Nursing Commons^™

Staff Education On Oral Health To Night Shift Staff, Uzoamaka Mbionwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) remains the most common hospital-acquired infection in the United States, with nonventilated adult patients particularly at risk. This doctoral project focused on improving oral care practices among night shift nursing staff on a medical-surgical unit to reduce the risk of HAP. The practice gap identified was the inconsistent and inadequate delivery of oral hygiene during night shifts, primarily due to staff knowledge deficits, time constraints, and a lack of standardized procedures. The project was guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice model and addressed the following question: In adult patients on a medical-surgical unit, will staff education …

Sociocultural Factors Influencing Excess Gestational Weight Gain In Pregnant Puerto Rican Women, Sonia O. Roselló Aponte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 50% of women experience excessive weight gain during pregnancy or are overweight at the start of pregnancy, increasing their risk of short and long-term maternal and fetal complications. The literature highlights the relationship between sociocultural factors and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG) and the need to explore these factors in ethnic subgroups. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study, guided by Nola Pender’s health promotion model, was to explore the sociocultural factors that influence EGWG for pregnant women living in Puerto Rico. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants recruited from public and private prenatal clinics in Puerto …

Self-Management Experiences Of Heart Failure Patients Who Received Telehealth Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christie Devine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the utilization of telehealth in managing chronic conditions such as heart failure. Existing research has primarily focused on patient experiences with specific telehealth platforms or settings, limiting generalizability within the diverse United States healthcare system. The purpose of this qualitative study, guided by the health promotion model, was to describe patient experiences with self-management of heart failure while receiving medical care through any type of telehealth service (e.g., telephone, video calls, remote monitoring) in the United States. Twenty-two participants were interviewed who met the criteria of having a diagnosis of heart failure and using telehealth since …

Staff Education To Improve Knowledge Of Venous Leg Ulcer Prevention, Bini John

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project implemented a standardized program to strengthen knowledge, confidence, and adherence to venous stasis ulcer (VSU) prevention among staff in an outpatient vascular clinic. The practice problem was the lack of standardized staff education, leading to inconsistent patient teaching and recurrent ulceration. VSUs are a significant public health challenge, increasing morbidity, healthcare utilization, and reducing quality of life (He et al., 2024). The practice-focused question for this project was: In frontline medical staff at a vascular outpatient clinic, does a staff education program on a standardized approach to patient education for VSU …

Palliative Care Conditions Managed At Home And Self-Reported Challenges Experienced By Informal Home-Based Caregivers In Rwanda: A Qualitative Study, Jean Claude Twahirwa, Madeleine Mukeshimana, Margaret Fitch, Godfrey Katende

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Introduction: A greater dependency on informal home-based caregivers to assist patients in their homes stems from Rwanda’s rising palliative care needs and the burden of terminal illnesses. These caregivers play a critical role in addressing patients’ physical and emotional needs and assisting with daily activities. However, in low-resource settings like Rwanda, limited attention has been given to understanding their lived experiences and the challenges they face. This study primarily aimed to explore the lived experiences and caregiving challenges of informal home-based caregivers providing palliative care. A secondary aim was to describe the range of life-threatening conditions being managed at home …

A Knowledge-Driven Deep Learning Framework For Organoid Morphological Segmentation And Characterization, Yiming Qin, Jiajia Li, Yin Heng, Zheyuan Wang, Dezhi Wu, Mahi Rahman, Pengwei Hu, Tobias Plötz, Alexander Hopp, Nicholas Kurniawan, Mathias Winkel, Philipp Harbach, Chunling Tang, Feng Tan

Publications

BACKGROUND: Organoids have great potential to revolutionize various aspects of biomedical research and healthcare. Researchers typically use the fluorescence-based approach to analyse their dynamics, which requires specialized equipment and may interfere with their growth. Therefore, it is an open challenge to develop a general framework to analyse organoid dynamics under non-invasive and low-resource settings.

