Nursing Commons^™

Improving Care Transitions In Patients With Heart Failure: An Integrative Literature Review, Heather Mae Mclain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Heart failure (HF) hospital readmission reductions are linked to nursing interventions that include scheduling a hospital follow-up appointment with the patient's health care provider within a week of discharge. Yet, patients often leave the hospital without an appointment scheduled. The focus of this integrative literature review was on analyzing data that associated follow-up within 7 days with reduced 30-day readmissions. A search of articles using CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and ProQuest databases resulted in 4,813 articles retrieved using the following search terms: heart failure, readmissions, follow-up appointments, and heart failure guidelines. Scholarly articles selected for inclusion were …

Effects Of Simulated Clinical Experiences On Empathy, Self-Confidence, And Satisfaction In Nursing Students, Dawn Riess

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Empathetic communication enhances the nurse-patient relationship and improves patient outcomes and needs to be taught and evaluated during simulated clinical experiences. Experience in healthcare education has shown students' empathy levels decrease over time. The purpose of this quasi-experimental pretest posttest, study was to compare nursing students' empathy levels, self-confidence, and satisfaction with simulation between the use of the high-fidelity manikin simulator (HFMS) and a standardized patient (SP) used during their simulated clinical experience. Kolb's experiential learning theory was used to guide the study through the four phases specific to simulation and learning. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 135 nursing …

Discharge Calls And Avoiding Hospital Readmissions, Wanda Lee Cassavettes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital readmissions are disruptive and costly for patients and hospitals. As hospital discharge instructions are a key nursing responsibility, this project implemented a nurse follow-up phone call intervention within 12-48 hours of patient discharge from an indigent care facility in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The project was designed to understand whether follow-up phone calls from nurses that clarified discharge instructions, symptom management, and medications would be associated with decreased readmission rates within 30 days post-discharge among chronic care patients. The theoretical framework was the health belief model, which proposes that the patient's knowledge of illness severity, …

Vapocoolant Spray’S Effect On Peripheral Inserted Venous Catheter Pain In Adult Patients, Zachary Krol, Fiona Flaherty, Ryan Williams

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Intravenous (IV) cannulation is required to administer medications and fluids to patients. In addition, it is also a recognized source of pain and anxiety in over one-half of all patients requiring IV insertion (Page & Taylor, 2010). Pain management is within nurses’ scope of practice, therefore it’s important to identify effective pain management strategies. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect that a topical vapocoolant spray has on pain in pre-operative adults during IV cannulation. The gate control theory of pain will guide this randomized, experimental study of a convenience sample of adults in an outpatient endoscopic …

The Effect Of Lactation Consultation On The Duration Of Breastfeeding In New Mothers: A Systematic Review, Jillian Leiter, Jennifer Naegeli, Lilyana Walkley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In the United States, 3.978 million babies were born in the year 2015 (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016). Statistics show that less than 25% of newborns in the United States are breastfed for half of the recommended time by The American Academy of Pediatrics. There are many benefits to breastfeeding, but babies are not receiving these benefits. This systematic review identifies, reviews, and critically appraises the evidence regarding the effect of lactation consultation on duration of breastfeeding in new mothers. Literature was retrieved from CINAHL and Google Scholar. Each study was vetted based on criteria to fully …

The Effect Of Poverty Simulation Participation On Attitudes Toward Children Living In Poverty For Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Amanda Moore, Leah Struhsaker, Kaylee Gutschow

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Poverty is a major issue in the United States. Because perceived discrimination can impact health and willingness to seek care, it is important for healthcare providers to be educated on and exposed to issues that poverty presents to individuals who are poor. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a poverty simulation on attitudes of undergraduate nursing students towards children living poverty. The study was guided by Albert Bandura’s social learning theory and used a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design and convenience sampling of undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a community health nursing course. Attitudes were measured at …

Understanding The Perceived Experiences Of Goal Setting Of Mothers Of Preschool Children: A Narrative Analysis, Dawn Eckhoff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mothers are often asked to use goal setting to help their children achieve optimal health. Before mothers can be successful, they must grasp the meaning and process of goal setting. Currently there is a glaring lack of published research regarding how goal setting is understood and experienced by mothers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the self-described understanding and experiences of mothers, regarding goal setting for their preschool children. Narrative Inquiry was used to explore mothers' experiences with goal setting. A purposive sample of mothers with children in a Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program were recruited from the central …

