Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing Commons^™

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

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Healthcare Professional Awareness Of Climate Health And An Evidence-Based Environmental Stewardship Framework, Patricia Joubert, Rosemary Timmerman, Angie Shemwell, Barbara Nguyen, Teresa Rangel

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

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

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Assessing Lung Cancer Screening Protocols And Outcomes: A Comparative Analysis Between Indonesia And The United States, Priscilla Sitorus

Nursing | Student Research Posters

After losing a loved one to lung cancer, it can be difficult to process, especially when the diagnosis could have been made earlier. However, some may struggle to trust a healthcare system when screening protocols and care vary significantly, to the extent that it may seem unclear. Amongst both men and women, lung cancer is the worldwide leading cause of cancer-related mortality (World Health Organization, 2023), thus further creating a considerable amount of challenges that not only takes part in communities, but the overall healthcare system. Despite the increasing rate of lung cancer, Indonesia has limited screening programs available for …

Establishing The Validity And Reliability Of The Astroskin® Biometric Shirt, Alex Macquarrie, Jasmin Sidhu, Chloe Deetlefs, Steve Whitfield, Matt Stainer

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 5: Issue 1, Article 4, 2024. Biometric garments such as the Astroskin® biometric shirt (Carre Technologies, Montreal, PQ) may be useful for non-invasively monitoring human physiology in a number of applied settings. The Astroskin® biometric shirt measures and records continuous heart rate (HR), blood oxygenation (SPO2), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and respiratory rate (RR). The aim of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of the Astroskin® biometric shirt. This was achieved through comparing the Astroskin® with a commercially available hospital-grade cardiac monitor, the corpuls3® (Stemple GmbH, Kaufering, Germany) for the …

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 …

Validity And Reliability Of The Indonesian Version Of Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (Enss) As A Job-Stress Assessment Tool For Nurses, Hasto Harsono, Herqutanto Herqutanto, Suryo Wibowo, Aria Kekalih, Astrid Sulistomo

Occupational and Environmental Medicine Journal of Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Background: Job stress is a serious health problem in the 21st century because of its high incidence and impact. Nurses are known as a profession that has high risks of stress, has distinctive characteristics, and hence requires a work stress assessment instrument that suits its peculiarities. The Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS) is a nurse-specific stress assessment instrument that has high validity and reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.96) and is widely used in many countries but is not yet available in Indonesian. This study aims to obtain the Indonesian version of ENSS and evaluate its reliability and validity.

Method: …

Association Between Depressive Symptoms And Dynamic Balance Among Young Adults In The Community, Jinyoung Park, Cynthia Lee, Ye Eun Nam, Hyunhwa Lee

Nursing Faculty Research

Background: Detecting and addressing depression symptoms at their outset can reduce the burden on individuals and society; however, it has a limitation in that such evaluations mainly rely on self-reports. Several studies have demonstrated a strong association between motor symptoms and early depression. We aimed to associate body balance measured by the Lower Quarter Y Balance Test (YBT-LQ) with depressive symptoms among young adults in the community, to confirm the current evidence that depression negatively influences body balance. Research question: Is the YBT-LQ an objective tool for measuring and evaluating young adults’ depression risks, as well as assessing whether depression …

Full Plate Living-Teaching Kitchen: A Sustainable Approach To Employee Health, Amy M. Daniel

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Insufficient fiber intake is a key contributor to diet-related chronic diseases (DRCD) such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. This evidence-based health promotion program evaluated integrating a teaching kitchen with the Full Plate Living Plan (FPL-TK) to increase daily fiber intake. Grounded in the Social Cognitive Theory, the 8-week employee health promotion program included hands-on culinary demonstrations, a structured FPL nutrition curriculum, and fiber tracking tools to help participants engage and participate in weekly health and wellness changes. The program successfully achieved high engagement rates, with 80% of participants reporting high satisfaction with the program and 100% of participants stating …

Assessing Lung Cancer Screening Protocols And Outcomes: A Comparative Analysis Between Indonesia And The United States, Priscilla Sitorus

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background/Significance: Social inequity is a large problem within the healthcare system, especially in third-world countries, like Indonesia. Poor access to healthcare and screening protocols can contribute to delayed diagnoses, poorer outcomes, and increasing mortality rates. Purpose: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of lung cancer screening protocols in Indonesia compared to California and help identify potential barriers and factors in lung cancer screening in both regions. This will later help reform policy interventions and decisions to improve community access. Methods: The study will be divided into two portions using a mixed method approach. The qualitative component will include lung …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Enhancing Commercial Driver Safety Screening For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Through Educational Intervention, Wendy Mortimer

