Nursing Commons^™

A Clinical Practice Guideline For Measuring Quality Of Life In Patients With Depression And Anxiety, Mary Fowaah Boateng

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health conditions affect various aspects of an individual’s quality of life (QOL). Patients with anxiety and depression have a greater risk of having a negative perception of QOL. The gap in practice was the lack of an assessment tool to measure QOL in patients with mental health disorders. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) recommending the best evidence-based measurement tool for QOL in patients with anxiety and/or depression. The question that guided the CPG was: How should QOL be measured in patients with anxiety and/or depression in the …

Factors Associated With Resilience And Sense Of Coherence In Adult Transgender Persons: Identifying Predictors To Reduce Health Disparities In A Vulnerable Population, Jake Bush

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

National studies revealed the transgender population has barriers to positive health outcomes, but also showed evidence of resilience. A focus on health strengths such as resilience may help mitigate health barriers. This work focused on the sociodemographic predictors of and interrelationships between resilience, sense of coherence (SOC), and health perception. There were three aims of this work. The first aim was to review the literature surrounding resilience and SOC in the adult transgender population. Results from an integrative literature review revealed three themes of resilience in the adult transgender population: social support, individual factors, and resources. Prior to the current …

Hospital Readmission After Major Abdominal/Colorectal Surgeries: A Mixed-Methods Study, Ansu Sebastian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Hospital readmission after major abdominal and colorectal surgeries is a complex phenomenon that impacts the quality and affordability of healthcare. A comprehensive review of the literature after implementation of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program in 2012 revealed a paucity in studies that analyzed patients' perceptions regarding the phenomenon of readmission. In addition, there is a need for randomized trials that assess the impact of interventions on the rate of readmission among complex surgical patients. A mixed-methods study was conducted to combine descriptive factors impacting hospital readmission with patients' perceptions to produce meaningful data. The results indicated that although discharge education …

First Impressions Of The Bedside Nurse From The Patient Perspective, Sharon Imes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Relationships begin with first impressions. Since nurses are the cornerstone to hospital experiences, the nurse-patient relationship is of vital importance, beginning with the first impression. The nurse-patient relationship has the potential to impact the patient's trust, comfort, fear, and ultimately satisfaction with the entire hospital experience. Evidence is found in other disciplines emphasizing the importance of the first impression, however there is minimal research in nursing about first impressions of the bedside nurse. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the first step in understanding the first impression of the bedside nurse from the patient perspective. Additionally, this research …

Survivors Of Human Trafficking: Reintegration Into The Community And Society, Charrita Ernewein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Human trafficking is a highly profitable human rights violation and is labeled as one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. Few studies provided a detailed analysis of the survivors' accounts of their experiences and how these experiences influenced their reintegration into society. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experience of female survivors of sex trafficking as they reintegrated into the community and society using the survivors' voice. This study also aimed to describe the survivors experience with healthcare providers. This study obtained data from hard to detect populations (female survivors aged 18 and older) through …

Remembering To Resume: Using Simulation-Based Education To Teach Nursing Students To Manage Interruptions, Peggy Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Introduction: Since nurses are expected to be constantly available and responsive, their workflow is interrupted about 85 times each shift. As nursing students socialize to the profession, they need to learn how to adapt to an interruption fraught practice environment. Background: While some interruptions are important to patient care, dealing with conflicting demands can lead to mental fatigue, increased task time, and enhanced propensity for errors. Some experienced nurses learn to create strategies that facilitate remembering to resume an interrupted task, but they are often adopted through trial and error. When simulation-based education (SBE) is used according to industry standards, …

Qualitative Comparative Case Study Exploring The Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Conflicts Experienced By Nurses While Utilizing Ehr-Electronic Health Record Technology, Patricia Alejandra Casas

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Nurses are the largest group of health information technology system users. As the nurses are the focal point of patient care because they interact with multiple areas under the healthcare realm and manage multiple components of patient care, the use of EHR technology is likely to have an impact on their careers and healthcare delivery outcomes. Conflicts experienced during EHR use or adoption have been researched; however, despite these studies, understanding nurses’ experiences of conflicts remain underexplored; in particular, there have been no research studies that have differentiated between interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts experienced. The general problem addressed in this …

Mennonite College Of Nursing Annual Report, 2021-2022, Mennonite College Of Nursing

Annual Reports - Mennonite College of Nursing

Annual report of the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University

