Nursing Commons^™

From The Top Down: Assisting Critical Care Nurses In Coping With Job Stresses, Cynthia R. Bryant

Senior Honors Theses

Critical Care nurses are faced with traumatic scenarios on a daily basis at work and are expected to remain professional in the face of chaos. In the midst of caring for their patients and catering to each family’s emotional needs, their own mental health tends to get pushed aside. Nurses are expected to remain supportive to sick patients and their families while enduring psychologically disturbing images and sounds, witnessing phases of the dying process, and hearing end-of-life care decisions being made. Because these nurses are only human, their energy reserves are rapidly depleted and they are left emotionally exhausted. Nurses …

The Benefits Of Breastfeeding, Annagrace E. Anderson

Senior Honors Theses

Breast milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition. In the past, infant formula was promoted as equal or superior to breast milk. However, research has shown that breastfeeding is the superior form of infant nutrition except in rare circumstances. Breast milk provides for all of a newborn’s caloric needs and has the correct balance of nutrients to promote proper development. In addition, breast milk provides protection against illnesses, supports an infant’s immune system, and promotes life-long health for the newborn. Mothers also experience personal benefits by breastfeeding such as decreased cancer risks, bonding with their babies, and faster postpartum …

The Impact Of A Focused Factory On Intraoperative Cost Per Case In Elective Total Knee Replacement Surgery., Hope L. Johnson Msn, Rn, Cnor

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

We’Ve Got Talent: Partnering With Human Resources For Recruitment (Poster)., Jeanne P. Luke Msn, Rn, Cnor

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

It’S An Open And Shut Case: Airflow And Ventilation In The Operating Room., Rachel Wisner Bsn, Rn, Cnor

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Communication Along The Perioperative Continuum., Amanda L. Knoll Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Orthostatic Blood Pressure Vital Signs: Educating Staff To Keep Our Geriatric Population Safe., Hilary A. Boos Bsn, Rn, Erin Snyder Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Staffing – Baby Boomers To Millenniums, Finding The Balance, Margaret Macmahon Mba, Bsn, Rn, Cnor, Cssm, Jillian Laudenslager Bsn, Rn, Cnor

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Patient Engagement To Improve Care And Maintenance Of Cervical Collars (Poster)., Kai L. Bortz Msn, Rn, Cmsrn, Cnl, Abigail E. Moore Bs, Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Using Patient-Centered Care After A Prenatal Diagnosis Of Trisomy 18 Or Trisomy 13: A Review, Shelly Haug, Mitchell Goldstein, Denise Cummins, Elba Fayard, Allen Merritt

Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Patient-centered care (PCC) has been advocated by the Institute of Medicine to improve health care in the United States. Four concepts of PCC align with clinical ethics principles and are associated with enhanced patient/parent satisfaction. These concepts are dignity and respect, information sharing, participation, and collaboration. The objective of this article is to use the PCC approach as a framework for an extensive literature review evaluating the current status of counseling regarding prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18 (T18) or trisomy 13 (T13) and to advocate PCC in the care of these infants.

OBSERVATIONS Extensive availability of prenatal screening and …

Education And Experience In Nursing Professional Values Development, Heidi A. Monroe

Education Dissertations

The nursing code of ethics (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015) defines professional values for the nurse, but educational differences experienced by nursing students as well as varied work experiences after licensure may affect development of those values. The purpose of this study was to measure the professional values of practicing registered nurses (RNs) in the state of Washington (WA) using the Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R; Weis & Schank, 2009), and to determine if their values were significantly related to variables of education and experience. Independent variables in this study were type of pre-licensure nursing program, pre-licensure ethics curriculum method, …

Neonatal Implications Of Substance Use Treatment During Pregnancy, Michele K. Savin, Msn, Nnp-Bc

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

I am writing in response to “Pharmacologic Treatment of Opioid Addiction During Pregnancy” by Keough and Fantasia (2017). The article nicely compares and summarizes the use of methadone and buprenorphine to treat substance use in pregnant women. I was dismayed, however, by the sections regarding neonatal considerations and breastfeeding, which contained some problematic assertions and some inaccurate conclusions.