RESULTS: In this paper, we present a knowledge-driven deep learning system named TransOrga-plus to automatically analyse organoid dynamics in a non-invasive manner. Given a bright-field microscopic image, TransOrga-plus detects organoids through a multi-modal transformer-based segmentation module. To provide customized and robust organoid analysis, a biological knowledge-driven …

Improving Suicide Risk Detection And Management In Primary Care, Syndie Volcy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide remains a critical public health issue in the United States, with rates continuing to rise despite national prevention initiatives. Primary care settings serve as a pivotal point for early detection, yet inconsistent use of standardized screening and safety planning tools contributes to under-recognition of suicide risk. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to enhance the identification and management of suicide risk in primary care by developing and implementing an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG). The project addressed the practice-focused question: Does implementing a standardized suicide prevention guideline using validated tools improve risk detection and management in primary …

Utilizing An Evidence-Based Educational Intervention To Assess Health Care Provider Knowledge And Confidence Of Weight Management Strategies In A Primary Care Setting, Fanny Ngwa Shu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to address a clinical gap in primary care by enhancing provider and staff knowledge and confidence in delivering weight management counseling. Despite the high prevalence of overweight and obesity, many healthcare providers feel inadequately prepared to initiate weight-related discussions due to factors such as limited training, cultural barriers, and a lack of understanding of social determinants of health (SDOH) that influence patient behaviors. This gap in care can hinder the effective management of chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. The practice-focused question guiding this project was: Can an educational session …

Relationship Of Job Demands And Perceived Usefulness Of Virtual Nursing Technology Among Bedside Nurses In Acute Care Settings, Oluponle Olubajo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bedside nurses in acute care settings face intensified job demands amid persistent low nursing staff census and rising patient acuity. The purpose of the study, guided by the job demands–resources (JD-R) model, was to examine the relationship between job demands, years of nursing experience, and perceived usefulness of virtual nursing technology among bedside nurses in acute care settings. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to bedside registered nurses (N = 102) currently using virtual nursing technology. Measures included the Intensification of Job Demands Scale and the Perceived Usefulness Scale. Data analyses indicated that the multiple regression was not statistically significant, …

Staff Education Project To Reduce Falls In Assisted Living Through Improved Caregiver Knowledge, Attitude, And Skill, Crystal Morrow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Wisconsin has the highest death rates from falls in the nation. In a brief, the Wisconsin Aging Advocacy Network indicated that most falls among individuals over 65 occur in residential settings. Further, a significant number of elderly people will fall each year, resulting in hospitalizations or fatalities. The purpose of this project was to provide staff education in one Wisconsin assisted living facility to effectively improve knowledge, attitude, and skill among frontline staff for fall prevention management. A formal Fall Education Day was provided to improve knowledge and shape positive attitudes among staff. A pretest-posttest design was used to measure …

A Quality Improvement Project To Standardize Sexual Dysfunction Screening In Primary Care, Ashley M. D’Anna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual health is an essential aspect of overall well-being but is often overlooked in primary care due to provider discomfort, time constraints, and lack of standardized screening protocols. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to implement a consistent approach to screening for sexual dysfunction using the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), a validated five-item tool assessing sex drive, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction. Guided by Swanson’s Theory of Caring and Pender’s Health Promotion Model, the project emphasized compassionate, patient-centered care and the promotion of health-enhancing behaviors.

Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework, the ASEX tool was incorporated into annual wellness visits following …

Outcomes Following A Behaviour Change Intervention Within Hospitals To Improve Birth Registrations And Hospital Utilisation For Aboriginal And/Or Torres Strait Islander Infants: A Quasi-Experimental And Cohort Study, K. R. Mcauley, Natalie Ann Strobel, Daniel M. Christensen, Karen Margaret R. Edmond, Peter N. Jacoby, Daniel L. Mcaullay

