Nursing Commons^™

Stroke Risk Factor Knowledge, Attitude, Prevention Practices, And Stroke, Adaku Ngozika Madubuko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Regardless of the advances that have been made in stroke research and treatment and the overall decrease in stroke mortality, the stroke mortality rate for African Americans is still high at 45.2/100,000 and is still the leading cause of adult disability. Knowledge of the risk factors of stroke is paramount to reducing the morbidity and mortality of stroke, but knowledge of stroke risk factors has been found to be suboptimal in the African American population. The purpose of this study was to examine if there is a relationship between the knowledge, perception, and sources of stroke information of risk factors …

Cynicism About Change, Work Engagement, And Job Satisfaction Of Public Sector Nurses, Diep T. N. Nguyen, Stephen T. Teo, David Pick

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper uses the job demands‐resources theory to examine the consequences of changes on nursing work. Data were collected from 220 public sector nurses in Australia to test the model. We conducted a two‐wave data collection process where independent variables (organisational change, workload, job control, nursing administrative stressors, cynicism about organisational change, and demographic variables) were collected in Time 1. The dependent variables (nursing work engagement and job satisfaction) were collected 6 months later. Changes to nursing work were found to cause high workload and an increase of administrative stressors that leads to an increase in nurses’ change cynicism. Job …

Development Of An Australian Nursing Critical Thinking Tool Using A Delphi Process, Elisabeth R. Jacob, Christine M. Duffield, Darren Jacob

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim: To develop a critical thinking assessment tool for Australian undergraduate nurses. Background: Critical thinking is an important skill but difficult to assess in nursing practice. There are often many responses a nurse can make to a clinical problem or situation. Some responses are more correct than others and these decisions have an impact on a patient's care and safety. Differences in a response can relate to the depth of knowledge, experience and critical thinking ability of the individual nurse. Design: This study used a Delphi process to develop five clinical case studies together with the most appropriate clinical responses …

Lifestyle Health Behaviors Of Nurses And Midwives: The ‘Fit For The Future’ Study, Lin Perry, Xiaoyue Xu, Robyn Callagher, Rachel Nicholls, David Sibbritt, Christine Duffield

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Nurses and midwives (nurses) are the principle role models and health educators for the wider population. This study sought to identify the health-related behaviors of the nursing workforce of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, compared to contemporary recommendations for healthy living and to the Australian general population, matched by gender and age. An electronic cross-sectional survey delivered in 2014–2015 recruited 5041 nurses through the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association and professional networks. Validated health behavior measures were collected and compared to Australian National Health Survey data. Compared with younger nurses, older nurses reported greater adherence to fruit and vegetable guideline …

Are Midwifery Students Adequately Prepared For Vaginal Breech Birth In Clinical Practice?, Steffne Nel, Sadie Geraghty

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

While the value of the clinical skills and expertise required to enable safe vaginal breech birth remains high, midwives who possess these skills are becoming scarce. Additionally, for many midwifery students, vaginal breech birth is becoming somewhat of an elusive event, rarely experienced in clinical practice when completing their training. Not so long ago, this was a standard competency taught to and held by obstetricians and midwives alike, but for those in developed nations working within robust healthcare systems, the frequency of planned vaginal breech birth is on a downward trend, and this is reflected in midwifery educational curriculums.

The Nexus Of Nursing Leadership And A Culture Of Safer Patient Care, Melanie Murray, Deborah R. Sundin, Vicki C. Cope

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims and objectives: To explore the connection between +6 nursing leadership and enhanced patient safety. Background: Critical reports from the Institute of Medicine in 1999 and Francis QC report of 2013 indicate that healthcare organisations, inclusive of nursing leadership, were remiss or inconsistent in fostering a culture of safety. The factors required to foster organisational safety culture include supportive leadership, effective communication, an orientation programme and ongoing training, appropriate staffing, open communication regarding errors, compliance to policy and procedure, and environmental safety and security. As nurses have the highest patient interaction, and leadership is discernible at all levels of nursing, …

Measuring The Prevalence Of Intradialytic Hypotension In A Satellite Dialysis Clinic: Are We Too Complacent?, Ulrich Steinwandel, Nick Gibson, Mandy Towell-Barnard, Richard Parsons, James J. R. Rippey, Johan Rosman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims and objectives

To measure the prevalence of symptomatic (S‐IDH) and asymptomatic intradialytic hypotension (A‐IDH) or postdialysis overhydration in a satellite haemodialysis clinic in Western Australia.