The Nicotine Content Of A Sample Of E-Cigarette Liquid Manufactured In The United States, Barrett H. Raymond

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Use of electronic cigarettes (EC) has dramatically increased in the United States since 2010 with a forecasted growth of 37% between 2014 and 2019. There is little research on e-liquid nicotine concentration from domestic manufacturers. However, limited research outside of the U.S. found wide inconsistencies between the labeled concentration of nicotine in e-liquids and the actual nicotine concentration. Methods: The seven most popular online manufacturers or distributors were identified. E-liquid samples of the five most popular flavors from each manufacturer were purchased in nicotine concentrations of 0 mg/ml and 18 mg/ml. Of the samples purchased (n=70), all were labeled …

Data Supporting The Effects Of Lysozyme On Mrna And Protein Expression In A Colonic Epithelial Scratch Wound Model, Sarah K. Abey, Paule V. Joseph, Natnael D. Kenea, Nicolaas H. Fourie, Lee Anne B. Sherwin, Christina M. Boulineaux, Kristen R. Weaver-Toedtman Phd, Acnp, Anp, Wendy A. Henderson

Publications

Colonic epithelial health is implicated in a host of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases and disorders. Lysozyme is suspected to play a role in the ability of the epithelium to recover from injury (Abey et al., in press; Gallo, 2012; Rubio, 2014) [1–3]. Disrupted repair mechanisms may lead to delayed or ineffective recovery and disruptions to epithelial biology resulting in GI symptoms and altered barrier function (Peterson and Artis, 2014) [4]. The effect of lysozyme on the transcriptomic and proteomic profile of healthy colonic epithelial cells was investigated. Epithelial cells in culture were scratch wounded and treated with lysozyme. mRNA and protein …

How Postpartum Women With Depressive Symptoms Manage Sleep Disruption And Fatigue, Jennifer J. Doering, Dauphne A. Sims, Donald D. Miller

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Postpartum sleep and fatigue have bidirectional relationships with depressive symptoms and challenge women's everyday functioning. The everyday process of managing postpartum sleep and fatigue in the context of depressive symptoms remains unexplored. We conducted a grounded theory study with a sample of 19 women who screened positive on the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS™) Short Form at 3 weeks postpartum. Women completed semi‐structured in‐home interviews and the full PDSS and Modified Fatigue Symptoms Checklist at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum. The sample was on average 27 years old, with 2.8 children, and 63% were African‐American. They described a basic …

Evaluation Of A Primary Care Weight Loss Program, Callie Chiroff, Christine Shaw, Kristin Haglund, Susan Breakwell

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Nurse practitioners at a primary care clinic established a weight loss program to address high obesity rates among their African American patients. Interviews and a retrospective chart review were used to evaluate the weight loss program. Number of appointments was the only significant predictor of weight loss, and there was a strong positive correlation between total number of appointments and weight loss. The overall view of the program was positive. This description and evaluation of the program may be useful to nurse practitioners seeking to develop an individualized effective weight loss intervention for African Americans within a primary care setting.

Onset Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In Parkinson Disease, David K. Johnson, Zachary Langford, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, John C. Morris, James E. Galvin

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: Characterize the onset and timing of cognitive decline in Parkinson disease (PD) from the first recognizable stage of cognitively symptomatic PD-mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) to PD dementia (PDD). Thirty-nine participants progressed from PD to PDD and 25 remained cognitively normal.

Methods: Bayesian-estimated disease-state models described the onset of an individual’s cognitive decline across 12 subtests with a change point.

