Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

How Does The Frequency Of Visits Impact The Quality Of Life For Nursing Home Residents?, Sophie M. Carlton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This integrative literature review examines the relationship between quantity of visitation and quality of life (QOL) of nursing home residents. The purpose of this review is to examine existing research to determine whether an optimal “dosage” of visitation exists that meaningfully enhances QOL for this vulnerable population. Establishing an evidence based- guideline may help reduce uncertainty for families and promote more consistent improvements in resident well-being. Nursing home residents are the focus of this work because their limited ability to leave the facility makes visitation one of their primary sources of non-occupational social interaction. The COVID19 pandemic further heightened the …

Investigating The Role Of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine For Cancer Symptom Management In Older Adults: A Rapid Review, Isabelle C. Karshner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Patients with cancer often experience symptoms related to disease, complications, and treatment. One potential method of alleviating these symptoms is traditional Chinese herbal medications (TCHM). This rapid review explores the role of traditional Chinese herbal medications in treating cancer-related symptoms in older adults.

Purpose: The purpose of this rapid review is to gain and provide a better understanding of the effects of TCHM on cancer-symptom management in the older adult population. This review explores the association between TCHM and effects on cancer symptoms in older adults, including interactions, toxicity, and signs/symptoms of TCHM use that may be useful information …

Implementing Holograms To Perform Cognitive Health History Screenings, Franchesca I. Gonzalez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Marginalized populations, defined as a group of individuals who experience systematic disadvantages due to various social identity factors (Oxford Review, n.d.), experience uneven barriers to cognitive and mental health assessments, including socioeconomic, linguistic, and educational inequities, that contribute to misdiagnosis (Petersen et al., 2018, Saeed & Masters, 2021). This study investigates the feasibility of hologram-based patient simulations as an educational intervention for undergraduate nursing and graduate Nurse Practitioner students. Culturally representative, three-dimensional holographic patients were created to replicate complex geriatric encounters and facilitate cognitive health screenings. Established assessment tools, including the Mini-Mental Status Examination, Patient Health Questionnaire 2 and Patient …

Cognitive Impairment And Depression In Hispanic And Non-Hispanic White Low-Income Older Adults A Cross-Sectional Study, Cecil Latta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hispanic older adults represent a growing population in the United States and may be disproportionately affected by cognitive impairment and depression. We theorize that cognitive impairment would be more prevalent in the older Hispanic community and would affect the levels of depression in both Hispanic and non-Hispanic Whites older adults. This cross-sectional study examined the association between cognitive impairment and depression in 157 older adults, including Hispanic (n = 91, 57.96%, age: M = 76.4, SD = 6.8) and non-Hispanic White (n = 66, 42.04%, age: M = 76.2, SD = 6.5). We used the Memory Impairment Screen to assess …

The Effects Of Nurse-Led Physical Activity On The Aging Population, Kaitlyn P. Carruba

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The aging population in the United States is increasing in proportion, yet older adults' physical activity levels have not increased much. The lack of physical activity leads to numerous health complications, such as an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, increased risk for falls and fractures, as well as lead to obesity and diabetes. Unfortunately, few healthcare facilities monitor or audit physical activity. Older adults are frequently placed on fall risk precautions, which heavily encourages a sedentary hospital stay. This commonly leads to older adults with declining abilities to accomplish their activities of daily living (ADLs) after hospitalization. Nurses, spending the …

Contributing Factors And Interventions For Increased Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection (Clabsi) Rates During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review, Brittney Perry

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this literature review is to determine the contributing factors of CLABSI rate increases during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify interventions which restored CLABSI rates to pre-pandemic levels to guide healthcare professionals’ actions during the next pandemic. Background: In the first two decades of the 21^st century, CLABSI rates were reduced in United States hospitals by innovating safer patient care practices. However, there was a significant increase in the annual CLABSI rate in 2020 and 2021, increasing the average length of stay, mortality rate, and cost to the U.S. healthcare system. Methods: An extensive search of CINAHL …

Therapeutic Gardening And Its Effects On Depressive Symptoms In Dementia Care, Shannon E. Norton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To present a literature review of the positive effects and overall reduction of depressive symptoms that an intervention such as therapeutic gardening has on individuals living within memory care facilities.

Background: As most humans age, they often lose abilities or skills that they have had for their entire lives (e.g. driving, grooming, toileting, seeing and/or hearing). By implementing programs that involve therapeutic garden therapy, individuals with dementia who are at greater risk for clinical depressive symptoms may find that this alternative approach improves their symptoms.

