Nursing Commons^™

Opioid Screening In The Primary Care Setting, Melissa Welge, Shelby Jones

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Implementation of an Opioid Risk Assessment Tool in the Primary Care Setting.

Increasing Vaccination Rates In Pregnancy Using A Multifaceted Approach Including Patient Education And Reminder/Recall Interventions, Jas Tiara Mcgee

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Given the global tragedy that this most recent pandemic has caused, more attention has been given to the devastating outcomes that the spread of infectious disease outbreaks can have. Similar to those with comorbid conditions, pregnant women are also extremely vulnerable to infectious diseases, as disease manifestation does not only affect the mother, but the fetus as well. Thus, the prevention of both the influenza virus and pertussis are two major goals when providing care for this population. Preventing both of these disease processes during the intrapartum period helps to ensure optimal wellness for both mother and baby and overall …

Letting It Go: A Transformative Session Of Massage Therapy, Amanda Brauman King

Journal of Transformative Touch

This personal essay the role of skilled touch, in this case massage therapy, in healing from loss.

Biopsychosocial Multidisciplinary Treatment Impact On Risk Of Opioid Misuse, Michael A. Palacio

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

From 1999 to 2014, over 165,000 persons in the United States died from an overdose related to prescription opioids (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). In response, the CDC released guidelines that propose nonpharmacologic and nonopioid pharmacologic therapy as preferred methods for chronic pain control (Dowell et al., 2016). The purpose of this project was to examine the biopsychosocial multidisciplinary treatment impact on risk of opioid medication misuse among adult chronic opioid-dependent noncancer pain clinic patients with and without a psychiatric disorder. Engel’s (1977) biopsychosocial model was used to evaluate whether multidisciplinary treatment impacted the risk of opioid …

Better Together? The Effects Of Shared Medical Appointments On Bmi In Obese Adults, Amanda Larson

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The United States (U.S.) is amidst an obesity epidemic, with Indiana ranking as the 15th worst state (Institute of Medicine, 2012; United Health Foundations, 2020). Despite current management strategies, the obesity rate in both the U.S. and Indiana continues to rise (WHO, 2020). Therefore, obesity management must change. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to determine if the addition of shared medical appointments (SMAs) consisting of informational group sessions by specialists and brief individualized meetings with the provider will result in greater reduction of weight and body mass index (BMI) compared to standard care alone in those …

School Of Nursing News, Georgia Southern University

Nursing: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• Lewis Receives Eagle Excellence Award

Education Combined With Reminder Strategies To Improve Cervical Cancer Screening Rates, Christina E. Mclean

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide and a leading cause of death in some countries (Jayasekara, 2020). Approximately 13,800 cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed in the U.S. last year, and about 4,290 women died (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2020). Regular cervical cancer screening (CCS) reduces morbidity and mortality, but screening rates are low in the U.S. and at the project site (ACS. 2020). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to increase CCS at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with six clinic locations in Northwest Indiana; the primary project site was …

Implementation Of A Cost-Effective Treatment Algorithm For The Management Of Acne Vulgaris In College Students, Cristina Borsilli

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Acne is one of the most common skin disorders in the United States, occuring in over 5.1 million Americans. Of those with acne, 53.8% are adults between the ages of 18 and 44 years old (American Academy of Dermatology [AAD], 2017). Acne can lead to multiple issues such as scarring, poor self-esteem, anxiety, and depression (Zaenglein et al., 2016). Acne can also negatively impact quality of life (Cengiz & Gurel, 2020). The purpose of this evidence-based project was to develop a cost-effective treatment algorithm for the management of acne vulgaris in adult college students. A literature search determined the best …

Prelicensure Nursing Students’ Perceptions Of A Rapid Transition To An Online Learning Environment, Elizabeth Green, Victoria Mrwoka, Jacqueline Savalle

Nursing Masters Papers

The transition to a fully online environment after the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic left all educators with the need to quickly transition didactic classes to the online environment and attempt to understand and utilize online teaching modalities. Online learning has only recently become integrated into nursing education, creating a gap in literature in relation to the most appropriate strategies for online course delivery, specifically in prelicensure nursing. This chapter explores the background to the project, types of learning environments, definitions of terms utilized, and purpose of the secondary analysis.