Exploring Therapeutic Nurse-Patient Communication: Techniques And Barriers, Pierina Rossini

Senior Honors Theses

Effective nurse-patient communication, also described as therapeutic communication, is essential for providing high quality nursing care. It increases patient satisfaction and health, decreases patient anxiety and disease symptoms, and increases patient cooperation and compliance to treatment. Some therapeutic communication techniques include attentive listening, empathy, silence, focusing, open-ended questions, clarification, exploring, clarifying, and summarizing. Unfortunately, there are barriers to therapeutic communication that have been identified. Research regarding nurse-patient therapeutic communication, consisting of secondary, qualitative, descriptive data, points to several barriers to therapeutic communication. Some of the barriers to therapeutic communication include nurse-patient gender difference; patient physical discomfort; nurse-patient language, culture, and …

Research Regarding The Stress And Coping Practices Of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurses, Gabriella Musto

Honors College Theses

No abstract provided.

Open And Distance Learning Programs For Nursing And Midwifery Education In East Africa: Protocol For A Scoping Review, Kahabi Isangula, Grace Edwards, Tumbwene Mwansisya, Columba Mbekenga, Eunice Pallangyo, Ahmed Sarki, Eunice Ndirangu

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: In the face of growing modernity and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, open and distance learning (ODL) is considered to play an important role in increasing access to education worldwide. There is a robust evidence base demonstrating its cost effectiveness in comparison with conventional class-based teaching; however, the transition to this new paradigm of learning for nursing and midwifery courses has been difficult in low-income countries. While there are notable efforts to increase internet and education access to health care professionals, not much is known about ODL for nurses and midwives in East African countries.

Objective: The objective …

Optimizing A Pediatric Dka Protocol In A Tertiary Care Hospital System In Northern West Virginia, Jennifer L. Burky

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when the body compensates for insufficient insulin, producing dangerously high levels of ketones. Without proper treatment, DKA can be fatal. For that reason, staff in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at a tertiary care hospital in northern West Virginia expressed concerns about the complexity of and lack of adherence to a poorly referenced and dated DKA treatment protocol.

Objective: The purpose of this project was to assess the feasibility and sustainability of optimizing the DKA protocol in the PICU. The primary objective was to implement an updated, …

Differences In Smoking Behaviors And Readiness To Change For Patients With Copd And Differing Categories Of Depression, Jessica M. Floyd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the world. Depression is a common comorbidity of COPD and affects patient outcomes and smoking cessation. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe factors influencing smoking behaviors and readiness to change in patients with comorbid COPD and depression.

Aims: The research question that guided this study was, “What are the relationships among smoking, COPD, and depression?” The following aims stemmed from the research question: to describe the characteristics of a convenience sample of people living with COPD and differing categories of depression who …

Examining Relationships Among Person Factors, Psychosocial Factors, And Coping Patterns In People Living With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In North Central Appalachia, Melissa A. Mccoy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Diabetes is a complex, debilitating illness that imposes disease burden on the individual and society. T2DM is more prevalent in the Appalachian region than in any other Region of the United States. If diabetes is poorly controlled, patients are at risk for negative health outcomes. A gap exists in the literature related to understanding of the relationships among person factors, psychosocial factors, and coping patterns. Another gap in the literature is sex differences among these variables.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examining relationships among person factors, psychosocial factors, and coping patterns in people living with T2DM …

Reframing: A Grounded Theory Study Of Postmenopausal Women Following Osteoporotic Fracture, Ashley D. Barber

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a chronic disease resulting in low bone mass and increased bone fragility. Most often seen in women age 65 and older, osteoporosis is usually diagnosed following osteoporotic fracture. Despite numerous treatment options many women continue to remain untreated for osteoporosis and are at increased risk for subsequent fractures and complications. PURPOSE: The initial purpose of this classic grounded theory study was to explore the decision-making process women aged 65 and older experience when considering osteoporosis treatment following osteoporotic fracture. Following the tenth participant interview the researcher discovered a new main concern that emerged from participant interviews. Participants …

Educating Staff To Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening In A Primary Care Setting, Angela Kenyata Rayborn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe practice problem for this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project deals with the lack of education regarding colorectal cancer that is not being routinely screened by nursing staff within the primary care clinic setting. It is important that nursing staff is knowledgeable of current screenings for current health issues within their community in order to decrease prevalence and utilize preventive measures that can improve population health outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to conduct a staff education project to increase nursing knowledge about routine colorectal screenings. The model used for evaluation of this staff education project is …

