Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

Application Of Auricular Point Acupressure For Pain In Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease And Their Caregivers, Chao Hsing Yeh, Mengchi Li, Jennifer Wenzel, Mollie Fox, Aiguo Nni, Jennifer Kawi

Nursing Faculty Research

Objective: To explore the feasibility of Auricular Point Acupressure (APA) to self-manage pain among patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) and their caregivers (patient-caregiver dyads). Methods: A two-phase study design was used. Phase 1 was designed to explore the experiences of the dyads in using APA to manage chronic pain. In Phase 2, we examined the revised intervention protocol to manage pain. All of the study activities were conducted at the participants’ homes. Results: In Phase 1, five dyads (patients and caregivers) who received the APA treatment reported marked and immediate outcomes but there were challenges in applying …

Empowering Nurses Of Minority In The Face Of Incivility And Bullying: Through The Lens Of Phenomenology, Corrine Floyd

Dissertations

Abstract

Up to 85% of nurses have reported exposure to incivility in the workplace (Hunt & Marini, 2012). The often-subtle nature of incivility toward nurses in a minority population may partially explain why it remains a problem. Healthcare organizations realize the need for civility to counter the high turnover rate, staff shortages, and low job satisfaction reported by nurses, but lack understanding of how nurses of a minority population perceive incivility and bullying. This study aimed to answer the research question how do nurses with minority representation experience incivility and bullying versus empowerment in the workplace? A descriptive phenomenological design …

The Use Of Tailored Interventions To Prevent Falls: A Quality Improvement Project In The Telemetry Unit, Roda Galang

Student Scholarly Projects

Background: Every year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of patients fall in hospitals with 30 to 50 percent resulting in injury. In Texas, the fall rate in adult patients is 33.9 percent, and in one teaching hospital in South Texas, patient fall rates have been above the national benchmark for two years (2017-2019), despite increased use of sitters for patient safety and multiple fall prevention strategies. The annual direct care cost of all fall events in the United States for individuals more than 65 years old is about $34 billion.

Practice problem: The objectives of the fall initiative …

Supporting Older Adults Through Aging In Place And Capable Programs, Laura Compton

OTD Capstone Projects

This experiential component or doctoral capstone project involved a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis. Through this agency, projects were completed based on identified needs of the Aging in Place and CAPABLE programs. The Aging in Place (AIP) program provides critical home repairs to low-income adults aged 60 years and older. The CAPABLE program provides the same critical home repairs along with a select number of visits from a registered nurse and an occupational therapist to help the older adults age in place safely.

Reducing The Number Of Falls In On Lok Participants By Enhancing Homecare Services, En Zhu

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Falls in elderly are one of the major health concerns in the US. They comprise up to 80% of the key risk factors for injuries in the elderly in the US (Spears, Roth, Miake-Lye, Saliba, Shekelle, & Ganz, 2013). The project aims at reduction of falls among the elderly participants in On Lok program. Based on the findings of the literature review and observations conducted, the proposed intervention to address the practice gap will involve emphasizing the need for carrying the mobility devices, such as canes or walkers, along with clearing the participants’ home environment from hazards. The anticipated measure …

Getting To Zero: Creating An Infrastructure To Support Fall Prevention In A Medical–Surgical Unit, Krys Elgarico

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Hospital falls are a growing national patient safety concern that cause anxiety, pain, distress, serious injuries, and increased health care utilization. Despite the presence of a well-developed falls prevention protocol since 2017. Internal data from an inpatient medical-surgical telemetry (MST) unit indicate the largest number of fall-related events among the hospital’s departments.