Results: Subtests measuring working memory, visuospatial processing ability, and crystalized memory changed significantly 3 to 5 years before their first nonzero Clinical Dementia Rating and progressively worsened from PD to PD-MCI to PDD. Crystalized memory deficits were …

Cerebrovascular Accident Survival: Strategies Of Flight Nursing And Aeromedical Transport, Alexis Caudle

Senior Honors Theses

Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), known as strokes, are a leading cause of death worldwide. The delivery and timing of treatment for CVAs is a critical factor in restoring health to the patient. One of the variables in recovery is the method of transport used in bringing the patient to a health care facility. Aeromedical transport remains a valuable resource to achieve full recovery in stroke patients. An ongoing debate of risk versus benefit of helicopter emergency services will be included as well as examination of variables including location, time, physiology of the flight, and the patient’s condition to be scrutinized. In …

Nursing Perspective Of Preparedness To Deliver End-Of-Life Care: A Descriptive Study, Caitlin B. Mccann

Nursing Masters

Abstract

Background: Death of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is often sudden and unexpected. When ICU care transitions from curative to palliative, nursing staff frequently feel ill prepared to effectively care for dying patients and their families [1, 2]. The purpose of this study was to identify ICU nursing staff’s perception of the effectiveness of current end-of-life care (EOLC) education methods and their preparedness to deliver EOLC to dying patients and their families.

Methods: A newly developed online survey was utilized on Qualtrics survey generator and distributed through social media to allow for snowball sampling. Descriptive statistics were …

Implementation & Evaluation Of An Interprofessional Teamstepps Simulation Program, Valerie Grapensteter

Nursing Doctoral

Joint Commission 2015 sentinel event data identified communication as the third leading cause of all medical errors in the United States. The complex delivery of health care requires teamwork; however, members of the health care team are rarely trained together and often come from different educational and cultural backgrounds. To improve communication, an interprofessional high fidelity simulation-based program that uses the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality TeamSTEPPS® 2.0 Framework and associated communication tools was implemented and evaluated in a medium sized acute care community hospital. This quantitative descriptive correlational study addresses two research questions: (1) how does the implementation …

Use Of Dimensional Analysis In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Bridget Maley, Patricia Ford Garofalo

Publications and Research

The aim of this retrospective study was to show the use of dimensional analysis increased associate degree nursing students’ mathematical computation competency and may reduce nursing medication errors in practice. A recent report compiled by Mackary and Daniel from John Hopkins, stated that medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States [1]. The most commonly cited estimate of annual deaths from medical error in the United States is a 1999 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report which is possibly limited and now outdated [2]. Medication errors contribute to patients’ deaths, whereas nurses administer either incorrect medication, …

Flexible Dieting And Metabolic Adaptation During Weight Loss: A Comprehensive Review, Bryce Lahaie

Senior Honors Projects

Flexible dieting is a ubiquitous method of eating among the fitness population. It is not a diet, but rather a nutritional concept that refutes any diet that promotes cutting out entire foods or food groups as a method to lose weight. It is a structured and science-based method of eating that involves tracking calories through monitoring the three main macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. These macronutrients are individualized and adjusted for muscle growth, fat loss, or weight maintenance in order to optimize intake to facilitate the manipulation of body composition. Flexible dieting is a disciplined method of eating that teaches …

Relationship Of Exposure To Heart Failure Discharge Teaching To Readmission Within 30 Days, Becky Ann Pogacar

Dissertations (1934 -)

Heart Failure (HF) patients are at increased risk for higher rates of hospital readmission within 30 days. Previous studies have demonstrated educational interventions delivered by nurses reduce readmission but the relationship of the dose of teaching to HF readmission or ED utilization remains unclear. A retrospective correlational design framed by the General Outcomes Effectiveness Model was utilized to (1) establish a relationship between the dose of discharge teaching documented by acute care nurses and the outcomes of hospital readmission and ED utilization within 30 days of a previous hospital discharge and (2) identify the teaching components included in an evidence-based …

Development Of An Effective International Medical Disaster Relief Team: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Nicolette Broby

