Nursing Commons^™

Reduce The Rate Of Lab Errors, John Labiak Bsn, Rn, Lauren Gabryluk Bsn, Rn, Mallory Phelps Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

A Drug Diversion Resource For Crna Supervisors, Steven D. Ydstie

Nursing Capstones

Substance abuse disorder among Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) poses risks to both the provider and the patients they care for. Associated with this disorder is the problem of drug diversion. The specialty of anesthesia is recognized as having an elevated risk for the development of substance abuse. Although there are multiple studies addressing substance abuse amongst anesthesiologists, there are few similar studies specific to CRNAs. The purpose of this DNP project was to ascertain the level of Self-Efficacy CRNA supervisors have when intervening with one of their direct reports found to have been diverting scheduled narcotics. Knowledge level regarding …

Improvement In Heart Failure Management Through Implementation Of An Interdisciplinary Algorithm To Reduce 30 Day Hospital Re-Admission, Lindsey Whiting

Nursing Capstones

Heart failure (HF) is a progressive disease in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to support the body’s vital functions. Recent projections estimate that by the year 2030 the number of HF patients will increase by 46%, resulting in an increased financial strain on the health care system. In response to increasing health care costs the Hospital Re-Admission Reduction Program (HRRP) was implemented. The goal of the HRRP is to improve the quality of patient care by linking defined parameters of quality of patient care to the payment/reimbursement of health care providers and hospitals. A rural northern …

Effect Of Provider Education On Urinary Incontinence Knowledge And Assessment, Kendra L. Roloff

Nursing Capstones

Nearly 50% of women in the United States will experience urinary incontinence at some point during their lives. Urinary incontinence impacts multiple aspects of a woman’s life, yet remains underdiagnosed by primary care providers. The purpose of this project is to implement education and reminders for primary care providers, in order to improve urinary incontinence knowledge and assessment of women 18 years of age or older. The project was carried out in a primary care clinic with primary care providers serving as the participants.

A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was utilized. Data from a five question pre- and posttest were …

Maximizing Mental Health With Early Detection In The Outpatient Setting: Provider Education On Suicide Screening, Elizabeth A. Doddato

Nursing Capstones

Background: Despite advancements in research, increased efforts to identify “best practices” for suicide prevention, and the subsequent development of evidence-based interventions, suicide trends continue to rise at epidemic proportions. Objective: The project’s purpose is to highlight the significance and benefit of utilizing and implementing evidence-based research interventions into the primary investigator’s outpatient psychiatric organization. Goal: The project’s goal is to determine if provider-specific education on suicide screening enhanced the provider’s comfort level, knowledge-base, and otherwise positively impacted their plan for future implementation of such tools that would ultimately assist in the early detection of at-risk patients. Methods: The project used …

Safe Sleep, Jenna Czart

Student Scholars Day Posters

Many parents and healthcare providers are either unsure of safe sleep practices or fail to implement them. This presentation will display safe sleep guidelines that are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Recruitment Strategies For Cognitively Impaired Older Adults In Assisted Living Communities, Paige Greer, Elizabeth Hill, Katelyn Ware

Student Scholars Day Posters

It is well documented that recruiting persons with dementia for research in long term care settings is challenging (Lam, et. al. 2018). The purpose of this study is to explore recruitment techniques suggested by the National Institute on Aging (2018), including the use of brochures, community contact introductions (CCI), presentations, event tables, 1:1 interactions and activity events. We examined the success of each method of recruitment in two recruitment waves based on the number recruited in relation to the number of hours spent on that recruitment method. Of the 119 people that were screened, 47% were enrolled in the study. …

Exploration Of The Effectiveness Of Naprotechnology In Women’S Healthcare, Cecilia Cerven

Student Scholars Day Posters

Many women today struggle with abnormal menstrual cycles and the painful symptoms of reproductive disorders. The standard approach to treatment of irregular menses, PCOS, endometriosis, hormonal abnormalities, PMS, and other conditions is the prescription of a pill for symptom management. A relatively new and innovative method to fertility care is drawing the attention of healthcare providers and prospective clients alike, which offers an alternative approach. NaProTechnology, or Natural Procreative Technology, works with Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FABMs) to detect and treat various reproductive disorders. This project will assist in bridging the gaps in education and overall awareness of treatment options available …

The Impact Of Study Abroad On Cultural Competence, Megan Minix

Student Scholars Day Posters

No abstract provided.

