Utilizing Decision Tree Implementation And Provider Education To Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening Orders: A Quality Improvement Project, Alicia Kollar

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Manuscripts

Background and Significance: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths (Jain, et al., 2022). Healthy People 2030 objectives include reducing the CRC death rate and increasing the proportion of adults who get screened (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). According to 2021 data, only 58.7% of adults are screened with a Healthy People target of 68.3%. Healthy People states that there are effective screening tools to detect colorectal cancer early, and people are more likely to survive it (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project aims to implement an …

Addressing Stroke Care Disparities Through Patient Education, Christina Annerino

Honors Capstones

It has been found across current studies and evaluations of stroke care and patient outcomes that there is a disparity in disability and mortality between male and female patients who have experienced stroke. The aforementioned studies did not identify the cause of this disparity, although a number of hypotheses for this phenomenon were provided. This study then conducted a preliminary survey of 130 participants, both men and women, aged 18-80 years old, to evaluate potential barriers to accessing stroke care and receiving treatment effectively. Preliminary survey data demonstrated consistent gaps in knowledge related to stroke risks, stroke symptoms, and when …

Addressing Air Quality Mitigation As A Key Factor In Asthma Management And Prevention, Julia Buckles, Jewel Radford

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Asthma is the most prevalent disease in childhood and disproportionately affects African American (AA) populations in terms of prevalence and frequency of exacerbations. Air quality and environmental factors are strongly associated with the diagnosis and management of asthma and AA children are more likely to live in areas with poor air quality. An air quality flag program was implemented in a daycare located in a county with a predominantly AA population with a high prevalence of asthma diagnoses. The goal of the intervention was to increase staff awareness of air quality and the impact it can have on asthma diagnosis …

A Multimodal Intervention To Aid In Smoking Cessation, Lauren Druzbicki

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; 2023a) notes there are 28.3 million smokers in the United States. In Indiana alone, nearly 29% of adults currently use tobacco, with 19% of the total being cigarette smokers (Indiana Department of Health, 2022). The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to implement a multi-modal intervention to aid in smoking cessation in adults aged 18 and older who are cigarette smokers. The intervention included physician/nurse advise using the ask, advise, refer (AAR) model, the SmokefreeTXT program, and FDA approved smoking cessation medications. The project took place at a primary care …

Referral To In-Person Smoking Cessation Counseling As A Smoking Cessation Aid, Annie Mandrell Bsn, Rn, Matthew Keathley Bsn, Rn, Lewis Linden Bsn, Rn, Laura Reed Dnp, Aprn, Fnp-Bc, Cne

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Referral to In-Person Smoking Cessation Counseling as a Smoking Cessation Aid

Purpose/Background

Smoking increases an individual’s risk of acute and chronic disease morbidity and mortality, as well as creating a financial burden for the individual and healthcare system. In the United States, tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. There are an estimated 5 million tobacco-related deaths each year due to tobacco smoking. Additional healthcare costs are also seen due to the need for increased treatments, medical supplies, and staffing. Previous research for smoking cessation resources has primarily focused on traditional primary care offices. Research shows that in-person …

The Effect Of Continuous Glucose Monitoring On Glucose Control And Re-Hospitalizations In Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Susan Ferguson

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Student Works

Purpose: This Program Development and Evaluation project was designed to improve the management of patients with type II diabetes mellitus through the implementation of a combined in-patient discharge protocol and outpatient continuous glucose monitoring protocol follow-up plan in a diabetes clinic following discharge from a rural-based acute facility hospitalization.

Method: This quasi-experimental project was based on Rosswurm and Larrabee's Model for Change framework. Outcome measures analyzed type II diabetes mellitus patients to assess the effects of a continuous glucose monitoring discharge protocol on pre- and post-glycemic levels, rehospitalizations, and patient (n=2) and provider knowledge (n=4) obtainment.