Using Mindfulness To Decrease Stress In College Students, Saska Pavlovic

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The prevalence of stress is increasing in colleges, where students are experiencing anxiety at an alarming rate, with anxiety being the topic most discussed in university counseling centers. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to determine the effect of mindfulness exercises on college students’ perceived stress. The Stetler Model guided the project development and implementation. The literature search revealed that best practice included mindfulness exercises through a combination of face-to-face instruction and remote online audio meditation for a duration of eight weeks. For this project, 56 undergraduate students (health care-leadership, health-science, and nursing majors) enrolled in a health …

Evidence-Based Recommendations For Assistive Technologies For Safety In Dementia Care, Lee A. Diener

Masters Projects

A Quality Improvement (QI) project in a Midwestern Continuing Care Residential Community (CCRC) was designed to examine the evidence-base of four assistive technology platforms marketed as safety platforms as means to improve outcomes for older adults residing in memory care environments. Using the Evidence-Based Design Model Socio-Technical Systems Theory, survey data and observational data collected from the organization were considered with respect to the evidence-base supporting each technology. Ten organizational priorities derived from collected data were used to develop an Evidence-Based Assistive Technology Fitness score for each of the AT platforms reviewed. This methodology provides a means to evaluate planning …

School Of Nursing News, Georgia Southern University

Nursing: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• Hagerty Earns Fellowship Credential

The Effect Of Implementing A Generalized Anxiety Disorder Protocol For Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In The Primary Care Setting, Bailey J. Hinman

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is very prevalent in the United States with 5.7% of citizens affected (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2017). This number is expected to be even higher because individuals avoid care due to stigma of mental illness (Andrews et al., 2018). GAD can have significant implications such as decreased ability to function, decreased quality of life and increased risk of suicide (Fong, 2018; Lizarondo, 2018). The purpose of this project was to improve outcomes for adult patients with GAD in the primary care setting by improving treatment to follow best practice recommendations. The Johns Hopkins Evidence …

Pediatric Health Literacy, Morgan E. Sapper, Grace G. Lloyd

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Abstract

Background: Unless you are a healthcare provider or licensed healthcare professional, understanding the United States healthcare system and its accompanying medical jargon can be confusing and overwhelming to try to navigate. Even more difficult is comprehending what resources are available to specific populations and how to gain the most benefit from these offered resources. Limited health literacy skills have been identified as the largest barrier in identifying an individual’s health outcomes. Health affects every stage of life. The purpose of this paper is to analyze what health literacy implementations look like as well as the age and developmental stage …

Integrating Ethics And The Opioid Crisis Via Simulation: An Ethical Debriefing For Nursing Students, Raigan A. J. Shackelford

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Over the past three decades, opioid medication misuse and abuse has skyrocketed. The increase in improper use has created the need for more frequent exercise of ethical reasoning skills in practice. This study was designed to determine the effect of an ethics-centered debriefing exercise following a standardized simulation scenario concerning opioid misuse/abuse on nursing students’ value of and perceived confidence in ethical reasoning skills. 18 senior level BSN students at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, participated in an ethics- focused debriefing exercise following the simulated scenario. The debriefing was constructed using the ANA Code of Ethics and James Madison …

Implementation Of A Nurse-Led Family Centered Engagement Intervention For Caregivers Of Extremely Premature Infants In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Emily Keenan, Michaela L. Ranallo, Kathleen A. Walsh, Haley Chapko, Tiffany A. Moore

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Objective: The objective of this feasibility study was to examine the implementation and usefulness of an intervention for extremely premature infant (EPI) caregivers.

Results: One caregiver and five nurses provided feedback with a mean score of 4.4 out of 5 pertaining to helpfulness.