The Significance Of Transient Elastography In The Prevention And Early Detection For Individuals With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld), Emmalee Peck

Student Scholars Day Posters

Early detection and intervention are key to reverse Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Newer imaging modalities such as the transient elastography (FibroScan) is a method in which healthcare providers can detect fibrosis and cirrhosis, as measured by the amount of liver stiffness, in individuals with NAFLD. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the literature comparing transient elastography to invasive and noninvasive diagnostic techniques for the detection of liver fibrosis in people with NAFLD. Thirty articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Overall, transient elastography was found to be a sufficient tool in conjunction and …

The Healing Power Of Music, Kathleen Szczesny

Student Scholars Day Posters

The value of holistic and individualized care in honoring a patient’s story and promoting their quality of life is of the highest importance when providing nursing care. Nursing is more than just a profession, it is an art that is consistently changing and adapting, requiring critical and creative thinking to deliver high quality, safe care that is evidenced-based. Nurses must continuously seek innovative ways to enrich lives and enhance the healing process through interventions strongly supported by research. The purpose of this project was to explore music as an alternative form of medicine that can be utilized as a therapeutic …

The Effect Of Frenectomy Procedure On Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy, Mary Chenge

Student Scholars Day Posters

Structural restrictions from tongue-tie are associated with altered sucking and decreased self-efficacy in breastfeeding mothers. Frenectomy is a procedure to correct tongue-tie by detaching the frenulum. There is a need to review the evidence regarding the effect of tongue-tie release on maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy. This review aims to examine the effect of frenectomy on a mother's confidence in breastfeeding using the BSES-SF tool. Database searches were conducted in PubMed and CINAHL. Keywords: "Frenectomy" AND "Breastfeeding self-efficacy." Exclusion criteria: non-English studies. Evidence suggests that frenectomy is associated with improvement in breastfeeding self-efficacy and nipple pain in the short-term. The BSES-SF tool …

Honoring Patient Do Not Resuscitate Wishes And Reducing Harm During Transitions Of Care: A Quality Improvement Project, Emily L. Kraus

Doctoral Projects

Objectives: The quality improvement project objectives were to honor documented Do Not Resuscitate wishes in emergency departments by examining and improving workflow during primary care to emergency department transitions. A location for advance care planning documentations was designated for advanced directives, yet not utilized.

Methods: Mixed method, pre-/post-comparison, and thematic design examined clinicians and patients in a primary care office and two emergency departments in a Midwest healthcare system. Data was collected from patient records, clinician surveys, and observation of workflow. Descriptive statistics, frequency counts and non-parametric tests were used to analyze data.

Results: Patient charts were audited (N=261 [pre=124; …

The Impact Of A Pediatric Nurse Residency Program On Newly Licensed Registered Nurses At Six Months, Amy Rohn

Doctoral Projects

Background: Newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) face challenges as they transition from the academic setting to professional practice. These challenges can leave NLRNs feeling dissatisfied and vulnerable in their new positions. Nurse residency programs (NRPs) are an effective way to provide support for the NLRN.

Objectives: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of a newly implemented NRP on NLRNs at six months related to their perception of support, patient safety, stress, communication/leadership, and professional satisfaction.

Methods: The project setting was a large midwestern children’s hospital. The sample consisted of twenty-six NLRNs who participated in the NRP …

Developing Lactation Support In A Primary Care Pediatric Office, Charlotte Minnema

Doctoral Projects

Background: Breast milk is known to be the best nutrition for infants, and experts recommend to exclusively breastfeed through the first six months of life and provide breastmilk through at least the first year of a child’s life (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012). The United States is currently not achieving its breastfeeding goals set out in Healthy People 2020 by the US Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014). The integration of Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) into primary care pediatrics offices has been shown to increase all breastfeeding rates (Witt, Smith, Mason, …

Creating Opportunities For Personal Empowerment: A Project Evaluation, Ann L. Cudney

Doctoral Projects

Introduction: 66% of individuals in the United States who experienced a major depressive episode in the last year saw a general practitioner or family doctor and not a psychiatrist or psychotherapist (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2018). Many primary care providers treat with medication, however, a combination of medication and psychotherapy is associated with better results (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, n.d.). A Midwestern faith-based healthcare organization implemented a pilot cognitive behavioral therapy program at a family medicine residency clinic to improve mental health care.

