Nursing Commons^™

Improving The Utilization Of Cnas In Pressure Ulcer Prevention, Jaclyn N. Bitterman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

An estimated 2.5 million Americans are affected by pressure ulcers annually with the largest majority impacted the geriatric population. In order to achieve prevention of facility acquired pressure ulcers, the nursing team must properly identify patients at risk to prevent the injury associated with pressure. CNAs play a key role in this effort. The purpose of this project was used to develop, implement, and evaluate a training program for CNA students to improve knowledge and promote engaged attitudes in the prevention of pressure ulcers. Results of the project showed improvement after the training, but overall was not statistically significant. Overall …

Discharge Planning Considerations For Congestive Heart Failure: A Dnp Project, Jainarine Ramlochan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Abstract

Clinicians are challenged to prevent readmission of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The purpose of this project was to: 1) prepare students to better understand the discharge process for patients with CHF; and 2) obtain the opinion of nurses that were involved in the discharge process in the presence of COVID-19 Pandemic. The Delta Care Program (DCP) was used to guide the project and may be a useful tool for discharge planning. An intervention on use of the DCP was delivered to students (N = 83). Findings indicated that student nurses felt confident in the application of …

Atrial Fibrillation, Nicholas Anderson

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most diagnosed cardiac arrhythmia that clinicians and patients should be educated on. Due to the increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs associated with AF, it is important to have a solid understanding of the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, underlying pathophysiology, significance of the pathophysiology, treatments, and nursing implications that are involved with this cardiac arrhythmia. One of the most significant complications due to AF is stroke, thus stroke prevention measures such as oral anticoagulation should be considered.

Understanding Cyanide Toxicity In Victims Of Smoke Inhalation, Jessica L. Wyman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Every day in the United States forty-two people are killed or injured as a direct result of fire. Building construction materials and furnishings have evolved from natural textiles to synthetic plastic-based goods that release excessive lethal toxic gases when heated. Rapid release of gas results in critical levels of hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide leading to fatal toxic exposures. Nursing knowledge and confidence can improve victim survivability by improving rapid recognition and assessment of these complex patients. The purpose of this DNP project was to increase emergency department nursing knowledge, confidence and ability in assessing and appropriately triaging smoke inhalation …

Case Management Of Primary Care Patients, Bernadette Webster

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Case management (CM) offered in primary care is a collaboration, guided by the registered nurse, working to coordinate all aspects of care for the patient and the family. The purpose of this quality improvement/assurance project was to provide nurses in primary care with the education and methods of CM to assist in more effectively managing care for a patient after testing positive for COVID-19. An intervention was delivered to registered nurses (RN) in the primary care setting designed to improve knowledge and skill with case management for patients with high care needs or recently diagnosed with COVID-19. A templated note …

Guideline Utilization To Promote De-Escalation Of Benzodiazepine Use In Adults With Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Magdalena A. Malloy

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Benzodiazepines are commonly used as the first line treatment for adults diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) despite clinical guidelines that recommend otherwise. This can lead to misuse, abuse, addiction, and dependence. To de-escalate use of benzodiazepines as first-line treatment, this DNP Project seeks to reinforce use of evidence-based practice via a reminder card. The guideline compliance program was assessed by chart review to determine impact on GAD-7 scores and benzodiazepine prescriptions. Total of 69 patients’ charts were audited by six prescribers, over the period of eight weeks, to determine if outcomes were met. When analyzed pre and post intervention …

Intervention Of Mindfulness With Students To Identify Mental Health Problems And Enhance Coping Strategies, Aileen M. Jones

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

When mental health care is delayed, a young person may have more difficulty in academia and social situations. Therefore, it is important to reach young people to provide them with the skills to deal with stressors and mental health issues. The purpose of this project is to use mindfulness techniques to increase mental health literacy (MHL) and strengthen coping skills which can possibly assist students in building resilience to cope with stressors. By utilizing available mental health resources and learning coping skills, there can be a drastic change in the trajectory of a young persons’ life who struggles with stressors …

Improving Psychological Trauma Awareness For Culturally Responsive Care: A Dnp Project, Jose M. Cruz

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Racism and racial discrimination occur in a variety of forms (Kendi, 2017). Both can contribute to poor mental health outcomes in the United States (Alvarez, Liang, & Neville, 2016; Comas-Diaz, Hall, & Neville, 2019; Levy, 2019; Malott & Schaefle, 2015; Williams, Lawrence, Davis, & Vu, 2019). These social conditions have been identified as chronic stressors that can illicit trauma symptoms, result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and contribute to increased suicidality (French et al., 2020). Providers should understand the ramifications of the psychological trauma that can occur and endeavor to deliver evidence-based solutions. This doctoral project was designed to develop, …

A Protocol For Improving Early Recognition And Treatment Of Bipolar Disorder, Zelluyah Gaitho

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

In bipolar disorder, patients present to a clinician during depressive episodes often leading to a misdiagnosis. In turn, this could lead to inappropriate treatment. This failure to diagnose could be attributed to lack of use of validated screening tools and deviation from clinical guidelines. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to develop a protocol that will help improve early recognition and treatment of bipolar disorder by using the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. A training program was developed to increase knowledge on the proper use of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Quality-of-Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF). …

