Pediatric Nursing Commons^™

The Impact Of Night Shift On New Nurses: Effects On Mental Health And Work-Life Balance, Avery Windham, Abby Maruskin, Elizabeth Yoder

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research examines the impact of night shift schedules on new nurses' mental health and work-life balance as they transition into professional practice. The transition from nursing school to the workforce presents challenges that are further compounded by shift work, which can disrupt circadian rhythms and contribute to stress, fatigue, and reduced job satisfaction. The purpose of this research is to evaluate how starting on night shift versus day shift influences nurses’ self-evaluation of work-life balance within their first year of practice. This systematic review synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed sources to assess the physical, emotional, and professional consequences of night …

Screening For Bullying In A Middle School Setting, Paige Bernau

Dissertations

Problem: Bullied youth are two and a half times more likely to experience depression and three times more likely to experience anxiety and suicidal ideation than their peers (Li et al., 2024). Schools represent a key access point for mental health support and treatment for youth (Duong et al., 2020). Despite this, schools typically do not have formal bullying screening integrated into student support services.

Methods: This program evaluation used a descriptive, observational design to evaluate a bullying screening program in a suburban middle-school. This program used the California Bullying Victimization Scale (CBVS) to assess for bullying victimization (BV) followed …

The Impact Of Maternal Mental Health On Child Development, Jessica White

Nursing | Student Research Posters

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Workplace Stressors On Anxiety Levels And Mental Health Among Pediatric Intensive Care Nurses, Kelsey Ang

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) nurses work in a high-stress environment where they are exposed daily to traumatic situations. The demanding emotional and physical challenges contribute to significant psychological burdens, including increased stress and anxiety. Purpose: The current paper proposes a research design to examine the outcomes of stress, anxiety levels, and mental well-being on PICU nurses when workplace support and structured debriefing sessions take place following a traumatic event. Methods: Participants will be recruited from PICU hospitals in Northern California. Participation will be voluntary, and informed consent will be obtained prior to the study. The selection criteria will …

The Impact Of Maternal Mental Health On Child Development, Jessica White

Nursing | Senior Theses

Purpose

This research investigates the impact of early maternal mental health interventions on child development, focusing on cognitive, emotional, and social behaviors. The study aims to evaluate whether children whose mothers receive mental health interventions, such as support for depression and anxiety, show improved developmental outcomes compared to children whose mothers do not receive such interventions.

Methods

The study will include 100 mother-child pairs, recruited from clinics in Northern California. Child developmental outcomes will be assessed using standardized tools: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scales (SSIS-RS). Follow-ups will …

Utilizing Pupper, A Social Robot Dog, To Increase Happiness And Improve Mood In Pediatric Patients Of A Cardiac Step-Down Unit, Angela Feng Wu

Master's Projects and Capstones

Objective The usage of social robots in pediatrics is an emerging field of study. Preliminary research shows that they are effective at improving the psychosocial well-being of pediatric patients. This quality improvement project focuses on Pupper, a newly developed quadruped social robot dog, and its ability in improving mood and happiness in pediatric patients of a cardiac step-down unit. Aim The aim of this project is to increase average mood scores of pediatric cardiac patients aged 3-25 years by 50% from their baseline of 3.75 to 5.63 on a six-point scale within a one-month time frame. Methods Before intervention and …

Fostering Resilience In Children Of United States Navy Seals Using A Social Media Platform, Riley Walker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Having resilience helps children overcome, cope, and manage stressors that they encounter throughout life and provides intrinsically protective factors to help a child thrive in the face of adversity.

Local problem: Children of United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land Operators (SEALs) face consistent stress as their parent is away from home more than 240 days per year doing high-risk training exercises.

Methods: Resilience education to mothers of children whose fathers are United States Navy SEALs delivered virtually on a social media platform. Pre- and post- intervention surveys using the Likert scale were conducted to measure the mothers’ understanding …

Child Abuse From A Nursing Perspective: Assessment And Implications, Ashtyn Spring

Senior Honors Theses

Nurses experience the relationship dynamics between pediatric patients and their families firsthand. Being informed by the goals of holistic care, nurses should be assessing for unhealthy dynamics among pediatric patients and their caregivers so they can respond appropriately when a potential for abuse is present. Healthcare workers have the duty to provide safety and healing to their patients. Through the unique contact nurses have with patients, their training for accurate assessment skills, and their responsibility as healthcare workers, nurses are placed with the opportunity to help children out of abusive situations. Prompt identification of the potential for abuse can prevent …

The Relationship Between Urban Green Space Perception And Use Within The Adolescent Population: A Focused Ethnography, Rachel Lyons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Greenspace is beneficial for improving adolescent mental health, yet we still do not understand the connection between the built environment and subjective mental wellbeing. We also lack understanding of how this population uses greenspace and how they feel when in it. Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was threefold: to understand why adolescents use greenspace, to identify how they use greenspace, and to explore how they feel when they are in greenspace. Methods: participated in a focused ethnography that utilized auto photography for photo elicitation. Braun and Clark's (2006), six phases of thematic analysis were used to guide …

Parent And Child Anxiety Evaluated During An Early Period Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study, Karla M. Abela, Darlene Acorda, Stanley Cron, Geri Lobiondo-Wood

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore parent and child anxiety during the pandemic. Unlike previous pandemics, measures implemented to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been much more limiting.

Methods: An explanatory convergent mixed-methods design was used to describe anxiety of children 9–17 years of age and their parents during August–October 2020. Adult and child versions of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to examine levels as measured on STAI’s state-anxiety subscale. Web-based interviews with a subset of patients were conducted qualitatively to analyze anxiety-related themes.

