Nursing Commons^™

Increasing Awareness And Support For Women With Anxiety Disorders In Rural Communities, Candice C. Jones

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions, disproportionately affecting women, particularly those in rural communities with limited access to care. Many women experience perinatal, postpartum, or generalized anxiety, often suffering in silence due to stigma, lack of awareness, and inadequate mental health education. This project focused on increasing awareness and understanding of anxiety disorders among women in rural Randolph County, North Carolina. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to assess the scope of anxiety disorders in women, identify community education needs, and explore evidence-based interventions. Ten relevant studies were analyzed, including randomized controlled trials, cross-sectional studies, and …

Early Recognition In Patient Deterioration: A Quality Improvement Project, Abigail Bell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This quality improvement project focused on enhancing early recognition of patient clinical deterioration by leveraging a rapid response team to implement targeted strategies that reduce failures in identifying early and subtle signs of physiologic decline. Rapid response teams have been widely adopted across the healthcare system to facilitate efficient interventions and prevent further deterioration in acutely ill patients. Despite their intended purpose, delays in recognizing clinical deterioration continue to exist. Failure to recognize early signs of deterioration contributes to an increased risk of irreversible organ damage, unplanned transfers to the intensive care unit, prolonged hospital stays, and, in severe cases, …

Overdose Response Training For Volunteers In A Homeless Shelter, Heather Lynne Smallwood

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The opioid overdose epidemic is a critical health crisis across the country. The homeless population is substantially more at risk of overdose death compared to the general public. Naloxone is a life-saving medication for reversing opioid overdose and is available to ambulance and emergency care services, but support persons are also in regular contact with opioid users and training (Fine et al., 2022). This DNP Project was created to educate volunteers at a homeless shelter in the event of an opioid overdose. The objective of the project was to increase the knowledge of opioid overdose signs and symptoms and naloxone …

Pantry To Plate: Using Local Food Pantries To Improve Diabetes Self-Care Deficits, Rachelle Zielazienski

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This project aimed to improve food pantry participants’ diabetes self-management and understanding of diabetes nutrition education through a collaborative approach. Over the course of 2 months, the project provided educational resources on diabetes nutrition at a food pantry. The target population included individuals with diabetes, pre-diabetes, and those responsible for preparing meals for diabetic individuals. A certified diabetes specialist was enlisted to ensure the delivery of culturally sensitive, evidence-based educational support tailored to participants’ diabetes health goals. Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory served as a framework for this project. A mixed-methods approach was utilized through pre-and post-test design to gather qualitative …

Addressing Physical Inactivity In Cabarrus County, Amy S. Hicks

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: 21% of Cabarrus County, North Carolina, residents report complete physical inactivity during their leisure time, contributing to various health problems affecting 29% to 33% of Cabarrus County residents aged 40 to 84.

Purpose: The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to implement and evaluate a 3-week community walking challenge (Trim Before the Turkey Walking Challenge) to increase physical activity and social connectedness among Cabarrus County residents aged 50 and older.

Methods: A pre- and post-program survey design was used to evaluate participant-reported physical activity levels and sense of social engagement. Participants were recruited through the …

Hand Hygiene Education For Personal Care Staff In Congregated Care Settings: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Saunders Noel

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

For many years, proper hand hygiene has been emphasized as one of the most important defenses in helping to prevent illnesses. The World Health Organization (WHO) is a major organization that stresses the importance of proper hand hygiene and disease prevention. However, hand hygiene education and knowledge must be acquired to successfully utilize the correct steps in combating illnesses and diseases. Hand hygiene is a learned behavior and emphasizing education and awareness is important to successful adoption. This DNP project was implemented to personal care staff in a congregated care setting located in the southeastern part of Virginia. The project …

On The Frontline: Stop The Bleed© Training For School Staff, Mary Michaela Hinson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The American College of Surgeons’ Stop the Bleed© course was introduced in 2015 following an outcry from the community surrounding the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The Stop the Bleed© course was developed as a tool for training that any person could participate in, despite their medical background or knowledge. The course is comprised of a 30-minute didactic portion followed by a 30-minute hands-on portion where participants can practice applying tourniquets, packing a wound, and applying manual pressure. This DNP project aimed to educate school staff in a high school located in North Carolina on Stop the Bleed© in an …

Operation Honor: Honoring Our Veterans In The Medical Intensive Care Unit, Kendra Manns Msn,Rn, Dawn Wind Rn

Nursing Publications, Posters, & Presentations

Presented at the 2025 Parkview Nursing Research Symposium.

