Critical Care Nursing Commons^™

Emphasizing The Importance Of Clustering Care For Newborns In The Nicu Setting, Callie Hines Sn, Alyssa Howell Sn, Elizabeth Crews Sn

Scholars Week

For our Evidence-Based Project, we have chosen to cover the topic concerning clustering care for premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. In many NICU's across the country preterm infants are taken care of on an as needed basis. Research and Swanson’s theory of caring supports that clustering care has a positive correlation with the improvement of vital signs, physical and intellectual development, and infection control.

Improving Anesthesia Handoff: Implementing Standardized Handoff Tool For Post-Open-Heart Surgery In Critical Care Settings, Kelly Doyle

Scholars Week

The purpose of this project was to create a handoff tool implemented post-operatively by anesthesia providers during every transfer of care with patients undergoing open heart surgery and transitioning to the intensive care unit. Communication errors have been identified as a primary cause of anesthesia-related sentinel events, particularly during patient handoff, which can lead to negative patient outcomes due to incomplete relay of information. This Quality Improvement Project was conducted at a single facility where Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, (CRNAs) incorporated a handoff tool into their anesthesia handoff following coronary artery bypass graft surgery over a six-week period. Both pre- …

Preventing Pressure Injuries In Critical Care Settings, Chassidy Eddlemon, Cassady Coomes

Scholars Week

2.5 million people develop a hospital-acquired pressure injury each year, and 60,000 of these result in death as an outcome. Nationwide, hospitals have policies in place to prevent HAPIs, but that does not always stop them from occurring. For this project, we looked at one hospitals policy regarding prevention of pressure injuries. In this powerpoint, we outlined the products we found throughout our research to aide in prevention, as well as our recommendations for practice.

Risks Vs. Benefits Of Animal-Assisted Interventions For Icu Induced Psychosis, Cecily Christie, Hadley Mayes

Scholars Week

For our senior Nursing Evidence-based practice project, we conducted our own research to evaluate the risks and benefits of animal-assisted intervention (AAI's) being used in intensive care units, in the hopes to encourage nurses and healthcare staff to implement these in patient care facilities.

Benefits Of Bedside Report, Konner Spalding, Hannah Mattingly

Scholars Week

No abstract provided.

Implementing An Acute Stress Disorder Screening Tool In The Trauma Intensive Care Unit Setting, Sierra Bridgers

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

This is a quality improvement project that focuses on implementing screening for acute stress disorder using the Acute Stress Disorder Structured Interview–DSM-IV tool in a Trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a Level 2 Trauma Center in Nashville, TN. Currently, at this hospital there is not a screening process implemented for these patients. Every trauma patient meets the criteria for acute stress disorder. Starting the process early aims for patients to be properly educated about their trauma and gets them the resources they need to heal mentally from the trauma.

During the 6-week implementation period of this project, the trauma …

The Benefits Of Family Presence During Resuscitation, Abigail Harris, Payton Hale, Audrey Jeziorski

Scholars Week

The research provided analyzes the benefits and fears concerning Family Presence During Resuscitation (FPDR) as a standard practice in healthcare facilities. Evidence is available that FPDR supports increased familial satisfaction and psychological outcomes as well as benefits to the patient and healthcare team involved in resuscitation efforts, however this practice is not consistently implemented in healthcare facilities. Three main studies were analyzed throughout this research in order to determine the causation of inconsistent and absent policies regarding FPDR. The analysis of these studies determined that there is a lack of guidelines, education, and policies resulting in absence of family members …

Clabsi Prevention Methods, Noah Heine, Talon Cockrel

Scholars Week

Infection and the risk thereof is one of the major concerns regarding patient outcomes in the health care facility. One of the interventions with the highest causes of infection is the use of central lines. These lines provide necessary venous access for medication administration but can cause infections called CLABSI or Central Line Acquired Bacterial Infection. The purpose of our article was to research CLABSI prevention methods and provide a new policy using these safe effective methods. These new methods include the use of stat locks for central line securement, using antimicrobial lines, and flushing/locking the central line with a …

Uncovering The Benefits Of Naturalistic Blue-Depleted Lighting In Hospitals: A Qualitative Study, Sam P. Cotton

Symposium of Student Scholars

With exponential technological advances, hospitals are tasked with prioritizing which expensive innovations truly impact as many patients as possible to give them the greatest chance of recovering and discharge them earlier. It is no surprise that most of the attention is focussed on pharmaceutical drugs and a variety of different equipment and machinery, but hospital facilities should look into simpler additions that can aid every patient admitted. The use of naturalistic blue-wavelength lighting is something that can benefit each patient’s recovery immensely. Multiple studies have proven positive effects that blue-depleted lighting compared to standard indoor fluorescent lighting has lowered stress …