Context: Practice improvement project was initiated in a 217-bed community hospital to determine barriers and potential success factors. This MST is a dynamic, 48-bed unit providing care to mainly geriatric patients who require continuous telemetry monitoring and complex medical, trauma, and surgical services. Senior leaders in the …

Just Culture: It's More Than Policy, Linda Ann Paradiso, Nancy Sweeney

Publications and Research

Any healthcare organization’s top priority is effective and safe care. Despite this, medical error is the third-leading cause of death in the US. Hospitals are imperfect systems where nurses have competing demands and are forced to improvise and develop workarounds. Errors rarely occur in a vacuum, rather they’re a sequence of events with multiple opportunities for correction. Clinical nurses can have a significant impact on reducing errors due to their proximity to patients. When errors are identified, the events and impact on safe care need to be shared. Just culture is a safe haven that supports reporting. In a just …

Patient Perception Of Fall Risk And High Fall Risk Screening Scores, Nicole D. Pena

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the relationship between patient

perception of fall risk and high fall risk screening scores.

Background: Despite mandated government regulations and multiple hospital

interventions, falls are the most prevalent adverse event among hospitalized patients and

are the leading driver of health care costs, amounting to over $30 billion each year with

projections to double by 2030. Recently, perception was identified as a major component

in preventing falls. A dearth of research examines the relationship between a patient’s

perceived risk for falls and standardized fall screening scores.

Methods: A descriptive correlational design with …

Improving Communication To Reduce Patient Falls In A 48-Bed Medical-Surgical Unit, Christian Gella

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Abstract

Problem: Patient falls has been associated with increased morbidity, mortality and decreased quality of life. The increase in total patient falls for 2018 relative to 2017, and a spike of 10 patient falls for the month of June 2018 from a baseline of 5.3 falls per month has gained greater attention to reduce patient harm from falls while hospitalized. Prevention of falls minimizes patient exposure to the possibility of being injured. Despite efforts to curtail patient falls, improvement in communication is essential to address the safety issues surrounding improving quality of care practices, and consequentially reduce un-reimbursable hospital costs …

Implementation Of The Banner Mobility Assessment Tool For Bariatric Patients, Nicole Benkert

Scholars Week

Abstract

The prevalence of morbidly obese patient within the United States is on a rapid incline. Evidence correlates an increase in patient falls, comorbidities, and hospital admission among this specific patient group. As a result, there is an increase in workload and injuries to staff as they tend to these patients. Healthcare facilities need to continuously update current patient handling programs and create specific policies for safely handling obese patients. Research suggests that Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Programs, as well as the Banner Mobility Assessment Tool (BMAT), have substantially decreased nurse injuries through a wide range of nursing specialties. …

I’M A Big Kid Now: Enhancing Transition Rn Residents’ Confidence During Pediatric Patient Care, Emily W. Lam

Master's Projects and Capstones

The title of the clinical nurse leader project is “I’m a Big Kid Now: Enhancing Transition RN Residents’ Confidence During Pediatric Patient Care”. The project aims to improve the support components for Transition RN residents during their Transition RN Residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The clinical leadership theme that correlates to this project is communication. The clinical nurse leader’s role is to act as an educator and a facilitator throughout this project. In examining the clinical nurse leader competencies, competencies “use performance measures to assess and improve the delivery of evidence-based practices and promote outcomes that demonstrate delivery of …

Retention Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Knowledge And Psychomotor Skill Among Undergraduate Nursing Students: An Integrative Review Of Literature, Fernanda Tirado

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this integrative literature review is to explore the effectiveness of different training modalities on the acquisition and retention of CPR knowledge and psychomotor skill among undergraduate nursing students. Background: It is well known that standard CPR-training is ineffective at preparing nurses for the rigors of a cardiac arrest event. Survival rates for in-hospital cardiac arrests remain low and the proportion of neurobehavioral sequelae among survivors is very high. Methods: A review of relevant literature published between 2006 and 2016 was conducted using the CINAHL and MEDLINE databases. The following key terms were used in the search: …

Evaluation Of Serum Vitamin D Levels In Older Adults Who Fall And Sustain A Fracture: A Retrospective Chart Review, Suzanne L. Pilon

DNP Projects

Purpose: This practice inquiry project was designed to (i) evaluate serum vitamin D levels in individuals aged 65 years and older who had fallen and sustained a fracture and (ii) identify if the serum vitamin D levels were within therapeutic range.