Results: In a comparison …

Implementing Universal Adult Depression Screening In A Rural Maine Free Medical Clinic, Karen Hussion

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Depression in adults is a leading cause of disability, morbidity and mortality worldwide with an estimated prevalence of 20% in the US population. Despite estimates that one out of every five Americans suffers from depression, less than 50% of adult primary care patients with depression are identified, and less than 5% of all adult primary care patients are screened. To increase early detection and management of depression, the United States Protective Service Task Force (USPSTF) recommends routine depression screening for adults older than 18 years in primary care settings.

LOCAL PROBLEM: This project site was a rural, free, …

Cultural Education Interventions Impact On Cultural Competence, Kaylie V. Griffin Ms

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Problem: In the United States, there is a substantial increase in diversity. This increase in diversity poses multiple challenges for healthcare workers and healthcare systems. Because nurses care for patients with various cultural backgrounds, health beliefs and practices, and languages, cultural competency plays a pivotal role in providing patient-centered care. There is a need to enhance cultural education for healthcare workers to ensure that healthcare workers have the skills and knowledge to effectively engage with all patient populations. Implementing cultural education interventions seeks to increase healthcare workers' competency, communication, and patient outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this research question is …

Evidenced-Based Strategies To Increase Cervical Cancer Screening Rates, Tuong Cat Vo Bsn-Rn, Nada Salloukh Bsn-Rn, Tatiana Elena Swanson Bsn-Rn, Xiao Mie Cindy Zhu Bsn-Rn, Laura Taylor Reed Dnp, Aprn, Fnp-Bc

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background

Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer affecting women worldwide (Staley et al., 2021). With cervical cancer being a preventable disease, an effective method of reducing healthcare costs and mortality is primary prevention, such as screenings. Financial burdens and barriers to accessing medical care may result due to the lack of proper cervical cancer screenings. Detecting cervical cancer includes screening women 21 to 65 years old with a Papanicolaou (PAP) test every three years. Women aged 30 to 65 years old can extend the screening of cervical cancer by having a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) test along with …

Diabetic Coaching Program To Improve African American Patients Glycemic Control, Shonda Moore

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: The purpose of the practice problem was to find out if, among African Americans with type II diabetes who are over 18, adopting a diabetic coaching program that emphasizes diet management can result in better glycemic control over 10 weeks than for those who do not receive coaching.

PICOT: In African Americans with type II diabetes over 18 years of age (P), does a diabetic coaching program on diet management (I), compared to no coaching program (C), improve glycemic control (O) over 10 weeks (T)?

Evidence: The evidence used to guide this project came from databases, including PubMed, …

A Global Perspective On Intersecting Social And Systemic Barriers Experienced By Grandparent-Caregivers: A Qualitative Systematic Review, Schola N. Matovu, Deborah M. Whitley, Heather M. Young

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Globally, many grandparents are taking on the caregiving role for their grandchildren without public or government interjection of support, particularly financial assistance for basic needs such as housing, health care and living expenses. This paper aimed to broaden understanding of social and systemic barriers experienced by grandparent-caregivers across the globe. Of the 2,828 relevant grandparent caregiving studies identified in the literature, 34 representing eight countries met our inclusion criteria to answer the research question and the focus of this paper: What are the social and systemic barriers experienced by grandparent-caregivers across the globe? We utilized Noblit’s and Hare’s (1988) meta-ethnography …

Ethnic Minorities And Family Health History: An Autoethnography Of Guyanese Americans And Kidney Disease, Dhaneesha R. Bahadur

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Exploring family health histories (FHHs) has emerged in recent years as an inexpensive genomic tool in public health. Families and clinicians can also use them to uncover family histories and experiences, which could inform better lifestyle choices to prevent or delay the onset of diseases. Exploring family health histories focuses on an individual’s genetic makeup and considers differences in lifestyle and environment. Despite national campaigns, it is an underutilized tool that could lead to engagement in effective strategies and better health outcomes. One important and serious condition that families should be more aware of is chronic kidney disease (CKD). One …

Effectiveness Of Antibiotic Stewardship For Healthcare Providers At Urgent Care Clinics, Helen T. Adewole