A coworker had an impressionable conversation with a patient and their family regarding end of life. During this conversation she found out the patient was a veteran. This conversation made her aware of a care gap we could fill. She approached the NCAT chair to brainstorm ideas. After months of discussion and research, Operation Honor was born.

Two goals of this project: 1)To honor veterans and their families

To improve staff morale surrounding the loss of a patient as well as providing the patient with a “good death”

Delivering Change: A Hospital’S Journey To Midwifery Care, Nataley Frane Bsn, Rn, Shavon Fitts Msn, Rn, Kim Noga Msn, Rn, Rnc-Mnn, Ibclc, C-Efm, Angela Russ Russ Msn, Rn, Rnc-Mnn, Ibclc, Lisa Smith Msn, Rn, Np-C, Agcns-Bc, Rnc-Ob, Allison Thorpe Mba, Msn, Cnm

Nursing Publications, Posters, & Presentations

This poster was presented at the 2025 Parkview Nursing Research Symposium.

The addition of the Certified Nurse Midwife Program at Parkview Randallia’s Family Birthing Center will:

•Increase regional access to the midwifery model of care • Provide additional labor and birth options

• Water immersion during labor & waterbirth

• Nitrous oxide

• Enhanced labor comfort measures (light/sound machines, birthing stools, birthing balls, etc.)

• Help meet increased patient demand for the above services and alleviate bed capacity issues at the regional medical center

Quality Improvement Project: Improving Tardive Dyskinesia Detection And Management Through Aims Scale Utilization In Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic, Judeline Docteur

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a debilitating movement disorder commonly associated with prolonged antipsychotic medication use. The disorder results in functional impairment and reduced quality of life for those affected. Frequent TD screening using scales such as the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) for those on antipsychotic medication is recommended. However, its underutilization due to a lack of awareness, confidence, and knowledge of its applicability contributes to delayed detection and management, resulting in poor patient outcomes. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve TD detection and management through healthcare provider training to affect their self-efficacy and knowledge and …

Quality Improvement Project - Test Anxiety In Nursing Students: Reducing Stress And Anxiety In The Testing Environment, Aaron Gann

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing student retention is a critical issue due to limited clinical placements and faculty shortages, with many students citing test anxiety as a barrier to success in high-stakes National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) testing. The problem the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project identified is the lack of targeted interventions for test anxiety at the project site, a two-year community college’s associate degree nursing (ADN) program. The DNP project aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) test anxiety module on students’ course quiz scores and self-reporting of emotional barriers as measured by the depression, anxiety, and …

Building Confidence In Critical Thinking Through Faculty Implementation Of Simulation, Melissa Morris

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Simulation provides nursing students with experiences that are as effective as clinical experiences in a non-threatening environment. Clinical experiences such as obstetrics, pediatrics, and mental health have been observation only at the project site. With observation-only clinicals, students do not have opportunities to master skills specific to nursing, which bridge theory to practice. The purpose of this Quality Improvement (QI) project focuses on educating nursing faculty who may not be simulation experts to learn the skills to build and implement simulations that align with the International Nursing Association Clinical and Simulation Learning (INACSL) simulation standards. The Primary Investigator (PI) utilized …

Enhancing Faculty Confidence And Candidate Selection: Evaluation Of A Standardized Holistic Interview Rubric In Nursing Program Admission, Jennifer M. Bray

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing programs continue to struggle with high attrition rates, which impact student success, program outcomes, and the development of a competent nursing workforce. National data show that associate degree nursing programs report attrition rates as high as 50% in the first year, highlighting the urgency for more effective admission strategies. The problem addressed in this quality improvement project was the use of traditional academic metrics, such as grade point average (GPA) and standardized test scores, as primary admission criteria, which often overlook essential non-cognitive attributes linked to student persistence and success. The purpose of the project was to improve faculty …

