Other Nursing Commons^™

Nurses Current State Of Knowledge On Prion Disease, Chelsy Grande

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Human prion disease is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Creutzfeldt- Jakob prion disease rapidly progresses, and is caused by prion, an infectious protein that damages the central nervous system (Bailey et al., 2000). The infectious pathogen is different from other infectious diseases as the normal prion protein misfolds, changing the structures and results in an accumulation of cellular prion proteins (Rentz, 2003). There is no cure for Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease, only palliative care to improve their symptoms and provide support as the disease progresses. How much do nurses know and understand about prion disease, and how can this influence …

Scabies Prevention In Correctional Facilities: A Path To Safer Inmate Populations, Bhavandeep Singh

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Scabies is a contagious skin condition caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis mite, which burrows into the skin to lay eggs and feces, causing intense itching and a rash. These symptoms can take up to 4-6 weeks for a first time infection and it can occur as early as 1-4 days for a person who previously had scabies (National Park Service, 2023). Scabies is often transmitted through prolonged and direct skin to skin contact with an infected person, through sharing clothing, or due to overcrowded environments. This intense itching and rash can cause poor sleep, social ostracization, and affect …

Delayed And Misdiagnosed Endometriosis, Teresa Doyle

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Endometriosis is a chronic, painful disorder affecting approximately 10% of women of reproductive age globally.This condition arises when tissue similar to the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, grows outside the uterus, typically on the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, and other areas within the pelvis. Common symptoms of endometriosis include severe pelvic pain, fatigue, irregular menstruation, and infertility. These symptoms have a significant impact on women’s physical and mental health, affecting their interactions with their family, friends, and clinicians, often leading to significant impairment in their quality of life (Sims et al., 2021). The diagnostic journey for many women with endometriosis …

Empowering Nurse Leaders To Achieve Harmony: Fostering Work-Life Balance, Gilberto Gamba

DNP Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Balancing professional and personal life demands has become a focal point in today’s healthcare organizational culture. Despite the technological advances in providing better and faster healthcare, team members often struggle to achieve work-life harmony while meeting the demands of a growing population of healthcare clients. The evidence highlights nurse leaders as one group for which the identification and implementation of work-life balance interventions is crucial.

METHODS: An original tool based on available evidence was developed and used with a group of nurse leaders participating in an educational activity to engage them in behaviors supporting work-life harmony. A post-educational survey …

Enhanced Neuroprotection And Neuropromotion In Extremely Premature Infants Through Mindful Hands-On Care And Increased Family Involvement, Kristen Sergott

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: Medical breakthroughs including antenatal corticosteroids and exogenous surfactants have improved survival in extremely premature and extremely low birth weight (EP-ELBW) infants. Currently, babies as young as 22 weeks’ gestation are being actively resuscitated and provided with intensive care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) around the world. As a consequence of premature delivery, fragile and immature newborns are at risk for significant morbidities affecting their multiple organ systems. Additionally, such infants encounter neurodevelopmental trauma induced by recurrent stressful experiences ubiquitous to the NICU. Postnatal stress contributes to alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and is associated with alterations in …

Evaluating The Effect Of Sleep Hygiene Education On Sleep Quality Among First-Year College Students, Caroline Lowe Cunningham

DNP Projects

Abstract

Background: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends college students should get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Only one-third currently meet this recommendation. Poor sleep negatively affects academic performance, mood, and interpersonal relationships. Sleep hygiene is recommended to improve sleep quality and quantity.

Purpose: The purpose of this DNP project was to determine the effect of implementing a sleep hygiene educational intervention in classes intended for first-year college students at the University of Kentucky.

Methods: This quasi-experimental project utilized the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index to assess participants’ sleep before an in-person sleep hygiene education and after …

Effectiveness Of Diversion Tube On Peripheral Blood Culture Contamination Rates From Intravenous Catheters In A Community Hospital Emergency Department, Anne Meginniss

DNP Scholarly Projects

BACKGROUND: Obtaining blood cultures is routine care for patients who are suspected to have sepsis. Contaminated blood cultures can lead to increased healthcare costs for patients suspected of sepsis. Reducing contaminated specimens could improve the quality of care delivered as well as increase patient satisfaction.

AIM: This quality improvement project aimed to reduce the number of contaminated blood cultures in a community hospital emergency department by using an initial specimen diversion tube to meet the new national benchmark of below 1% contamination rate.

