Geriatric Nursing Commons^™

The Use Of Life-Like Robotic Animals In The Acute Care Setting To Assist In The Care Of Patients With Dementia, Abby Denby

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

The purpose of this pilot project was to describe the effect of life-like robotic animals on the nurses’ ability to provide care, patients’ level of agitation, use of antipsychotic medications, restraint and sitter use for patients with dementia in an acute care setting. Nurses report challenges and feelings of helplessness while caring for patients with dementia. Dementia may cause depression, agitation, aggression (physical or verbal) and a decrease quality of life. Animal Assisted Therapy (ATT) is a growing therapy in many healthcare settings but there is a lack of literature specifically related to the use of AAT in the acute …

Fall Risk Factors Among Hospitalized Older Adults With Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias, Jean Bettencourtt Sconza

Doctoral Dissertations

Falls are a common and devastating complication of hospital admission for older adults. Falls are especially significant for those with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) as they are at high risk to fall and to suffer injuries from falling. Despite the large body of research on falls in hospitals, less is known about fall risk factors among patients with ADRD. The purpose of this retrospective case-control study was to determine which risk factors are predictors of falls among hospitalized older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) by comparing those who fell with those who did not fall. …

Effect Of A Self-Care And Self-Awareness Education Program On Resilience To Burnout And Depression In Clinically Experienced Nursing Students, Andrew Taylor

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose was to examine the effect of a self-care educational intervention on nursing student resilience and thus the potential for compassion fatigue, depersonalization, burnout, depression, and inadequate self-care. A one-group pretest-posttest research design was applied to a convenience sample of 104 nursing students near the end of their last semester in a baccalaureate nursing program. The measurements were demographics, a psychometric resilience scale, program evaluation, and reflection question. The intervention was a standardized, intensive 30 min training program on the high degree of stress and burnout nurses face and the core self-care methods that can promote resilience to these …

State Actions And Shortages Of Personal Protective Equipment And Staff In U.S. Nursing Homes, Diane M. Gibson, Jessica Greene

Publications and Research

BACKGROUND: It is crucial that nursing homes have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff to protect residents and staff from COVID-19. Some states have taken actions to mitigate shortages of PPE and staffing in nursing homes, including creating dedicated long-term care (LTC) teams and supporting staffing capacity.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether state actions and nursing home characteristics are associated with shortages of PPE and staffing.

DESIGN AND SETTING: Facility-level data, released July 31, 2020, from the Nursing Home COVID-19 Public File, were combined with data from other sources. Our sample was the 13,445 facilities with information about PPE and …

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 …

Pressure Injury Documentation And Reporting: A Quality Gap, Mary Ann Laslo

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Problem: Inaccurate and incomplete pressure injury (PrI) assessment and documentation leads to inaccurate reporting of PrI quality reporting measures to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Inaccurate, incomplete documentation of pressure injuries and wounds adversely affects the quality of care, financial reimbursement, and hospital reputation as well as increasing the risk of litigation to medical providers. Barriers to accurate and complete documentation by the nurses were inaccuracy in identification of PrIs Stage 1 or greater and knowing what and where to document the information in the electronic medical record.

Context: This quality improvement project attempted to improve nurse …

A Case For Delirium Risk Prediction Models To Aid In Triaging Resources To Those Most At Risk An Integrative Literature Review, Tammy Perttula

Nursing Masters Papers

Abstract

Delirium is a complex syndrome resulting from compounding effects of acute illness, comorbidities, and the environment. It results in adverse outcomes: elevated mortality rates, length of stay, readmissions, institutionalization, long-term cognitive changes, and diminished quality of life. The rate of iatrogenic delirium is astounding, ranging from 10%-89%. There are no curative treatments; thus, primary prevention is the key. The purpose of this literature review is to identify and critique the research for the accuracy of risk stratification and feasibility in practice. Support for interventions that prevent delirium is mounting; however, interventions are resource-intensive and often not implemented. Researchers have …

Implementation Of Post Falls Huddles In Skilled Nursing Facility, Princess Lomax

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the quality improvement project, implementation of the post fall huddle in a long-term care facility. Falls are the most common problem in adults 65 years and older. Falls in this population can have devastating effects, often leading to significant changes in morbidity or death. Adults in long term care settings have an increased risk of falling and having a subsequent fall due to an acute illness, weakness, or confusion (CDC, 2015). At the skilled facility, there has been a significant increase in hospitalizations due to injuries sustained from falls. To address this …

Oral Care And Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Prevention, Rachel Baber

MSN Capstone Projects

With rising healthcare costs and increasing demands placed on healthcare workers, it is no wonder that decreasing hospital length of stay for patients is high priority for hospitals today. Hospital acquired infections are one of the culprits keeping so many patients hospitalized. Specifically, in intensive care units (ICU) and intermediate care (IMC) units that care for mechanically ventilated patients, ventilator associated pneumonia secondary to intubation is a complication and cost that is being sought to be avoided. Hospitals have been pro-active to prevent ventilator associated pneumonia from occurring by placing oral care bundles or protocols in place to care for …

Barriers To Patient-Centered Care For Dementia Clients In The Long-Term Living Setting, Shaina Gaba

Nursing | Senior Theses

When caring for people with severe dementia, the concept of the person being central is increasingly advocated in clinical practice. Person-centered care acknowledges autonomy in all facets of care. Recent studies examine behavioral changes in individuals with dementia and how health care teams address these alterations. Health care providers are vital for effective holistic management. Therefore, this review focuses on the current knowledge regarding care goals, practices, and perceptions of the client battling with cognitive decline. A literature review ascertains that clients with dementia respond to interventions and have decreased negative health outcomes, when providers ensure values and needs are …

Utilization Of Patient Toolkit And Discharge Algorithm For Providers To Reduce Readmission Due To Repeat Ground Level Fall, Sara Karl

Doctoral Projects

Introduction. Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury death in adults over the age of 65. A retrospective examination at Level 1 trauma center in the Midwest found that 19.4% (118/605) of older adults admitted with a ground level fall were readmitted with a subsequent fall and injury. The aim of this quality improvement initiative is to determine if the implementation of an evidenced based patient toolkit and a discharge algorithm for providers will reduce outpatient falls. The objective was to reduce hospital readmission due to repeat fall.

Methods: The design of this project was mixed methods, observational, …

Increasing Health Literacy Through Noteaid Translational Tool In Nursing, Liz Catherine S. Cory

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background: Many adults in the United States lack health literacy necessary to understand patient education materials given to them, such as discharge summary. Re-hospitalization rates are higher due to poor transition of care planning. Older adults may only be provided with written instruction for their complex chronic conditions with multiple changes in medical or treatment plan, or uncommon surgical procedures. Nurses are instrumental in bridging the gap, as they often educate, advocate, and use health technology.

Purpose: To educate nurses on the availability of NoteAid as a natural language translation system that can help increase their comprehension of electronic health …

Creating Restful Environments: Applying Evidenced-Based Interventions To Increase The Patients Perceptions Of Room Quietness At Night, Timothy Marks

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Florence Nightingale first described the detrimental effects of noise on patients as an element nurses could control. Hospitalized patients who sleep in the hospital are at risk for poor periods of rest from unwanted noise in the care environment. This Doctor of Nursing Practice Project will assess interventions aimed at increasing the patient’s perception of quietness around the care environment at night for a pilot population. Swanson’s Theory of Caring will be utilized as a framework for the project. Outcomes of nursing interventions were reviewed for the improved patient perception of the care environment at night and resultant health outcomes. …