Colon Epithelial Microrna Network In Fatty Liver, Paule V. Joseph, Sarah K. Abey, Dan Wang, Nicolaas H. Fourie, Natnael D. Kenea, Tatyana G. Vishnyakova, Jeffrey M. Robinson, Kristen R. Weaver-Toedtman Phd, Acnp, Anp, Christina M. Boulineaux, Hannah R. Davidson, Leeanne B. Sherwin, Onyinyechi Ozoji, Ana F. Diallo, Paul A. Smyser, Amy P. Patterson, Wendy A. Henderson

Publications

Background & Aims. Intestinal barrier alterations are associated with fatty liver (FL) and metabolic syndrome (MetS), but microRNA (miR) signaling pathways in MetS-FL pathogenesis remain unclear. This study investigates an epithelial-focused miR network in colorectal cell models based on the previously reported MetS-FL miR trio of hsa-miR-142-3p, hsa-miR-18b, and hsa-miR-890. Methods. Each miR mimic construct of MetS-FL miR trio was transfected into human colorectal cells, CRL-1790 or Caco-2. Global miRNome changes posttransfection were profiled (nCounter® Human v3 miRNA, NanoString Technologies). Changes in barrier (transepithelial electrical resistance, TEER) and epithelial cell junction structure (Occludin and Zona Occludens-1/ZO-1 immunofluorescence staining-confocal microscopy) were …

Biomimetic Beetle-Inspired Flapping Air Vehicle Actuated By Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Actuator, Yang Zhao, Di Xu, Jiazheng Sheng, Qinglong Meng, Dezhi Wu, Lingyun Wang, Jingjing Xiao, Wenlong Lv, Qinnan Chen, Daoheng Sun

Publications

During the last decades, the ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) received much attention because of its potential capabilities, such as large displacement and flexible bending actuation. In this paper, a biomimetic flapping air vehicle was proposed by combining the superiority of ionic polymer metal composite with the bionic beetle flapping principle. The blocking force was compared between casted IPMC and IPMC. The flapping state of the wing was investigated and the maximum displacement and flapping angle were measured. The flapping displacement under different voltage and frequency was tested. The flapping displacement of the wing and the support reaction force were measured …

Supportive Resources For Teaching Healthy Sexuality And Body Maturation During Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Jennifer Davis

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Cardiovascular Stress Management In University Employees, Janki R. Patel

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Breastfeeding And Rooming-In Care On Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Rachel Boyer, Lindsay Gal, Mahaylie Cline

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Concurrent with a rise in opioid abuse during pregnancy is an increase in the number of babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Despite this crisis, no single treatment has been identified for NAS. This paper sought to analyze and synthesize research evaluating the effectiveness of breastfeeding and rooming-in care on the need and length of pharmacologic treatment and length of hospital stay for neonates with NAS. Twenty-six peer reviewed research articles published between 2006 and 2017 were selected from PubMed and CINAHL for analysis. The studies focused on neonates with NAS born to mothers addicted to opioids or undergoing …

Intimate Partner Violence And Its Impact On Pregnant Women And Their Infants: A Systematic Review, Rachel Ashley, Emily Pagni, Alissarh Choujaa

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract

In the United States, about 324,000 pregnant women are victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) annually. IPV is any type of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of women or men in family units. IPV has detrimental effects on pregnant women and their babies, from their physical health to their mental health. It is important for nurses and other healthcare providers to have knowledge and understanding about IPV in this population and to use effective interventions and screening procedures. The purpose of this systematic review is to review and critically analyze evidence about IPV in pregnant women. The literature search …

A Systematic Review: Factors For Burnout And Compassion Fatigue In U.S. Nurses, Kaitlyn Marcum, Tabitha Rusnak, Mckenzie Koch

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Many nurses suffer from burnout and compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is “fatigue, emotional distress, or apathy resulting from the constant demands of caring for others or from constant appeals from charities” (Compassion Fatigue, n.d.). Burnout develops over a long period of time as a result of cumulative frustrations within a work environment (Sacco, Ciurzynski, Harvey, & Ingersoll, 2015). Burnout and compassion fatigue both result in physical and mental strain on the person experiencing it. Compassion fatigue and burnout in nurses are associated with decreased patient satisfaction and poorer outcomes with care (Potter et al., 2010). The goal of the systematic …

The Effect Of Complementary Therapies On The Treatment Of Chemotherapeutic Induced Nausea And Vomiting: A Systematic Review, Kailyn Sickel, Mary Barrett, Abigal Siegenthaler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Chemotherapy is one of the most prevalent treatment options for cancer patients, but a major side effect of this treatment, chemotherapeutic induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), can often be debilitating and problematic for patients. The goal of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of complementary therapies in reducing CINV in adult oncology patients. A total of 20 studies were reviewed of adult populations that received standard antiemetic care, with each study failing to yield the same results upon evaluating the effectiveness of complementary therapies on patients’ CINV. The complementary therapies studied included ginger therapy, acupressure, acupuncture, guided imagery …