Contraceptive Accessibility And Reproductive Outcomes In Adolescents Seeking Care At School-Based Health Centers: A Systematic Review, Jamie Jenkins

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Context: Adolescent pregnancy continues to be a public health concern in the United States. School-based health centers are an ideal setting for providing affordable, accessible, and confidential reproductive services for adolescents that can help prevent unintended pregnancies. However, there are great variations in the reproductive services offered at school-based health centers across the United States. Objective: This study aims to explore the question: Do school-based health centers that provide on-site contraception access have lower adolescent pregnancy rates and higher reported contraception use when compared to school-based health centers that do not provide on-site contraception? Methods: A literature …

Educating Staff To Reduce Hospitalization Of Individuals Living In A Group Home, Caroline Aina Ibijemilusi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPersons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have significant health disparity in terms of high numbers of hospitalizations compared to the general population. The purpose of the project was to improve staff ability to recognize and respond to the changes in the health status of intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals living in a group home. The project utilized Knowles’s theory of adult learning to develop a curriculum suitable for adult learners and the Kirkpatrick model to guide the assessment of the training. Pre- and post-perception of learning and satisfaction surveys were provided to the participants online. A paired t test …

The Lived Experience Of African American Young Adult Men With Hiv And Self-Care Collaborative Management, Barbara A. Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican American young adult (AAYA) men living with HIV often lack interventions that address the influence that HIV has on their quality of life, especially their relationships. Self-care collaborative management (SCCM) concerns related to disclosure and stigmatization complicate social, psychological, and SCCM behaviors. Intervention programs addressing these concerns should be based on relevant, accurate information, but this information is lacking for AAYAs. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the lived experiences of male AAYAs with HIV and their use of SCCM. The study method was qualitative; Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology was the design. The individual family self-management …

Improving Nurses’ Knowledge To Provide Diabetes Self-Management Education For African Americans, Jakeyla Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are at high risk for type II diabetes compared to other ethnic groups due to biological, socioeconomic, and psychosocial risks. Specifically, African American adults are nearly two times more likely than White individuals to develop type II diabetes. The meaningful gap-in-practice addressed by this doctoral project was nurses’ lack of diabetes knowledge affecting their ability to provide diabetes care and diabetes self-management education (DSME) to their patients with diabetes. The clinical practice-focused question asked whether an education intervention for outpatient clinic nurses could improve their knowledge of DSME. Orem’s self-care model, Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, and Lewin’s change theory …

Medical Spas: Ensuring Compliance And Patient Safety, Mike Chammout

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonsurgical aesthetic procedures continue to grow in popularity; however, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines that can assist providers when performing aesthetic treatments are lacking. This gap in practice can result in the increased prevalence of side effects from treatments that can compromise patient safety and result in increased litigation. The goal of this project was the development of a clinical practice guideline (CPG) that can be used by aesthetic providers to standardize care when performing nonsurgical aesthetic procedures that can ultimately improve provider knowledge, which would improve patient safety. This CPG sought to answer the practice-focused question involving whether the development …

Lived Experiences Of Newly Graduated Registered Nurses, Tonya Lyn Chancey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attrition rates for first year newly graduated registered nurses (NGRNs) are between 30% to 60%; high level of attrition negatively affects hospital organizations, other nurses, and patient outcomes. Transitioning from student nurse to clinical nurse poses challenges for NGRNs which includes assuming responsibilities for a full patient load, communicating with physicians, and adjusting to shift work. The purpose of this phenomenological study, guided by Kramer’s reality shock theory and Duffy’s quality caring model, was to examine the lived experiences of a first-year cohort of NGRNs working in the acute care setting of a Florida hospital. Thirteen NGRNs were interviewed using …

Improving Fall Risk Knowledge Through Staff Education In An Assisted Living Facility, Assumpta Egowure Ike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPatient safety and fall prevention are crucial for nurses and healthcare workers especially in assisted living facilities considering the age and health status of the patients. Low staff knowledge of fall risk measures in an assisted living facility may have contributed to an increase in the number of falls recorded in the facility by 20% in the last 2 years. This project addressed the questions of whether an education project could increase staff’s level of knowledge on fall risk measures, and whether any improved knowledge would coincide with the number of falls per patient day in the assisted living facility? …

