Nursing Commons^™

Use Of A Blog In An Undergraduate Nursing Leadership Course, Shelly Jensen Reed, Debra Edmunds

Faculty Publications

In this study, the use of a blog in a senior leadership clinical nursing course was analyzed qualitatively through two means; focus group interviews of those using the blog, and analysis of blog content. Initial feelings expressed by students were annoyance and intimidation concerning the blogging assignment. These feelings quickly dissipated, with students verbalizing many positive aspects related to the blog, including having a place to reflect, feeling connected as a group, valuing feedback provided by their peers, and learning from theirs and others' experiences. The mechanics of having to synthesize their thoughts in written form, in a shared venue …

Vitamin D Deficiency And Infertility: A Systematic Review, Susanne Stoddard Sollis

Student Works

Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphorus homeostasis in the body. In recent years, studies have been conducted examining the role vitamin D plays in reproduction. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with infertility, decreased pregnancy rates, and hormonal changes. Asians appear to have a reverse correlation with pregnancy rates and vitamin D levels. There are some conflicting studies regarding vitamin D levels in relationship to infertility. This paper reviews the most recent literature focusing on the relationship between vitamin D status and infertility. This review evidences vitamin D levels >30 ng/mL result in improved fertility outcomes.

Improving Hand Off Communication To Enhance Patient Outcomes And Staff Satisfaction, Karin Weinstock

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

The specific aim statement is: Improving hand off communication to enhance patient outcomes and staff satisfaction 50% by August 6. Staff had 100% participation. Reduction in unnecessary appointments occurred and a structured standardized hand off form with situation, background, assessment, and recommendation (SBAR) was implemented at the start date. The clinic has 2 exam rooms, 1 lab, a reception area, and two small offices. The majority of the clients are Hispanic females ages 15-25. The non-profit clinic provides free medical services to the community. Evaluation methods yielded quantitative and qualitative results through chart audits and direct observations.

In-services, one-to-one …

School Of Nursing News, Georgia Southern University

Nursing: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• Georgia Southern University Receives $1.6 Million Grant for Advanced Nursing Education

Global Collaboration Between Tanzania And Japan To Advance Midwifery Profession: A Case Report Of A Partnership Model, Yoko Shimpuku, Shigeko Horiuchi, Sebalda C. Leshabari, Dickson Mkoka, Yasuko Nagamatsu, Miwako Matsutani, Hiromi Eto, Michiko Oguro, Yukari Yaju, Mariko Iida, Columba Mbekenga, Lilian Mselle, Agnes Mtawa

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

The global health agenda to reduce maternal mortality is delayed in Sub-Saharan Africa. The shortage of skilled birth attendants in Tanzania hinders the improvement of midwifery care to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity. It is urgently neccesary to develop midwifery leaders capable of working as educators, researchers, administrators, and advanced practitioners, contributing to the improvement of midwifery care and maternal child health in their own country. This report describes the process of establishing the first midwifery master’s program in Tanzania through the efforts of two academic institutions, one in Tanzania and one in Japan. The collaboration developed a sustainable partnership …

Improving Nutrition Habits In Overweight Obese Adults With Physical Disabilities, Michelle Ullery

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Written Debriefing: Evaluating The Impact Of The Addition Of A Written Component When Debriefing Simulations, Shelly Jensen Reed

Faculty Publications

Debriefing, the reflective period following a simulation, is said to be where the bulk of simulation learning takes place. Many expert opinions regarding debriefing exist, but evidence-based best practices have yet to be identified. Written debriefing is one of these practices; experts state learning can be extended through the addition of a written component to the debriefing process, but no evidence exists to support this. This study compares three debriefing types: discussion alone, and discussion followed by journaling or blogging. Undergraduate nursing students participating in a simulation were randomized as a simulation group to one of these three debriefing types. …

Screening The Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver For Sleep Apnea, Dianna Ohlman

Dissertations

Abstract The transportation industry has the third highest occupational risk for death and disability (BLS, 2010) with 7% of Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers (CMVD) falling asleep while driving (NHTSA, 2006). One contributing factor may be undiagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) (Tregear et al, 2009). In 2006, a Joint Task Force (JTF) published screening recommendations for OSA, which led to a change in the Department of Transportation screening practices within a local Occupational Medicine clinic. The purpose of this study was to: (a) determine what percentage of drivers having had a positive clinical screening examination (met two of three objective measures) …