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives The primary objective was to determine whether a behaviour change intervention delivered to hospital staff would (1) improve the proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) babies being registered and (2) reduce hospital admissions and emergency presentations for babies < 6 months old. The secondary objective was an observational analysis to determine factors that might influence the proportion of registered Aboriginal births in Western Australia (WA). Design Quasi-experimental design and cohort study. Setting Five tertiary birthing hospitals in WA. Participants The intervention was delivered to health service providers who were in the five tertiary birthing hospitals. Outcome data were collected on Aboriginal babies born between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2018 who were delivered within these hospitals. Babies in the control group (n=226) were born 6months before the intervention and intervention babies (n=232) were born 6months following the intervention. For the secondary objective, there were 4573 babies included in the analysis. Interventions A behaviour change intervention delivered to hospital staff in five hospitals. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcomes were the proportion of babies who were registered and whether a baby had been admitted to hospital or an emergency department by 3 and 6 months old. The secondary outcome was to determine factors that might influence the proportion of registered Aboriginal births in WA (cohort study). Results There was evidence of a 38% reduction in emergency presentations within 6months for babies born to hospitals 6months following the staff training (OR 0.62, 95%CI 0.42 to 0.91), and little evidence of improvements in birth registrations, hospital admissions within 3 or 6months of birth or emergency department presentations within 3months of birth. Of the 4573 babies included in the cohort study, 3769 (82.4%) babies had their births registered and 804 (17.6%) babies did not. Factors that were associated with not having a birth registered included low birth weight babies with a 34% decrease in odds of having a registered birth compared with those with a normal birth weight (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.66, 95%CI 0.51 to 0.86). Timing of first antenatal visit was associated with reduced odds of having a birth registered if this occurred in the second (aOR 0.77, 95%CI 0.64 to 0.93) or third trimester (aOR 0.59, 95%CI 0.45 to 0.77) compared with the first trimester. Conclusions Our study identifies the complexities surrounding birth registrations and improved hospital utilisation for Aboriginal babies, the importance of targeted interventions and ongoing efforts needed to address this issue comprehensively.

Improving Cauti Prevention In Long-Term Care: An Educational Intervention To Enhance Staff Confidence And Reduce Infection Rates, Diana Meseha

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a common preventable healthcare-associated infection in long-term care. knowledge gaps and inconsistent catheter care by staff and increased catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates. The purpose of this quality improvement project aims at testing whether using a structured educational intervention led to improved confidence of staff and reduced catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates. The project employed Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory and Lewin's change model in guiding the behavior and organizational change. A quasi-experimental pretest post-test design was used with the enrolment of nursing employees such as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants …

Teaching, Building, Learning: Ai In Nursing Education, Jennifer Vanderlaan, Lisa Nicholas, Necole Leland

AI in the Classroom: A Virtual Summit

The session is grounded in two guiding frameworks. The ADDIE instructional design model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) structures how AI can be systematically integrated into teaching practice, from identifying learning needs to evaluating outcomes. The RISEN framework (Role, Input, Steps, Evaluation, Next) provides faculty with a structured method for developing effective AI prompts and maintaining academic rigor. Together, these frameworks highlight how AI can be embedded purposefully rather than opportunistically.

Participants will leave with strategies for incorporating AI into their own courses, including techniques for building equitable group work, creating adaptable case studies, and designing assignments that encourage students …

Educating About Military Culture: Lived Experiences Of Nurse Educators, Jennifer C. Dodge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite national initiatives designed to expand healthcare programs and resources for veterans, there is a lack of knowledge about military culture and health problems specific to this demographic among registered nurses who serve in a role to impact the suicide rate among the veteran population. The purpose of this qualitative study, guided by Leininger’s culture care theory and Benner’s novice to expert model, was to understand the lived experiences of associate degree in nursing (ADN) nurse educators in non-Veterans Health Administration-affiliated programs regarding teaching undergraduate nursing students about military veteran culture. Fifteen ADN nurse educators, selected through purposeful sampling, participated …

From Student To Pmhnp: Your Roadmap To Certification, Practice, And Success, Dena L. Hinkle

Nursing Department Faculty Conferences

This poster presentation highlights the changes made to the final course in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program based on student and faculty feedback. Students are provided with the knowledge and tools to navigate certification, licensure, job selection, and clinical practice. Participants engagee in activities to enhance their resumes/CVs, practiced conducting intake assessments, and developed strategies for a successful transition into practice.