Early Mobilization In Cardiac Surgery Patients, Morgan Gidley

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a buildup of plaque in the heart's arteries, which can lead to a heart attack and decrease the pumping ability of the heart muscle (American Heart Association, 2015). Because CAD is a cause major cause of mortality worldwide, it is essential to understand the risk factors, signs and symptoms, and pathophysiology behind the disease (Kanejima, 2020). To further investigate CAD, this poster was created as an educational tool. The poster discusses treatment options for heart attacks and CAD as well as preventative measures. This poster should be used as a tool to educate the public …

Ulcerative Colitis, Randy Kinietz

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

This poster briefly covers the most important concepts of ulcerative colitis (UC). UC is a complex disease process and the exact etiology is not yet known. Many researchers are currently looking to find the cause of the disease and treatment options that can target the exact pathophysiological process. Nurses are instrumental in the care of UC, especially in an outpatient setting. Education on medications and proper follow-up appointments are the key to maintaining remission, reducing flare-ups, and cancer screening. Although UC is a complex disease, a multidisciplinary approach will reduce complications and prolong remission.

Malignant Hyperthermia, Courtney Morris

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Malignant Hyperthermia as defined by the International Classification of Diseases is a rare but progressive, and life-threatening hyperthermic reaction in response to a triggering agent such as general anesthetic gases or the depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent Succinylcholine (Hopkins et. al., 2020). MalignantHyperthymia is a genetic disorder of the skeletal muscle, that leads to continuous muscle contraction and the inability to relax skeletal muscle (Haili and Weant, 2021). Signs and symptoms can vary from patient to patient and can be masked by anesthesia, but the classical signs include an increase in end-tidal CO2, increased heart rate, and a rapid increase in …

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Calvin Sparks

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The poster following is a graphical representation displaying carbon monoxide poisoning and the affects on normal physiology. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning interrupts normal cellular processes and contributes to reduced utilization of oxygen. Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for up to 50 thousand hospital admissions annually. A colorless, odorless gas that any human being is potentially at risk for. A thorough review utilizing EBSCO was performed using Boolean Terms carbon monoxide poisoning and treatment. Articles were selected based on clinical relevancy with a published date within the past 5 years of 2021.

Hypercoagulable State Of Covid-19, Amanda Martin

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

From the data that has been collected and compiled on SARS-CoV-2, or Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it has shown that there are unique qualities of the novel virus that leads to a hypercoagulable state in those diagnosed. To effectively treat those afflicted with this specific symptom of COVID-19, an understanding of the pathophysiology of the virus must be established to effectively treat and potentially prevent coagulopathy and the thrombotic events that can ensue. Gaining more insight into this will allow for standardized plan of care that includes appropriate predicative labs and effective prophylactic medications to be utilized in outpatient or …

Diabetes Mellitus, Allie Luther

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The topic of this poster is Diabetes Mellitus. This topic was chosen because 415 million people live with diabetes worldwide, and an estimated 193 million people have undiagnosed diabetes (Chatterjee et al., 2017). This number is expected to rise to 625 million by 2045 (Forouhi & Wareham, 2019). Type 2 diabetes accounts for more than 90% of patients with diabetes and leads to microvascular and macrovascular complications that cause profound psychological and physical distress to both patients and providers, and put a huge burden on health-care systems (Chatterjee et al., 2017). Despite increasing knowledge of the disease process an treatment, …

Schizophrenia, Allison Hopps

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Schizophrenia overview including symptoms. Areas of interest regarding research and ways to advance treatment for schizophrenia patients. There is still much to be known about the disease and research to help patients.

Atrial Fibrillation Pathophysiology, Ellen Macdonald

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Atrial Fibrillation is the most common cardiac dysrhythmia and contributes to significant morbidity and mortality. Despite how common this condition is, the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation is not fully understood. To enable better treatment and prevention of AF a clearer understanding of the development and progression of atrial fibrillation is needed. The purpose of the poster is to highlight current understanding of the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation as well as the signs and symptoms, complications and comorbidities, and the importance of nursing care for AF.

Benefits And Risk Associated With Physical Exercise During The Antenatal Period, Corrie Crump, Brittany Freeman

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background/Purpose: There are many misconceptions, uncertainties, and false narratives pertaining to how much physical activity and what types of activities are safe in pregnancy. This purpose of this critical literature review was to provide more guidance on evidence-based recommendations for what activity and how much activity is considered safe, and shed light on the proven benefits being physically active provides. Additionally, the literature was reviewed to assess the benefits of exercise during pregnancy as it pertains to maternal morbidity. Theoretical Framework: Dorothea Orem’s Theory on Self-Care Deficit explains the importance of self-care, and focuses on the individual’s ability to perform …

Lyme Disease Essentials For Healthcare Workers, Donita Blanken-Little

DNP Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Yearly Endometriosis Education For Reproductive Nurses, Jessica Boyer

