrease the language barrier and improve patient education and understanding …

Nurse Practitioner-Led Heart Failure Education Program, Ruairi Fox

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing DNP Capstone Projects

Heart failure is a chronic, progressive disease that has a global burden on the healthcare system and on patient’s lives. HF patients who experience a hospital admission are at a greater risk of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, impacting healthcare spending costs and patient quality of life. Self-care activities by patients, such as monitoring weight and making lifestyle changes, are the hallmark of outpatient care, and is shown throughout the literature to reduce readmissions and impact patient quality of life. Unfortunately, many patients are either unaware of proper self-care management techniques or find them hard to follow. …

First Generation Filipino Children And The Risk Of Childhood Obesity: Influence Of Screen Time, Krystal Joy Joy Ragasa

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and among all Asian subgroups, Filipinos are particularly at a much higher risk. Obesity raises the risk of acquiring other health complications, especially for those who develop obesity at a younger age. Research has shown that children who engage in higher levels of screen time are more likely to become obese, resulting in screen time restrictions and recommendations. Additionally, rates of obesity are higher in immigrants. There is a gap in the explanation of screen time’s effect on childhood obesity for first generation Filipino children.

Aim: The purpose of the proposed …

Nurses Leading In Bridging The Culture Gap: Communicating With The Deaf Community, Veronica C. Leftridge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nurses provide patient care in clinics, hospitals, homes, churches, schools, communities, and military, as well as on emergency medical helicopters. When a nurse is assigned to care for a patient, the patient expects the nurse to be culturally competent, communicate effectively, and provide safe quality care. However, cultural incompetence is observed when nurses provide care for Deaf patients, but they are unfamiliar with Deaf culture. In addition, communication is a fundamental skill nurses learn in nursing school, but course content in nursing programs rarely touches on how to communicate effectively with Deaf patients. Of the approximately 325 million people in …

Dnp Final Report: Sane Finder: A Web-Based Mobile Solution To Identify The Location Of Currently Available Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (Sane) For First Responders, Brenda D. Herrmann

DNP Final Reports

Society views sexual assault as one of the most horrific crimes committed by one human being against another, but the “rescue” has the potential to make the experience even more difficult for the victim, in essence re-traumatizing them (Nugent-Borakove et al., 2006). In the United States in 2018, almost 140,000 victims reported being sexually assaulted (U.S. Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2019). In Texas, over 6 million individuals have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime (Busch-Armendariz et al., 2015). Getting victims to a specially trained sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) as quickly as possible improves outcomes. SANEs …

Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of An On-Site Referral System To Increase Mammography Screening Compliance: Scoping Review, Piper Black, Elizabeth R. Upchurch, Ravina Patel, Vicki Chandler Dnp, Aprn, Fnp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background Early detection of breast cancer through routine mammography screenings has increased the 5-year survival rate to 99% for women with cancer in the localized stage (American Cancer Society, 2021). However, this survival rate is lessened amongst women in the rural population (Leung et al., 2014). This scoping review investigates health disparities to identify interventions that improve mammography rates for women residing in rural areas.

Methods A scoping review was performed using an exclusive search for peer-reviewed mammography and rural health sources. Search phrases included were, ('Mammogram screening in rural areas'), ('Health care disparities in rural areas'), ('Secondary prevention in …

Infant Car Seat Safety Education And Confidence Measure For Maternal-Child Nursing Students, Mariah A. Arnett

Honors College Theses

Studies have shown that nursing students experience a greater-than-normal amount of anxiety and decreased clinical confidence when in settings involving infants and children, which is said to have a negative impact on the learning experience (Lassche, 2013; Moscaritolo, 2009). Patient education is a vital aspect of nursing, but one that the student nurse may not feel comfortable taking part in, either because of their lack of nursing experience or because of a lack of experience with infants and infant safety (Potter, 2020; Lassche, 2013). This project attempts to assess for a change in clinical confidence after providing a subject specific …

The Impact Of Outcomes On Depression Literacy In School-Age Children Who Received Depression Education, Loretta Q. Smith Aprn, Pnp-Bc, Bobby Bellflower Dnsc, Nnp-Bc, Faanp

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background Recognizing mental illness is crucial in adolescence. It is the second leading cause of suicide and death in children 10-19 years of age. Early identification and recognition of signs and symptoms could prevent progressive mental health illness in early childhood and adulthood. We are seeking to answer the PICO question: In adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age who are enrolled in school (P), how does receiving education on depression awareness (I) compared to not receiving education on depression awareness (C) affect depression scores (O)?

Methods This review was conducted on articles about adolescent children. These articles were …

The Continual Prevalence Of Hiv/Aids Within The African American Gay Male Population, Kayla Bartell, Crystal Darby, Julia Wozniacki, Jasmin Cabeza

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Black/African American males that identify as gay or bisexual are more affected than any other ethnicity. Countless amounts of young adults who have contracted HIV have below standard medication adherence.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore accessibility and adherence to pre-exposure prophylactic medications for young African American gay adults who have contracted HIV.

Methods: The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model and Guidelines were used in the literature review, critical analysis, leveling of evidence, and quality rating. The PRISMA flow diagram was used to map out the number of records for inclusion and exclusion. PubMed, …

A Peer-Led Evidence-Based Contraceptive Counseling Initiative, Megan K. Tenbarge

DNP Projects

The experience of sexual health and wellness varies for newly independent college freshman. For reproductive-age women, gaps in knowledge and self-efficacy overlap with barriers accessing contraception and reproductive health care contributing to high-risk behavior and poor sexual health outcomes. Community-based participatory research was used to develop and implement a peer-education program targeting sorority women on a college campus in the Southeastern United States in the fall semester of 2021. Two senior nursing majors completed continuing education to be empowered as peer-educators using The University of California San Francisco Beyond the Pill framework. They engaged directly with nursing faculty stakeholders and …

The Role And Strategies Of Food Manufacturers Towards Obesity And Health Policies, Emem Okpokowuruk

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Introduction & Background: Unhealthy diets and non-communicable diseases such as obesity are on the rise on a national and global scale, and there is an urgent need to initiate interventions. However, research suggests there is a lack of effective initiatives from major processed food manufacturers, which are a major contributor to the cause of these health issues. Thus, this study seeks to examine the role that food manufacturers have in contributing to the obesity epidemic and the strategies that they use to navigate around health policies.

Purpose Statement Question: Is there evidence of a primary role that processed food manufacturers …

Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among College Students, Erin Hoening, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi, Krystal Huesmann

DNP Projects

Background: Public health strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake among college students living in residential communities varied, some universities opted to mandate COVID-19 vaccines while other universities opted to promote and influence the choice for vaccination.

Purpose: This descriptive, cross-sectional study examined the voluntary uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among residential students on a college campus in the southeastern U.S. that elected an evidence-driven health promotion strategy that included strong health promotion messaging coupled with coordinated efforts to make the vaccine accessible and appealing to students on campus.

Methods: Analysis of vaccine uptake was derived from campus electronic health records during …