Economic Factors Influencing Utilization Of World Health Organisation-Recommended Anc Visits Among Women In Jordan: An Analysis Of Jordan Population And Family Health Survey 2023, Lilian Nuwabaine, Joseph Kawuki, John Baptist Asiimwe, Benjamin Betunga, Mathius Amperiize, Angella Namulema, Imelda Namatovu, Shamim Nabidda, Patience Annet Nakalega, Quraish Sserwanja

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is crucial for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality by identifying and managing complications early during pregnancy. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidelines, recommending a minimum of eight ANC visits to improve maternal health outcomes. Despite Jordan’s efforts to enhance maternal healthcare, disparities in ANC utilization persist, particularly among vulnerable populations such as refugees. This study aimed to assess the economic factors influencing utilization of the WHO-recommended eight ANC visits among women in Jordan.

Methods: The study used data from the 2023 Jordan Population and Family Health Survey (JPFHS). A two-stage sampling technique …

Staff Education And Competency Assessment For Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection Reduction, Shabana Ali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project was an educational initiative to provide comprehensive central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) prevention education program for staff working in an intensive care unit (ICU). CLABSIs pose a significant threat to patient safety, contributing to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs, with annual expenditures estimated at $300 million to $2.3 billion and mortality rates ranging from 10% to 30%. Despite existing protocols, the project site facility experienced persistent CLABSI rates. The purpose of the project was to provide a comprehensive educational program to ICU staff members on the unit. The practice-focused question guiding this project …

Nurse Confidence In Mental Health Communication: Examining The Effect Of An Educational Intervention In Outpatient Specialty Departments, Joy-Ruth Mathews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The global prevalence of mental health illnesses has prompted a growing need for healthcare professionals to be prepared to identify and address these concerns. Many nurses in outpatient specialty departments report feeling underprepared and lacking confidence when communicating with patients about mental health concerns. This scholarly project utilized an educational intervention to improve nurse confidence in mental health communication, the application of therapeutic communication techniques, and resource identification. A quasi-experimental, one-group pretest/posttest design was implemented, with nurses from outpatient specialty departments at Duke Health’s Kernodle Clinic completing pre- and post-Likert scale surveys to assess changes in their self-reported confidence. The …

Nurse-To-Nurse Change-Of-Shift Handoff Communication: The Experience Among Senior Nursing Students In A Hospital Setting—A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Karen Bryson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of senior nursing students with nurse-to-nurse change-of-shift handoff communication during their clinical practicum at a major healthcare system in the United States. The guiding research question was: What are the lived experiences of senior nursing students when communicating shift-to-shift handoff reports to incoming nurses during senior clinical practicum in an acute care hospital setting? Bandura's social cognitive theory and Kolb's experiential learning theory are the two theories that support the conceptual framework of this study. Ten nursing students were purposefully recruited from local two-year and four-year nursing …

Experiences Of A Simulated Medical Malpractice Lawsuit On Nursing Students' Documentation Practices: A Transcendental Phenomenological Approach, Heide Thorne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the perspectives of first semester nursing students participating in a simulated medical malpractice lawsuit and documentation practices. The theory guiding this study is Kolb’s experiential learning theory (ELT), as it explains the relationship of learning and knowledge transfer through a simulation-based learning activity (SBL). Data collection approaches included observations, anonymous reflective journals, and individual interviews or questionnaire capturing students’ personal experiences and emerging themes. Bracketing enhanced reflexivity, reduced bias, and strengthened the study’s credibility and dependability. Results of the study support the efficacy of a specific, powerful SBL activity …

Empowering Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners To Address Nutritional Deficits: An Educational Quality Improvement Study, Beatrice Joan Richards

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Psychiatry is a complex and multifaceted discipline, and treatment approaches often vary based on provider preference and philosophy. Some focus heavily on pharmacotherapies, while others use psychotherapeutic methods, and still others take a more holistic approach involving full-body wellness. All three strategies are beneficial, and providing psychiatric care with a combination of them all can address the full spectrum of factors that influence one’s mental health. Much research, education, and clinical focus have been put on pharmacotherapy and psychotherapeutics. However, there is a marked lack of understanding regarding the holistic realm of psychiatric care, specifically the role of nutrition, amongst …