Background

Intradialytic hypotension is one of the most common side effects of haemodialysis caused by ultrafiltration provoking a temporary volume depletion. The prevalence of asymptomatic hypotension during dialysis has been rarely reported, but is considered to have the same negative consequences as symptomatic hypotension on various end organs like the brain and the gastrointestinal tract.

Design

Observational study on a retrospective 3‐month period of nursing recorded fluid‐related adverse events.

Methods

Data collection on the …

In The Shadow Of The Ivory Tower: Experiences Of Midwives And Nurses Undertaking Phds, Sadie Geraghty, Kim Oliver

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims: The aims of this study were to gain an understanding of the experiences of nurses and midwives enrolled in a PhD, explore any barriers that PhD students encounter whilst completing the degree, and develop recommendations for consideration in formulating support strategies to encourage completion for nurses and midwives enrolled on a PhD degree. Background: It is important to understand what is happening at doctoral level education for nurses and midwives, and how those enrolled on PhD courses can successfully complete their studies, transition learning, and acquire the ability to undertake research into the clinical environments. Design: The criteria for …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Underutilization Of Antenatal Care Services In Nigeria: A Comparative Study Of Rural And Urban Residences Based On The 2013 Nigeria Demographic And Health Survey, Emmanuel O. Adewuyi, Asa Auta, Vishnu Khanal, Olasunkanmi D. Bamidele, Cynthia P. Akuoko, Kazeem Adefemi, Samson J. Tapshak, Yun Zhao

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction Antenatal care (ANC) is a major public health intervention aimed at ensuring safe pregnancy outcomes. In Nigeria, the recommended minimum of four times ANC attendance is underutilized. This study investigates the prevalence and factors associated with underutilization of ANC services with a focus on the differences between rural and urban residences in Nigeria. Methods We analyzed the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey dataset with adjustment for the sampling weight and the cluster design of the survey. The prevalence of underutilization of ANC was assessed using frequency tabulation while associated factors were examined using Chi-Square test and multivariable logistic …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Female Retirement Living Seniors And Their Social Relationships, Kathy Procyk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Objective

This research examines the lived experiences of seniors living within a retirement home (RH) and their social relationships with friends, family, and RH peers. The phenomena is explored through two perspectives (the senior and their support person) in order to better understand how retirement home living affects individuals’ social patterns and social well-being.

Methods

The theoretical orientation used to guide this study was phenomenology. After completing a background questionnaire, one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 women living in a retirement home and 7 primary support persons. Interviews were transcribed verbatim for further data analysis. Field notes, member checks, …

Barriers To Promoting Mobility In Hospitalized Older Adults, Gordana Dermody, Christine R. Kovach

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Hospitalized older adults who do not receive sufficient mobility are more likely to sustain negative health outcomes, including higher rates of mortality and institutionalization. Accordingly, the purpose of the current secondary data analysis was to examine the nurse-promoted mobility of hospitalized older adults and the association between nurses’ barriers and nurse-promoted mobility. In addition, the relationship among patient severity of illness, proxy levels for function, and nurse-promoted mobility was examined. The final study sample included 61 nurses working in medical units caring for a total of 77 older adults. Findings suggest nurse knowledge gaps and attitude barriers could potentially influence …

The Weakening Of Kin Ties: Exploring The Need For Life-World Led Interventions, Gert Schout, Gideon De Jong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The protective features that families and wider social relationships can have are required to meet the demands of life in contemporary Western societies. Choice and detraditionalization, however; impede this source of solidarity. Family Group Conferencing (FGC) and other life-world led interventions have the potential to strengthen primary groups. This paper explores the need for such a social intervention, using insights from sociological and philosophical theories and empirical findings from a case study of the research project ‘FGC in mental health’. This need is understandable considering the weakening of kin ties, the poor qualities of state agencies to mobilise self-care and …

