Nursing Commons^™

Central Line Maintenance Team, Lauren Spears

MSN Capstone Projects

Background: CLASBI infections increase morbidity and mortality rates in intensive care units. Studies have shown that line teams can reduce CLASBI rates by 65% (Cuccaro et al., 2020).

Objective: This narrative review aims to determine if initiation of central line maintenance teams will help reduce CLASBI rates in the ICU.

Summary Databases including CINAHL, PubMed, and Cochrane were searched for randomized control trials (RCT), systemic, qualitative and case control studies to find research study evidence to determine if a dedicated central line maintenance team, specifically for insertion and dressing changes, will help reduce CLASBI rates in the ICU setting. The …

Using Simulation To Develop Clinical Judgment In New-To-Practice Emergency Department Nurses: An Evidence-Based Benchmark Project, Moreno Divine Comiskey

MSN Capstone Projects

In the past 6 months, the Emergency Department at the George Washington University Hospital has onboarded over twice as many new-to-practice nurses as experienced emergency nurses. Studies suggest that these new-to-practice nurses often are deficient in clinical judgment, and our observations at our hospital support these findings. Researchers have found that onboarding programs that include simulation have success in improving clinical judgment, and advocate for its use. Simulation gives another angle to the onboarding program in addition to preceptorship and classroom learning, and allows participants to bridge the gap between theory and practice safely and without fear of harming a …

The Use Of Standardized Patients To Improve Communication Skills: A Benchmark Study, Baylee A. Azbell

MSN Capstone Projects

Effective communication is an important skill set for all nurses to withhold. In the medical field, poor communication skills have been associated with negative patient outcomes, increase in patient dissatisfaction and complaints, faulty treatment adherence, inadequate patient education, malpractice claims and poor patient and healthcare team relationships (Lin et al., 2013). Communication is a learned skill and needs to be taught from the very beginning of nursing school. Nursing schools need to be proactive and prepare their nursing students in promoting clear communication skills to ensure patient safety and satisfaction in care. This issue led to the benchmark project that …

Change Of Policy Regarding Evidence Based Practice Interventions In Postpartum Hemorrhages And Promotion Of Standardization Of Care, Danielle Fulton

MSN Capstone Projects

Postpartum Hemorrhages are occurring at a devastating rate and require intervention, as postpartum women can die from hemorrhages. This project aims to establish interventions that should be a set policy, to help decrease the rate in which postpartum hemorrhages occur and the morbidity rate.

The Impact Of An Innovative Simulation On Prelicensure Nursing Student Empathy Levels, Annie Harrison

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Empathy is the ability to see oneself in the situation of another and to take actions on behalf of that individual based on that perception. However, empathy has been shown to decrease in nursing education and continues to do so in nursing practice. Importantly, aspects of empathy have been shown to be teachable. This scholarly practice project examined whether an innovative simulation would increase empathy in prelicensure nursing students. This study, guided by self-determination theory (SDT) and designed according to the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) change model, used a mixed-methods design. The instrument for quantitative data collection was the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire …

Technology Methods In The Bariatric Postoperative Follow-Up Phase Benchmark Study, Haley Rogers

MSN Capstone Projects

Diet and exercise seem to be the safer option for weight loss, but many individuals struggle to achieve maximum weight loss with these methods. Bariatric surgery has become a growing trend to help combat the obesity epidemic that society is now facing. A large increase in sleeve gastrectomy has been utilized and in 2013, there was a documented 468, 609 cases of bariatric surgery performed worldwide (Sherf Dagan et al., 2017). Bariatric surgery has been shown to provide the greatest level of weight loss when compared to traditional methods that include diet and exercise (Khan, 2016). Weight regain has been …