Background: Older adults are at increased risk of falling and sustaining a fracture as a result of falls. Vitamin D has been shown to be effective in fall prevention yet vitamin D is deficient in the older population worldwide. Evaluating current serum vitamin D levels in older adults who fall and sustain a fracture may provide additional insight in …

Oral Wellness: Using Occupational Therapy To Enhance Oral Hygiene Delivery In Long-Term Care, Lauryn J. Banovitz, Liberty Bellah, Rosemarie Lion

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Based on current literature, oral health in long-term care (LTC) facilities is frequently of low priority and does not follow evidence-based best practices. Poor oral health reduces the quality of life of older adult residents and patients and can lead to systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pneumonia, the leading cause of death in LTC. Occupational therapists can play an instrumental role as oral care consultants, and educators, and can act as resource guides to raise the standards of oral care in LTC facilities.

This capstone project explored ways in which occupational therapy, a profession traditionally designated for …

The Relationship Between Stressors And Intent To Leave Nursing Homes Among Directors Of Nursing, Crystal R. Williamson

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, some nursing homes have been ranked worst in the nation when rating the quality of resident care. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative strength of workplace stress, job satisfaction, organizational support, and personal data (number of years employed, age, highest education level) in predicting director of nursing (DON) intentions to leave the position. This information contributes to social change because it is important to know that DONs need to experience general satisfaction in order to maintain stable leadership that positively contributes to the quality of care in …

An Evaluation Of Fall Prevention Interventions Among Older Adults In A Long Term Care Facility, Courtney Anita Bennett

Doctoral Projects

Falls are serious unwanted events that are a common occurrence among older adults in long term care facilities (LTC). Fall prevention in LTC facilities requires the efforts of an interprofessional team that promotes safety within an organization. The purpose of this capstone project is to implement and evaluate evidence-based fall prevention interventions at a LTC facility. Specific objectives of the project include: (a) providing education to healthcare professionals on evidence-based practices to recognize, assess, and prevent falls among older adults in a long term care facility and (b) replacing the existing fall prevention policy and program with a falls and …

Non-Pharmacological Interventions Project: Treatment For Dementia, Mandy Richards

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

In response to the Office of Inspector General's research report on atypical antipsychotic off label treatment of elderly dementia residents in long-term care, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services developed a non-pharmacological intervention known as the Hand In Hand training tool. This projects focus was on training the direct care nursing staff with the Hand In Hand tool and evaluating for decrease in behavior and psychological symptoms in their patients. A retrospective chart review was utilized for the Minimum Data Sets tool Brief Interview of Mental Status (BIMS) and Mood interview. Pre training and post training scores were analyzed …

Relationship Between Psychotropic Drugs And Falls In The Geriatric Population, Lauren E. Fletcher Crotts

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Falls in the geriatric population are extremely common and the risk for falls continues to increase with age. Falls are a leading cause of mortality in the geriatric population, and it is the number one reason for institutionalization in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of the prescribing effects of psychotropic medications such as antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics on falls in the geriatric population who live in a long term care community with a diagnosis of depression, dementia, anxiety, delirium, and Alzheimer's disease. The literature provided mixed conclusions on the effects of psychotropic …

The Use Of Peppermint Oil To Reduce The Nausea Of The Palliative Care And Hospice Patient, Mary Seale

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

A descriptive study was initiated to investigate the use of peppermint oil to reduce the nausea of the palliative care and hospice patient. Two local palliative care and hospice programs were used as sites for the study. Patients eighteen and older complaining of nausea were invited to participate in the study. The study was conducted for one and a half months. A total of eight patients consented to participate in the study with a mean age of seventy one years. The Bieri Scale, a visual-numeric analog, was used as the measurement instrument for the patients to evaluate their nausea. Results …