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This quality improvement project aimed to identify if an educational intervention will increase obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening in commercial medical drivers over six weeks. Eight healthcare providers certified as commercial medical examiners from a national occupational company in central Pennsylvania engaged in an optional educational poster for two weeks. A pre-and post-educational retrospective chart review was performed on 80 charts, 40 from pre-educational and 40 from post-educational. Each chart was reviewed to determine if the commercial driver was at risk for OSA and, if so, if the commercial medical examiner performed an obstructive sleep apnea screening. The educational intervention …

Environmental Sustainability, Healthcare Workers And Healthcare Students: A Literature Review Of Attitudes And Learning Approaches, Pamela R. Mccauley, Kavita Mathur, Reza Kamali Miab, Nina Cohen, Kedena Henriques-Thompson, Jyo Gopinath

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Today, increased attention has been placed on the healthcare industry and its workers in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Increases in facemask production, personal protective equipment, and the number of patients admitted into hospitals have resulted in a sharp rise in medical waste and environmental concerns. This has led to a greater interest by the research community to study the type of training and education that healthcare workers and students receive which could facilitate the implementation of sustainability activities during their work.

Design/Methodology: We have conducted a literature review (2010 to 2024) on healthcare worker …

Using The 4ms Framework To Prevent Falls, Gina L. Edgeworth

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Hospital falls are rising in inpatient facilities, requiring analysis and a plan of action to address the ongoing falls. A strategy taken among facilities is implementing a 4Ms Framework that allows the nurse to address what matters to the patient and assess their mentation, medications, and mobility upon admission. With an increase in falls on a med-surg unit, it was found that there was no straightforward process for addressing the needs and concerns of patients and no assessment of medications, mobility, or mentation for those aged 65 years and older. This knowledge gap prevents nurses from providing a structured framework …

Establishing Guidelines For Implementing Electronic Hand Hygiene Monitoring Systems, Olaoti Opaleye

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in hospitals threaten patient safety and quality of care, which leads to increased healthcare costs. Despite national and state-level progress in hand hygiene compliance (HHC), the 2022 CDC annual report on HAIs highlighted ongoing concerns for standard infection ratios (SIRs) and called for improved HHC to reduce HAIs. Many hospitals use trained observers to collate HHC data; their audits are limited and often skewed by the Hawthorne Effect (HE) and observer bias, resulting in inaccurate HHC data. This project aimed to create guidelines for implementing electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems (EHHMSs) to help hospital inpatient units adopt …

Implementing A Nurse-Driven Clostridium Difficile Screening Protocol, Sandrela Magnuson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

Background: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a prevalent infection often contracted in hospitals. CDI is also increasingly originating from community settings. In addition to the health risks associated with CDI, diagnosis of a hospital-acquired CDI can have a significant financial impact on hospital systems. When hospital acquired, hospital systems are no longer reimbursed by payers. Secondary to the increasing prevalence of community-acquired CDI, mechanisms for early detection and isolation are warranted.

Local Problem: J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital has an integrated Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) electronic health record (EHR) screening questionnaire that requires updating to align with current guidelines.

Purpose: …

Predictors Of Occupational Distress Of Catholic Priests On The Eastern Seaboard Of The United States, Michael D. Kostick, Xihe Zhu, Justin A. Haegele, Pete Baker

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

With ever-increasing demands placed upon active priests in the United States, insight into protecting their mental health may help strengthen vocational resilience for individual priests. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of individual variables, workplace characteristics, and physical activity participation with occupational distress levels among Catholic priests. A 22-question survey consisting of a demographic questionnaire, the Clergy Occupational Distress Index, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was employed to collect individual variables, workplace characteristics, physical activity participation, and occupational distress levels of Catholic priests from the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Regression analyses showed that …

Global Partnerships In Transformation Of Nursing And Midwifery Education In Africa: A Systematic Scoping Review Protocol, Claudine Muraraneza, Donatilla Mukamana, Godfrey Katende, Oliva Bazirete, Liz Wolvaardt

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background In recent decades, the literature on global partnerships in nursing and midwifery education, for the purpose of enhancing quality of education, strengthening health care system, and achieving universal health coverage is on the rise in Africa. However, there is a gap regarding the best practices and barriers in the African context. The purpose of this systematic scoping review is to map the evidence on global partnerships in transforming nursing and midwifery education in Africa.

Methods A search will be conducted with the use of the following electronic databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Applied Health Literature [CINAHL], PubMed, Cochrane …

Implementing Low-Dose Ct Scans To Screen For Lung Cancer In The Primary Care Setting, Monifa Ri'ana Beal

Doctoral Projects

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the United States. By the end of 2023, lung cancer will have been diagnosed in approximately 238,000 Americans and claimed the lives of about 127,000 of those that are diagnosed.(American Cancer Society, 2023) Currently lung cancer accounts for more deaths among Americans than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019). Despite being one of the most preventable cancers in the world, lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related death among Americans and more so in …

The Effects Of An Influenza Vaccine Education Bundle On Environmental Management Services Workers, Michelle Keister

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Environmental Management Service Workers have low vaccination rates. They work around a vulnerable patient population.