Objectives: The purpose of this project was to evaluate if the implementation …

Self-Monitoring Of Blood Pressure In Community – Dwelling Senior Adults, Laura N. Love

Doctoral Projects

Unregulated hypertension is a public health concern. Hypertension is a chronic disease affecting adults across the lifespan. Although hypertension is easy to diagnose and treat, rates of blood pressure control continue to be low (AHA, 2017). Because of this, it is imperative to employ novel strategies for blood pressure control; especially in high risk populations. The purpose of this evidence-based, project was to determine whether self-monitoring of blood pressure (SMBP) improves knowledge about hypertension, while also increasing the frequency of SMBP. Another outcome of interest was a reduction in mean systolic blood pressure for the cohort. The project enrolled participants …

A Policy Analysis Of Adult Lead Exposure Screening In Michigan, Omoyemi A. Idowu

Doctoral Projects

A growing body of scientific literature suggests that even at low levels, lead is an important, but often overlooked risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality in adults. Through an initial literature review and organizational assessment, the DNP student was able to identify a potential gap between current research and policy guidelines related to adult lead exposure screening in the state of Michigan. The purpose of this policy analysis project was to examine current literature and policy guidelines related to lead exposure screening in the adult population in order to identify and analyze a potential gap that may be amenable to …

Process Improvement To Improve Quality Measures In A Rural Primary Care Clinic, Lucille Yurko Vanderwoude

Doctoral Projects

Health disparities are differences in health that increase the amount of sickness in certain parts of the population, these inequalities in health are directly influenced by social, economic and environmental status (Healthy People 2020, 2008). Individuals living in poverty, violence, or disability have less opportunity for good healthcare and often have higher rates of chronic disease. Rural geographic locations additionally fall under this category (Healthy People 2020, 2008). These disparities can result from decreased exercise, violence in living situations, and unhealthy diet choices or options (CDC, 2018). Research has shown that health disparities increase with a reduction of individual’s income …

Implementation Strategies To Reduce Hospital Readmission Rates In Adults With Sepsis: A Quality Improvement Project, Erin Kucharek

Doctoral Projects

Background: Sepsis is a concern in healthcare, as patients are 2 to 3 times more likely to be readmitted to the hospital than those with other illnesses. Readmitted patient with sepsis costs the healthcare system $3.5 billion dollars per year. Effective care coordination is a tool that decreases readmission rates in other illnesses and is likely applicable to those with sepsis. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if primary care provider follow-up appointments, increased home care utilization, and patient education would reduce sepsis readmissions.

Methods: The Transitional Care Model guided project design and The Kotter Model …

Utilization Of Patient Toolkit And Discharge Algorithm For Providers To Reduce Readmission Due To Repeat Ground Level Fall, Sara Karl

Doctoral Projects

Introduction. Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury death in adults over the age of 65. A retrospective examination at Level 1 trauma center in the Midwest found that 19.4% (118/605) of older adults admitted with a ground level fall were readmitted with a subsequent fall and injury. The aim of this quality improvement initiative is to determine if the implementation of an evidenced based patient toolkit and a discharge algorithm for providers will reduce outpatient falls. The objective was to reduce hospital readmission due to repeat fall.

Methods: The design of this project was mixed methods, observational, …

The Effect Of The Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral To Treatment (Sbirt) Model On Adult Depression In An Outpatient Setting, Genevieve E. Sweeney

Doctoral Projects

Depression is one of the most common chronic conditions in the world. Despite this, depression continues to be under-screened, inaccurately assessed and diagnosed, and poorly treated in outpatient settings. Many providers solely rely on clinical judgement instead of a screening tool or evidence-based toolkit when a patient presents with depression symptoms, resulting in underdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Utilization of resources can help a provider appropriately screen, diagnose and treat an individual with depression. Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based model intended to improve these measures. Studies from the literature support the efficacy of the SBIRT model …

Increasing Annual Retinal Exams Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Afokoghene H. Odhu