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Reproductive and infertility nursing is an ever-growing subspecialty of women’s health where education and nursing resources are often limited and these nurses learn the majority of their skills through experience. Endometriosis is an increasingly common disease that reproductive nurses are encountering in growing numbers. A thorough literary analysis discovered the importance of early diagnosis to aid in a patient’s overall prognosis and long-term success with symptom management. A continuing education curriculum was created and implemented in a reproductive clinic in the South Eastern United States as a yearly learning opportunity for reproductive nurses in an effort to review the fundamentals …

The Impact Of An Employee Action Program On Staff Accountability And Nursing Retention, Amber Crouse

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Nurse staffing retention rates have decreased in the last 5 years among hospitals nationwide. This decrease in retention of qualified, trained nurses has led to a decrease in the delivery of high-quality care putting patient safety at risk of compromise. The purpose of this project was to propose a leadership education program for the basis of improving staff accountability regarding equal standards; thus, this will ultimately impact nurse staff retention in a positive manner. The leadership education program was meant to streamline management accountability processes in a large academic medical center for improving nurse staff retention rates. The results of …

Crisis Redeployment: An Evidence-Based Plan For Nursing, Lauren Setzer

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Abstract not available

Nursing Attitudes To Hospice Care In The Intensive Care Unit, Claudia Lacivita

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Nurses deliver care to patients 24 hours per day and are experts in the care of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The critical care nurse is trained to assess, treat, and monitor severely ill patients to facilitate their recovery, but may often feel ill-prepared and lacking the support usually available to the hospice or palliative care nurse. It also can be difficult to refocus when the desired outcome changes from stabilizing and getting a critically ill patient better to hospice or end-of-life care (EOLC). The purpose of this project was to improve the delivery of care …

Improving Nursing Practice For Perinatal Mood Disorders, Tonya May

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Perinatal mood disorder can affect mothers in the antepartum and post-partum phase of pregnancy. Nurses need to be educated on the risk factors, signs, screening tools, and management methods to provide excellent patient care. The purpose of this project was to implement education used to improve nursing practice for patients that experience perinatal mood disorders. Early recognition and management is essential for patient care. Patients that experience perinatal mood disorder do not always report symptoms. This is often out of fear their ability to care for the child or children at home will be questioned if signs of perinatal mood …

Grieving Nurses' Need For Support, Tammy Patterson

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Veteran nurses vacate their positions after more than 20 years of nursing experience due to the chronic emotional grief experienced after patient death. Nursing programs lack the curriculum support to sufficiently instruct student nurses how to appropriately deal with patient death. This lack of understanding leads the way for nurses to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms and withdrawing from the profession. A needs assessment was conducted and confirmed the desire and demand for support of nurses experiencing grief. A method was developed to support grieving nurses who are experiencing or will experience grief. A peer support group was established to assist …

Electronic Medical Records And The Lost Art Of Nursing, Tonya Blackwell

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Abstract not available

Perception Of Health Literacy Levels Among Nurses In Clinical Settings, Chelsea L. Oxendine

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Health literacy has been defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions” (Somers & Mahadevan, 2010, p. 7). Poor health literacy is directly and indirectly linked to negative health outcomes, to include an increased rate of mortality (Alijassim & Ostini, 2020; Wittenberg, et al. 2018; Nantsupawat, 2019; Torres & Nichols, 2014). An essential component for effective delivery of health information is the use of “plain language”, which makes information easier to understand (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). There is …

Incivility In Nursing, Amanda Woodie Barnes

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Incivility and bullying in the workplace are serious problems in the nursing profession. Nurses who experience uncivil behaviors have been shown to have negative consequences to their health and well-being. Negative interactions between nurses can compromise patient care and patient safety which can result in undesirable patient outcomes. Healthcare organizations are negatively affected financially by these inappropriate behaviors which can be detrimental to the organization. The purpose of this project was to reduce or mitigate incivility in the workplace by increasing knowledge in clinical staffing relating to the issue, increase self-confidence and resilience, and improve communication so staff will be …

Leadership Role In Decreasing Nurse Turnover, Gwynne Turney

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

Nursing shortages are reaching crisis level in the United States. Many of the nurses who fill these needs will be millennials. In order to address this crisis, nurse leaders must develop strategies to reduce turnover and retain nurses on their units. This research investigates how leader-member relationship affects turnover intention of millennial nurses. A nonexperimental correlational design was used to examine the relationship between nurse turnover intention and quality of relationships with leaders in millennial nurses. A 13-question survey including the 6-Item Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6) and the Leader-Member Exchange 7-Questionnaire (LMX-7) were utilized to survey 20 millennial nurses through …

Implementation Of Obstetric Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Ob Eras) Protocol: Prenatally Through Transition To Community, Emily Corbett

Master of Science in Nursing Theses and Projects

This project discusses the implementation of Obstetric Enhanced Recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for cesarean section patients scheduled or emergent. The goal of this project was to ensure the best possible outcomes from surgery for obstetric patients by decreasing surgical site infection rates in order to decrease maternal mortality rates. It provides protocols preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively for surgical procedures. Key steps take place in each phase of surgical care to impact patient outcomes. The protocol includes shorter NPO times, decreased surgical stress through multi-modal approaches for pain and nausea, early mobility, and reduces the length of stay. OB ERAS …