Other Nursing Commons^™

Enhancing Patient Understanding: Standardizing Cardiac Medication Education Using Teach-Back For Heart Failure, Nicole Valerie Hediger

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: The transition from hospital to home places heart failure (HF) patients at risk for medication errors, nonadherence, deterioration, and rehospitalization. In a 28-bed medical-surgical telemetry microsystem, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores indicated an opportunity for improvement: “Communication About Medicines” composite score of 47.9%; 62.5% of patients reported being informed about the medication purpose, and 33.3% reported that staff described potential side effects.

Context: A cohort of HF patients was selected to test teach-back methodology and improve patient understanding. Nurse champions volunteered for a 5-month improvement project.

Interventions: Teach-back methods were implemented. Nurse leader rounding …

A Chronic Pain Self-Management Quality Improvement Bundle For Veterans, Srijana D. Baniya

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Introduction: Veterans often face challenges accessing care services due to limited awareness of available resources for support, Self-care, and mental health (Harding et al., 2019; Patel et al., 2024). Given the high prevalence of Chronic pain and opioid use in this population, Self-management (SM) education and non-pharmacologic interventions are required to address the biological, psychological, and social effects of pain (Bair et al., 2015; Mumba et al., 2024; Nahin, 2017; Higgins et al., 2020). This Quality improvement project aims to determine whether implementing an evidence-based SM bundle for chronic pain improved Pain severity scores and increased understanding of SM strategies. …

Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes (T2dm) In A Rural County In Texas: A Diabetes Intervention Bundle, Roxanne Morales

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains a significant public health concern, particularly in rural and underserved communities where patients often face barriers to effective self-management. This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated the impact of a diabetes intervention bundle consisting of individualized diabetes education, biweekly support phone calls, and digital self-monitoring tools on glycemic control, body weight, diabetes knowledge, medication adherence, diet compliance, and physical activity. The project was implemented over an eight-week period in a rural family medicine clinic and included 18 adults with uncontrolled T2DM (HgbA1c >7%). Participant outcomes were evaluated using pre- and post-intervention clinical measures, the Diabetes …

Creating Standard Work To Improve Length Of Stay, Jennifer Burris, Patricia Dumonceaux, Lindsay Kephart

Nursing Posters

Plan:

Improve the geometric mean length of stay (GMLOW) from 1.071 to 1.024 by creating and implementing patient flow and throughput standard work.

Do:

Implement standard work for interdisciplinary team members.

• Create a culture of accountability with consistent use of the expected discharge date (EDD) and patient milestones in Epic, during hand offs, and use of My Care Boards.
• Ensure provider to nurse communication occurs daily using ALWAYS, a standardized tool
• Create and ensure beside nurse-to-nurse hand off occurs using a standardized method known as iALWAYS.
• Create and implement patient education tools.
• Enhance discharge readiness tools to improve real-time communication …

Optimizing Electronic Health Record Capability To Provide Mindfulness Education To Oncology Patients Experiencing Anxiety, Cynthia Arcieri

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: The impact of a cancer diagnosis is significant. In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported over 1.6 million new cases of cancer (National Institutes of Health, 2023). Non-traditional approaches to supporting patients should be considered in providing high-quality cancer care. Mindfulness can help reduce stress reactions and may be beneficial for individuals with anxiety (Vinci et al., 2019). To best support patient care in the landscape of mobile health (mHeatlh) technology, it is essential to adopt best practices that promote patient engagement and empowerment.

Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to provide oncology patients with a cognitive …

Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative: Becoming Baby-Friendly Designated, Krystal Angelique Mora

Master's Projects and Capstones

Section I: Abstract

Problem Despite efforts to increase breastfeeding rates, the influence of formula companies has contributed to the decrease in rates, affecting the health outcomes of infants. In response, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) introduced standardized education for nursing staff to support infant growth and development. Context Hospital A Birth Center is a 33-bed culturally diverse unit that provides care to mothers in Northern California, delivering approximately 7,400 babies each year and helping patients transition into motherhood. Aim The quality improvement project aims to enhance the retention of BFHI-aligned education provided during hospitalization by 26.2%, raising retention rates among …

Improving Patient Awareness And Compliance With Telephone Follow-Up Calls Post Visit, Ajibola Kutti

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: In a high-volume clinic without current follow up practices post visit, a telephone follow-up (TFU) intervention was implemented within three days of patient outpatient appointments.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In adult patients in a high-volume clinic (P), does the implementation of telephone follow-up calls by nurses (I) compared to current practices (C) improve patient compliance and post-office follow-up visits (O) over 10-weeks (T)?