Effects Of An Instructional Intervention On Student Nurses' Awareness Of Hearing Impaired Patients' Communication Needs, Charles G. Marx, Kimberly Ward, Edward L. Goshorn, Virginia L. Sumrall

Journal of Health Ethics

A recent survey (Kemker, et al, 2013) of practicing nurses’ awareness of hearing impaired patients’ communication needs revealed a potential need to supplement the curriculum. The instructional areas that required supplemental information were related to assisting patients with their amplification devices and in verifying that a verbal message has been accurately received. These areas may not be sufficiently covered in a typical School of Nursing curriculum. To meet the curriculum needs and to address any potential ethical concerns regarding provision of care to this patient population, instructional materials were developed by the authors that directly addressed the identified areas. These …

Impact Of Standardized Oral Health Assessment On Preventing Ventilator-Associated Events, Juana Ambriz De Williams

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common but preventable health-care associated infection that affects up to 20% of mechanically ventilated adult patients, resulting in estimated mortality rates ranging from 13% to 55% (Chahoud, Semaan, Almoosa, 2015; Melsen et al., 2013). In an effort to reduce morbidity, mortality and related costs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), proposed ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention as a national patient safety goal. In 2014, amid growing concerns that the subjectivity of existing definitions had led to inconsistent reporting, thereby impeding efforts to reduce VAP, the CDC refocused surveillance …

Prescriber Education Of Current Clinical Practice Guidelines For Urinary Tract Infections, Carol Medura

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

Urinary tract infections are one of the most common illnesses and inappropriate treatment of a urinary tract infection can have severe implications for the patient, including development of antibiotic resistance, increases in illness and health care costs. Discrepancies exist between provider practice behaviors and use of current clinical practice guidelines. This capstone project was to present clinical practice guidelines to emergency department providers to educate and improve the use of first-line antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections. The review of the literature supported the use of education to increase adherence to guidelines. The providers at the emergency …

The Effectiveness Of Implementing Standard Of Care Best Practices Including Use Of Daily Incentive Spirometry To Improve Dyspnea And Quality Of Life In Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd), Christine Gallagher

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common preventable and treatable disease characterized by symptoms of dyspnea, cough, and wheezing. Many patients with COPD are on daily medications for their symptoms yet these symptoms continue to persist, impairing their quality of life. Patients with COPD experience respiratory muscle weakness that contributes to dyspnea and an inability to participate in daily activities. GOLD (2014) guidelines state that the goal of therapy in these patients is to reduce symptoms, increase participation in activities, and restore the highest level of independent functioning. The guidelines recommend the use of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in …

Lipid Management Of Patients With Probable Familial Hypercholesterolemia By A Nurse Practitioner, Carla Weidner

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

Heart disease remains the number one killer of Americans. Patient’s high cholesterol numbers are a major risk factor for the development of heart disease. Studies performed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) have recognized this as an area in need of improvement. Strategies for improvement of patients’ serum cholesterol and adherence to the recommended therapies have been explored. The purpose of this evidence based project is to compare cholesterol management outcomes in patients cared for by a nurse practitioner, with lipid management certification, to patients cared for by their …

The Retrospective Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Implementing Standard Of Care Best Practices On Fear Of Hypoglycemia (Foh) In Insulin Requiring Diabetics, Melissa Laporte

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program

The population of individuals with diabetes is expected to rise along with a rise in the use of insulin therapy to control hyperglycemia and prevent diabetic complications. Insulin therapy is implicated as one of the leading causes of hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening adverse drug event. Hypoglycemia is recognized by patients and clinicians as the greatest barrier to achieving adequate glycemic control and it causes physical, psychosocial, financial, and safety concerns for individuals, their families, communities and health care systems. Hypoglycemia often causes insulin requiring diabetics to develop a fear of hypoglycemia, a complex phenomenon that manifests as avoidance of hypoglycemia …

Chhs August 2015 E-Newsletter,, Dr. John Bonaguro, Dean, Vashon S. Wells, Editor, Wku College Of Health & Human Services

College of Health & Human Services Publications

No abstract provided.