Can A Renal Nurse Assess Fluid Status Using Ultrasound On The Inferior Vena Cava? A Cross-Sectional Interrater Study: Ultrasound On The Inferior Vena Cava, Ulrich Steinwandel, Nicholas Gibson, Amanda Towell, James Rippey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction:

Ultrasound of the inferior vena cava (IVC-US) has been used to estimate intravascular volume status and fluid removal during a hemodialysis session. Usually, renal nurses rely on other, imprecise methods to determine ultrafiltration. To date, no study has examined whether renal nurses can reliably perform ultrasound for volume assessment and for potential prevention of intradialytic hypotension. This pilot study aimed to determine if a renal nurse could master the skill of performing and correctly interpreting Point of Care Ultrasound on patients receiving hemodialysis.

Methods:

After receiving theoretical training and performing 100 training scans, a renal nurse performed …

Implementation Of Provider And Workflow Strategies To Increase Adherence To Tqip Guidelines In Traumatic Brain Injury, Regina Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and permanent disability worldwide. The American College of Surgeon’s Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) has developed a set of recommendations for the management of trauma-related injuries, including TBI. The objective of this evidenced-based practice project was to implement provider- and workflow-based strategies to improve adherence to TQIP recommended guidelines for the placement of intracranial pressure (ICP) monitors. The primary outcome measured was number of ICP monitors placed post-intervention.

The author reviewed available literature and found six articles pertaining to guideline implementations. Analysis of the literature was performed utilizing Melynk and …

Environmental Links To Ectopic Kidney Diseases, Firas Alhasson

Theses and Dissertations

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in the western culture and worldwide. Its morbidity has been raising and it has become a burden on the public health. NAFLD is associated with other metabolic diseases such as Diabetic Mellitus and hypertension. NAFLD is a wide spectrum of symptoms, from an accumulation of fat in the liver (cirrhosis) to production of scar tissue (Fibrosis). The liver along with other distal organs such as the kidney and cardiovascular system can be damaged as ectopic manifestations of NAFLD. Contamination of drinking water with Cyanobacterium toxin (Microcystin) and water disinfection …

The Effect Of A Compassion Fatigue Awareness And Self-Care Skills Educational Program On Retention Among Certified Nursing Assistants Working In A Veterans Nursing Home, Michele M. Dreher

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Compassion fatigue is defined as the emotional and physical exhaustion that can affect helping professionals and caregivers over time. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are at high-risk for compassion fatigue due to their daily exposure to those who are suffering from a myriad of chronic medical and behavioral illnesses along with repeated workplace stressors. If not addressed early, compassion fatigue can adversely impact a CNA’s wellbeing and quality of resident care. Compassion fatigue is associated with high absenteeism, high turnover, and low retention rates. Despite these challenges, there is no published research on the effects of a workplace compassion …

Forensic Patient Flow: An Imbalance Between Capacity And Demand, Versie J. Bellamy

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The United States (U.S.) has an ever-growing incarcerated population. The sheer volume of this population coupled with inefficient patient flow through the judicial and health care systems, create a large imbalance between the high demand for services and the capacity to deliver them. The delay in criminal defendants accessing mental health services is impacted by the lack of patient flow, which creates barriers to entering and exiting the forensic hospital system. The increasing demand for inpatient forensic services, coupled with a static supply of resources, warrants further intervention by treatment and service providers. Identifying and removing barriers to patient …

An Evidence-Based Evaluation Tool To Assist Healthcare Providers In Their Assessment Of Effective Mhealth Applications For The Management Of Chronic Health Conditions, Sara Belle Donevant

Theses and Dissertations

Mobile health (mHealth) apps are considered a viable option to improve chronic disease management. Healthcare providers are now recommending mHealth apps for patient use to assist in managing chronic diseases. However, healthcare providers may have difficulty locating effective, evidence-based mHealth apps for patients as there are currently over 325,000 available health apps (Research2Guidance, 2017). Limited evaluation tools are available to assist healthcare providers in this process. Therefore, our goal was to develop an online mHealth evaluation tool to assist healthcare providers in the selection of evidence-based mHealth apps.