Evidence: The literature provided recommendations and evidence that supported the effectiveness of following up with patients within three days of leaving the healthcare clinic. TFU’s are a cost-effective intervention that …

Lovenox Prophylaxis: Improving Lovenox Nurse Education In A Postpartum Unit, Amy T. Nguyen

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: This quality improvement project aimed to increase nurse education about Lovenox

prophylaxis within the postpartum unit to reduce risks of pulmonary embolism among high-risk postpartum women in the postpartum unit. Context: A microsystem assessment was completed by Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) students in the postpartum unit at Hospital X located in the southern Bay Area. This unit accommodates 25 beds and provides care for postpartum mothers after both cesarean section and vaginal births. Intervention: An anonymous pre-intervention survey was distributed to the registered nurses on the unit. Educational handouts were created and distributed to the nurses on the unit. …

Implementation Of Web-Based Patient Education In Newly Transplanted Kidney Recipients, Tabo Mwikisa-Kelly

Doctoral Projects

Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for patients suffering from kidney failure. It is a complex process that is intended to improve one’s quality of life by adhering to a lifelong treatment plan of immunosuppressant therapy. Therefore, it is essential for patients or their caregivers to have adequate knowledge to care for themselves following post-transplant, which can contribute to better patient outcomes. In a metropolitan Bay area hospital in Northern California, the current state of practice involves educating newly transplanted kidney recipients through face-to-face interactions with the patient and handing out a transplant booklet during their initial transplant hospital stay. …

A Nurse Led Heart Failure Education For Self-Care Symptom Monitoring And Management, Lynda Browning

Doctoral Projects

Title

Nurse-led education heart failure education for symptom monitoring and management

Abstract

Problem Statement: Over six million adults in the United States have heart failure (CDC.gov,2020). According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), almost 20% of heart failure patients hospitalized are readmitted under 30 days (AHRQ, 2013). The American Heart Association (AHA) (2022) recommends a visual symptom tracking tool for self-care symptom monitoring to increase patient adherence and reduce readmissions. Despite this recommendation, the AHA tool for symptom monitoring is not fully incorporated into the discharge of every heart failure patient often because of nursing management …

Stroke Education Compliance Improvement, Natasha Pflueger

Nursing Posters

Plan:

• Per stroke best practice guidelines, stroke education must be provided verbally and in literature format post stroke. Our plan is to improve compliance and documentation of stroke education by improving staff awareness of patient's stroke education status. by enhancing communication and improving the documentation process, nursing practice can be supported, and best patient care delivered.
• Per stroke guidelines, education on individualized risk factors is preferred by patients. Studies support that patient education is an effective method to improve vascular risk factors (Meschia, Bushnell, Boden-Albata, et al, 2014).

Act:

• As with prior to the implementation of adding notes to the …

Effectiveness Of Standardized Vs. Individualized Cancer Treatment Education, Jija Issac

Master's Projects

As the number of cancer diagnoses continues to increase and is expected to keep rising, it becomes imperative to explore avenues to optimize patient education. Research has consistently demonstrated that effective education plays a crucial role in improving patient outcomes. Through my previous experiences in various outpatient oncology infusion centers, I have observed significant variations in the methods employed for delivering patient education across different facilities. In this literature review, I explored the effects of standardized chemotherapy education and individualized chemotherapy education on patients in outpatient oncology clinics. The predominant themes across these studies encompass patient awareness of anticipated symptoms, …

Effectiveness Of Self-Care Education On The Perceived Quality Of Life In Adults With A Tracheostomy, Elizabeth A. Bonnet

DNP Projects

Background: A tracheostomy is an operative procedure performed to create a stable surgical airway for patients with respiratory compromise due to a variety of clinical reasons. Living with a tracheostomy has tremendous impact on the patient as they experience alterations in their ability to eat, speak, breathe normally, and care for themselves. There is also a potential negative impact to their quality of life. Under ideal circumstances, the tracheostomy is a planned event and education is given to the patient prior to the procedure in an effort to lessen the impact and prepare them to cope with the expected life …

The Effect Of Standardized Patient Education On 30-Day Hospital Readmissions For Heart Failure Patients In The Outpatient Setting, Lurie Dimalanta

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Heart failure (HF) is the second leading condition of hospital readmissions. Evidence shows that patient education on self-care and disease management can help reduce and prevent 30-day hospital readmissions. Registered nurse case managers (RN CMs) can help improve patients' ability to self-manage their condition and prevent 30-day hospital readmissions by applying a standard approach to patient education.

Context: The Integrated Care Management (ICM) is an outpatient department that provides post-discharge patient calls. The ICM RN CMs utilized various HF patient education tools for patient teaching. The organization’s HF task force developed health-literate patient resources to be used …

Evidence-Based Individualized Discharge Educational Intervention For Coronary Artery Disease (Cad) Patients; A Benchmark Project, Sumita Thapa

MSN Capstone Projects

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, whereas, in the United States, 16,800,000 people are affected, resulting in 450,000 deaths annually. Patients’ perceptions of self-management related to treatment adherence, lifestyle modifications, and risk-factor management are significant indicators of outcomes following a cardiac event. To promote self-management in CAD patients, this benchmark project aims to determine the impact of individualized education interventions by establishing a standardized nurse-led educational intervention in the cardiac unit that emphasizes adherence to self-management and treatment regimen to improve quality of life and prevent rehospitalization due to worsening cardiac events. The evidence-based findings …

Standardizing Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Education, Marjorie Anne Gisslow

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Patients receive information about a new thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) diagnosis from their primary care providers (PCPs). As TAA is a relatively rare conditions, many PCPs have rudimentary knowledge of TAA, and need information and support from cardiac specialists to address their patients’ concerns and guide their care.