Pilot Study: Integrating The Epic Stroke Narrator Into Inpatient Code Stroke Protocols To Improve Symptom Onset Identification And Reduce Intervention Times, Stacy L. Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In-hospital strokes are often underrecognized, leading to treatment delays and poorer outcomes compared to community-onset strokes. This scholarly project evaluated whether integrating the Epic Stroke Narrator into inpatient code stroke protocols could improve documentation of last known well time (LKWT) and reduce time to intervention. A 6-week quasi-experimental pilot study guided by the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice and Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory was conducted on a neuroscience telemetry step-down unit at a comprehensive stroke center in Richmond, Virginia. Education on the Stroke Narrator was provided to bedside nurses and was followed by implementation and evaluation of narrator use …

Cv: Jeannine Haberman (Nursing), Jeannine Haberman

Nursing Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Cv: Renea Mckeown (Nursing), Renea Mckeown

Nursing Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Quality Improvement Project: The Impact Of A Dedicated Education Unit On The Self-Efficacy Of First-Year Associate Degree Nursing Students, Danita Broussard

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing education continues to face challenges in preparing students to meet the complex demands of modern healthcare, particularly due to limited clinical placements and faculty shortages. This quality improvement project addressed the gap between classroom instruction and clinical practice by implementing a Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) model designed to impact students' self-efficacy. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to determine whether participation in a DEU impacted the self-efficacy of the first-year associate degree nursing students compared to the traditional clinical model. Guided by Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory and grounded in Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) principles, the project …

Addressing Barriers To Care For African American Men Facing Prostate Cancer: A Scoping Review Of Navigation Programs, Ashley Nicole Smith, Brittany A. Campbell, Ghilamichael Andemeskel, Peggy Tahir, Joseph Egbunikeokye, Tisha M. Felder Phd, Msw, Barbara Cicerelli, Nynikka R. Palmer

Publications

PURPOSE

African American/Black men are disproportionately impacted by prostate cancer (PCa). Patient navigation is an evidence-based approach to address barriers to care, improve access to care and health outcomes, and reduce disparities. This scoping review provides an in-depth examination of navigation programs in PCa care across the cancer continuum, with a focus on African American/Black men in the United States.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive literature search through September 1st, 2023, in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL Complete, using keywords and index terms within three main themes: PCa, patient navigation, and African American/Black men. We included studies that …

The Effect Of Telehealth-Based Medical Nutrition Therapy On Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors In A Rural Population: A Secondary Analysis Of Outcomes Related To Nutrition, Health And Well-Being From The Healthy Rural Hearts Randomised Controlled Trial, Tracy L. Schumacher, Erin D. Clarke, Jaimee Herbert, Anna Jansson, Chris Oldmeadow, Megan E. Rollo, Penny Milson, Carissa Alderton, Leanne J. Brown, Jennifer T. May Phd, Rn, Anp-Bc, Annabelle Williams, Michelle Guppy, Shanthi Ramanathan, John Attia, Clare E. Collins

Publications

BACKGROUND: Adults in rural Australia are at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). To date, no intervention trials have evaluated the impact of dietitian delivered nutrition therapy using telehealth exclusively in patients recruited in the primary care setting. The primary aim was to assess effectiveness of telehealth delivered Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) on change in dietary intake energy, reported as percent energy derived from nutrient-dense (core) foods. Secondary aims included assessment of the intervention effects on percentage weight loss, quality of life, health literacy and patient engagement in their health (patient activation).

METHODS: This was a secondary data analysis of …

Overview Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Grace Ann Steiner

The Kabod

Traumatic events are often unexpected and can be experienced in a variety of ways; individuals may directly be involved, witness the event, or hear about traumatic events occurring to people that they know. Traumatic events can be due to human actions (such as war, terrorism, violence, or sexual abuse), but can also be secondary to nature (such as hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, or flooding); the event itself does not determine if an event is traumatic, but rather, the individual’s perception and experience of such an event. Thus, trauma can occur at any developmental age and vary between individuals due to personal …

Types Of Burns And Burn Care, Frances Hagberg

The Kabod

Burn treatment focuses on minimizing tissue damage, preventing infection, managing pain, and promoting optimal healing. The severity of burns—classified as first, second, or third degree—determines the appropriate therapeutic approach, which may include wound cleaning, topical antibiotics, dressings, fluid resuscitation, and surgical interventions such as debridement or grafting. Effective treatment requires careful monitoring and support through each healing stage to reduce complications and improve functional and cosmetic outcomes.