The Impact Of Staff Education On Menopausal Care, Oluwatoyosi Olumide

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Natural menopause typically occurs around the age of 51. During this transition, many women experience a variety of vasomotor symptoms, with hot flashes and night sweats being the most common. As women age, diminishing levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can lead to various health complications. Without proper assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, many may suffer in silence. This quality improvement project sought to evaluate the impact of staff education on menopausal care. The symptom checklist, or the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), is a standardized, evidence-based tool for assessing menopause symptoms and serves as an essential component of the admission process …

Exploring The Barriers To The Implementation Of Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Roles, Madeline Wd Mcnulty

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) are associated with improved patient outcomes and are among the fastest-growing professions in healthcare. However, this growth is accompanied by barriers to the ACNP role. Despite this expansion, limited research has examined these barriers or identified strategies to reduce them in acute care settings. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the obstacles to ACNP practice and to describe approaches to overcoming them. A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Twenty-one pioneering ACNPs participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using the “Sort and Sift, Think and Shift” method. We identified nine themes in the study: four …

Increasing Pediatric Asthma Follow-Up Visits And Decreasing Emergency Department Visits In A Primary Care Setting, Rima M. Basal

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

The implementation of the asthma follow-up visits bundle in the pediatric primary care setting is an evidence-based practice project aimed at improving pediatric asthma management. This manuscript discusses the deployment of the bundle, which includes pre- and post- knowledge assessment for parents/caregivers, asthma education through a short video and handout, administration of the asthma control test (ACT), completion of a written asthma action plan (WAAP), and education about the patient portal and telehealth. The goal is to improve parent/caregiver knowledge, treatment adherence, follow-up visit compliance (in-person or virtual) and reduce emergency department (ED) utilization. Parent/caregiver knowledge increased by 23%, ACT …

The Influence Of Social Support On The Stress Levels Of Pre-Nursing Students, Michelle Chinwendu Nicole Izuwah

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Introduction/Background: The nursing shortage in the United States continues to pose a significant challenge due to the widening gap between the supply of and demand for qualified nurses. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance and vitality of nurses to society. Thus, it is important to support students throughout their nursing journey, even from the earliest stages. Pre-nursing students are college students who have not yet begun taking upper-division classes and are enrolled in nursing programs, and face a unique set of struggles due to the pressure of prerequisite classes, as well as fears of not being accepted into the nursing …

Burnout Among Nurses In The United States, Faheem Ohri

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Burnout is an exhausted state of the body, mind, and emotions, characterized by feelings of “depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment” resulting from prolonged and continuous occupational stress. Burnout among nurses in the United States (U.S.) is a growing concern with significant implications for healthcare professionals and patient outcomes. Nurse burnout compromises patient safety and workforce stability, but pre-pandemic national correlates remain understudied. This dissertation examined employment settings and demographic correlates of burnout among U.S. nurses using the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) secondary datasets. Compared inpatient burnout odds pre-/post-pandemic using national twin surveys. Jackknife complex survey logistic regression …

Perioperative Surgical Site Infection Reduction Bundle In Colorectal Patients, Flatasha A. Roland

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common and preventable complication after colorectal procedures, significantly impacting patient morbidity and increasing healthcare costs. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to lower SSIs in adult colorectal surgery patients by implementing a perioperative SSI reduction bundle at a large acute care facility in North Texas. The intervention targeted three modifiable risk factors: perioperative hypothermia, hyperglycemia, and incorrect antibiotic timing. Despite established protocols, institutional data revealed subpar compliance with active warming (46%), blood glucose control (52%), and antibiotic stewardship (75%), all of which fell below national benchmarks. A gap analysis and literature review guided the …

Regionality In Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviors Using The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Gretchen K. Wendt

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Heart failure (HF) risks increase as patients age, with most of the HF patients having at least one chronic condition and 40% having two or more. Further confounding the HF morbidity and chronic medical conditions are psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety. For most Americans with HF, managing the diagnosis and chronic conditions can be overwhelming. To formalize the definitions of HF disease management, the concepts of self-care from the situation-specific theory of HF self-care (SST-HFSC) were applied.

