Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing Commons^™

The Nurse's Knowledge Of Blood Conservation As A Part Of Blood Management, Lindsey Putnam Austin

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Medicine has historically regarded blood transfusion as an integral component of major surgery or illness. However, clinical studies have shown that allogeneic blood transfusions are associated with increased morbidity and decreased survival. Knowledge of this research and the concepts of blood conservation so as to avoid unnecessary blood transfusions is needed in order to deliver holistic care and serve as patient advocate. This knowledge reaches every specialty of nursing care.

This study of the nurse's knowledge of blood conservation as a part of blood management utilizes The Conservation Model developed by Myra E. Levine in 1973. Levine's work is a …

A Study Of The Presence Of Relational Aggression In The Adult Population, Kathy C. Williams

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Aggression can result in a challenge of the basic human need for safety and security (Plotnik, 1999). Historically there has been extensive research regarding physical aggression. However, only in the past two decades has relational aggression received attention. Most research studies regarding relational aggression have focused upon children, adolescents and young adults. The purpose of this study was to explore the presence of relational aggression in the adult population. The Self-Report of Aggression and Social Behavior Measure tool was used to survey a convenience sample of 67 nursing students. The participants were students enrolled in the school of nursing (associate, …

What Is The Experience Of Emergency Department Nurses With Lateral Verbal Aggression?, Wendi Harper-Lonabaugh

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

This descriptive study investigated the incidence of lateral verbal aggression among emergency department nurses. A sample of registered emergency department nurses currently working in western North Carolina with more than one year of full time work experience was surveyed (N=68). Roy's adaptation model was used as a theoretical framework for this qualitative study. A survey was utilized to collect the frequency, source, and incidences of reporting the lateral verbal aggression that occurred. Nurses also reported personal and professional ramifications to the lateral verbal aggression. Aggregate data was examined; no specific individual data was analyzed. The most common perpetrators of lateral …

Reorientation Of The Experienced General Medical/Surgical Nurse To A Progressive Care Medical/Surgical Nurse Utilizing Benner's Novice To Expert Theory, Barbara Radford

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

The decisive factor for this project was the Health Care Organization's decision to combine the medical/surgical units from two campuses into one department. This process required the Registered Nurses to reapply for their positions, merge into one unit, and transition to a different physical location. The next major process to occur will be the changing of patient acuity-levels from general medical/surgical to medical/surgical progressive care.

This project will provide a cost effective educational plan based on Benner's novice to expert theory which will ensure efficient transition for the expert medical/surgical nurse to an expert progressive care nurse. A structured orientation …

Does Medication Error Reporting Increase With Anonymity?, Kristina Mccall

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Medication errors have been a long and growing problem within all health care areas. Prevention and education is the key to prevent the errors from occurring. All efforts must be made to achieve an overall goal of an error-proof health care society. The purpose of this study was to determine if the anonymity of medication error reporting would make a difference in the amount of medication errors reported. Research has shown that many nurses and health care professionals find it stressful to report an error due to fear of disciplinary action or blame; a no-blame culture must be implemented into …

Sabotage And Workplace Bullying: The Bad And Ugly Of Horizontal Violence, Shelia Jennings Jeter

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Sabotage and workplace bullying, forms of horizontal violence; which occur frequently among healthcare workers, nurses in particular, can have a significant and detrimental effect on professional growth, recruitment and retention, and quality patient care. The root cause of sabotage and workplace violence is not known, but what is known is that sabotage and workplace bullying erode teamwork and undermine the goals of the organization. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that sabotage and workplace bullying is associated with physical and psychological stress and loss of job productivity, which may affect patient safety. A convenience sample of …

Practices And Perceptions Of Delirium Assessment By Critical Care Nurses, Jacqueline M. Meunier

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Delirium has a tremendous impact on the patient, his family, and the health care system. In particular, the elderly patient in the Intensive Care Unit is the most susceptible to this condition. Delirium often results in longer hospital stays, more Intensive Care days, increased likelihood of being placed in a skilled nursing facility, and increases in mortality. For delirium to be treated properly it must first be identified. Critical care nurses are in the best position to identify these patients and initiate treatment. Past studies have shown that nurses do not identify patients that have delirium, and do not know …

Evaluation Of Purposeful Rounding On Patient Falls, Stephanie Spittle

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of routine purposeful rounding on the total number of falls on a medical unit in an acute care hospital. The project was prompted by high fall rates within the hospital and the implementation of the purposeful rounding initiative. Staff training was provided in a two hour educational class which covered the purpose for the initiative as well as the specific functions that must be performed with each round. To evaluate the effectiveness of purposeful rounding on patient falls, pre and post rounding fall rates were compared. These initial results were …