After creating a comprehensive pool of mHealth features, healthcare providers provided feedback …

Chemotherapy Knowledge And Health Literacy Among Women With Breast Cancer, Pearman Detreville Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Chemotherapy education is imperative for patients to gain the knowledge to manage side effects, adhere to prescribed cycles, and recognize the severity of symptoms that require immediate provider contact. Two vital factors – the readability of teaching materials and the patient’s health literacy – must be considered during chemotherapy education. However, materials are often not assessed for readability. Further, the influence of a patient’s health literacy level and demographic factors on chemotherapy knowledge has not yet been investigated. The specific aims are to: (1) critique the readability and format of chemotherapy education materials; (2) explore how women with breast cancer …

Utilization Of The Usda Supertracker System In High Schools: A Quality Improvement Project, Twanda D. Addison

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a major chronic care condition proven to affect more than 12 million children and adolescents, age 2 to 19; categorizing approximately 17% of America’s youth as obese or overweight. As a result, Congress established federal mandates targeting obesity by enforcing nutritional policies for cafeteria and competitive foods to enhance learning environments. Establishing federal nutritional guidelines in education allows more than 31 million children to receive meals at a free or low cost in more than 96,000 public and nonprofit private schools. As such, the purpose of this quality improvement project is to compare individual food choices with the …

Getting On The Same Page: A Grounded Theory Study Of Nurse And Physician Collaborative Practice Development, Julie Cerese

Dissertations

The movement toward an integrated approach to healthcare professionals' education, interprofessional education (IPE), has been advancing over the past 60 years in the United Kingdom, Canada, and more recently in the United States. Support for IPE as a mechanism to positively impact collaborative practice and patient outcomes comes from international and national healthcare and educational leadership agencies as well as professional medicine and nursing thought leaders. Theories have evolved to explain the linkages among IPE, collaborative practice, and positive patient outcomes. Researchers have found support for the short term positive impact of IPE on attitudes, perceptions, clarity about roles and …

The Impact Of Mood On Health Behaviors And Quality Of Life For Women With Cardiovascular Disease, Jacqueline Ann Tulley

Dissertations

Methods/Measurements: A cross-sectional correlational design explored the relationships between symptoms, functional status, health perceptions and QoL in women with CVD. The aims of the study were: 1) to determine the relationship of symptoms (depression/anxiety) to functional status (health-promoting behaviors), health perceptions (illness perception), and QoL; and 2) to determine whether age is a factor contributing to negative mood symptoms, functional status, health perceptions, and QoL after controlling for social support. Measurements were collected at one time-point to address these aims that included the following: biological function (Framingham Recurrent Risk Model and Functional Comorbidity Index), symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-8 and Generalized …

Perceptions Of Pediatric Hospital Safety Culture In The U.S.: A Secondary Data Analysis Of The 2016 Hospital Survey On Patient Safety Culture, Pamela J. Gampetro

Dissertations

This study explored differences in conceptualizing safety cultures in pediatric hospitals and specialty units from an interprofessional perspective on a national level. Errors in the pediatric population can quickly cause harm and frequently lead to adverse events (AEs). Research has explored the problems of patient harm and identified strategies to prevent those harms; but sustainable improvements, particularly in pediatric settings, have not been achieved. This cross-sectional descriptive study used national data from the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture's 2016 dataset developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality measuring 12 dimensions of safety culture. The extracted sample included …

Improving Breastfeeding Education Among Hospital Nurses, Kara R. Connelly

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Breastfeeding is well-documented as the most beneficial method of infant feeding worldwide. There are numerous national initiatives present to improve breastfeeding outcomes. Despite knowledge and health care organization efforts, the recommendations of exclusive breastfeeding through six months of life with continued breastfeeding through one year of age are not being met. The purpose of this DNP project is to determine if a structured self-study educational program on breastfeeding recommendations, the 4^th Edition of the Lactation Management Self-Study Modules created by Wellstart International™, provided to hospital nurses on a maternity unit in Central, New York with a Level One nursery, …