Theses and Dissertations

Natural and manmade disasters are occurring at an unprecedented rate. Injuries and sickness are among the most widespread types of suffering caused by disasters, making medical aid essential. However, medical response depends on multiple factors to be timely and effective. The process of building a competent international medical disaster relief organization is complex, yet many well-intentioned, charitable organizations react hastily after a disaster, sending medical teams without truly understanding what an effective response requires. Consequently, in their genuine effort to help, they may end up hindering the response effort more than helping. Meanwhile, successful organizations implement principles conducive to an …

Authentic Leaderships Effect On New Graduates Nurses' Retention, Tamara C. Stern

Nursing Masters

No abstract provided.

Investigating Personality Traits Of Registered Nurses: Implications For Personnel Evaluation, Stephanie N. Means

Dissertations

The United States is currently facing a registered nurse (RN) shortage that is expected to reach the millions in the next few years. Since the beginning of the century, healthcare professionals and administrators have strived to develop and implement ways to increase recruitment and retention in the nursing field. It has been recognized that the key to recruitment and retention is to get the right nurse in the right place, which means focusing on clinical proficiencies as well as personality qualities and characteristics. Personality assessment has long been used to evaluate person-job (P-J) fit of applicants for positions across the …

Journal Of Mind And Medical Sciences: Translational And Integrative Mission, David L. Rowland, Ion G. Motofei

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Initiated four years ago, Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences (J Mind Med Sci.) established the mission to publish papers on mental and medical topics in distinct but closely interrelated domains. The editorial policy especially encourages interdisciplinary and integrative perspectives, being equally focused on basic research and clinical investigations and short reports.

The journal adheres to the philosophy that high quality, original ideas and information should be readily accessible and freely shared within and amongst the scientific community. Accordingly, J Mind Med Sci. is an online, open access, non-for-profit journal which, because of individual/ private support, has levied no charges …

Improving Tissue Integrity In Intensive Care Unit Patients, Stacie L. Hearell

Scholars Week

Throughout clinical experiences in western Kentucky intensive care units, it has been observed that critically ill patients are not receiving fully implemented skin care practice according to hospital and company policy. Patients are not turned completely to one side or the other due to size, mechanical intubation, and other medical devices that may be intimidating to staff. Alderen et al., (2011) states that “in mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients, pressure ulcer risk is high and may result in negative patient outcomes and increased healthcare costs.” Gallant, Morin, St-Germain, and Dallaire (2010) state that “In practice, pressure ulcers are indicators of …

Clinical Simulation In Preparing Srnas For Complex Surgery, Mary Nguyen

Scholars Week

Clinical Simulation for SRNA Education and Preparation for Complex Surgical Cases

Mary Nguyen, BSN, RN

Baptist Health/Murray State University, Program of Nurse Anesthesia

Abstract

Complex surgeries, such as craniotomy, encompass numerous anesthetic considerations and risks. Student Registered Nurse Anesthetist’s (SRNA) have low familiarity and confidence from lack of experience due to low case availability. Resultant clinical errors pose serious safety risks to patients. Clinical simulation provides SRNAs with a safe, replicable learning environment to learn step-by-step anesthetic considerations and gain confidence. This project evaluates the efficacy of clinical simulation in SRNA comprehension, preparedness, and self-perception in craniotomy anesthesia.

A qualitative, …

Preventing Sepsis Mortality, Karli Tabers

Scholars Week

This research project explores recent evidence based research on preventing sepsis mortality in inpatient units. Sepsis mortality is an increasing problem in the state of Kentucky and demands immediate intervention. At Baptist Health Paducah, 44 deaths were related to sepsis in a 5-month period. Most deaths related to sepsis can be prevented. This research looks at how these deaths can be prevented and how nurses must change their practice to avoid further mortality from sepsis. This paper includes a literature review of recent research proving that sepsis mortality can be prevented by focusing on discharge teaching to all patients, implementing …