Animal-Assisted Therapy In The Intensive Care Unit, Amanda M. Pugh

Student Scholar Showcase

This paper will explore animal-assisted therapy used in intensive care units. Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are at risk for developing an array of complications called post-intensive care syndrome, which can negatively affect patients’ psychological, motor, and cognitive abilities. While the widespread use of animal-assisted therapy in the ICU is still in need of improvement, studies have shown animal-assisted therapy can improve depression and anxiety, increase motor function, and strengthen patient participation in treatment. This is significant because the benefits of animal-assisted therapy can counteract the symptoms related to post-intensive care syndrome. The studies will be analyzed, and …

Communication Is Key, Stephanie Munsch, Bailey Ellingsworth

Scholars Week

Abstract

This paper is an evidence based look at the efficacy of ventilation communication in the intensive care unit (ICU) and the resources that we found to be useful in expanding said communication. This topic has become more prevalent today due to COVID-19 and the rising numbers of ICU admissions and ventilator use. We looked at various studies that found that patients on ventilators who lacked good communication with their nurses had negative mental and physical effects. Examples of this include increased rates of anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder among ICU survivors. The evidence also found that effective …

Iv Infection Control, Coleman White, Hannah Oswalt

Scholars Week

Infection is one of the most discussed topics in the nursing world, and one topic that is commonly overlooked is IV tubing related to infection. The current rules on CCU/PCU include labeling the tubing, changing the tubing every 72 hours, and cleaning the site with an alcohol swab before injecting medications. While these rules in place are evidenced based, and work properly, there is more research that has been conducted stating better practice to control infection related to IV tubing. Through utilization of theoretical framework along with several quasi-experimental research, we have evaluated infection control effectiveness through “Scrub the Hub” …

How To Control Healthcare Associated Infection, Yeojin Son, Jungyoon Hur

Scholars Week

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) are infections patients acquire while receiving care in hospital. The main reasons of occurring the infections are insufficient knowledge about infection control and decreased compliance with rules by hospital protocol. The purpose of this evidence-based presentation is to exemplify how to control HAI via motivating healthcare workers to comply with infection control policy.

The Impact Of A 12-Hour Shift Compared To An 8-Hour Shift On Nurse Health And Safety, Matthew Kramer, Andrea Howell, Kayla Kloes, Emmy Lam, Brittney Levy

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

Background: An international healthcare concern is extensive shift length among registered nurses and the negative factors associated with nurse burnout. Cognitive impairment, medical errors, sleep deprivation, job dissatisfaction, and overall declined health and safety of nurses have been associated to long shift work hours among registered nurses globally. However, there is limited published evidence about the difference between 8-hour and 12-hour shift work.

Objective: This systematic review summarized evidence on the impact that 12-hour shifts compared to 8-hour shifts has on the health and safety of registered nurses.

Methods: PubMed, SCOPUS, EBSCOHost, NCBI, Google Scholar, and …

Best Practices For Preventing Delirium In Critically-Ill Patients, Madi Williams, Hailey Trexler Price, Natalie Hosman

Scholars Week

Abstract:

Utilizing and integrating best evidence-based research to improve nursing care is a core responsibility of a nurse. Implementing best nursing practices leads to better patient outcomes and patient experiences. Through research, specific interventions that can reduce the incidence of delirium in critically ill patients were uncovered. Through utilization of theoretical framework, and multiple evidence-based research articles, a protocol was formed to initiate in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Murray, KY. This protocol consists of a multi-component intervention plan to hopefully decrease incidence of ICU delirium.

Preventing Insulin Storage And Administration Errors, Makena Reddick

Scholars Week

■The research problem was discovered when nurses were observed storing and administering insulin improperly. The objectives of this project were to find the correct policies for these procedures, obtain research that backed these policies, and present this information to nurses to create a safer habit. In researching, it was found that reducing the physical distance between a person completing work and the materials required to do so increased compliance (Gibbs & McLernon, 2017). In a second study, the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care for patients with diabetes in the community is dependent upon (district) nurses having appropriate knowledge …

Music Therapy As A Means Of Pain Reduction And Decreased Opioid Use In The Icu Setting, Dakota Shemwell

Scholars Week

Abstract

Being in the ICU as a patient is not a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination. Patients in the ICU have recently had major surgery, are ventilated, or are critically ill in other ways. On top of this are the painful procedures that take place in the ICU; repositioning the patient and endotracheal suctioning are just two such procedures that take place in the ICU. Music therapy has been proven effective in reducing a patient’s pain thus, leading to fewer needed doses of PRN opioid pain medications. With our nation in the midst of an opioid epidemic, …

Family Presence During Resuscitation, Brittany Whistle

Scholars Week

Background:

Families want more involvement in their loved one’s care than they did just twenty years ago. Especially, in the matter of resuscitation efforts, this involvement remains controversial.