What Are The Perceptions Of Hispanic Parents Associated With Eating Habits Of Hispanic Children Ages 6--12 And Obesity?, Amy Barrett

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

The main objective of this study is to identify the perceptions of Hispanic parents associated with eating habits of Hispanic children ages 6-12 and obesity. The purpose was to identify if the child's intake was different based on the parent's perception of whether or not their child had a weight problem. The idea was to examine how many times certain foods are consumed and compare that to the parent's perceptions. The study was a descriptive study. The childrenhad to be in the 95 th percentile and between the ages of 6-12 to qualify for the study. Parents were approached by …

Preceptor Coordinators: The Link Connecting Hospital Orientation And Unit Orientation, Tina S. Hunter

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Orientation is a crucial time for newly hired nurses, both experienced and non-experienced, and this initial training period is a vital function for all healthcare organizations. Being a collaborative process that includes administrators, managers, preceptors, and orientees, formal orientation programs directly influence and are essential in improving staff retention, lowering turnover, increasing productivity and quality patient care, and improving staff morale and job satisfaction. This scholarly project offers a detailed plan for the development, implementation, and evaluation of the preceptor coordinator role, a department-level initiative that links hospital orientation to unit orientation; thus enhancing the overall orientation process.

Nursing Attitudes Towards Obese Patients, Diane M. Davis

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

All Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses who work in CICU, MSICU, NTICU and 7N .The attitudes of these nurses regarding obesity and the obese patients were measured. Objectives. To determine if there is a bias against obese patients in the health care setting and if further education is needed. Methods. Likert scale survey, modified from the NATOOPS survey (with permission) was sent electronically to each nurse and when completed transmitted to a data base where results were tabulated. Results. Among the 51 respondents, 60% had 4 years of college or more. Years in nursing ranged from 0-47.Age of nurse …

Nurse Perceptions Of Physician-Nurse Collaboration In The Home Health Setting: A Pilot Study, Tameki Mongo

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

This quantitative, descriptive study surveyed 20 registered nurses in a single home health setting for the purpose of uncovering nurse attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration. Particularly, the researcher was interested in whether the nurses held "positive" or "negative" attitudes. The data collection instrument was the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration (JSAPNC). Study data was analyzed via means of descriptive and inferential statistics.

Although non-significant, the findings of this study indicate that nurses in this particular home health setting demonstrated positive attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration. Age and number of years in nursing practice had no effect on total scores on …

The Experienced Critical Care Rn's Perception Of New Graduate Rns Competence In Critical Care Using Benner's Novice To Expert, Denise H. Reid

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

The purpose of the study was to describe the experienced critical care RNs' perception of the new graduate RNs' competence in critical care areas. Using the Six-Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance (Six-D Scale) by Patricia Schwirian, experienced nurses from critical care areas with at least three years of experience were asked to rate new graduate RNs in their critical care area on specific nursing activities. Benner's theory of Novice to Expert is used as the theoretical framework. Findings revealed that experienced critical care RNs perception of new graduate RNs is greater than expected. All activities on the Six-D Scale were …

Nursing Students Knowledge Of Factors Influencing Parent Satisfaction Of Pediatric Nursing Care, Carol L. Smith

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Professional Pediatric Registered Nurses and parents of sick children share a common goal of returning the sick child to health. To the Pediatric Registered Nurse the means to achieving the goal of returning the child to wellness involves their knowledge of signs and symptoms of disease processes and their abilities to quickly respond to warning signs of impending illness. The knowledge and abilities of the Pediatric Registered Nurse is important to the parent of the ill child however to the parent there are many other elements of care delivery that can assist the Pediatric Registered Nurse and parent in achieving …

A Bland–Altman Comparison Of The Lead Care® System And Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry For Detecting Low-Level Lead In Child Whole Blood Samples, Christina Sobin, Tanner Schaub, Natali Parisi, Eva De La Riva

Selected Works Temporary Series

Chronic childhood lead exposure, yielding blood lead levels consistently below 10 μg/dL, remains a major public health concern. Low neurotoxic effect thresholds have not yet been established. Progress requires accurate, efficient, and cost-effective methods for testing large numbers of children. The LeadCare® System (LCS) may provide one ready option. The comparability of this system to the “gold standard” method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the purpose of detecting blood lead levels below 10 μg/dL has not yet been examined. Paired blood samples from 177 children ages 5.2–12.8 years were tested with LCS and ICP-MS. Triplicate repeat tests …