Simulation And Educational Strategies To Decrease The Incidence Of Medication Errors In A Small Rural Acute Care Hospital, Queen Victoria Walters

Doctoral Projects

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimates 1.5 million medical errors occur per year (2007). Medication errors are the leading medical error. Medication errors are defined as adverse drug events, and are 100% preventable. Some categories of adverse drug events include, medications administered at the wrong time, by the wrong route, using the wrong method of administration, and administration of the wrong dose of medication. Adverse drug events also include administration of an overdose of medication or the omission of medications as well as administering the wrong medication.

The purpose of this capstone project was to increase the competency of nurses …

Do Stress Levels Differ Between First Semester Nursing Student Early In The Semester Vs. The End Of The Semester?, Alissy Heisey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study intends to determine how stress levels change over time in nursing students in the Baccalaureate program at East Tennessee State University. The instrument utilized for this survey was the Perceived Stress Scale by Mind Garden, Inc. This survey was passed at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester. There was no-significant difference found between the two time spots, leading us to conclude that the level of stress perceived by nursing students is a steady factor during their school semester.

Expert Clinician To Novice Nurse Educator. Learning From First-Hand Narratives, Jeanne Merkle Sorrell, Pamela Cangelosi

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The nurse educator role often looks deceptively simple. Compared to the complexity of bedside care for a patient with multiple comorbidities and hour-by-hour monitoring, watching over students to guide their learning may appear easy. Yet, when experienced nurse clinicians try out this new endeavor for the first time, they often describe themselves as frustrated and uncertain about how to best implement the role. Through years of experience as clinicians, nurses often arrive at a comfort zone where they know what to do for their patients in order to keep them safe and enhance their healing. When moving to the nurse …

Breastfeeding With The Bronson Mothers’ Milk Bank, Marykate Bodnar

Masters Theses

Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo is home to one of only 15 certified breast milk banks in the United States. Women have shared breast milk for centuries through wet nurses, but this institutionalized and regulated version of sharing is distinct from previous forms. Breastfeeding has become a symbol of successful motherhood; donor milk adds a new dimension to this aspect of idealized motherhood. This study explores how the milk bank works: its organizational structure within a hospital, how donors are selected, and how recipients qualify for donor milk. It is grounded in Feminist and Medical Anthropology literature. Using semi-structured interviews …

The Effects Of Auditory Stimuli On Stress Levels Of Adult Patients In The Critical Care Setting, Jessica Ellermets

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this review of literature is to explore the effects of interventional and environmental auditory stimuli on the adult critical care population. Current research has yet to compare and contrast the effectiveness of various interventional auditory stimuli on stress relief, an oversight this thesis aims to remedy. Modern day critical care settings demand the identification of the most therapeutic interventional auditory stimulus and the most stress-inducing environmental stimuli, so that interventions can be made to optimize patient stress levels and improve outcomes. Suggestions will be made on how to simultaneously reduce harmful or stress inducing auditory stimuli in …

Nursing Interventions To Prevent Necrotizing Eterocolitis: A State Of The Science Literature Review, Katherine Casto

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this review of literature is to understand the current state of the science and to make recommendations for practice and research in regards to the gastrointestinal condition affecting premature infants, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Emphasis is placed on reviewing the literature to identify prevention strategies nurses can use to reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality of NEC. The introduction will focus on discussing the problem of NEC including its risk factors, pathophysiology, and disease presentation. The findings sections will focus on the most promising and researched areas of intervention. The discussion section will focus on how this knowledge …

Analyzing The Relationship Between Women's Decisions To Use Contraception And Their Partners' Perceptions Of Preventative Behavior, Kayla Gayle-Campbell

HIM 1990-2015

A majority of adolescents and young adults report inconsistent use of safe sexual behaviors and contraception methods due to a variety of influencing factors. These practices can lead to limited future reproductive choices and can spread communicable disease in the population. The purpose of this study was to determine if a woman's decision to use a specific type of contraceptive method is influenced by her partner's attitude toward preventive sexual health practices. A secondary purpose was to analyze women's attitudes towards safe sex and contraceptive practices as independent entities of disease and pregnancy in the reproductive cycle. A literature review …

