Nursing Commons^™

Understanding The Role Of Hospice Care: Reflections From A Service-Learning Project, Avery Mccutcheon

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is little known about the part end-of-life care plays in patient care. This paper examines the role of end-of-life care in the care of a dying patient and consists of findings from a service-learning project with Circle of Life hospice. To be able to effectively care for those in the end stages of life, healthcare professionals must turn away from the curative aspects of medicine, to treating symptoms and improving quality of whatever life remains for the patient. In order to normalize EOL Care and consequently make it more accessible, we must educate our healthcare practitioners regarding the benefits …

The Effects Of Chemotherapeutic Agents On Cognitive Function: A Literature Review, Corinne Menz

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

With increasing cancer diagnoses and an increase of chemotherapy treatment, many patients complain of cognitive decline during the duration of treatment as well as once treatment has been completed. The purpose of this review is to compile relevant research regarding chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment and its implications for the care of cancer patients. Peer-reviewed articles and studies focusing on the impact of chemotherapy on cognitive function were evaluated, resulting in a total of 12 studies utilized in this review. Overall, it has been found that a large percentage of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment report a subjective decline in cognitive functioning, but …

The Changing Face In The Workplace: The Arrival Of The Millennial Generation, Sarah Clonch

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The entrance of the Millennial generation into the nursing workforce signifies a bright future for the nursing profession and the nursing workforce. This study began with a current review of available research that identified the Millennial generation and their views toward job satisfaction and work engagement, as compared with Baby Boomer and Generation X nurses.

PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and Google Scholar databases were employed to find 15 peer-reviewed articles for evaluation. The research findings suggest that Millennial nurses have lower rates of job satisfaction and work engagement, compared to nurses of older generations. Overall, the extracted data results were significant …

Tiny Tusks Internship: The Relationship Between Skin-To-Skin Contact And Breastfeeding Success And Duration, Katlin Daniel

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Breastfeeding is known to be beneficial to infants, children, and mothers. It is recommended that infants should be breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months with continued breastfeeding in addition to other appropriate foods for up to 2 years of age. However, the U.S is ranked low among other countries regarding breastfeeding rates and duration. This sheds light on the need for further interventions in order to increase the number of infants who are breastfed initially and continued to be breastfed for at least 6 months. Researching and implementing evidence-based care that assists mothers in successful and maintained breastfeeding is …

Tiny Tusks Internship: Barriers To Breastfeeding, Cameron Watson

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tiny Tusks Breastfeeding and Infant Support Internship allows students to gain insight on breastfeeding practices through volunteering at University of Arkansas sporting events. Therefore, I chose to review prevalent barriers to breastfeeding that mothers in the United States face. These mothers were at least one of these: Hispanic, Marshallese, African American, disabled, employed, a veteran, living in a rural area, or a woman of the general American population. This topic is relevant because of the many benefits that breastfeeding provides for both the baby and the mother.

The Value Of Family Support At The End Of Life, Hannah Butler

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is little research about the role of the family when a patient is dying. This paper examines the role of family support in end-of-life care. This paper consists of the findings from a service learning project with Circle of Life hospice. Patients with family support are more likely to have a DNR, chaplain visit, die at home, and other indicators of quality care. Patients with family support are more likely to receive higher quality care.

Tiny Tusks Internship: The Effect Of Health Care Providers' Education And Attitudes Toward Breastfeeding On The Mother's Decision To Breastfeed, Jocelyn Clark

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is a stigma surrounding breastfeeding in the public community, places of employment, and health care facilities. This paper focuses on the impact health care workers have on the mother's decision to breastfeed her infant, and her ability to continue breastfeeding as the primary source of infant nutrition. This paper includes experiences from an internship with Tiny Tusks, which provides breastfeeding support to mothers in the Northwest Arkansas area. Tiny Tusks allows for a better understanding of the community's breastfeeding needs and provides support to breastfeeding mothers in order to reduce the stigma associated with breastfeeding. In health care environments, …

Access To Healthcare For The Hispanic/Latino Population, Rebecca Loritz

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: The U.S. Hispanic/Latino population faces significant barriers to accessing healthcare. The most common barriers Latinos face are language barriers, cost barriers, immigration statuses, insurance coverage barriers, transportation barriers, health literacy and education barriers, as well as lack of access to healthcare providers. These barriers impact not only their ability to access healthcare but also the quality of healthcare they receive.

Purpose: To synthesize the existing literature evaluating that identifies barriers to healthcare.