To Use Or Not To Use Oxygen For Mi Benchmark Study, Alexia Celaya

MSN Capstone Projects

It is a common practice for emergency personnel to administer oxygen for a patient diagnosed with a myocardial infarction. It is a well-known practice to place the patient on supplemental oxygen even if they are not hypoxic. The use of supplemental oxygen has been a cornerstone in the treatment of myocardial infarction. The rationale behind the administration of oxygen therapy is to increase oxygen delivery to the myocardium, therefore limiting the infarct size and future complications (Hofmann et al., 2017). The use of supplemental oxygen on normoxic patients has been challenged due to the possibility of causing further injury to …

Osteoporosis In Postmenopausal Women, Lindsay Vazquez, Destiny Struble, Laura Wyne, Hadas Cohen, Lizzy Ryan, Modupe Adewuyi

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

Background: Osteoporosis is a skeletal system disease that causes bone fragility due to low bone mineral density (BMD). BMD decreases with age and lack of estrogen production. Thus, post-menopausal women are prone to osteoporosis and have an elevated risk of bone fractures. Non-pharmaceutical interventions have the potential to increase BMD and lower osteoporosis patients' risk for bone fractures.

Objective: To compare published evidence on the effects of vitamin D, calcium supplements, and performing weight-bearing exercises in increasing BMD and lowering the risk for bone fractures among post-menopausal women.

Methods: In accordance with PRISMA guidelines. we conducted a systematic search …

Cannabis And Opioids In Chronic Pain Management, Estefan Tsegaye, Clara Kathryn Pollard, Emilie Tate, Justin White, Raphaela Woods

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Many adults suffer from chronic pain. Opioids are commonly prescribed to treat chronic pain, though they can produce adverse side effects and carry the potential for abuse and addiction. The introduction of cannabis in medicine has provided a possible alternative to opioids in chronic pain management. Objective: This systematic literature review aims to synthesize evidence from published studies to answer the following research question in the PICOT format: In adults over the age of 18 with chronic pain (P), how does prescribed cannabis therapy (I) compare with prescribed opioid therapy (C) in affecting perceived pain levels and quality of …

Heavy Eyes, Medication Errors, And Night-Shift Nursing, Mackenzie Hull, Doonya Mereby, Randolph Rich, Kat Wallace

Symposium of Student Scholars

Heavy Eyes, Medication Errors, and Night-shift Nursing

Recorded Video Upload

Undergraduate Student(s): Kat Wallace, Doonya Mereby, Randolph Rich, Mackenzie Hull

Research Mentor(s): Karen Armstrong

Background: Medication errors occur in every hospital setting, but the question is always how can they be avoided? Night shift and day shift differences play a significant role in medication errors. Further research is needed to delineate specific causes of medical errors between the two types of nursing work shift types. This study aims to identify whether night shift nurses working 12-hour shifts (7pm-7am) experience more medication errors than their day shift counterparts (7am-7pm), as well …

The Effects Of Nursing Overtime Work Hours On Medication Errors And Patient Safety, Camilla Byrd, Halle Borgel, Mykayla Stephens, Jena Killian, Mya Kinney

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

Background: The recent global pandemic has uncovered health care inequities among nursing professionals. The nursing shortage has placed pressure on overworked nurses to perform higher level critical care under dire and unsafe conditions. The stress of overworked nurses is a culprit for medical errors that affect the quality and effectiveness of patient care. Methods: Kennesaw State Library, PubMed, 35 articles screened. After thorough screening of various articles addressing this topic, we examined the quantitative and qualitative studies performed in all areas of nursing. Results: Research suggests that nurses working overtime versus full-time hours experience physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion …

Indications And Outcomes Of Or Circulators Continually Leaving The Room During Surgery, Kelly Mckay

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

Surgical inefficiencies are a major concern for hospitals due to the fact that they can cause extended OR time, increased costs, and a decrease in patient safety. The primary goal of this research is to understand how operating room circulators leaving the room continuously for missing or needed items can be minimized. In turn, that will increase the efficiency and safety of the surgery. The research will identify and evaluate factors that influence the duration of time in which the circulator is out of the room and how to improve them. The AORN Position Statement states that one perioperative …