Methods: A comprehensive, electronic, literature search in the CINAHL database was completed and included …

Fall Risk Assessment In Community- Dwelling Older Adults: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Maryann Dool

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Abstract

Aims: 1) To determine fall risk assessment using subjective and objective measures; 2) To understand older adults' perception on fall risk assessment.

Methodology: An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used and consisted of two phases. Phase 1, the quantitative data was collected from nineteen older adults at an independent living facility in Orlando, Florida. Phase 2, the qualitative data was collected from three participants of Phase 1. After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, the study was conducted at Lutheran Towers an independent living facility located in the downtown area of Orlando, Florida. Three measurement tools were used: demographic …

Fear Of Falling Assessment And Interventions In Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Amanda S. Cappleman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Fear of falling has significant adverse physical and psychological effects for the community-dwelling older adult. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess fear of falling in community-dwelling older adults and explore participant perceptions of fear of falling assessments and interventions. Methods: A mixed methods case study was utilized to gain an in-depth understanding of older adults' perceptions. It consisted of quantitative data collection by objective measures and qualitative data collection by four individual in-depth interviews. A sample of four community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older and living in Orlando, Florida, completed the study in their home …

Outcomes Of Family Presence During Resuscitation (Fpdr) In The Acute Care Setting: A Review Of The Literature, Audra M. Corn

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Family Presence During Resuscitation (FPDR) remains controversial and is not consistently implemented during resuscitation events or invasive procedures. Evidence has demonstrated positive outcomes produced by implementation of FPDR; such as, decreased rates of post-traumatic stress symptoms, decreased symptoms of anxiety, and depressive symptoms were not significantly different. Unfortunately, use of FPDR in the acute care setting is not widely accepted or readily implemented. The primary purpose of this integrative literature review is to evaluate the use of FPDR in the acute care setting. The secondary purpose is to evaluate the health care professional's level of perceived value associated with the …

Effects Of Music Therapy On Individuals With Dementia: An Intergrative Literature Review, Liani Sanchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this integrative review was to examine the effects of music therapy, a complementary intervention, on individuals with dementia. Peer-reviewed journals were retrieved from MEDLINE, CINAHL, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Music Index to evaluate their relevance to music therapy use in people diagnosed with dementia. English and Spanish-language research articles published from 2000-2017 were included for the review (n=15). The literature indicates the use of music therapy as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of dementia in older adults may be beneficial in decreasing symptoms of aggression, anxiety, agitation and depression. …

Risk Of Medication Errors In The Home: An Integrative Literature Review, Maria M. Crescenzi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Regardless of the setting, medication errors are of great concern when associated with an individual’s health outcomes, along with the increased costs to society, healthcare institutions, and providers. Current research focuses on medication error data primarily in acute and extended care facilities. However, there is a paucity of research examining the causes of medication errors that occur post hospital discharge when individuals transition to the home. The purpose of this integrative literature review is to examine risk factors for medication errors outside of these settings, specifically in the home. A systematic literature search was conducted using multiple databases for relevant …

The Use Of Herbal Supplements On Minimizing The Clinical Manifestations Of Alzheimer's Disease, Delayna L. Donohue

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects over 5 million individuals in the United States annually. By the year 2050, the number of individuals living with AD is projected to triple (Latest Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures, 2016). Although there is no cure for AD, there are many prescriptive pharmacologic agents used to help manage the clinical manifestations of the disease. Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) and herbal supplements are also used in the treatment of AD, however indications for their use and effectiveness during the progression of AD have not been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine the use 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: …

Intensive Care In Oncology: Admission And Outcomes In Adult Patients With Cancer, Surya John

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Historically, patients with cancer have been perceived as poor candidates for ICU admission. General ICU admission criteria lists cancer patients as low priority in ICU admission depriving them of the care they rightfully deserve. The purpose of this literary synthesis was to examine ICU admission criteria, risk factors, and outcomes of ICU admission in relation to hematological and solid tumor cancers and discuss ways that practitioners and nurses can educate patients with cancer and their families on appropriateness of ICU care.

Methods: A total of 768 articles were found in a literature search including all literature from 2005 to …

Recognizing Pain Using Novel Simulation Technology, Justin C. Grace

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Effective pain management and time to treatment is essential in patient care. Despite scientific evidence supporting the need to treat pain and an emphasis on addressing pain as a priority, pain management continues to be an unresolved issue. As a member of the health care team, nurses are integral to optimal pain management. Currently, nursing schools have limited innovative or alternative methods for teaching pain assessment and management. Simulation in nursing education provides a unique opportunity to expose students to realistic patient situations and allow them to learn and make mistakes without causing harm. However, modern low- and high-fidelity simulation …