Nursing Commons^™

Implementation Of Educational Program For Nurses To Improve Knowledge And Use Of Discharge Planning Best Practices, Eric C. Snyder

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Problem Statement: The frequency and severity of hospital post-discharge events has become a national problem. The increase in readmission rates post-discharge has a negative impact on the patients overall morbidity and increases healthcare costs (Jack, 2012). Non-comprehensive discharge planning contributes to post-discharge events such as less than 30-day readmissions (Jack, 2012). Best practices for discharge planning should be utilized.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of Project Re-engineering Discharge (RED) education to increase nurses' knowledge and use of best practices on discharge planning. An adapted Project RED educational intervention, using Knowles' adult learning …

Non-Language Barriers To Effective Care Of The Hispanic Population, Elizabeth M. Dobbins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research study was designed to improve the quality of health care received by the Hispanic population in northeast Tennessee. After reviewing past research, it is evident that the Hispanic population reports a lower level of health care satisfaction and a greater number of health disparities. Although attempts to reconcile this problem have included implementing regulations and guidelines on the cultural competency of and the provision of language services by health care providers, no measurable improvement has been noted. To positively impact this pervasive problem, the focus must shift away from how health care agencies can affect health care for …

The Cost Of Caring: Compassion Fatigue In Hospice Nursing, Stephanie O'Neil

Senior Honors Projects

Compassion fatigue is a concept that is often referred to as the “cost of caring.” Hospice nurses, who regularly care for patients at the end of life, are most susceptible to this sense of helplessness, isolation, and confusion, as each day they are faced with bearing witness to the tragic loss of their patients. Compassion fatigue has detrimental effects on the health and wellbeing of nurses, and impacts on the safety and dignity preservation of patients. The purpose of this project was to explore the concept of compassion fatigue in Hospice nursing practice. Kim and Schwartz-Barcott’s Hybrid Model is a …

Impact Of Prior Healthcare Experience On Self-Reported Confidence And Competency Among Third Year Clinical Nursing Students, Conrad N. Bukoski, Jennifer Fuvich

Senior Honors Projects

There is a long-running debate amongst nurse educators if prior healthcare experience facilitates or encumbers a nursing student’s clinical training and education. Nursing students with prior healthcare experience have often worked as home health aids (HHAs), certified nursing assistants (CNAs), patient care technicians (PCTs), emergency medical technicians (EMTs), electrocardiogram technicians (EKG tech), student nurse associates (SNAs), and paramedics. The psychomotor and cognitive nursing skills utilized in these healthcare positions vary and some overlap with nursing skills. All of these positions interact with other healthcare positions to deliver patient care.

Some educators feel that inadequate skills and training may be acquired …

Cultural Humility: A Lifelong Process For Professional Nurses, Jenny Adelstein

Senior Honors Projects

Cultural humility is necessary for all nurses in order to provide the best quality patient care. It is a life-long process of self-reflection and self-critique, which allows nurses to examine differences and similarities between their own beliefs, values, and health care goals with those of their patients (Schuessler et al., 2012). Cultural humility helps nurses to recognize potential differences in the meaning of health and wellness among their patients, and to begin to understand the many challenges to accessing quality health care. Cultural immersion programs is one educational strategy to allow nursing students to develop cultural humility through acquiring critical …

The Effect Of Worked Out Modeling In Nursing Simulation, Jayne Josephsen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study provides a research framework that incorporates cognitive load theory (CLT) into simulation design and implementation, as well as providing a pilot tool to measure cognitive load specific to nursing simulation. The pedagogy of CLT is based in an understanding of cognitive architecture, which includes working memory, long-term memory, various types of cognitive load, and schema development. A quasi-experimental quantitative design was used with a convenience sample of senior baccalaureate nursing students who participated in simulation as part of their coursework. The treatment group received a worked out modeling intervention, designed upon the CLT instructional intervention of the worked …

Improving Transitions Of Care In The Perioperative Setting, Brian Wayne Selig

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It is estimated that nearly 200,000 Americans die each year due to preventable medical mistakes (Gupta, 2012), and nearly 80% of all medical errors involve some form of miscommunication between healthcare providers (Joint Commission Center for the Transformation of Healthcare, 2013). Handoffs, or the transitioning of patient care from one provider to another, occur multiple times each day in the hospital setting and done incorrectly can lead to significant mistakes in patient care.

The purpose of this project was to improve the quality of handoffs that occurred between perioperative and inpatient nurses at an urban, tertiary medical center. A shared …

The Triage Experience, Susan F. Sanders Phd, Rn

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The interaction between nurse and patient in Emergency Department triage is a pivotal point in emergency care. The goal in triage is to rapidly assess a patient’s status and urgency of need. Determining urgency of need is absolutely crucial. The purpose of this study was to elicit the perspective of the triage emergency nurse to uncover possible components necessary for successful triage.