Initiating A Peer Support Program For Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Richland And Lexington Counties, Danielle P. Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To initiate a parenting support program for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Richland and Lexington Counties. Background: Parents of children with ASD have increased stress and a poorer sense of well-being relative to parents of children with typical development. This parent population in Richland and Lexington Counties identified lack of support as a major stressor. The parenting support model initiated (e.g. Parent to Parent program) is an evidence-based intervention used to provide peer support to parents of children with ASD. The training of veteran parents is essential in the development and initiation of a Parent …

Implementing A Surgical Pathway To Reduce Operating Room Cancellation Rates, Demerise Ott Minor

Theses and Dissertations

Improving operating room efficiency is a high priority as health care cost become more challenging. In order to reduce surgical cancellation rates, a process improvement plan was implemented using a preoperative surgical pathway to optimize a patient’s health prior to scheduling the surgical procedure. The surgical risk assessment tool risk stratifies the patient based on the urgency of the procedure, the type of procedure, and the patients overall medical disease state. The Surgical Risk Tool determines patients with surgical risk scores of 9 or greater require medical and/or cardiac clearance in addition to hemoglobin A1C of 8 or less and …

Using Ultrasound Guided Peripheral Intravenous Catheters In Difficult Access Patients, Courtney Prince

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quality improvement project is to compare the use of ultrasound to guide placement of peripheral intravenous (USGPIV) catheters versus standard techniques in difficult access patients, as measured by the number of attempts required to obtain venous access and total cost related to means of obtaining peripheral venous access between a nurse driven USGPIV and VAT team consults or physician assistance. The appraised evidence indicates USGPIV increases the number of successful PIV placements, prevents non-essential central lines and excessive needle sticks, and reduces patients and healthcare professionals frustrations (An et al., 2016, Au et al., 2012, Dargin, …

Test-Retest Reliability Of The Short Form Survivor Unmet Needs Survey, Karen Taylor, Max Bulsara, Leanne Monterosso

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: Reliable and valid needs assessment measures are important assessment tools in cancer survivorship care. A new 30‑item short‑form version of the Survivor Unmet Needs Survey (SF‑SUNS) was developed and validated with cancer survivors, including hematology cancer survivors; however, test–retest reliability has not been established. The objective of this study was to assess the test–retest reliability of the SF‑SUNS with a cohort of lymphoma survivors (n = 40).

Methods: Test–retest reliability of the SF‑SUNS was conducted at two time points: baseline (time 1) and 5 days later (time 2). Test–retest data were collected from lymphoma cancer survivors (n …

Qualitative Results From A Phase Ii Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Lymphoma Nurse-Led Model Of Survivorship Care, Karen Taylor, Leanne Monterosso, Caroline Bulsara

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: To explore and describe lymphoma survivors’ thoughts and perceptions of the components of a nurse led lymphoma survivorship clinic intervention.

Methods: An exploratory, qualitative descriptive study using interviews from 10 participants who had transitioned post-treatment into the survivorship phase via a nurse-led lymphoma survivorship clinic intervention.

Results: Thematic analysis revealed three major themes: Reassurance and individualised care; Information and support; and Empowerment. Participants described the reassurance they gained from having contact with a health professional post-treatment who individualised information and support. A survivorship care plan and treatment summary was developed for this study and was believed to be very …

General Practice Palliative Care: Patient And Carer Expectations, Advance Care Plans And Place Of Death-A Systematic Review, Claire E. Johnson, Peta Mcvey, Joel J. Rhee, Hugh Senior, Leanne Monterosso, Briony Williams, Julia Fallon-Ferguson, Matthew Grant, Harriet Nwachukwu, Michele Aubin, Patsy Yates, Geoffrey Mitchell

Nursing Papers and Journal Articles

Background: With an increasing ageing population in most countries, the role of general practitioners (GPs) and general practice nurses (GPNs) in providing optimal end of life (EoL) care is increasingly important.

Objective: To explore: (1) patient and carer expectations of the role of GPs and GPNs at EoL; (2) GPs’ and GPNs’ contribution to advance care planning (ACP) and (3) if primary care involvement allows people to die in the place of preference.

Method: Systematic literature review. Data sources: Papers from 2000 to 2017 were sought from Medline, Psychinfo, Embase, Joanna Briggs Institute and Cochrane databases.

Results: From 6209 journal …