Reducing The Readmissions Through Multidisciplinary Rounds In Older Adults, Fatima Rajapathy Tisseverasinghe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital readmissions are a reflection of poor quality of care. The readmission rate in an acute care for the elderly (ACE) unit was above the national benchmark in 2017. The specific problem includes lack of communication, collaboration, and coordination among the interdisciplinary team. Further, in older adults, the problem is accentuated by health illiteracy, comorbidities, cognitive impairment, polypharmacy, and unclear discharge and follow-up care instructions. Poor care transition costs Medicare 17.4 billion dollars a year. Multidisciplinary rounds (MDRs) have been adopted by many hospitals as evidence-based interventions to reduce readmissions within 30 days. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project …

A Delphi Study On The Use Of Simulation In Undergraduate Nursing Education, Diana L. Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe lack of traditional clinical sites for nursing students has prompted a surge in simulation as an innovative teaching strategy in undergraduate nursing education. The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INASCL) developed the INACSL Standards of Best Practice: SimulationSM to direct schools of nursing in implementing high-quality simulations. As simulated experiences replace traditional clinical experiences, it is imperative that simulated experiences replicate real-life patient scenarios. The purpose of this Delphi study was to establish consensus on the use of the INACSL Standards of Best Practice: Simulation in undergraduate nursing education. The conceptual frameworks guiding this study were …

Strategies To Reduce Fall Rates In A Long-Term Care Facility, Kimberly H. Brewer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFalls among residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) pose significant threats to their health and quality of life, as falls often lead to life-threatening injuries such as traumatic brain injury and hip fractures. The etiology of the falls is multifactorial and complex; thus, interventions to reduce the falls typically combine two or more evidence-based interventions. The objective of this doctorate project was to develop an evidenced-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) outlining a multifaceted, evidenced-based bundled set of interventions for a fall prevention program to reduce falls for elderly patients living in the LTCFs. Lewin’s 3-step model of change was used …

Experience Of The Obese Population With Weight Bias/Stigma, Gary Mathew Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity management has been identified as an important issue in health promotion, and some researchers have also reported that people who are obese often do not seek health care. Yet, current research is lacking on the complexities of weight stigma from the perspective of people who are obese. The purpose of this qualitive descriptive study was to understand the perceptions of weight bias/stigma of obese individuals. Guided by Goffman’s Theory of Social Stigma and the Health Belief Model, purposive sampling was used to recruit 10 participants who had a body mass index greater than 30 and who lived in West …

Increasing Fall Awareness Through Nursing Staff Education, Evelyn Ahiante Dennis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patient falls are a significant healthcare concern, with the highest risk being among older adults aged 65 and older. A lack of nursing knowledge can contribute to patient falls. This DNP project was conducted in the medical-surgical trauma unit of a 137-bed local rehabilitation center in Northern Georgia. The intention of the project was to understand if a nursing staff education program would increase knowledge regarding falls prevention. Kurt Lewin’s change theory provided the framework for the project. The project participants were nine medical surgical nurses. Using the analysis, design, development, implementation (ADDIE) model, a falls prevention education program was …

Diabetes Education For Nursing Staff In Primary Health Care, Artemio Pontejos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nature of the DNP project was a staff education program for staff nurses and other clinic personnel on diabetes self-care management in a primary health care setting. The goal of this educational program was to improve and update the knowledge on self-care management of primary health care nurses. This education program followed the Walden University DNP Project Manual for Staff Education guidelines. The purpose of this continuing education of professional nurses was to improve nurses’ patient education on self-care management. After a 3-day face-to-face 90-minute lecture, improvement of knowledge was measured with a comparison of a pretest and a …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Integrative Group Medical Visits For Low-Income Patients With Anxiety Disorders In Primary Care, Annamma Udaya Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High utilization of the emergency department (ED) by patients with anxiety symptoms has brought attention to mental health access disparities among low-income racially/ethnically diverse populations. The health system in this study attempted to increase access to mental health care with integrative group medical visits (IGMVs), a nonpharmacological intervention with biomedical care consultation, health education, and peer support. The purpose of this retrospective comparative analysis, guided by integrative health equity in primary care framework, was to determine whether patients with diagnoses of anxiety who attended four or more IGMVs had reduced nonemergent ED utilization, reduced prescribed doses of benzodiazepine (BZD), and …