Antibiotic Prescribing Habits Of Urgent Care Providers, Mellisa Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed and requested for viral illnesses despite evidence-based research studies and societal guidelines that advise against this practice. Literature has indicated that antibiotic decision-making comes from a provider's experience or exposure to illness, uncertainty of illness, or from being pressured by the patient. Nurses and advanced practice nurses are important participants in the antibiotic stewardship initiative. The purpose of this project was to examine potential knowledge deficits responsible for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing at a rural urgent care clinic in the southeastern United States, which when addressed could promote an educational in-service to decrease the number of antibiotics …

Improving The Care Of Patients With Urinary Catheters Through A Quality Improvement, Ashley Nicole Holmstrom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) significantly increases patient morbidity and mortality, length of stay, and organizational cost. In the 2 years prior to project implementation, the incidence of CAUTI increased by 15% in the local acute care, inpatient facility that served as the project site. Nursing leaders at the project site linked the increase in CAUTIs to a nursing knowledge deficit related to CAUTI prevention principles. The clinical question focused on the impact of CAUTI prevention staff training on the incidence of CAUTI, length of stay, and cost to the local acute care organization. After a review and critical appraisal …

Validating A Home Health Care Staff Educational Module For Wound Treatment And Documentation, Kimberly Sanders Hebert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although guidelines and minimal standards for the care and documentation of wounds in home health care settings in the United States are available, there is a lack of compliance among many home health care agencies (HHAs) with regard to the accuracy of wound documentation and care of wounds. Failure to follow guidelines for wound care according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Home Health Outcome and Assessment Information System standards could result in loss of revenue for HHAs, improper treatment of wounds, and legal ramifications. The purpose of this doctoral project was to develop and validate a staff …

Empowering Cultural Competency In Healthcare Providers, Betty Antoinette Dement

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial and ethnic health disparities are highest in communities of color; providing culturally competent care could address these disparities. Culturally competent communication between the healthcare provider and the patient is an essential behavior that may improve health in racially and ethnically diverse women. A quality improvement project was completed with guidance from the 5 constructs of the Campinha-Bacote model as the conceptual framework, and the method used was the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. The perspective of 20 Mexican American and 20 African American women in El Paso, Texas between ages 45 and 72 with menopausal symptoms …

Assessment Of Evidence-Based Practice Readiness And Plan For Implementation Of Clinical Practice Guidelines In A Tertiary Hospital, Linda Keller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Using evidence-based practice (EBP) to deliver patient care in a hospital setting improves patients' care and their outcomes. The use of clinical practice guidelines (CPG) enables nurses and other healthcare professionals to translate current evidence into bedside care. However, there continue to be barriers for hospitals in adopting and implementing evidence-based care using CPGs, including a lack of understanding about EBP by nursing staff. The purpose of this project was to explore readiness of registered nurses in a tertiary hospital to use EBP and provide recommendations for a plan to implement CPGs successfully. Melnyk's research identified EBP as an approach …

The Relationship Between Nurse Staffing And Quality Outcomes In Georgia Nursing Homes, Tamara Kathleen Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quality of care in United States' nursing homes has been of concern to consumers, government agencies, and researchers for several decades. Nurse staffing has been identified as a key factor influencing the quality of care in nursing homes. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational research was to determine if relationships existed between nurse staffing levels and three quality care outcomes in the state of Georgia. Donabedian's quality conceptual framework guided the study. The framework encompasses three interrelated dimensions of quality including structure, process, and outcomes. Nurse staffing levels and facility bed size represented the structure of nursing homes and …

Predicting The Nclex-Rn Pass Rate At An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Dawne Devoe Olbrych

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) first-time pass rate for an associate degree in nursing (ADN) program was below the national mean, presenting a problem for graduates who failed the NCLEX-RN and could not enter the workforce as registered nurses. Knowles's assumptions of adult learning, Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve, and Zull's neuroscience research served as the theoretical frameworks for this study. The purpose of this study was to identify which academic and time-lapse variables predict the graduate's first-time passage for the NCLEX-RN. Archived academic records and NCLEX-RN results for all 786 graduates from one ADN program who took …