Evidence and Findings:

Based on research, theories, and multiple educated opinions, family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) needs to be implemented in hospitals. Theories by Kolcaba and Helvie demonstrate a need for comfort and positive energy around patients to enhance the healing process. Evidence has shown multiple benefits of FPDR. The patient receives a holistic approach of care, the family gains closure and feeling of participation of care, and provides a plan for …

Implementation Of Music Therapy To Reduce Anxiety In Icu Patients, Calley Womack

Scholars Week

Current practice in intensive care units regarding anxiety commonly results in administration of an anxiolytic, which can potentially increase patient’s time admitted, increase costs due to adverse effects, and decrease patient involvement in care. An analysis of multiple research studies was conducted to explore the best practice for management of anxiety, particularly the implementation of music therapy. Studies have been conducted on the implementation of music therapy to reduce levels of anxiety in patients on intensive care floors. Specifically, extensive research with music therapy has been conducted on patients receiving ventilation in the ICU. Consequentially, these studies have shown that …

Deep Tissue Injuries, Mary Pohlmann, Katie Meyer

Nursing Posters

Purpose Statement from Poster:

• Recognize and identify Deep Tissue Injuries
• Ability to describe and define Deep Tissue Injuries
• Increase awareness of Deep Tissue Injuries in order to promote early identification and treatment

Aortic Stenosis Poster.Pptx, Katonya Lawson

Katonya Lawson

The Effects Of Depression On Medication Compliance And Patient Outcome In Heart Failure, Jordan Rogers

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Abstract

Background: Heart failure affects 6.5 million people in the United States and depression occurs in approximately 20-50% of heart failure patients. Depression can lead to complications and increased mortality, so it is necessary to examine the effect of depression on heart failure patients.

Objective: To investigate how depression in heart failure patients affects medication adherence and patient outcomes.

Methods: An integrative literature review was completed by searching databases: CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycInfo. Search terms included: heart failure, depression, medication adherence or compliance, anxiety, and outcomes. Studies included had to be published between 2012 and 2018 and available in …

Stem Cell Therapy As An Effective Treatment Method For Traumatic Burn Injuries, Axita Patel

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Effectiveness of Stem Cell Treatment for

Burn Patients: An Integrative Literature Review

Axita Patel

Faculty Sponsor: Elizabeth Moxley

Abstract

Background: Current literature suggests that packing burn wounds with antimicrobial solutions and skin barrier creams are no longer considered to be effective in the patient’s recovery process. Stem cell therapy has been introduced as an alternative treatment strategy that aims to yield reliable and improved patient outcomes.

Objectives: To explore what research has been conducted regarding stem cell therapy as a treatment option for burn patients and to explore the benefits of using the suggested newly proposed method as opposed to …

Adverse Psychological Effects Of Patients In Medical Isolation Due To Healthcare-Associated Infections, Kristin Brill

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Background: Patients placed in medical isolation due to healthcare-associated infections experience adverse psychological effects that can impact their quality of life.

Objectives: The purpose of this integrative literature review was to identify the adverse effects of patients in medical isolation as well as explore coping strategies that can be used to decrease these adverse effects.

Method: An integrative literature review was conducted using the databases of CINAHL, PsychInfo, PubMed, and PsychArticles. Search terms included adverse effects, negative effects, effects, adverse outcomes, negative outcomes, isolation precautions, contact isolation, droplet isolation, airborne isolation, isolation, coping and psychology.

Results: Five common adverse psychological …

Barriers To Advance Directives, Anna Malia Connor Ticknor

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Abstract

Background: Advanced directives (ADs) are legal documents that allows an individual to document their specific wishes for medical care should they be unable to speak for themselves. The use of advanced directives has implications directing the course of end-of-life care affecting both the cost and direction of care. Advance directives can clarify confusion and provide guidance, but their implementation is not clearly defined within the healthcare system. Despite their implications, multiple surveys indicate these documents have limited use within the United States for reasons that are not easily isolated including lack of knowledge of advanced directives and lack of …

N653 Fall Prevention Final Project, Sam Clark

Master's Projects and Capstones

N653 Fall Prevention Final Project

by Samuel K. Clark, RN

This project was done with patient safety in mind through the use of the most current EBP available.