Methods: Using an interpretive phenomenological method, the experience of triage was explored by conducting semi-structured interviews. Seven emergency nurses in the coastal Georgia area, with a mean age of 40, were interviewed after accepting an open …

Napnap Position Statement On Immunizations, Lacey M. Eden

Faculty Publications

The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) fully supports timely and complete immunization of all infants, children, adolescents, and adults to maximize the health and well-being of all people. Routine childhood immunizations prevent approximately 2.5 million deaths every year (World Health Organization, 2012). Maintaining the highest immunization rates possible is essential to prevent outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases across the nation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2013). The CDC recommends that all children, adolescents, and adults be immunized to protect children who are most vulnerable to serious illness and death (CDC, 2014). In concert with the American …

The Effects Of 12 Weeks Of Instructor-Led Yoga Classes On Balance In Older Adults, Patricia C. Hart

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Participation in a regular exercise program is an effective way to reduce and/or prevent a number of functional declines associated with aging (Chodzko-Zajo et al., 2009). Older adults are advised to participate in regular aerobic activity and practice muscle strengthening activities and exercise that maintains or improves balance (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, [USDHHS], 2012). Less than one third of older adults engage in 30 minutes of low to moderate intense physical activity at least five days a week as recommended in current guidelines (USDHHS, 2012), and these guidelines fail to address losses in strength and flexibility seen …

Pink Goes Red For A Day: Is Your Heart Healthy?, Quierra W. Jones

Honors College Theses

There is a major lack of public health education among college aged students at many colleges and universities across the country. Even further, many minority college students are unfamiliar with one of the most life-threatening health issues that affect them the most: heart health. As a nursing student and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., I strive to uphold our “service to all mankind” motto and also educate the public about important heart health matters. On February 4, 2014, I presented a program through my sorority entitled Pink Goes Red for a Day in which I educated the primarily …

The Effect Of An Antenatal Breastfeeding Intervention On Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy And Intention Among Inner City Adolescents, Jamie El Harit

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

According to Healthy People 2020, infants who are breastfed have improved nutritional, immunological, developmental, and social outcomes (USDHHS, 2014). Despite the benefits of breastfeeding and the focused international efforts to increase levels of breastfeeding, adolescents remain largely unaware and continue to have among the lowest levels of breastfeeding initiation (CDC, 2013; Spear, 2006). The purpose of this EBP project was to reduce the disparities of breastfeeding initiation by increasing breastfeeding self-efficacy and intention in an inner city specialty high school. Synthesis of the evidence demonstrated that needs-based, repeated antenatal education delivered by a lactation expert including breastfeeding peer counselor supports …

Religious Spiritual Coping In African American Women With Hypertension, Danice B. Greer

Faculty Posters

This poster was presented at the 28th Annual Southern Nursing Research Society-Enhancing Value-based Care: Generating New Knowledge, The Southern Nursing Research Society, San Antonio, TX, 2014.

Diabetes Distress: Transforming A Practice, Goff M. Jeannie

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Diabetes mellitus affects millions of people in the United States, placing them at risk for other disease related complications. This makes the management of diabetes and the prevention of complications an important challenge. The psychological aspect of diabetes care may present a barrier to patients that inhibit them from achieving optimal self-care.

Diabetes distress (DD) is the psychological aspect of diabetes that is specific to the emotional distress caused from living a chronic disease. DD has been linked to poorer self-management behaviors which makes it a significant problem that should be taken into consideration for effective management of the diabetic …

Clinical Challenges In Isolation Care, Elizabeth L. Beam, Shawn G. Gibbs, Angela L. Hewlett, Peter C. Iwen, Suzanne L. Nuss, Philip W. Smith

Journal Articles: College of Nursing

OVERVIEW: In 2014, the authors published the results of a study investigating nurses' use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the care of a live simulated patient requiring contact and airborne precautions. The 24 participants were video-recorded as they donned and doffed PPE. Variations in practices that had the potential to cause contamination were noted. In this article, the authors comment on those variations, analyzing each element of proper PPE protocols and examining why the behaviors are a safety concern for the nurse and a potential risk for disease transmission in the hospital or other clinical area. The authors note …

The Stethoscoop, April 2015, Mennonite College Of Nursing

The Stethoscoop

The Stethoscoop is the newsletter for Mennonite College of Nursing students.

A Dual Conversation About Mentoring: Undergraduate Student Faculty Perspectives, Belinda Deal, Jennifer Grimes

Faculty Posters

This poster was presented at the Sigma Theta Tau, Beta Chi Regional Research Conference in Shreveport, LA.