Experiences Of Interpersonal Interaction Between Nurse Educators And Minority Nursing Students, Debra Boldan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Changes in the cultural composition of the United States population are not reflected in the nursing workforce. The lack of diversity in nursing may be due to the unique interpersonal needs of minority nursing students remaining unmet in traditional nursing education programs, which might unintentionally lead to alienation, isolation, and lower graduation rates for minority students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore interpersonal interaction experiences nursing educators have in teaching minority nursing students. Critical social theory provided the theoretical framework to explore the ways social inquiries may hinder learning and keep marginal groups from reaching their full …

Non-Nursing Courses' Impact On Nclex-Rn Pass-Rates In Associate Degree Nursing Programs, Nicole A. Garner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse educators make decisions regarding the inclusion or exclusion of non-nursing courses in a curriculum. The current literature lacks research regarding which courses have the most impact on first-time nursing licensing examination pass-rates. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate if there is a specific combination of courses that enhance first-time licensing examination pass-rates, using 161 randomly selected accredited associate degree nursing programs. General systems theory applied to nursing education was the framework for the study. ANOVA and independent t-tests were used to address the questions of non-nursing courses or discipline-specific set of non-nursing courses' impact on first-time …

Scenario-Based Communication Simulation Curriculum And Plan, Sandra Imperial

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Joint Commission reported that communication failures in United States hospitals contribute to 30% of all malpractice claims, and in 2008, The Joint Commission listed the improvement of effective communication among healthcare providers as a National Patient Safety Goal. The purpose of this practice-focused project was to develop a scenario-based communication simulation for implementation approval by a panel of experts. The approved curriculum was designed to integrate a communication-based simulation scenario into the nurse residency program of a large, urban medical center to improve new graduate nurse communication skills, increase nurse communication competency and self-efficacy, and decrease communication errors. Kolb's …

Improving Advanced Practice Nurses' Knowledge Of Cerebral Hemorrhage Assessment And Management, Kimberly Marie Lombardo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cerebral hemorrhages are a type of stroke causing bleeding in the brain from a ruptured brain vessel or an aneurysm. In the emergency department (ED), advanced practice nurses (APNs') play a pivotal role in identifying cerebral hemorrhages. Many APNs' lack the skills necessary to assess, diagnose, and manage this type of stroke. A delay in diagnosis of cerebral hemorrhages carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality and can lead to lifelong disability or death. The framework of this project is the Patricia Benner theory of novice-to-expert, which is a 5-step approach designed to strengthen nursing skills with the goal …

Compassion Fatigue And Burnout: Awareness And Prevention For The Novice Nurse Population, Jamie B. Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue (CF) and burnout (BO) in the novice nurse population can negatively affect the organization, patient safety, patient satisfaction, and the individual. Novice nurses are susceptible to the development of CF and BO due to a lack of knowledge about the causes and the stress experienced as the novice nurse transitions to practice. The purpose of this staff education project was to fill the gap in practice by creating awareness about CF and BO during the nurse orientation process and by providing prevention strategies. The relationship-based care model and the theory of planned behavior were used to guide the …

Reducing Congestive Heart Failure Hospital Readmissions Through Discharge Planning, Lacy Rebaka Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, thousands of congestive heart failure (CHF) patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. There is a gap in practice in the care continuum of patients with CHF within the transition from hospital to home. One of the factors known to increase a patient's risk for readmission is the lack of patient engagement and self-efficacy regarding the treatment plan. The purpose of this project was to implement a transition of care practice guideline that consisted of the use of a risk identification tool, a customized care plan for patients at high risk for readmission, and …

Intensive Care Unit Nurse Education To Reduce Sepsis Mortality Rates, Corina Meade

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sepsis causes major health care problems in the United States, resulting in long hospitalizations, complications, and even patient death. Lack of nursing knowledge regarding sepsis signs and symptoms is a significant problem at a hospital in the northeast. Local hospital data showed a high patient mortality rate for patients diagnosed with sepsis. The purpose of this project was to develop an educational module on sepsis for intensive care nurses. The educational module was developed using current sepsis evidence-based guidelines. The practice-focused question for the project asked whether an educational module on sepsis would increase the intensive care nurse's knowledge on …

Nurse Navigator Role Description And Processes For Best Outcomes Among At-Risk Patients, Judean Leroy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nurse navigator role developed in the 1990s to support African American female oncology patients' access to services. Successful in oncology, the role has expanded to support patients with diabetes, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A unique cost-effective opportunity exists for nurse navigators to fill the gap in transitional care, between the acute care setting and home, for chronically ill and other at-risk patients who are often readmitted within 30 days for treatment of the same disease. The purpose of the project was to refine the job description of the nurse navigators in a Midwestern acute care hospital. …