Conclusions: Implementation of the Caregiver’s Guide was feasible and was positively received by NICU nurses and caregivers. We recommend implementing a revised version of this tool based on nurse and caregiver feedback. The delivery of education should be divided between dayshift and nightshift nurses so that one nurse is not responsible for providing all the information. The …

Evaluation Of A Renewal Room For Nurses, Danica Lee, Courtney Batra, Megan Knutson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects: College of Nursing

Wellness is an emerging and prominent issue in recent years, and specifically has a heavy influence on healthcare institutions and their employees. Having an outlet for self-care is important in developing resilience to life’s challenges. A Renewal Room is one approach to encouraging resilience and mental health restoration. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usability of a wellness room for nurses. Data were collected in the form of an electronic survey that examined the utility (does it do what users need) and usability of the Renewal Room by determining who uses the room, when it is used, …

Introduction Of Strong For Surgery Pre-Surgical Checklist For Elective Procedures​, Dylan Defauw

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nearly one-third of hospitalized patients experience preventable harm or adverse effects related to the care they received, often due to preventable surgical complications. Thorough preoperative assessment and management of risk factors can lessen this risk. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to increase knowledge and prepare staff for use of the preoperative tool Strong for Surgery (S4S) in a general surgery clinic in a rural hospital in southern Illinois. Support for each of the key components of the Strong for Surgery pre-surgical checklist was reviewed in the literature; these include nutrition, smoking cessation, glycemic control, medication management, safe …

Culturally Appropriate Health Education: Translation Of A Parturient Pain Relief Options Pamphlet Into French And Spanish, Francis Minor, Austin Cook

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The rise of immigration worldwide introduces a diverse, multicultural population of patients seeking healthcare in the United States. Barriers to communication, both spoken language and culturally associated communication norms, limit immigrant women’s ability to seek, gain access, and follow through with perinatal care. In order to provide safe, effective, and culturally sensitive care, recognition of language and cultural differences of all individuals must be considered when providing patients with educational materials (Perera et al., 2012; Plumbaum et al., 2014). The aim of this project was to translate an existing pain relief options pamphlet into French and Spanish in order to …

Pediatric Concussion Clinic: A Needs Assessment, Carrie West

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Abstract

Pediatric Concussion Clinic: A Needs Assessment

Concussions are a mild traumatic brain injury by a biomechanical force to the head. Concussion rates among youth are as high as 33 million per year worldwide. Most children recover within 4 weeks post injury; however, 30% of patients have delayed recovery. Recent studies have shown that evaluation by a concussion specialist within 1 week of injury results in quicker recovery. The purpose and goal of this project was to determine if there was a need for establishing a pediatric concussion clinic at Southern Illinois University Medicine. Study participants included pediatric providers from …

Developing A Peer Mentoring Program For Srnas, Morgan E. Fitterer, Miranda Portwine

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Faculty of a nurse anesthesia program at a Midwestern University requested evidence of the impact a peer mentoring program could make in reducing stress levels for SRNAs. To better tailor a peer mentoring program, surveys were developed and distributed to the university’s SRNAs and to program directors of CRNA programs across the country.

Based on the literature, a survey was developed and distributed to 81 SRNAs at this university to evaluate their stress and their perceptions of the impact of peer mentoring on stress. Another survey was developed and distributed to 118 program directors to learn if they have a …

The Importance Of Providing Multimodal Analgesia: A Literature Review Of Nonpharmacologic Pain Treatments, Miriam Swartzentruber

Senior Honors Theses

Pain is a central aspect of the human experience. While painful stimuli can be beneficial in alerting the brain to the fact that there is something wrong, left untreated, pain can cause devastating long-term effects on the individual, both physically and mentally. Pain has traditionally been either undertreated or managed solely using pharmacologic methods, with less thought given to the importance of supplementing therapy with nonpharmacologic interventions. By incorporating nonpharmacologic methods of pain management into nursing care, patients can be provided with holistic treatment that improves patient outcomes, decreases healthcare costs, avoids future complications, and improves overall quality of life.

Examination Of Access, Utilization, And Barriers To Care Among Special Populations In The United States, Jed R. Hansen

Theses & Dissertations

Utilizing healthcare services is a complex phenomenon in the United States. While system-level barriers and facilitators of care, along with individual consumer choices, are known to affect access and subsequent use of services, the interaction among the factors that lead to utilization remains unknown. Examining access and utilization of healthcare services using a consumer framework incorporating both access barriers and facilitators and consumer-level dimensions that affect choice in seeking care may inform access and utilization research. The purposes of this dissertation were 1) to explore the presence of facilitators and barriers to care in ambulatory healthcare locations for non-emergent care …