The medical complexity of HF self-care during the pandemic was shown to vary based on the US region where the individual resided. …

Nurse's Satisfaction With The Implementation Of A Standardized Physical Assessment Template In Home Based Medical Care, Nicole Silvestri

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Background and Literature Review:
Home based medical care (HBMC), part of Optum’s UnitedHealth division, delivers in-home urgent care to medically complex patients at high risk for hospitalization. A nurse is dispatched to the home and a provider connects via telemedicine to conduct the visit. Currently, there is no standardized documentation tool to communicate physical assessment findings between the in-home nurse and the telemedicine provider. A literature review was conducted using PubMed and CINAHL with search terms including nursing satisfaction, physical assessment, EMR, template, standardized tool, and documentation. This revealed challenges in nursing documentation, communication, and physical assessment, particularly regarding …

2025-2026 Graduate Msn-Fnp Handbook, Morehead State University. Nursing Department.

Nursing Department Publications Archive

2025-2026 Graduate Student Handbook for the Department of Nursing at Morehead State University.

Perceptions Of Influence And Collaboration Amongst Healthcare Providers, Nurses And Allied Health Professionals, Barbara Harrison

Dissertations

Problem

While attention to interprofessional collaboration is increasingly present in academic settings and in clinical practice, there is little understanding of the role power, specifically the scope of influence, plays in interprofessional collaboration.

Method

Targeted cross-sectional sampling was used to select possible candidates to participate in this quantitative study. An email invitation was sent to healthcare providers, nurses and allied healthcare professionals in a multi-hospital healthcare system in the mid-western United States of America. Willing participants proceeded to the Microsoft Forms survey via an embedded link which was available to them for eight days. The survey sought demographic information, and …

Relationship Between Ehealth Literacy And Use Of Patient Portals Among Older Adults: An Integrative Review, Lore Oluwatominiyi

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The rapid advancement of healthcare technologies, including patient portals, has the potential to improve patient engagement and health outcomes, particularly among older adults. However, the adoption of patient portals among this demographic remains relatively low, primarily due to varying levels of eHealth literacy. The aim of this integrative review, guided by the Whittemore and Knafl’s (2005) framework, was to investigate the experience of eHealth literacy and patient portal use among older adults. The databases of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched for articles published between 2017 and 2023. Keywords used included: eHealth literacy, patient portals, and older adults. Thirty records …

Enhancing Nursing Education To Improve Care For Patients With Substance Use Disorder: A Literature Review, Allma Swier

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Background. As nursing students attend undergraduate school and prepare to enter the workforce, clinical experience and classroom training shape who they will become as caregivers. There is a lack of education built into the standard curriculum on how to care for people with substance use disorders empathetically and professionally. Aim. The purpose of this literature review is to determine if nursing students feel adequately prepared to care for patients with substance use disorder, and how implementation of educational curricula can increase students' knowledge of caring for individuals with substance use disorder, leading to an increase in confidence when caring for …

Methodological And Clinical Concerns In The Study On Postpartum Hypertension Management, Takaki Tanamoto, Kyosuke Kamijo, Yusuke Tsutsumi, Tetsuya Kawakita

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

[Introduction] We read with interest the recent study by Rosenfeld et al.¹ However, we have several clinical and methodological concerns about this study.¹

First, this study's propensity score matching (PSM) lacked key clinical confounders, including perinatal risk factors and the highest systolic/diastolic blood pressures. Smoking, alcohol use, and multifetal gestation, which influence blood pressure during pregnancy,²,³ potentially affect both primary and secondary outcomes. Additionally, the authors did not report standardized mean differences before and after PSM, which are essential for assessing balance.⁴

Implementation Of A Code Sepsis Response Protocol In A Large Emergency Department Increases Rate Of Timely Antibiotic Administration In Patients With Suspected Sepsis, Leah Shults, Kailey Cox, Destiny Kramer, Grace Mariano, Amy Pinkos, Jordan Sanders, Kimberly Patterson

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Make It Your Hobby, To Check On The Lobby, Kenda Bishop, Berlyn Davis, Daveena Maple

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Zoll® Immediate Pad Placement (Zipp) Pilot: Optimizing Aed Pad Placement And Reducing Time To Defibrillation, Jonathan Eyestone, Dana Gilbreth, Amanda Maloney, Tina Pham

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Sirs Alert In Emergency Department Triage, Reilly Gardner, Alaine Schauer

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.