The Affordable Care Act And Student Perceptions, Jenifer Chilton, Danice B. Greer, Melinda Hermanns, Colleen Marzilli

Faculty Posters

A poster presented at UT Tyler's Faculty Awards, 2015.

Successful Strategies For Recruiting Minority Participants In Clinical Research, Danice B. Greer

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation discusses the history of and successful strategies for recruiting minorities in participating in clinical research.

Are You Demonstrating The Value Of Caring?, Beth B. Boyd

Nursing Faculty Publications

Are you making a difference? Christian values and caring are at the heart of nursing practice. However, it seems there is little talk about caring values with nursing students, even though nurse educators can share these important messages with their students. Demonstrating compassion and caring in an environment of mutual respect can truly make a difference to future nurses.

Sternal Precautions: Is It Necessary To Restrict Our Patients?, Lauren Belyea

Honors College Theses

This paper is based on the inquiry about the effects of sternal precautions as part of a patient’s recovery following a sternotomy. It is important to explore this because nurses should always be asking themselves “why am I doing what I am doing with my patients?” “Which of my practices are evidence based and which do not have any evidence to support them?” (MeInyk, 2009). If sternal precautions are indeed overly restrictive and preventing patients from achieving the best possible recovery outcomes, it is the job of the nurse and other healthcare providers to make changes to the current practice.

Effect Of An Adaptive Thinking Training Methodology On Critical Thinking Disposition Using Human Patient Simulators: A Catalyst For Preparing Advanced Nursing Students, Robert Joseph Fitkin Jr.

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Critical thinking decision making is the foundation for effective, safe, nursing practice. Nurses have to assess patient issues rapidly regardless of whether it is emotional, psychological, or physical, and then sort through "rapid fire" questions resulting in invisible sorting, discerning, and drawing of conclusions. Doing this "invisible sorting" well requires practice. Nursing education provides practice through preceptors or scenarios-driven human patient simulators to practice critical thinking. This study examines Adaptive Thinking Training Methodology with simulation exercises as a possible catalyst for growth in critical thinking disposition, and help in addressing the preparation-practice gap for novice nurses.

A class of advanced …

The Stethoscoop, March 2015, Mennonite College Of Nursing

The Stethoscoop

The Stethoscoop is the newsletter for Mennonite College of Nursing students.

The Stethoscoop, February 2015, Mennonite College Of Nursing

The Stethoscoop

The Stethoscoop is the newsletter for Mennonite College of Nursing students.

Telehealth Tool, Heidi A. Mennenga, Laurie Johansen, Becka Foerster, Lori Hendrickx

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

This tool examines current knowledge regarding telehealth.

Rural Characteristics Tool, Heidi A. Mennenga, Laurie Johansen, Becka Foerster, Lori Hendrickx

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

This tool examines current knowledge and confidence in teaching rural characteristics.

The Effect Of A Facilitated Educational Program And Experiential Learning On Nursing Workplace Incivility, Nancy E. Armstrong

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Workplace incivility is a well-documented issue in nursing. It has the potential to cause emotional and physical distress in victims, and potentially affect the quality of care provided. Research in acute care settings found that facilitated educational training sessions related to workplace incivility, in combination with experiential learning activities, assisted nurses in improving their understanding of workplace incivility and their communication skills. It has also been found to reduce workplace incivility. The purpose of this Capstone Project was to implement a civility training program that included education about incivility through facilitated discussions, as well as teambuilding exercises and experiential learning …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Heart Improvement Toolkit Program: A Pilot Project, Cheryl L. Mitchell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, debilitating disease resulting in over one million hospitalizations with an estimated 30.7 million dollars in total health care cost per year (Go et al., 2014). Evidence shows that HF education programs that promote adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological provider recommendations are effective in reducing 30-day HF recidivism rates, increasing self-care behavior, and decreasing adverse clinical events. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to implement the Heart Improvement Toolkit (HIT) Program which is a one-on-one, comprehensive HF-specific education program, for patients with a HF diagnosis who have been admitted to non-cardiac specialty units. Program …

Intricate Conversations: Caring For Clients With Severe Mental Illness, John D. Chovan

Nursing Faculty Scholarship

This presentation describes the characteristics of persons living with severe mental illness who intersect with hospice, and palliative care, and their communication challenges.

Simulation In Assisting Nurses To Better Recognize Early Signs Of Clinical Deterioration Of Patients, Loretta Elder

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The need to enhance the knowledge and skills of nurses caring for patients who exhibit signs of clinical deterioration has been validated in the literature. The literature has further supported the registered nurse as the key individual expected to recognize signs of clinical deterioration in the patient. The use of simulation as an effective teaching strategy has been well documented in the literature. The purpose of the project was to use simulation as an educational intervention to increase nurse knowledge, self-confidence, and competency when caring for patients exhibiting signs of clinical deterioration. The findings of this project are supported by …