PICOT: For Environmental Management Services (EMS) workers (P), does the use of an Influenza Vaccine Education Bundle (I) compared to the current practice (C) impact EMS worker influenza vaccine compliance (O) within a 10-week period (T)?

Evidence: Using an educational vaccine bundle that increases access to the vaccine, provides education regarding the vaccine, and comes from a trusted source will increase flu vaccination rates among Environmental Management Services workers.

Intervention: Implement a vaccine education bundle.

Outcome: After implementation in 2023, vaccination rates …

Lost In Interpretation: The Lived Experience Of Nurse Interpreters In The Clinical Setting, Byron Batz

Dissertations

The use of language interpreters in the health care setting constitutes a vital part of provider-patient communication but remains a relatively unexplored phenomenon. Registered nurses (RNs) are often called upon to serve as interpreters when linguistically diverse patients constitute a large segment of the patient population. That RNs serve simultaneously in an interpreter role – in addition to clinical and advocacy roles – is a complex facet of contemporary nursing practice in a diverse U.S. culture. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to examine the lived experience of RNs serving as interpreters in health care institutions in Southern …

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.

Enhancing A Pressure Injury Prevention Bundle In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Lorillie Soleta

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: The purpose of the project was to address the increase in pressure injuries in a skilled nursing facility, which had risen from 6% to 10% despite the implementation of a prevention bundle. The project aimed to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of existing interventions.

Aim of the Project: The aim was to add evidence-based interventions to the existing pressure injury prevention bundle. The desired outcome was to decrease the number of acquired pressure injuries.

Review of the Evidence: Research indicated that pressure injury prevention bundles were more successful when incorporating offloading interventions. These offloading measures, including frequent turning and …

Understanding Healthcare Worker Experiences And Personal Protective Equipment (Ppe)-Related Skin Reactions/Injuries During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Approach, Susan Solmos

Theses & Dissertations

Personal protective equipment (PPE)-related facial skin reactions/injuries occurred in 75.13% of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Critical appraisal of cross-sectional studies identified methodological gaps as the majority of survey questions were not content-validated and those that were lacked descriptions of methods and psychometrics for the survey questions/tool. The aims of this dissertation study were to describe the nature, severity, and distribution of selfie captured PPE-related facial injuries using a validated tool (quantitative) and describe the contextual factors associated with PPE-related facial injuries and what factors influence nurses and Health Care Workers (HCWs) to share their experiences (qualitative). The setting …

Impact Of Strokes: The Burden Of Care, Post-Cva Fatigue & Caregiver Role Strain, Tanya G. Schlemmer

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Strokes and cerebral vascular accidents (CVAs) and related disease events are an unfortunate circumstance that inflicts individuals around the world and impacts people every day as individuals and their caregivers. The consequences of these strokes or CVA events are life-changing for all those involved. As a result of long-term disability related to strokes, the caregiver may undergo many emotional, psychological, and physical factors that impact their daily lives. There is a relatively short period of time to react to the necessary change and as a result there may be differences in coping associated with these unexpected health circumstances. Many stoke …

“One University’S Covid-19 Pandemic Mitigation Response And Anxiety Construct: A Summative Program Evaluation”, Ann Hodgin

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Manuscripts

Abstract

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to ripple through everyday life. In December 2019, an outbreak occurred in China. Subsequently, the World Health Organization identified SARS-CoV-2 as a new type of coronavirus that quickly spread around the globe (Nazario, 2022). As of May 31, 2023, there were 6,938,353 confirmed deaths worldwide from COVID-19 (WHO, 2023).

A needs assessment completed by the University identified that a program evaluation of the university’s COVID-19 response was warranted. Therefore, this program evaluation was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the policies and protocols implemented at a Catholic University in Southwestern Pennsylvania to …

Guide And Algorithm Creation For Hepatitis B Vaccination And Tuberculosis Testing Requirements For A Nursing Program., Jumoke Owolabi

Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers

This project developed a guide and algorithm for hepatitis B vaccination and tuberculosis (TB) testing requirements for nursing students at the University of Louisville [UofL] School of Nursing [SON] before clinical placement. Clarifying the requirements for hepatitis B vaccination, testing, and tuberculosis testing was paramount for clinical compliance because the current policy was determined to be ambiguous. The literature review revealed discrepancies with policies for hepatitis B and TB among countries and with individual institutions confirming the need for aligning with evidence-based vaccination guidelines. Based on these findings, an evidence-based guide and algorithm were created. Feedback from the clinical compliance …