Predictors Of Barriers To Participation In Clinical Research In Adults Living In The Southeastern United States, Jennifer Scanlon

DNP Scholarly Projects

Research is the necessary foundation for health care advancement and understanding. Significant challenges exist, however, with recruiting and engaging underrepresented populations in clinical research. The purpose of the scholarly project was to determine how stakeholder race, trust, and level of education influence participation barriers in clinical research. The project utilized secondary, cross sectional survey data that were collected between 2014 and 2016 through the former Mid-South Clinical Data Research Network (CDRN), currently known as the STAR-CRN. Descriptive statistics and spearman rank correlations were performed between level of education, level of trust, and each attitude statement for each racial category. A …

Public Stigma And Self-Stigma Of Depression In College Students, Peyton Lee

DNP Scholarly Projects

A large body of literature portrays the long-term, increased presence of mental illness stigma in college students, a vulnerable population at high risk of victimization. However, literature lacks sufficient research differentiating between the separate forms of mental illness stigma as well as consistent research examining stigma specific to the mental illness of depression in college students. A cross-sectional, web-based survey design was utilized to collect quantitative data from 432 students at a private, four-year university in the southeastern United States. The primary investigator both described the presence of and relationship between levels of perceived public stigma, personal public stigma, and …

Hpv Vaccination Knowledge, Attitudes, And Uptake In College Nursing Students, Joanna Marie Plumb, Jeannie Giese, Martha Buckner, David Phillippi, Robin Cobb

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a preventable, sexually transmitted infection. The vaccines for HPV are safe and effective, but previous research demonstrated that nursing students have low knowledge levels and vaccine uptake. Low knowledge and attitude levels in nurses and nurse practitioners can influence parental and patient decision making for HPV vaccination. Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to evaluate HPV knowledge and attitudes and their association with vaccination uptake in college nursing students. There is limited research in the United States on HPV knowledge, attitudes, and uptake of the vaccine among nursing students. Methods: This project …

Shared Decision Making And Decisional Conflict In Women With Postpartum Depression, Leslie Binford, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi, Emily Pardy

DNP Scholarly Projects

Despite well documented adverse outcomes related to untreated postpartum depression, many women face difficulty accessing care. A woman’s experience of conflict related to appraising treatment options that align with both her needs and her values can contribute to delays or barriers to seeking and accessing effective treatment. Shared decision making is the cornerstone of a collaborative patient-provider relationship and has been shown to decrease patient’s experience of decisional conflict. This cross-sectional web-based survey examined the relationship between shared decision making and decisional conflict for postpartum women experiencing depressive symptoms at an urban counseling center in Nashville, TN. Data were collected …

A Comparison Of Attitudes Toward The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Populations, Jacqueline Floyd

DNP Scholarly Projects

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals experience a multitude of health disparities and barriers to access care, including lack of knowledgeable health care providers and experiences of discrimination and victimization in health care settings. As future health care professionals, health professions students need preparation to deliver culturally competent, equitable care to members of the LGBT community. Because the attitudes of health care professionals are important determinants in achieving patient-centered care, the purpose of the study was to explore attitudes toward the LGBT population and influencing factors of attitudes among nursing, mental health counseling, physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), …

Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Renal Transplantation In Individuals Undergoing Transplant Evaluation, Cassandra Bruns, Jeannie Giese, David Phillippi, Deonna Moore, Elizabeth Hall

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: The underutilization of kidney transplant as the preferred treatment for end-stage renal disease is influenced by a lack of knowledge, poor attitudes toward transplantation, and various socio-demographic characteristics amongst the patient population. Negative attitudes toward renal transplant disengages the patient from the evaluation process and often hinders their likelihood of receiving a transplant. Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to determine if patients undergoing transplant evaluation had more positive attitudes and greater levels of knowledge about renal transplantation after attending a standardized educational session. Project Design: This project was a cross-sectional study that utilized a pre-test/post-test design …

Reproductive Health Needs Among Women In Treatment For Substance Use Disorder, Jaanki Bhakta, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi

DNP Scholarly Projects

Integrated care models for substance use disorder (SUD) and reproductive health care have been proposed as a strategy to increase access to reproductive health care for women in treatment for SUD. This cross-sectional, survey-based study measured how women of childbearing age in residential treatment report their demand for and access to reproductive health care, their pregnancy intention, contraceptive utilization and preference for integrating reproductive health care with their current SUD treatment milieu. Eighty-five percent of the women interviewed (N=108) expressed a desire to prevent pregnancy in the next year, although only one-third (33.6%) were using a form of contraception at …

Effectiveness Of An Aquatic Exercise Program For Reducing Weight, Body Fat And Chronic Low Back And Joint Pain, Terilyn Darley

DNP Scholarly Projects

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has risen at an alarming rate and has reached epidemic proportions throughout the world (WHO, 2017). In the U. S., approximately 93.3 million U.S. adults are obese with an overall prevalence of 39.8 %. Chronic pain is another public health issue in the U.S, affecting almost 100 million people and is associated with significant annual healthcare costs and lost productivity (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health [NCCIH], 2017). Exercise is considered one of the most effective prevention strategies for reducing obesity and has been documented to decrease chronic pain. The purpose …

Community Of Immunity: A Process Improvement To Increase Influenza Vaccination Uptake, Macy Ball

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background & Review of Evidence: Annual flu vaccination has been recommended for everyone over the age of six months (National Foundation for Infectious Disease [NFID], 2016). A low flu vaccination rate among college students living in a residential community poses the risk for spreading a highly-contagious respiratory illness caused by the virus. Students have the ability to spread the disease to everyone around them in their dormitories, classrooms, shared restrooms and via social gatherings (NFID, 2016). College students who contract the flu virus experience approximately eight or more days of the illness (NFID, 2016).

Purpose: The purpose of …

Attitudes Towards End-Of-Life Care: An Educational Intervention In Long-Term Care, Nicole Mullen, Jeannie Giese, David Phillippi, Lucyellen Dahlgren

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Nursing assistants provide the most consistent care to dying patients in long-term care facilities; however, they receive little training to do so. Nursing assistants are significant, yet under recognized members of the health care team. Purpose: To provide a brief educational intervention to nursing assistants in long-term care facilities with a goal of increasing comfort and improving attitudes towards caring for palliative care patients. Review of Evidence: Symptom management, stress related to the role as a provider, goals of care, time limitations, and fear, are the most significant challenges nursing assistants experience. Few studies have examined …

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 …