Methods: CINAHL and PubMed were systematically searched, along with a manual internet search for journal articles that studied access to care issues for the Latino population in …

Tiny Tusks Internship: The Importance Of Breastfeeding Education In The Workplace, Gianna Hogan

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Breastfeeding education in public, especially in the workplace, is a concept that has a multitude of different perspectives. Research has shown that breastfeeding has many positive effects on mother and baby, that can be lessened due to the lack of breastfeeding support in various organizations. In this literature review, barriers to breastfeeding in the workplace were analyzed in order to understand the effects these barriers have on breastfeeding duration. In addition, this review helped emphasize the need for policies to be enacted in the workplace to better support breastfeeding mothers, and the impact these policies have on employee retention rates …

Prenatal Dietary Education, Using The Midwifery Model, In Ireland Vs The United States, Allison Erby

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Prenatal dietary education is a very important component of care in healthy pregnancies, but more than that, dietary education can be an indicator of the value a healthcare provider places on holistic care or preventive medicine. The United States and Ireland are compared in this study because they represent high intervention vs. low intervention approaches, respectively, to obstetric care. Healthcare professionals from the United States and Ireland perceive the most important nutrients and method of receiving those differently. Maybe the most telling contrast, healthcare professionals in Ireland perceive food as the way pregnant women should receive vital nutrients, but healthcare …

Breastfeeding In Public: Knowledge And Perceptions On A University Campus, Jessica Tracy Weiss

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Research has shown that exclusive breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for most infants and offers numerous physical and psychosocial benefits for the newborn and mother. Returning to work or attending university courses and maintaining exclusive breastfeeding is a challenge due to barriers such as time, private space, and public perception of breastfeeding in public. The aim of our study is to provide data, identify barriers and assess education needs to support breastfeeding mothers on a university campus. This study utilizes an adapted version of the Breastfeeding Behavior Questionnaire (BBQ), the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS), and knowledge …

Letters Against Loneliness: The Effect Of A Pen Pal Program Uniting Older Adults And College Students On Perceived Loneliness, Allyson Miriani, Caroline Crawford

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Surveys within years and particularly the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed increasing rates of loneliness. More research is also emerging linking loneliness with a myriad of negative health outcomes as well as reduced quality of life. There is little research about effective interventions addressing loneliness. This paper reviews the available literature on the topic and proposes a pen pal program for college students and older adults developed based on available evidence.

The Impact Of Menstrual Hygiene Management Interventions On Adolescent Female’S School Attendance In Middle- And Low- Income Countries: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Mckenzie Canon

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Menstruation is an ongoing biological process that affects a large portion of the population and requires consistent health and medical care. However, menstruation does not affect women and girls equally in resource-poor communities and girl-unfriendly schools, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Without proper menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and menstrual health and hygiene (MHH), girl’s attendance at school is reported to decline or cease altogether. Providing the proper resources to fulfill women’s and girl’s menstrual hygiene needs may impact female’s attendance rates at school, and furthering women’s education is fundamental in advancing female’s equality world-wide.

Purpose: The purpose of …

Reflections On Labor And Delivery Internship, Olivia Ozier

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study is a literature review that examines the characteristics of an effective hospice and palliative care nurse. The purpose of this study is to discover what qualities make a satisfactory hospice and palliative care nurse; therefore, characterizing it as a qualitative study. It is concluded that the following attributes are beneficial for a hospice and palliative care nurse: compassion, knowledge, confidence, and support. When delivering end-of-life care, a nurse should use therapeutic communication and be exemplary in handling grief. Compassion can be shown by active listening and acknowledging the patient’s and caregiver’s concerns. Being knowledgeable entails that the nurse …

The Effects Of Telehealth On Patient Satisfaction And Information Recall For Breast Cancer Survivors During Covid-19, Stacey Teicher

Doctoral Projects

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed how cancer survivorship care is delivered. (Al‐Shamsi, 2020). To protect vulnerable breast cancer patients, health care providers are moving towards telecommunication such as telephone, video, and secure messaging (electronic mail) versus in-person visits to connect with their patients (Segelov et al., 2020) during this pandemic. Breast cancer survivorship visits can be safely deferred from in-person visits to telehealth visits (Dietz et al., 2020). This doctoral project examines the impact of transitioning from in-person to telehealth (telephone or video) visits on patient satisfaction and recall of information for breast cancer survivors reviewing their Survivorship …

Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Knowledge Of Endometriosis: A Pilot Study, Stephanie Schlorke

Honors Theses

This descriptive post-test design study was conducted to assess knowledge level of undergraduate nursing students regarding risk factors, clinical manifestations, age of diagnosis, common psychiatric co-morbidities, treatment methods, and pathophysiology of endometriosis. An author-created 8 question multichoice and select all that apply questionnaire was used to collect the data. Twenty-eight students responded to the questionnaire. The results were divided to compare knowledge differences between second-semester and fifth-semester students.