Developing An Early Mobility Nurse-Led Protocol In Critical Care Patients, Anne Flicek

Nursing Masters Papers

The growth of the medical field has resulted in an increase of patients with co-morbidities. Many patients admitted to the intensive care unit present (ICU) with multiple co-morbidities. These co-morbidities add to the frailty of the patient. Frailty has an increased an increased 6 month mortality rate (Maguet, Roquilly, Lasocki, Asehnoune,…& Sequin, 2014). Hospital stays, specifically ICU stays, are one of the largest expenditures for Medicare. To reduce costs, ICU lengths of stay need to be shortened. A growing body of evidence supports the feasibility, safety, and short- and long-term functional benefits of early mobility. Early mobility can be maintained …

The Effects Of Diabetes Education On Long-Term Complications, Sunny Lawrence

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The purpose of the scholarly project is to: a) Evaluate if diabetes education can improve a patient’s overall condition; b) Measure the chances of reducing long-term complications if a person is to participate in diabetes education and continue to follow up; c) Demonstrate that with effective diabetes self-management education (DSME) hemoglobin A1c can be reduced. The project design and target population were selected based on research performed on diabetes and diabetes education and the effects that it has on improving self-management in turn creating better glycemic control and fewer complications. This study will focus on type 2 diabetes, which is …

Implementation And Evaluation Of The Quantification Of Blood Loss And Postpartum Hemorrhage Education, Marlee Cares

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is an obstetric emergency that can lead to maternal morbidly and mortality. The literature consistently shows that numerous maternal deaths related to PPH are preventable. The significant contributors identified to maternal deaths from PPH include deficient education obstetrical nurses have on PPH, delayed recognition, and miscalculations of blood loss. After completing a literature review on the current PPH practice and determining the current method of estimation of blood loss (EBL) to be inaccurate, obstetric nurses at a rural, southeast Kansas hospital were educated on PPH to improve recognition and determine cumulative blood loss more accurately by the …

A Quality Improvement Project For Medication Reconciliation, Crystal Garcia

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The purpose of this study was to implement a quality improvement project for medication reconciliation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a Midwestern hospital. This project was conducted by surveying the twenty-two nurses, four pharmacists, and one medication reconciliation technician regarding their view of barriers to why medication reconciliations are not always done at admission to this unit. Data was collected that revealed the number of patients admitted to this ICU prior to the implementation of the project. Then a quality improvement project was initiated. The first step was to re-educate the staff on the proper steps of entering …

Provider Knowledge Of Tickborne Diseases, Kristi Harbit

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Tickborne diseases have increased in incidence in recent years, and new tickborne diseases are being discovered. These increasing numbers show the importance of well-educated health care providers to adequately diagnose and treat these diseases. The purpose of this DNP scholarly project study was to determine the effectiveness of an educational presentation for primary care providers over tickborne diseases in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The educational presentation was given at a local nurse practitioner conference and knowledge was assessed via a pre-test, post-test, and 6-week follow-up email. Few research articles are available over this subject and the articles that have …

Education For Healthcare Providers, Nurses, And The Public On Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia, Jenny Greene

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

This project evaluated the knowledge of the public, healthcare providers, and nurses regarding opioid induced hyperalgesia (OIH). OIH is an elevated pain response because of high dosage or chronic use of opioids. Opioids are a problem not only in the United States but throughout the world; addiction, constipation, and overdose are the most frequently mentioned consequences of opioids. Little is known about other consequences to the body caused by chronic or high dose opioid usage, such as OIH. This project sought to increase awareness and caution against the utilization of opioids by patients and their healthcare providers and nurses practice. …

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Nonpharmacological Intervention Education For Healthcare Professionals Caring For Newborns, Darby Harvey

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Neonatal abstinence syndrome has increased significantly in the United States over the past few decades due to the increase of maternal substance abuse. The overall goal of caring for these infants is effective management of the withdrawal symptoms, including both pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions. However, nonpharmacological interventions have been shown to improve infant outcomes and reduce length of hospitalization. This project sought to increase healthcare professionals’ knowledge and confidence regarding neonatal abstinence syndrome and the utilization of nonpharmacological interventions when caring for infants diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome through the provision of an educational presentation. This study utilized a one-group …