Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing Commons^™

Reducing Falls Through Innovative Assessment Scales, Emily Oliver, Alisa Helt

Scholars Week

Fall occurrences remain an important issue in hospital settings that contribute to longer hospital stays, higher healthcare costs, and increased health risks for patients. This evidence based practice project evaluates current research that addresses how to reduce the amount of falls that occur in hospitals, specifically through innovative fall risk assessments. Key findings from the studies include the use of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) and the Modified Dionne’s Egress Test as a means to evaluate patients mobility function, and therefore gain a better understanding of how at risk a patient is for falls.

Environmental Concerns Of Women In Appalachia, Kristen Montgomery, Adebayo Adeeko, Jessica Binns, Sarah Hall, Paula Hawkins, Allyson Newer, Michaela Outlaw, Karenna Turley

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Purpose: Environmental contamination is rampant in the United States and other parts of the world. There are potential health implications related to environmental contamination.
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Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate how concerned women in Appalachia are regarding the environment. The following research question was addressed: What concerns do women have regarding the environment? The objective of this study was to understand how women perceive their environment and to evaluate what concerns they have regarding the environment. We also evaluated demographic factors to see if any demographics contributed to particular concerns related …

Ebp Implementing Telehealth In Outpatient Settings, Kylee Scott, Ellianna Grammer

Scholars Week

This evidence based practice project is researching if the implementation in outpatient settings would be beneficial. Specifically in the emergency department for areas such as triage and collaboration with other physicians.

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 …

Healthcare Staff Awareness Of Climate Health And An Environmental Stewardship Framework, Patricia Joubert, Angie Shemwell, Barbara Nguyen, Rose Timmerman, Teresa Rangel (Pi)

Providence Nursing Research Conference 2023 – Present

Background: Climate change negatively impacts human health and is largely driven by human activities which generate pollutants. In the United States (U.S.), healthcare operations lead to significant pollutants. The workforce supporting healthcare in the U.S. is massive; thus, healthcare HCP can help significantly reduce harmful healthcare emissions. A nurse-authored framework helps contextualize causes of healthcare pollutants as Waste, Energy/water, Agriculture/food, Chemicals, and Transportation (WE ACT). A large health system adopted and disseminated this framework to healthcare professionals (HCP) in 2020 to help achieve a critical objective of becoming carbon-negative by 2030. To date, HCP awareness of climate health and …

Nurse Awareness Of An Environmental Stewardship Framework For Climate Health, Sarah Johnson, Elizabeth Schenk, Teresa Rangel

Providence Nursing Research Conference 2023 – Present

Background: The World Health Organization has recently stated that climate change is the single biggest threat to the health of humanity. Climate change is largely driven by human activity generating pollutants that negatively impact the environment. The healthcare sector’s operations alone account for nearly 8.5% of annual United States (U.S.) greenhouse emissions. Nurses are well-positioned within the healthcare space to take actions to reduce healthcare emissions and promote environmental health. For instance, a nurse-authored framework helps contextualize causes of healthcare pollutants as: Waste, Energy/water, Agriculture/food, Chemicals, and Transportation (WE ACT). A large, 52-hospital health system in the United States …

Health Professional Concern For Environment And Behaviors To Protect Climate Health, Sarah Johnson, Mary Jo Kelly, Gale Springer, Teresa Rangel

Providence Nursing Research Conference 2023 – Present

Background: Air pollution, medical waste, and climate change are a threat to our health and environmental sustainability. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that annually, 7 million premature deaths are associated with climate change, making climate change this century’s greatest threat to health. The healthcare industry negatively impacts climate change through the production of approximately 5% of all global carbon emissions. However, little is understood about relationships between healthcare professionals' concern for the environment and behaviors at home or work to protect climate health.

Purpose: To test relationships between healthcare professionals' concern for the environment and behaviors at …

Implementing In-Room Recycling On A Family Medical Center, Sarah Johnson

Central Division Nurse Clinical Inquiry Conference

Abstract:

Title: Implementing In-Room Recycling on a Family Medical Center

Background:

Healthcare operations are estimated to generate up to 29lbs of waste per patient per day (Practice Greenhealth, 2022). Waste contributes significantly to healthcare’s carbon emissions, which in turn contributes to the growing climate crisis (Karliner et al., 2019, Healthcare Without Harm, 2019; World Health Organization, 2018). Diverting recyclable waste from healthcare operations will reduce healthcare’s total waste to landfill and waste related carbon emissions.

Recycling bin placement and contamination rates (the amount of items in recycling that should go to another waste stream) can impact recycling levels. Staff at …

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.

The Effects Of E-Cigarettes Versus Traditional Cigarettes On The Health Of Young Adults, Taylor Arnett, Sami Johnson, Victoria Leggett, Miranda Susman

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: Electronic cigarettes, more commonly referred to as e-cigarettes, were initially designed as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarette users. Although there are some benefits to transitioning to e-cigarettes, the benefits do not outweigh the health risks both cause to the cardiovascular and pulmonary system. Objective: This study was designed to better understand the consequences that traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes have on young adults' health. Method: Research was conducted using CINAHL, EBSCO, and PubMed. The commonly used phrases to find search results include “traditional versus e-cigarettes effects on cardiovascular system” and “traditional versus e-cigarettes effects on respiratory system.” Boolean …

Implementing Ppe And Precaution Use Among Patient Families And Visitors, Ashley Dunn

Scholars Week

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the current nursing policy regarding education, knowledge, and compliance of PPE (personal protective equipment) among patient families and visitors, and to further assess whether or not the policy in place needs to be strengthened and improved, or changed altogether. Upon investigation, it was found that PPE compliance and knowledge as well as hand hygiene compliance are lacking and are current issues seen among not only families and visitors of families, but nurses as well. There are few studies about this topic due to the fact that it is an issue that is …

Lifting Teams In The Acute Care Settings, Mary Makalyn Smith

Scholars Week

Research studies have analyzed the importance of lifting teams in the acute care settings of the hospital. Lifting teams provide nurses with the trained assistance they need to refrain from reoccurring musculoskeletal injuries. These lift team members are scheduled and trained staff members who are able to focus on patients’ needs and modes of transportation. The focus of these lift teams would be to add efficiency to the healthcare system and increase patient skin integrity and satisfaction rates. In my first study it examined the effectiveness of a multifaceted minimal-lifting environment on nursing areas. The study was focused on musculoskeletal …

Organizational Wellness Programs As Internal Social Marketing: A Literature Review Of Feasible Approaches, Faith Bontrager Rn, Bsn, Kimball P. Marshall Ph.D.

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

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. …

Rates Of Autoimmune Disease Increasing In Women, Rosa De La Cotera

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Abstract

Autoimmune disorders (AD) are a group of highly disabling pathological conditions that are growing at an alarming rate affecting approximately 8% of the population. These disorders occur more frequently in women, as 78% of those diagnosed are women. Little conclusive research has been conducted as to determine why there is a tremendous sex disparity when looking at the rates. Due to the overall poor health that results from these disorders, there is an increase in the societal burden in terms of health care costs, loss of work productivity and reduced quality of life. The aim of this integrative literature …