Post-Operative Delirium: Can Retraining On The Cam-Icu Tool Increase Nurses’ Confidence In Patient Assessment?, Alison Farraher

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Delirium is defined as an acute condition consisting of confusion, altered mental status, and disorganized thought processes. Patients who develop delirium have higher mortality rates, increased lengths of stay in the hospital, worse clinical outcomes, and place a higher burden on hospital staff. Affecting up to fifty percent of cardiac surgery patients, delirium is recognized as a major post-operative complication highlighting the importance of early detection. The Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) is a widely accepted screening tool used to detect delirium in the ICU setting. Despite being clinically validated, many nurses lack adequate training on how …

Monthly Debriefing Sessions For Critical Care Nurses: Evaluating Nurse Burnout And Retention, Emilei Ison

Symposium of Student Scholars

Nurse burnout and retention is an ongoing issue in the trauma/surgery ICU, especially following COVID-19. Critical Care Societies Collaborative (CCSC) recently held a summit to address the issue of burnout among critical care professionals and call for action to implement change and promote research. Studies have shown that increased burnout amongst nurses is associated with increased healthcare associated infections, increased patient mortality, and decreased perceived quality of teamwork. With the cost of turnover being 1.2 to 1.3 times an RN’s salary, preventing burnout is a major issue for healthcare organizations. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project is to address …

A Better Way To Non-Invasively Measure Bilirubin Levels To Protect Infant Health, Kristen Mackeil

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Jaundice screening using transcutaneous bilirubin(TcB) monitors often produce inaccurately low results for lighter skin tone newborns and inaccurately high results for darker skin tone newborns. While high jaundice levels for lighter skin tone newborns risk going undetected, darker skin tone newborns receive unnecessary follow up heel sticks for serum bilirubin determination. This is a problem because dangerous jaundice levels may be under or over reported. Additionally, unnecessary heel sticks for darker skin tone newborns increase the risk of complications from puncture and increase newborn discomfort. Performing the heel stick and processing the blood sample also cost nurses and …

A Project Proposal: The Effects Of Standard Protocols During Cpr On Hospital-Acquired Infections Of Post-Open-Heart Surgery Patients In The Cvicu, Jessica Monahan

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

A Project Proposal: The Effects of Standard Protocols during CPR on Hospital-Acquired Infections of Post-Open-Heart Surgery Patients in the CVICU

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are one of the most common complications post-cardiac surgeries and are associated with longer hospitalizations, elevated use of healthcare resources, and increased morbidity and mortality. The effects of HAIs after cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in recent post-open-heart surgery patients remains largely unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to determine, in the CVICU does implementing standard protocols during CPR on recent post-open-heart surgery patients reduce HAIs?

Literature Review: HAIs during CPR can be acquired through …

The Continual Prevalence Of Hiv/Aids Within The African American Gay Male Population, Kayla Bartell, Crystal Darby, Julia Wozniacki, Jasmin Cabeza

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Black/African American males that identify as gay or bisexual are more affected than any other ethnicity. Countless amounts of young adults who have contracted HIV have below standard medication adherence.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore accessibility and adherence to pre-exposure prophylactic medications for young African American gay adults who have contracted HIV.

Methods: The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model and Guidelines were used in the literature review, critical analysis, leveling of evidence, and quality rating. The PRISMA flow diagram was used to map out the number of records for inclusion and exclusion. PubMed, …

Gynecological Care For Transgender Men As Compared To Cisgender Women, Mary Daniel, April Schlinkert, Corinne Fielder, Loan Tran, Serena Mercado