Context: In the Regional TAA Surveillance Program the TAA nurses offer educational content for patients through the information they provide to the PCPs. Currently the educational material available to PCPs is not comprehensive or easily accessible.

Intervention: Uniform, comprehensive educational content provided through recommendations in the patient’s electronic medical record at …

Effect Of Standardized Nurse Teaching On Patient Experience Using Cahps®, Julie Hake

Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to determine if a standardized nurse teaching approach improved patient understanding of diagnosis and treatment as it relates to women diagnosed with a pelvic floor disorder (PFD) after receiving a standardized nurse education (SNE) session in an urban tertiary care Urogynecology practice.

Methods: Females aged 18 and older with a newly diagnosed PFD and prescribed PFPT for the first time who agreed to receive the SNE and complete the CAHPS® survey were included in the project. Patient perception of PFPT was assessed via phone interview utilizing the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare …

Patient Controlled Fluid Restriction Monitoring, Christina Tindel

MSN Capstone Projects

Patients are often placed under non-pharmacologic orders such as fluid restrictions during their hospital stay. The following article will discuss a plan to implement a change to have patients take a more active role in their plan of care by being the main ones to monitor their fluid intake.

Reducing Falls In The Neuroscience Patient Population, Elizabeth Plante

Nursing Posters

Purpose Statement:

The purpose of this evidence-based practice project is to reduce the fall rate from 5.52 to less than 4.80 on a Neuroscience/Spine Unit through increasing staff and patient awareness of fall risk and application of evidence-based fall prevention practices of communication, patient involvement and bedside report.

Raising Oas Cahps Scores: Using Patient Education, Katrina Pangilinan

Master's Projects and Capstones

At the Golden Gate Endoscopy Center (GGEC), the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery (OAS CAHPS) survey results on patient satisfaction have been below the 50th percentile for the last three quarters of 2018. Patient satisfaction scores are a quality measure for the patient care experience and important for the success of the organization and its providers. Based on patient comments from previous surveys, patients feel that the center does not explain the possible side effects of the anesthesia in a way they can understand. Other patient comments and concerns included confusion regarding dietary restrictions …

Collaboration To Improve Care Of Oncology Patient, Kara Panek, Melinda Jennings

Nursing Posters

It was identified that there were opportunities to enhance the care of the inpatient oncology patient when they were not on the Medical and Oncology Unit. Upon completing leadership rounding, patients identified that they did not receive consistent oncology specific interventions when they were transferred to a higher level of care.

Teach-Back Methodology To Improve Patient Satisfaction In An Urgent Care Setting, Candi Payne

Doctoral Dissertations and Scholarly Projects

The project used teach-back methodology to provide an evidence-based approach to improve patient satisfaction scores in an urgent care clinic. The teaching plan should include evaluation of patient teaching to determine effectiveness and patient understanding per The Joint Commission (TJC) for Ambulatory Care Center standards. The project was developed to assist nurses (N=12) with an evidence-based method to improve patient understanding and provide an opportunity to ensure comprehension to increase patient satisfaction scores from a one or two to a level three at the end of 30 days following implementation of teach-back. The scores revealed an increase of patient satisfaction …

Patient Education Barriers, May Schomer, Hannah Newhouse

Nursing Posters

Introduction: Our survey answers corresponded closely to the research data found. The typical barriers included time, subject knowledge, patient education needs assessment, setting for teaching and nursing teaching skills.

Pneumonia: Ongoing Efforts To Improve Outcomes, Centracare Health

Nursing Posters

Background: Original improvement efforts emphasized correct antibiotic, early mobilization, adequate hydration, and early and ongoing oxygen weaning. Ongoing efforts include: early mobilization, obtaining room air sats on admission, early and ongoing oxygen weaning, and patient education.

Improving The Preparedness Of Discharge Education For Patients On The Bone And Joint Center, Angela Moscho

Nursing Posters

To improve discharge education in order to increase the percent of overall discharge and patient satisfaction in relation to being discharged.

Revising A Patient Medication Program To Improve Medication Adherence And Patient Outcomes, Rebecca Kastanek, Sandi Mulliner, Ann Summar

Nursing Posters

To improve education and understanding of medications in order to improve overall quality of care, to ensure our patients stay healthy and retain the gains they made during their rehabilitation stay, and to decrease readmission rates.