It was determined that the undergraduate nursing students have a working knowledge of endometriosis, but there are knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. Fifth-semester participants scored higher than the second-semester participants …

Rationalizing Academic Dishonesty And Its Effect On Nursing, Leah Salisbury

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of cheating in a bachelor’s degree nursing program and to determine if social normalization contributed to the increase. Three major sources for the increase in cheating were identified, and these are technological advances, lack of a specific cheating definition, and cultural socialization towards academic dishonesty (Wideman, 2011; DuPree and Sattler, 2010; Jones, 2011; Burrus, McGoldrick and Schuhmann, 2007). Studies showed a positive correlation between engagement in academic dishonesty and engagement in dishonest behaviors in nursing practice, which is the biggest concern for nursing programs (Krueger, 2014; Johnstone, 2016; McCrink, 2010). …

Synesthesia: Does It Have An Effect On Memory?, Elizabeth Evans

Honors Theses

Synesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon involving an inducer (a stimulus) and a concurrent (elicited response). For many years, scientists have striven to explain synesthesia and whether or not there are benefits to the people who experience it. In this study, nineteen participants were asked to complete a questionnaire in an attempt to see if their synesthetic experiences gave them advantages in the area of memory. The seven questions were given in a multiple-choice or text entry format, and the questionnaire was approved by The University of Southern Mississippi’s IRB before being sent out in an electronic format. The majority of …

The Assessment Of Senior-Level Nursing Students’ Knowledge Regarding Informal Caregiver Role Strain And The Presence Of Role Strain In Informal Caregivers Of Dementia Patients, Amanda Diard

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to assess senior-level nursing students’ knowledge of informal caregivers of dementia patients, their confidence in their ability to work with informal caregivers, and how well they believe their nursing program prepared them to assist informal caregivers. Seventeen (n = 17) Bachelor of Science (BSN) nursing students participated in the study. A twenty-four-question survey was emailed to both junior- and senior-level students in the five-semester BSN program at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Responses from students of different levels were collected to determine if an accurate understanding of informal caregivers of dementia patients …

Diabetes Distress Assessment As An Intervention, Rachel Hewitt, Karin A. Emery

Honors Capstone Projects

Diabetes Distress (DD) is a major concern in the diabetes community due to the negative associated outcomes. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of consistent DD screening (PAID scale and supplemental questions), as an intervention to reduce DD in diabetic patients. This study uses a single blind experimental design at a Midwest U.S. Endocrine clinic. The sample size for study will be 100, with roughly 50 samples for each group. Individuals that will be included are: 18 years or older, diagnosed with T2DM, and able to speak and read English. Data collection will occur at already scheduled provider appointments …

Diabetes Distress Assessment As An Intervention (Poster), Rachel Hewitt, Karin A. Emery

Honors Capstone Projects

The aim of this study was to:

• Determine the effectiveness of consistent DD screening by administering the PAID scale along with supplemental questions, as an intervention to reduce DD in diabetic patients in the clinical setting.

Michigan Physician Orders For Scope Of Treatment: Development Of A Nationally Recognized Program, Megan Owens

Doctoral Projects

Background: Advance directives are well intentioned, but fail to promote patient autonomy in emergent situations.

Objective: To develop a sustainable portable medical order program consistent with national standards through an evidence-based toolkit.

Methods: A literature review and policy analysis were conducted to develop toolkit. Interviews were conducted with content experts to validate toolkit.

Results: The final toolkit consisted of five components: educational materials for healthcare providers, a policy brief, strategies for fund development, strategies for quality monitoring, and a cost savings exemplar.

Conclusions: An evidence-based toolkit tailored to state-specific barriers is critical to development of a portable medical order program.

Long Non-Coding Rna Maternally Expressed Gene 3 Affects Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis And Migration By Targeting The Microrna-9-5p/Midkine Axis And Activating The Phosphoinositide-Dependent Kinase/Akt Pathway In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Dezhi Wu, Zheng Ma, Deyu Ma, Qiquan Li

Publications

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) is a tumor suppressor in several cancers, such as glioma, prostate cancer and esophageal cancer. However, the role of MEG3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the related molecular mechanisms are not well understood. The present study aimed to determine the biological function of MEG3 in regulating HCC cell viability, apoptosis and migration. In addition, the interaction between MEG3, microRNA (miR)-9-5p and Midkine (MDK), and the activation of the phosphoinositide-dependent kinase (PDK)/AKT pathway in HCC cell line MHCC-97L were examined. Luciferase reporter assays, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting were used to …

Development Of A Heparin Dosing Guideline For Vascular Surgery, Brittany Bertoni, Anna Holdener

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Unfractionated heparin is administered to provide anticoagulation for the prevention of thrombosis and ischemia during vascular surgery. The intraoperative goals of heparin administration are the achievement of adequate anticoagulation and maintaining a steady-state plasma concentration throughout the procedure to prevent thrombotic events. Due to patient variation in heparin sensitivity, the standard within vascular surgery is to obtain the intraoperative activated clotting time (ACT) as a means of monitoring heparin activity and guiding dosing regimens. Measuring the intraoperative ACT allows for evaluation of the intrinsic pathway to assist the provider in achieving a steady-state heparinization with high-dose heparin administration.