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotics have revolutionized modern medicine; however, the overuse in urgent care and primary care significantly contributes to the global burden of infections resistant to available antimicrobial medicines. Approximately 30% of the antimicrobials prescribed in acute care settings are unnecessary. Patient demand for antibiotics has seemingly skyrocketed following the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Practitioners must be knowledgeable about antibiotic stewardship initiatives, such as the wait-and-see approach, to reduce antibiotic overuse and improve the trajectory of antibiotic resistance and patient health outcomes. The gap in practice was the limited awareness of scientific evidence-based tools to partner with patients and improve antibiotic prescription patterns. …

Garden-Based Nutrition Education May Lead To Increased Dietary Knowledge In Low Income Hispanic School Children, Larry Bui

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Childhood obesity is a pressing public health concern in the United States, with rates continuing to increase in recent years. This problem disproportionately affects Latino children as well as those from low socioeconomic status. It is well established that nutrition knowledge deficiencies and resulting poor dietary habits are some of the most common contributing factors to childhood obesity. Garden-based nutrition education programs have been introduced to remedy this knowledge deficit; however, a gap remains regarding whether this model can be viable for low-income, culturally diverse populations.
Aim: This literature review investigates the importance of diet in reducing childhood obesity …

The Effectiveness Of Annual Mammograms Versus Triennial Mammograms In Women Under The Age Of 50, Jordyn A. Gowell, Dakota Grace Cochran, Ashley Cantwell, Sara Doughty, Allison Sgrosso

Non-Thesis Student Work

The current recommendation for mammography frequency is every 2 years after age 50. However, newer data shows that yearly mammograms are effective in early detection of breast cancer, even before age 50. These authors posed the question: In women under age 50, is a yearly mammogram more effective than a mammogram every 3 years in detecting breast cancer? A literature search was conducted on CINAHL, MEDLINE, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library using the following terms: mammography, mammogram, annual, yearly, every three years, triennial, and breast cancer. A total of 10 articles met the inclusion criteria. The results of the literature …

Promoting Parental Comfort To Facilitate Conversations On Adolescent Sexual Health And Behaviors, Angelina Jolie Banes, Lauren Liddell

Nursing | Senior Theses

This thesis proposal will investigate the impact of a comprehensive digital sexual health education program on the comfort levels of parents and teens when discussing sensitive topics such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The research is guided by Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory, which emphasizes the need to assess and address individuals’ self-care deficits, including the ability to engage in safe and informed sexual behaviors. The research design is a quantitative, quasi-experimental study with a one-group pre and post-test design. The sample consists of 50 parents and 50 teens from Marin County, who will participate in an online …

Furry Friends & Brighter Futures: Enhancing The Life Skills Of Toddlers With Autism Through Animal Assisted Therapy, Abigail Rosales Tolentino

Nursing | Senior Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) encompasses a broad spectrum of challenges that impact social interaction, communication, and behavior. While Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) stands as a common therapeutic approach, there is a growing recognition of the need for personalized interventions. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) emerges as a promising avenue for enhancing social interactions. This study focuses on the utilization of dogs in AAT for toddlers aged 12 to 36 months with confirmed ASD diagnoses. The experimental group will undergo a combined intervention involving standard ABA therapy alongside weekly AAT sessions, whereas the control group will receive standard ABA therapy alone. Pre- …

Provider And Staff Education Surrounding Universal Hcv Screening And Linkage To Care In An Ambulatory Care Setting, Lauren Clifford

DNP Projects

Abstract

Background: In the United States, it is estimated that there are more than 2 million cases of Hepatitis C (HCV), with over 66,000 new cases since 2020 However, an estimated 75% of those with HCV go undiagnosed and less than 35% receive treatment within a year of diagnosis. In 2018, UK Healthcare (UKHC) implemented a universal HCV screening method using a Best Practice Advisory (BPA) for anyone 18 and older who presented to the Emergency Department and had labs ordered. Patients who screened positive were then referred to outpatient clinics for HCV treatment. Approximately ten percent of positive patients …