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: A large majority of the transgender male population experiences unequal healthcare especially in gynecological care. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to answer the question: In transgender men, how does gynecological healthcare compared with cisgender women’s gynecological care affect the outcome of the transgender man’s health? This presentation will discuss the differences in gynecological care for transgender men as compared to cisgender women. Methods: Data was collected using scholarly articles and past studies to support the research. Results: In comparison to cisgender women’s gynecological care, transgender men receive unequal care and less care overall. The lack of …

Reducing Catheter-Associated Infections Through A Two-Nurse Protocol, Jennifer Balagani

Symposium of Student Scholars

Catheter-associated infections related to Foley catheter insertion and maintenance is a current problem in my practicum unit and across the United States. Although we are only in the third month of 2022, my practicum unit has already documented three cases of catheter associated infections occurring this year. Unfortunately, these cases are not outside of the norm, in the United States, catheter-associated infections are the second most common hospital acquired infection (Zurmehly, 2018). The purpose of this project is to propose trial interventions at Kennestone Hospital that have been effective in other hospitals like the Shepherd Center to reduce the occurrence …

The Effects Of E-Cigarettes Versus Traditional Cigarettes On The Health Of Young Adults, Taylor Arnett, Sami Johnson, Victoria Leggett, Miranda Susman

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Electronic cigarettes, more commonly referred to as e-cigarettes, were initially designed as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarette users. Although there are some benefits to transitioning to e-cigarettes, the benefits do not outweigh the health risks both cause to the cardiovascular and pulmonary system. Objective: This study was designed to better understand the consequences that traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes have on young adults' health. Method: Research was conducted using CINAHL, EBSCO, and PubMed. The commonly used phrases to find search results include “traditional versus e-cigarettes effects on cardiovascular system” and “traditional versus e-cigarettes effects on respiratory system.” Boolean …

Demonstrating That Labor Induction Of At-Risk-Pregnant Women At Kennestone Hospital Leads To Better Health Outcomes, Raissa Ekwalla Moungang

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: The process of labor induction involves the artificial initiation of labor/stimulation of uterine contractions in pregnant women, through mechanical methods or medication use. The purpose of this research is to show that while spontaneous labor is preferred by most patients, labor induction for certain indications, not only leads to better patient outcomes but also the avoidance of C-sections. Brief literature: Historically, women dying during childbirth or postpartum was common, but with technological and scientific advancements, it is now a rare occurrence. Care at Kennestone Hospital doesn’t just involve mitigating damages inflicted by illness, trauma, or others, but also focuses …

Preventative Interventions To Support Decreasing Compassion Fatigue Among Critical Care Nurses, Vanessa Otamendi

Symposium of Student Scholars

Title: Preventative Interventions to Support Decreasing Compassion Fatigue Among Critical Care Nurses

Background:

Nurses who are subjected to traumatic situations like difficult patient situations and a lack of support can experience compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is a problem throughout the healthcare field, especially in critical care where there are complex patients and high-pressure situations. Early forms of interventions such as workshops are important to offer in hopes of nurses becoming aware of and avoiding compassion fatigue.

Brief Literature Review:

This study aimed to synthesize existing interventions that focused on hospital nurses in a critical care capacity which focused on preventing …

Nursing Students' Attitude Towards People Living With Dementia During Covid-19 Pandemic., Jakira D. Usry, Janya Wilson

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: The current global prevalence of dementia is estimated to increase from 55.2 million to 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050. Prelicensure student nurses must be educated to have knowledge and skills in providing dementia care as well as positive attitudes.