Results: A total of 188 parents …

Connecting And Communicating To Support Youth Mental Health, Michele Davide

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The nation is experiencing a pediatric mental health crisis amid a shortage of pediatric mental health care providers. The Connecting and Communicating project explores a strategy pediatric primary care practitioners can employ to bridge this gap and maximize their impact on supporting youth mental health in a community.

For this project, a pediatric primary care nurse practitioner created a pilot educational video with the dual purpose of educating parents and school staff on the importance of connecting with adolescents using the proven evidence supported communication technique of validating strong emotions without judgement, and partnering with pediatric health stakeholders by requesting …

Lgbt Community And Mental Health, Danielle Schleeter

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Introduction and Background: Today, in 2022, there is a community that receives discrimination, lack of acceptance, and lack of equality. This is the LGBTQ community. They suffer from the indifferences of the way they express themselves resulting in a rise of mental health issues and overall health disparities.

Purpose Statement: The purpose of this review is to explore the disparities in mental health for the LGBT community including young adolescents and older adults. The question that drives this review is how does being a member of the LGBT community effect mental health.

Literature Review: This literature review utilized search engines …

Identifying Adverse Childhood Experiences (Aces) In A Federally Qualified Health Center Using The Pediatric Aces And Related Life Events Screener, Melody Albarran-Slovin, Bsn, Rn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Evidence links adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to health issues later in life. Most research has been conducted in adults but there is a lack of recent research on the impact of ACEs in the pediatric population particularly in relation to mental health conditions. Utilizing the Pediatric ACEs Screener (PEARLS) health care providers can screen for ACEs at earlier ages.

Purpose: The aim of this evidence-based project is to determine if there is an increase of newly diagnosed mental health related disorders when using PEARLS compared to not using PEARLS in the previous months before implementation.

Methods: ACEs were identified …

Anxiety Screening In Children & Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Using The Gad-7 Tool, Allison B. Reynolds

DNP Projects

BACKGROUND: Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) can encounter a variety of factors that affect proper management of their diabetes, including mental health. Youth with diabetes have significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and mental health problems compared to the general population. Anxiety is especially prevalent. PURPOSE: The objective of this project was to evaluate anxiety screening of children and adolescents with T1DM during their routine diabetes visits. Specifically, to assess for any trends in anxiety levels and patient characteristics including demographics, insulin regimen and A1C levels. METHODS: A cross- sectional, retrospective review of ambulatory electronic health records …

A Systematic Review: Effectiveness Of Complementary Therapies On Mental Status Of Pediatric Oncology Patients, Sara Fredricks, Jessica Lloyd, Whitney Wendling

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Children with cancer frequently suffer from depression, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, and psychological stresses related to knowledge of potential risks, associated treatments, and the illness itself. These psychological problems can cause many additional physiological problems for these already chronically ill patients and may be detrimental to their overall health. The purpose of this systematic review is to review and critically appraise the evidence to determine if the use of Complementary and Alternative Methods (CAM), along with standardized care, affects mental health outcomes in pediatric cancer patients. Twenty-one primary source publications between 2013 and 2019 were analyzed for this systematic review. …

Improving Emergency Department Nurses' Self-Perceived Self-Efficacy In Early Recognition Of Patients In A Mental Health Crisis, Mary Kay Silverman

DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

The two largest counties within Southwest Florida (SWFL) are Lee and Collier where mental health evaluations for children under the state’s Baker Act have more than doubled between 2011 and 2017 (Gluck & Zeitlin, 2019, p. 4). Given the marked increase in mental health evaluations, early recognition, assessment with initiation of treatment by nurses in the pediatric emergency department (ED) who present with behavioral health complaints must be a priority for emergency department leaders. Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project proposed to improve a nurses’ self-efficacy through expanding knowledge in the recognition and identification of the signs and symptoms …

Evaluation Of A Youth Emergency Room Enhancement Program For Behavioral Health, Anne Thatcher

Dissertations

Problem. Pediatric mental health complaints and subsequent hospitalizations have been steadily increasing. The Behavioral Health Network (BHN) developed an intensive outreach case management program aimed at reducing youth mental health emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient psychiatric admissions. The Youth Emergency Room Enhancement (YERE) program was a process improvement initiative to provide immediate case management to youth and caregivers for mental health care.

Methods. A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method utilizing a retrospective case record review occurred over a six-month period. A convenience sample of youth aged 6-20 years presenting to one of eight healthcare facilities for either ED or inpatient hospitalization …

Attitudes Of Middle School Children Towards Mental Health Programs, Catherine Taylor

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Despite years of school mental health services, today’s youth remain in need of mental health resources. While schools provide a variety of services to help reduce mental health disparities, there is limited information concerning the success of services offered. The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of middle school children towards mental health programs offered at the selected study site. The design utilized was a cross sectional design using a convenience sample of middle school children in Northwest Arkansas. The results indicated that middle school children need a unique variety of programs offered to support their …

Implementing Change To Decrease The Emergency Department Visits For Pediatric Clients Referred To Mental Health Services, Diane Sandoval

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this clinical nurse leader (CNL) internship project is to implement an improvement intervention to decrease emergency department visits or psychiatric emergency services visit rates for pediatric clients receiving mental health services through the ambulatory clinic. The goal is to increase client safety by preventing harm to themselves or others and improving quality of care provided through timely nursing telephone triage. The project is taking place in a county run pediatric ambulatory clinic. We will participate in a shared leadership team to make recommendations for improvement at the microsystem level. Team members include the charge nurse, clinic manager, …