Using The Bedside Care Conference To Improve The Patient Experience, Eileen Keefe

DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Improving the patient experience of hospital care is a priority for nursing leaders. The terms patient satisfaction and patient experience have been used interchangeably to define the patient’s unique perspective on care quality and the impact of patient engagement on health outcomes. Patients and families experience suffering when their expectations are not congruent with their care in the hospital setting, and there are significant cost and financial implications for organizations that do not reach performance thresholds. Communication with nurses is highly correlated to overall patientsatisfaction in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Hospital Consumer Assessment of Providers and …

Promoting A Culture Of Civility Among Oncology Nurses In The Ambulatory Care Setting To Improve Patient Safety And Nurse Retention, Sheila Evans

DNP Scholarly Projects

INTRODUCTION: Nurse incivility is a well-documented phenomenon discussed in the literature and woven into the nursing lexicon. Nurse incivility results in negative consequences for nurses, patients and organizations. Adding to its complexity is the fact that nurses may be unable to identify and address covert uncivil behaviors and lack an effective tactic to mitigate situations.

AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE: The nursing literature describes the existence of nurse-to-nurse incivility and its correlation with negative outcomes. Regulatory bodies such as The Joint Commission (TJC) also recognize the adverse outcomes resulting from civility and issued two alerts addressing workplace behavior. Additionally, the American Nurses Association …

Adults On The Autism Spectrum: A Quality Improvement Project To Develop A Patient-Centered Nursing Care Guideline For The Acute Care Setting, Elizabeth Cirelli

DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Background: Incidence of autism spectrum disorder is increasing. Current prevalence rate is 1 in 59 people, which translates to roughly 1% of the U.S. population. These adults have higher rates of epilepsy, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, cardiac dysfunction, and mental health disorders. Healthcare system utilization is resultantly greater than their neurotypical counterparts, coupled with longer lengths of stay and decreased patient satisfaction reports.

Purpose: Most nurses report little to no formal training about the disorder or how to develop interventions sensitive to the needs of this population yet are crucial care givers to ensure patient-centeredness. A guideline to …

Moving A Licensed Practical Nurse To A Registered Nurse In New Hampshire: A Health Policy Initiative, Vicki Gamez

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: The United States is expected to experience a shortage of Registered Nurses (RN) due to a demand for more nurses to care for an aging population. Not only is there a current deficit in the number of RNs, but there is also a lack of ethnic and racial diversity among RNs. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) transition programs increase workforce mobility and allow LPNs to build upon their education and clinical experience as they transition to the RN roles. Therefore, the aim of this DNP project was to implement a health policy change initiative that addresses the barriers of workforce …

Timely Follow Up Care After Initiation Of Adhd Medication In Children: A Quality Improvement Project, Rebecca Haas

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Enhancing medication safety, strengthening compliance and mitigating side effects requires close monitoring. A child, defined by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as being between the ages of 6 years and 12 years of ages, with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) must have an initial medication visit within 30 days of a first-time trial of ADHD medication. Increasing staff awareness of organizational policy of expected timeframe for medication checks and annotating appointment slots as initial medication checks will decrease the number of days between the first-time trial of ADHD medication and a child’s medication assessment. Methods: The Model for …

Engaging Patients With Dementia In The Acute Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Initiative For Staff, Andrea Lee

DNP Scholarly Projects

Caring for dementia patients in the acute care setting can be challenging. Staff is trained to manage the acute illness and the symptoms of dementia can impact that care. Training for the care and management of the patient with dementia is not routinely provided for the acute care setting. According to the Alzheimer’s Association (2018), 5.7 million people are living with Alzheimer’s Dementia with the numbers projected to continue to rise. Training in the management of symptoms can alleviate stress and complications for not only the patient but staff members as well. The goal of this project is to educate …

Optimizing The Effectiveness Of Naloxone Distribution In The State Of New Hampshire: A Program Evaluation, Lisa M. Armes

DNP Scholarly Projects

In order to develop an understanding of the state-funded community naloxone distribution program in New Hampshire, a program evaluation was conducted. The project collected data on distributed naloxone and opioid overdose deaths between the years of 2014-2018 but focused primarily on comparing data from 2017 and 2018. There were 409 opioid deaths in 2017 and 399 opioid overdose deaths in 2018 in New Hampshire. Between 2017 and 2018, naloxone supply was increased by 38%-493%, varying widely across New Hampshire counties. Statistically significant increases in naloxone distributed to target users occurred only in Hillsborough and Strafford counties. Significant changes in death …