Aim: To assess prelicensure nursing students' attitudes towards people living with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This is secondary data analysis of the data collected in an ongoing Mixed-Methods study investigating the impact of clinical experiential learning on prelicensure nursing students' dementia knowledge, attitudes, and skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was collected via …

Nursing Education Regarding Take-Home Narcan In Relation To Opioid-Related Deaths, Taylor Birke, Nadia Butt, Bryce Farmer, Sarah Hendrick

Symposium of Student Scholars

The opioid epidemic in America has remained a national crisis since 2011 with opioid related deaths continuing to dramatically increase. Naloxone (Narcan) safely reverses the effects of an opioid overdose with little to no side effects. There is a gap in the literature regarding education and stigma-breaking conversations held between addicts and nurses surrounding an opioid overdose. This systematic literature review will examine the effects of nursing education on the acceptance and use of take-home Narcan kits within opioid drug users. Using the Kennesaw State University Library SuperSearch database, we searched for peer-reviewed studies that included one or more of …

Decreasing The Number Of Venipuncture Attempts In Infants On A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Laura Grace Holton

Symposium of Student Scholars

Decreasing the Number of Venipuncture Attempts in Infants on a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Laura Grace Holton

Obtaining intravenous access is a procedure performed on most preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units, for the purpose of obtaining blood samples, administering fluids and medications. Venipuncture is the process of puncturing the skin to insert a needle for IV access and often must be performed multiple times to be successful given the small veins of preterm infants. Research shows that multiple venipuncture attempts can be distressing to hospitalized infants, increases the risk of bloodstream infections, and causes lasting vein damage. Literature …

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia, Helena Walker

Symposium of Student Scholars

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is the instance in which a patient acquires pneumonia more than forty-eight hours after intubation with mechanical ventilation. VAP is a serious medical issue that occurs frequently in intensive care unit patients. Not only does this condition increase the morbidity and mortality of a patient, it also increases the cost of the patient’s health care as well. Commonly as recent literature suggests, in an effort to prevent this infection from occurring, hospital staff have taken several approaches including antibiotic cycling, surveillance cultures, and de-escalation therapies. These methods do not always prevent the cases though. Currently, research …

Challenges Associated With The Integration Of Population Health Content And Prelicensure Nursing Curricula- Experiences Of Nurse Educators, Stephanie Jones

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: In April 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing released new BSN essentials that emphasized population health. This inclusion of population health as an essential could improve prelicensure nursing students’ knowledge and skills in providing population health-based services. Also, it could help improve their attitude towards population health.

Objective: To explore the challenges of nurse educators’ perception and experience associated with the integration of population health content to prelicensure nursing curricula.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the qualitative data collected in an ongoing mixed-methods study exploring how population health content is integrated into …

Improving Tha (Total Hip Arthroscopy) Patient Satisfaction Scores By Reducing Time Spent In The Pacu From 90 Minutes To 60 Minutes, Jennifer Stultz

Symposium of Student Scholars

BACKGROUND, SIGNIFICANCE & PURPOSE

Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) reduces pain and improves range of motion in patients with end stage osteoarthritis. Patients whose post-THA outcome matches their pre-surgical expectations report higher patient satisfaction scores. Post-surgical pain is expected, but if patients don’t ambulate soon enough after surgery, the pain escalates. Simply put, early ambulation improves patient satisfaction scores. To promote early ambulation, spinal block and Propofol are favored over general anesthesia to reduce time spent in the PACU (post anesthesia care unit). The current PACU goal for THA patient discharge is within ninety minutes of PACU arrival. Sometimes the spinal …

Rethinking Malignant Hyperthermia Protocols, Kelsey Currie

Symposium of Student Scholars

Rethinking Malignant Hyperthermia Protocols

In person poster

Undergraduate Student: Currie, Kelsey

Research Mentor: Kristi Brannen

Background: Although malignant hyperthermia (MH) is rare, it is a life-threatening event that can have many nurses unprepared to manage due to its irregularity, lack of training, and supplies. MH is considered a severe medical crisis that can happen within 30 minutes of anesthetic induction. To give the patient the best outcome, hospitals have protocols in place so the team can respond quickly and efficiently. Purpose: This study aims to investigate how creating central locations for MH carts, ice, and supplies compares to yearly training …

Registered Nurse Hesitancy To Providing Narcotics To Post-Surgical Neonates: A Narrative Literature Review, Jordan Slowik

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal