Public Health and Community Nursing Commons^™

Travesty Of Trust: A Critical Look At Racial And Ethnic Discrimination In The Healthcare Setting, Thea A. Beaty

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to review the overarching purpose of healthcare, examine race-related disparities in minority patient outcomes within specific fields of medical practice, and discuss whether these disparities are the result of racial discrimination within the clinical setting, or are due at least partially to genetic and environmental factors, followed by an examination of how cross-cultural education for healthcare professionals can be improved to equip medical personnel with the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to provide effective care to a culturally diverse patient populace. The benefits of recruiting a culturally and linguistically diverse team of healthcare providers …

Cardiovascular Risk Factors Prevalent Among Filipino-Americans: A Cross-Sectional Study, Alona Angosta

Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship Day

Filipino Americans are the 2nd largest Asian subgroup in the United States and their leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this, little is known about their prevalence of CVD risk factors. This study revealed that many Filipino Americans living in Clark County, Nevada are at risk of heart disease because of the presence of CVD risk factors. Intensive lifestyle modification and treatment are recommended to help decrease the prevalence of heart disease in this group and improve their overall health outcomes. Nurses and nurse practitioners are in excellent position to educate their Filipino American clients regarding heart …

Barriers To Health Care For People With Disabilities And Practice Administrators’ Knowledge Of The Ada: Nevada Compared With The Nation, Jennifer Pharr, Michelle Chino

Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship Day

The purpose of this study was to determine if the number of barriers reported in the clinics could be predicted by characteristics of the administrators or
characteristics of the practice.To increase accessibility to health care, interventions should focus on practices located in buildings built before 1993, practices with administrators who are younger and have limited experience as administrators, administrators with low levels of ADA knowledge and practices with smaller number of patients.

Evaluation Of The Childhood Blood Lead Screening Component Of The Southern Nevada Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Melissa Breunig, Shawn Gerstenberger

Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship Day

The objective of this paper is to highlight the progress of the lead poisoning prevention program in Southern Nevada. Specifically, we present blood lead screening results for Clark County, Nevada from 2006 through 2011, and review the progress towards recommendations made by Rothweiler et al. for Nevada in 2007.7

Isolation Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender Youth: A Dimensional Concept Analysis, Michael Johnson, Elaine Amella

Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship Day

Present the findings of a dimensional concept analysis of isolation within the context of LGBT youth. LGBT youth are at greater risk for negative health outcomes as compared to heterosexual youth, including depression, anxiety, suicide, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS. Some studies suggest LGBT feeling and being isolated is related to some negative health outcomes. Other research reveals a relationship between isolation and negative health

Pre- And Post-Interrvention Perceptions Of Illness, Health, And The Home Environment Among Nevada Healthy Homes Participants, Michelle Ching, Shawn Gerstenberger

Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship Day

The Nevada Healthy Homes Partnership (NVHHP) is a collaborative program between the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), Rebuilding Together (RBT), HELP of Southern Nevada, and other public/private housing authorities and health agencies in Southern Nevada.

Enhancing Access To Cultural Health Assessment Instruments For Refugees In Idaho, Samantha Fundingsland

College of Health Sciences Poster Presentations

Statement of the problem: Boise, Idaho is one of 16 relocation centers in the United States for refugees from all over the world. The number of Boise refugees from 2001-2011 totaled 5,431 with more than 30 countries represented (Idaho Office for Refugees, 2013). Refugees are fleeing persecution on basis of race, religion, nationality, and social groups and generally cannot protect themselves from their own countries. The process of resettlement is stressful and can impact physical and mental health. Upon entering the United States refugees are required to undergo a medical examination, which initially introduces them to the healthcare system. Refugees …

A Collaborative Educational Innovation In An Old Order Mennonite Community, M. Susan Jones Phd, Maria E. Main Dnp, Dawn M. Garrett Phd

Nursing Faculty Publications

Forming collaborative, interprofessional partnerships to facilitate the education of future healthcare providers to serve diverse cultures is an overarching goal of Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) and supported by the Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2005). This article describes the process of creating and sustaining a collaborative interprofessional health promotion and educational project with an old order Mennonite (OOM) community in south central Kentucky. This ongoing project began over a decade ago and involves the collaborative efforts of the South Central Kentucky AHEC, the School of Nursing at Western Kentucky University (WKU), a family practice residency program affiliated with the University …

Examining Disparities In Care In An Uninsured, Diabetic Population, Emily R. Manninen

Honors Projects

Type 2 diabetes is a common health problem that requires continuing medical care, self-management, and education. However, different populations experience diabetes and diabetes-related care differently. This study examined diabetes care and health outcomes at a Midwest community health clinic serving the uninsured. Two waves of data were obtained from medical records. Wave 1 consisted of 88 medical records of people who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and also had previous medical record reviews regarding routine diabetes care and outcomes. Wave 2 consisted of in-depth review of 20 medical records of male patients, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, whose primary …

Nursing Student Voices: Reflections On An International Service Learning Experience, Molly Kerby, Eve Main

Gender & Women's Studies Faculty Publications

For the past decade participation in service and experiential learning in higher education has increased. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of BSN and MSN students participating in a multidisciplinary service-learning course in a rural, underserved village in Belize. Researchers analyzed student journals utilizing qualitative data analysis techniques. There were eight consistent themes found in the student journals. The findings indicate that international service learning opportunities increase students' awareness of their place in a global society and the potential contribution they can make in society. For the past decade, service and experiential learning in higher …

Early Home Visits By A Registered Nurse Care Manager With Heart Failure Patients, Dana Davis Blake

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Strategies focused on 30 days in the life of a patient with heart failure will have limited impact on the burden that heart failure will have nationally or individually. The broader landscape of readmission risk underscores the need for a more comprehensive approach to heart failure management. Care management with a registered nurse demonstrated efficiently coordinate care. Home visits address the peaks of risk in the post-discharge transition and palliative phase while providing longitudinal support. The purpose of this study is to substantiate that early home visits and telephone followup with a registered nurse after discharge from the hospital will …

Cultural Bias Education Of Nursing Faculty, Frank Castelblanco

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

A cultural bias education seminar was presented to nursing faculty at a private university in Western North Carolina in an attempt to increase the level of cultural competence. Leininger's "Culture Care and Universality"; a nursing theory was used as the theoretical framework for the project and Campinha-Bacote's Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competency Among Healthcare Professionals, Revised (IAPCC-R) was employed to measure the pre- and post-cultural competence levels of the nursing faculty. The faculty voluntarily completed the pre-assessment, the seminar was completed and 17 participants completed the post assessment. The statistical findings illustrated an increase in total cultural …

The Effects Of A Care Delivery Model Change On Nursing Staff And Patient Satisfaction, Kathleen Gier

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Hospitals across the nation are faced with the challenge of providing high-quality, cost-effective patient care. The purpose of the research study, The Effects of a Care Delivery Model Change on Nursing Staff and Patient Satisfaction, was to examine the impact of implementing a team-approach care delivery model on defined outcomes of staff satisfaction and patient satisfaction. A quasi-experimental design study was utilized to examine the effects of implementing a team-approach care delivery model on a 33-bed Medical-Surgical unit. Prior to and after implementation of the new care delivery model, data were collected regarding patient and staff satisfaction. All nursing and …

Nurses' Perceptions Of Shared Medical Appointments, Kristin Monza

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

With the increased economic burdens placed on Americans in recent years, the topic of healthcare has been in the forefront. As healthcare reform embraces the country, healthcare organizations are forced to re-examine their business structure more accurately to reflect the changing culture and patient population. The Shared Medical Appointment (SMA) is a model in the chronic disease setting, and many of the benefits and proficiencies have been studied but no studies have assessed nurse experiences or perceptions of SMAs. The purpose of this study was to determine the Registered Nurses's experience with and perception of SMAs. A descriptive exploratory design …

Transcultural Nursing And Malaria: Identifying Global Health Strategies Through The Lived Experiences Of Nurses From The Villages Surrounding Bamenda, Cameroon, Noella Sob Tataw

Theses Digitization Project

This study highlights the challenges faced by nurses working in the villages surrounding Bamenda, Cameroon. This is done as a necessary first step towards developing a culturally compelling intervention strategy fro Malaria prevention/treatment, through direct interaction of nurses in villages surrounding Bamenda in Cameroon. Malaria and other diseases pose significant health care problems in remote regions of Cameroon.

Self-Care For Native American People With Type 2 Diabetes: A Creative Approach To Enhance Their Well-Being, Manuela Przybyszewska-Wosiek

Theses and Graduate Projects

The development of culturally congruent visual resources on self-care in type 2 diabetes is a culturally appropriate method to provide education to the Native American patients. In particular, the creation of a series of illustrations on foot care is needed. Guided by Leininger's Culture Care Theory and the Sunrise Enabler, materials on foot care are developed through the convergence of emic (generic) and etic (professional) knowledge. Orem's Theory of Self-Care and the Native American perspectives are used to integrate concepts pertaining to self-care. This project supports the enhancement of health literacy as a component of health communication - a goal …

Promotion Of Mental Health Wellness Among Second Generation Immigrants In The Cedar Riverside Neighborhood, Caroline Abenakyo

Theses and Graduate Projects

Effects of the stigma associated with mental health illness among immigrant populations are exacerbated by challenges like language barrier, poverty and low education status. Immigrant children and teenagers are more vulnerable to compromised mental health wellness due to their dependence upon adults and their critical developmental stages. The purpose of this project is to explore the collaborative effort between health care professionals, law enforcement, community leaders and volunteers in the development of a nursing based support group for East African immigrant parents to promote mental health wellness for second generation immigrants in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. Madeleine Leininger's Theory of …

The Malaika Project, Monicah M. Gikiri

Theses and Graduate Projects

Father involvement has been reported to have a positive relationship with children outcomes. The goal of this project is to empower young fathers by providing a safe home. The Malaika project will provide safe housing for young fathers age l8-21. Providing housing stability could potentially increase the parental involvement of the young father. The project was guided by Watson Theory of Caring and Culture of Safety Theory developed by Irihapeti Merenia Ramsden. This paper provides a guide on how these safe homes will be established. The project will discuss challenges that have been identified such as financing, IRS filings, and …

Community Gardening And The Somali Immigrant Community, Sarah Sanford

Theses and Graduate Projects

Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are all common diagnoses within the Somali immigrant community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There is an opportunity for collaboration between graduate nursing sfudents at Augsburg College, which is a small inner-city college, the Health Commons, which is a drop-in health center staffed by nurses, and community members in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood to address improvement in health, food choices, and socialization opporfunities for Somali immigrants. The purpose of this project is to develop relationships with Somali immigrant community members in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, Augsburg College graduate nursing students, University of Minnesota Extension Office dieticians and master gardeners, and …

Influenza Vaccination: An Educational Module For Health Care Workers, Lisa A. Hogan

Theses and Graduate Projects

The seasonal influenza virus continues to have a significant impact on the health of hundreds of thousands of individuals in the United States each year, despite the availability of a vaccine shown to be effective at reducing both illness and death. All Health Care Workers (HCWs) at a large Midwestern medical center must make a choice whether to receive the yearly influenza vaccine or not, and approximately 5,000 HCWs chose to decline the vaccine in 20l2. Reasons given for these declinations included fears about vaccine safety and effectiveness, as well as misperceptions about vaccine side effects and the intended recipients. …

Community Engagement In The Prevention Of Teenage Suicide, Janet M. Benz

Theses and Graduate Projects

Adolescent suicide is a serious problem. Worldwide suicide is the tenth leading cause of death for all people (World Health Organization, 2002) and in the United States suicide is the third leading cause of death for teenagers (Centers for Disease Control, 2010). Minnesota, however, fares worse than the rest of the country, where suicide is the second leading cause of death for those 15 to 34 years of age (Minnesota Department of Health,2009). Suicide does not discriminate as it happens to people of wealth, those who live in poverty, people of all ethnic backgrounds, people from all walks of life …

Reviving The Dream: Giving Form To A Faith-Based Holistic Clinic At An Urban Lutheran Church, Kathy Leu

Theses and Graduate Projects

To be able to live full, productive lives, all people can benefit from having a consistent, unified team of health care providers who offer emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual support at one health care center. Historically, churches have been involved in health care, and the Christian faith has been integral in holistic healing. Today, the spiritual component of health is often missing in clinic settings. This project will lay the foundation for the establishment of a faith-based holistic clinic in a large charismatic urban Lutheran church. Utilizing Leininger's Culture Care Theory, the transcultural nurse, a key member of the holistic …

Feeding The Homeless Through Collaboration: A Proposal For Consideration, Valetta M. Johnson Massaquoi

Theses and Graduate Projects

The homeless are faced with many challenges of adverse nutritional deficiencies that predispose them to several illnesses commonly associated with the lack of adequate nutrition and the frequent utilizations of health care resources. Provision of nutritious food for the homeless can help decrease the prevalence of these identifiable markers and can be accomplished by u collaborative effort. The purpose of this project is to describe a collaboration between Regions Hospital and the Dorothy Day Center to provide supplemental nutrition for the homeless. Leininger's culture care diversity and universality theory along with culture care accommodation/negotiation are used as a theoretical framework …

Breast Health Teaching In Predominantly African American Rural Mississippi Delta, Kaye Wilson-Anderson, Renee P. Williams, Tracilia Beacham, Naekhia Mcdonald

Faculty Publications - College of Nursing

This study's primary focus was breast health education to rural African American women in Mississippi and training of community members. Through practice in this area, women were found to lack knowledge of breast health which is the third leading cause of death in Mississippi Black women. They were open to education: N = 130, t = -16.6, df = 126, p < .001; 1 year, N = 35; 2-3 year N = 16 and 3 trained. Data suggest knowledge increased, a small percentage continued practices and community members would become trainers. One participant was diagnosed with breast cancer, received treatment and remained cancer-free after two years.

Standardized Care Of The Late Preterm Infant In Upper Midwest Hospitals, Michelle Susanne Foy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Standardizing care or critical pathways have delivered evidence-based care in adult medicine and have positive patient outcomes. Some aspects of standardized care have been used in neonatology, but less often in caring for the late preterm infant (gestational week 34-37 weeks). With each level of care nursery, Level-I, level-II or level-III, there can be a wide range of how to care for the late preterm infant. The purpose of this study was to determine if nurseries or various levels of care had established standards of care specific to the late preterm infant and what barriers existed that prohibited standards of …

The Prevalence Of Smoking And The Knowledge Of Smoking Hazards And Smoking Cessation Strategies Among Hiv Positive Patients In Johannesburg, South Africa, Peter Waweru, R. Anderson, H. Steel, Wdf. Venter, D. Murdoch, C. Feldman

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: While the detrimental effects of smoking among HIV positive patients have been well documented, there is a paucity of data regarding cigarette smoking prevalence among these patients in South Africa.

Objectives: To establish the frequency, demographics, and knowledge of harmful effects and of smoking cessation strategies among HIV-positive patients in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Methods: A prospective cross-sectional survey, using a structured questionnaire interview, of HIV-positive patients attending the HIV Clinic at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital between 1 July 2011 and 31 October 2011.

Results: Of 207 HIV positive patients attending an ARV roll-out clinic, 31 (15%) were …

Barriers To Diabetes Care In Appalachia: Challenges Faced By Healthcare Providers, Megan Cullinan

Senior Honors Theses

Appalachia is a region of the United States that is characterized by high rates of poverty, low levels of education, elevated incidence of chronic disease, and inadequate healthcare. Compared to the national average, the area has an elevated incidence of Type 2 diabetes. Though this disease process is an issue that must be addressed by healthcare providers, these providers face many challenges and barriers to providing adequate care for this disease in the Appalachian population. Barriers to care include geography with limited transportation, an inadequate number of healthcare personnel, patient inability to afford healthcare, patient attitudes toward diabetes care, and …

Teams Of Community Health Workers And Nursing Students Effect Health Promotion Of Underserved Urban Neighborhoods, Gail Landheer Zandee, Debra Bossenbroek, Dianne Slager, Beth Gordon

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Objective(s): The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of CHW/ nursing student teams in promoting secondary protection and improving access to care for residents of three urban underserved neighborhoods. The study also sought to measure CHW and resident satisfaction of such a program. Design and Sample: Quasi-experimental and nonexperimental designs were used for the study. Convenience samples consisted of residents who participated in the CHW program during 2005–2006, CHWs and residents who participated in the CHW program during 2005–2007 and a systematic random sample of residents across the three neighborhoods. Measures: Three quantitative measures …

Increasing Awareness Of Weight Management Resources Through Facility Specific Patient Materials, Julie Vincent

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Military Tobacco Dependence Treatment: Implications Of Treatment Type On Abstinence And Weight Management Ability, Bradley A. Briscoe

DNP Projects

Military readiness, employer productivity and individual health are all significantly impacted by high rates of tobacco use. Current research, to date, suggests that use of brief, individually tailored behavioral modification strategies through group therapy may be most effective in smoking cessation. The objective of this Practice Inquiry Project was to explore aspects of tobacco use the U.S. military population and examine potential relationships between type of treatment, smoking abstinence, and maintenance of body weight (e.g. avoid weight gain) among those seeking tobacco use cessation. The findings of this project can provide guidance on enhancing current tobacco cessation efforts to enable …