Doctoral Projects

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2017) reports that approximately 30 million people in the United States (US) have diabetes. Approximately 8 million have diabetes retinopathy (DR) (CDC, 2018). DR is the leading cause of vision impairment in type 2 diabetes patients. Left untreated, DR can result in loss of vision and blindness (Hernández, Simó-Servat, Bogdanov, & Simó, 2017). The US spends approximately $500 million dollars annually in the treatment of diabetes-related blindness (CDC, n.d.). Early detection and management of DR through tight glycemic control, aggressive blood pressure and lipid management is essential to preventing complications of the …

Improving Blood Pressure Control Among Patients Diagnosed With Hypertension In A Primary Care Setting, Eriko Apriliando

Doctoral Projects

Hypertension affects over 38% of adults or approximately 103 million Americans, costing around $131 billion annually in treatment and loss of productivity. It is also an independent risk factor for coronary events, heart failure, stroke, and end-stage renal disease contributing to 410,624 United States (U.S.) deaths in 2014. The American Heart Association (2016) has released the Measure Accurately, Act Rapidly, and Partner with Patient (MAP) protocol in order to address this issue. This project focused on implementing parts of the MAP protocol. The purpose was to improve blood pressure (BP) control of patients diagnosed with hypertension in a primary care …

The Prevalence And Predictive Factors Of Breast Cancer Screening Among Older Ghanaian Women, Akosua F. Agyemang, Agnes Naki Tei-Muno, Veronica Millicent Dzomeku, Emmanuel Kweku Nakua, Precious Adade Duodu, Henry Ofori Duah, Anna Boakyewaa Bentil, Pascal Agbadi

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Breast cancer cases are on the rise in Ghana, with older adult women being more at risk of the disease. However, there is a paucity of current studies on factors that predict breast cancer screening among older adult women using nationally representative data. The present study, therefore, addressed this gap by estimating the prevalence of and identifying the factors that predict breast cancer screening among older adult women in Ghana.

Methods

We used the cross-sectional survey dataset of the 2014/2015 (wave II) Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE). A complex survey design methodology was employed to estimate …

Dementia: Types, What They Are And How They Differ, Jessica N. Schnetzer

Honors Thesis

Dementia: types, what they are and how they differ centers on the known and unknown complexities of dementia. Dementia is a very complex cognitive disease that consumes the brain, an organ of which we know very little about. Even so, this common disorder is actively being researched and is the topic of special interest of this thesis research. Described are Alzheimer’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s dementia, and Vascular dementia, focusing on what they are, their specific risks, diagnosis, treatment, and their differing progressions. Guidance of this study provided by thesis director …

Improving Palliative Care Utilization Process: An Effort To Enhance Providers` Contribution, Orina Machoka

Nursing Capstones

Worldwide, an estimated 20 million people require palliative care. The Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance has identified the need for palliative care has never been higher and is increasing at a rapid rate due to the world`s aging population, increase in cancer, and noncommunicable disease. Despite the increased need, the palliative care establishment has not been efficient in identifying patients who need palliative care. The use of a standardized screening process to assist in the timely identification of patients with palliative care needs is lacking, or in some cases, non-existent. At a Midwestern pain clinic lack of screening is causing a …

Primary Care And Behavioral Health Provider Communication: Strategy For Improvement, Kathleen J. Matthews

Nursing Capstones

Communication in health care is essential. Limited communication between primary care and behavioral health providers was identified as a barrier access to care and effective collaborative care of patients seeking behavioral health treatment in the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough, Alaska. A one-group pre- and post-test design quality improvement project was created to develop and implement a standardized communication template to facilitate communication and collaboration between behavioral health and primary care providers in the project group. The theory of relational coordination with an emphasis on the mutually reinforcing interaction between relationships and communication served as the theoretical framework for the project. Objectives …

If You’Re Hapi And You Know It Clap Your Hands!, Zaida Alba Bsn, Rn, Jennifer Mazzanti Ad, Rn, Norbert Kaminski Rn, Jay Almodovar Rn, Nicole Youngcourt Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Epic’S “Brain”, Julian Caiazzo Bsn, Rn, Gina Gobo Bsn, Rn, Angelica Hartzell Bsn, Rn

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.