Census-Based Socioeconomic Indicators For Monitoring Injury Causes In The Usa: A Review, Nathaniel Bell, Amanda Arrington, Swann Arp Adams

Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Unlike the UK or New Zealand, there is no standard set of census variables in the USA for characterising socioeconomic (SES, socioeconomic status) inequalities in health outcomes, including injury. We systematically reviewed existing US studies to identify conceptual and methodological strengths and limitations of current approaches to determine those most suitable for research and surveillance.

METHODS:

We searched seven electronic databases to identify census variables proposed in the peer-reviewed literature to monitor injury risk. Inclusion criteria were that numerator data were derived from hospital, trauma or vital statistics registries and that exposure variables included census SES constructs.

RESULTS:

From …

Prevalence Of Steroid-Induced Hyperglycemia In Patients With Mantle Cell Lymphoma Receiving High Dose Steroids, Veronica Brady

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background

Hyperglycemia as a result of glucocorticoid administration (steroid-induced hyperglycemia [SIH]) occurs in 32-37% of adult patients with cancer both with and without previous history of diabetes. Patients diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) are often treated with chemotherapy regimens that include high dose steroids as first line therapy. Little is known about the prevalence of steroid-induced hyperglycemia in patients with MCL receiving high dose steroids. Moreover it is not known if how the resulting hyperglycemia is managed impacts time to relapse or death.

Purpose

The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of SIH in MCL …

Performing A Correct Surgical Time Out, Natalia E. Mariscal

Master's Projects and Capstones

The ending data reflected what we expected in that we would see a significant incline but

not quite the 100% compliance rate we are looking for. Our highest compliance rate has reached

90% and we have contributed the margin error to new staff that requires the proper teaching and

education. In conclusion I feel that the majority of staff was aware that they were not in

compliance with the time out but would proceed anyways due to the rush of the case or surgeon

or simply that they had become laxed in practice. Once the data was brought to staff …

Content Validity Of A Tool Measuring Medication Errors., Nishat Tabassum, Saleema Allana, Tanveer Saeed, Jacqueline Maria Dias

School of Nursing & Midwifery

The objective of this study was to determine content and face validity of a tool measuring medication errors among nursing students in baccalaureate nursing education. Data was collected from the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKUSoNaM), Karachi, from March to August 2014. The tool was developed utilizing literature and the expertise of the team members, expert in different areas. The developed tool was then sent to five experts from all over Karachi for ensuring the content validity of the tool, which was measured on relevance and clarity of the questions. The Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI) for …

Current Medical Research: Summer/Fall 2014, Richard J. Fehring

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Improving Screening And Outcomes For Postpartum Depression, Elizabeth Jahn

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Vaccination Policies Among Outpatient Oncology Clinics In Utah: A Pilot Study, Sarah Louise Stocksdale

Theses and Dissertations

Background: In Utah, all major hospital facilities have employee vaccination policies. However, the presence of health care worker vaccination policies in the Utah outpatient oncology setting was unknown. Objectives: The objectives were to identify Utah oncology outpatient employee vaccination policies and to identify what consequences, if any, were present for unvaccinated employees. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study design in which clinic managers from outpatient oncology clinics in Utah were asked, via questionnaire, to describe the clinic's employee vaccination policy and the consequences for refusing the policy. Findings: Most vaccination policies applied to employees primarily assigned to work in …

Health-Related Quality Of Life In Children With Cancer, Tha'er Ghandi Almomani

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Health-related quality of life is an important phenomenon to measure in children undergoing treatment for cancer. However, the effects of different treatment modalities and cancer related factors over the duration of treatment have not been explored. To assess the effects of different child-, cancer-, and treatment-related factors, we analyzed a large sample of children undergoing curative treatment for 5 different childhood cancer diagnoses. These diagnostic groups were Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Osteosarcoma (OS), and Melanoma. We analyzed a sample of 710 patients across the five diagnostic groups over four time-points in treatment. These …