To reduce …

Mental Health Resources For The Pediatric And Adolescent Populations In The Rural Setting, Devon Shafer, Kyle Aldridge, Amy Lilly

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a mainstay of treatment for problems such as anxiety and depression. However, access to this form of psychotherapy treatment is limited in rural areas, especially in pediatrics. The purpose of this project was to increase access to CBT through the use of smart phone CBT applications for patients at one rural midwest pediatric clinic. An extensive literature review revealed that mobile cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) applications can be an effective option for adjunct therapy when provider access is limited. Two CBT mobile applications were selected for the project and training was provided to clinic providers. …

Integration Of The Svs Wifi Classification System For Ulcer Staging And Management In An Amputation Prevention Program, Allison Campos

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Chronic limb-threatening ischemia is a significant problem with increased morbidity and mortality along with the risk of amputation. With the increased prevalence of diabetes worldwide, the population of patients presenting with nonhealing ulcers shifted from purely ischemic ulcers to a more complex picture for wound healing. Amputation prevention programs were developed to care for this heterogeneous population of patients. However, with multiple disciplines, there was no unified classification system in use. The historical classification systems were not inclusive to evaluate all aspects of wound healing, the extent of the wound, amount of ischemia, and the presence of infection. The Society …

Development Of A Protocol For Perioperative Management Of The Breastfeeding Mother, Kayla Nyseth, Kelsey Park

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Facilitating breastfeeding is a public health priority, as disruption in lactation is associated with adverse health outcomes for the breastfeeding mother and child (ACOG, 2016). The need to take medication, maternal illness, and hospitalization are among the most common reasons women cite for ceasing breastfeeding before their projected goal (Odom, Li, Scanlon, Perrine, & Grummer-Strawn, 2013). Providing a healthcare team that encourages breastfeeding during the perioperative period can minimize interruptions in breastfeeding and optimize the benefits for both the mother and infant (Simon, Carabetta, Rieth & Barnett, 2018). Unfortunately, many anesthesia providers lack confidence related to breastfeeding and drug transfer. …

Self-Management Of Chronic Low Back Pain In The Hispanic Population: A Feasibility Study, Jasmeen Mohammed

Honors Scholar Theses

This study sought to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of S-SPINE self-management interventions in the Spanish-speaking Hispanic population. Four focus groups were conducted during the study, with a total of 12 participants. During these virtual meetings, we obtained feedback on the S-SPINE modules and explored the needs and preferences of the Spanish-speaking population regarding lower-back pain self-management. Overall, we found that people prefer digital content in self-management modules and want to communicate better with their providers regarding their chronic pain. In addition, while there are a few support groups and resources online regarding chronic pain for Spanish-speakers, there are not …

Simulation Based Clinical Systems Testing In The Pediatric Emergency Department To Prepare For Covid-19 Pandemic, Christopher S. Kennedy, Marc Sycip, Lisa Ell, Shautonja Woods

Posters

Background: The COVID-19 prompted pediatric emergency departments (PED) to prepare for a surge in patients. In response, guidelines developed represent “work as imagined” and may not reflect work as done. In situ simulations could identify gaps and help to mitigate errors. Simulation-based clinical systems tests (SbCSTs) can detect latent safety threats (LSTs) in systems design.


Objective: Our aim was to use SbCSTs combined with rapid cycle training to test hospital system modifications for ED preparation. This method represenst a new application of SbCSTs. The research questions were in 2 frames: 1. Can rapidly deployed SbCSTs identify LSTs and recommendations for …

A Smarter Way To Round, Charles Maloy, Adrienne G. Deporre, Erica Adams, Jessica Olson, Amber Hunley, Darcy K. Weidemann

Posters

Background: Communication is a key driver of health care outcomes. Poor communication practices contribute to sentinel safety events, poor family/patient experiences, and delays in care. Use of checklists in the healthcare setting is important to the development of high reliability and is increasingly common, however, the development and implementation of medical checklists for the standard patient floor are inadequately described.


Objective: To develop a sustainable rounding checklist for multidisciplinary discussion of patient safety measures and clinical plans.


Design/Methods: Key stakeholders in the rounding process (subspecialty and general pediatrics physicians, resident physician, bedside nurses, and nursing leadership) created a rounding checklist …