METHODS: Twenty-seven diversion specimens were collected over an eight-week period via initial intravenous catheter insertion in a …

Impact Of A Discharge Bundle On Boarding Hours In Acute Care Hospitals, Monica L. Herrera

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

The national epidemic of boarding hours in the emergency departments prompted the implementation of a discharge bundle in an acute care hospital. This bundle included an ADT nurse, discharge orders written prior to 11AM, and EVS shifting employee hours. Initial findings indicated a reduction in boarding time by 126 minutes.

Using The Electronic Medical Record To Improve Nurse Workload, Sharon C. Le Roux

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background

Equitable nurse-patient assignments have been associated with improved nurse well-being, patient satisfaction and outcomes. Despite this, in an academic medical center in the southwestern United States, there is no standardized process to create equitable nurse-patient assignments.

Objectives

The aim of this project was to improve inpatient oncology nurse well-being and satisfaction through the implementation of an EMR based nurse-patient assignment tool.

Methods

The IOWA Model-Revised for evidence-based practice was used as the basis for this project. Data collected included demographics, the Well-Being Index Survey, perception of satisfaction with manual workload tool, along with knowledge and use of the …

Bundle For Left Ventricular Assist Device (Lvad) In The Ed, Tina Morris

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Purpose

Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) is a high-risk, low-volume patient population with admission rates of up to 72%. The purpose of this study was to provide a care bundle to increase the knowledge of the emergency department (ED) staff and decrease the door to consult times to the advanced heart failure (AHF) team for LVAD patients presenting to the ED at a level I trauma center in Texas.

Methods

In collaboration with emergency clinical staff, the project team implemented a bundle that included a pathway for the LVAD patients upon presentation to the ED, targeted education for clinical staff …

Developing Toolkit For Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder In An Oncology Outpatient Clinic, Brittany J. Johnson Dnp, Fnp-C

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Autistic adults are at higher risk of being diagnosed with co-occurring health conditions, and yet they are a vulnerable group for disparities in access and outcomes. One of the key barriers to better outcomes is poor patient-provider communication. This study the use of AASPIRE’s AHAT communication toolkit as a channel between healthcare workers and autistic adults to facilitate their appointments within the outpatient oncology department, as well as assessing healthcare providers’ knowledge and self-efficacy in caring for the patients. Sixteen healthcare providers (12 registered nurses and four patient care assistants) completed pre and post intervention surveys and utilized the AHAT …

Scares: A Clinician Guide To Spinal Cord Awareness, Response, And Emergency Support Creation And Implantation Of Scares Protocol Among Hospitalist Advanced Practice Providers, Brittany Biega

DNP Scholarly Projects

While they are more common in patients with oncological disease and trauma, SCE still exist among patients without these comorbidities. Less has been established regarding care protocols in this population. The absence of standardized procedures has been linked to preventable, adverse patient outcomes, including cases of permanent damage due to delayed treatment. This project employs Lean Six Sigma methodologies and Johns Hopkins Evidence- Based Practice to devise a robust SCE protocol, aimed at standardizing care and improving patient outcomes. A multidisciplinary team including general medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, and neuroradiology developed “Spinal Emergency Management Guidelines” protocol, which was implemented within the …

Relationships Among The Concepts Of Organizational Theory And Nurse Burnout Before And After Covid-19, Bridget M. Webb

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Nurse burnout is a global health priority that has been compounded by Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Organizational theory states that nurse burnout is directly impacted by operant mechanisms (nurse characteristics, nurse specialization) and hospital-wide models. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between hospital wide models (evidence-based care, team-based care, discharge planning, care coordination), operant mechanisms (nurse characteristics, nurse specialization), and outcomes (nurse burnout) before and after COVID-19.

Research Question: The specific aim of this study is to determine the relationship between hospital wide models (evidence-based care, team-based care, discharge planning, care coordination) and operant mechanisms (nurse …

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 …

Project Quiet: A Quality Improvement Initiative To Reduce Noise Pollution During Anesthesia Induction And Emergence, James Christopher Woods

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Problem: Excessive intraoperative noise puts anesthesia providers at risk for errors that could negatively impact patient morbidity and mortality. Distractions from excessive noise experienced during the “critical phases” of anesthesia present a risk to patient safety and need to be reduced or eliminated. Anecdotally, reports from anesthesia staff at a large academic medical center confirmed that noise pollution during induction and emergence significantly impacted the performance of critical anesthesia tasks. Objective: The goal of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement a series of interventions designed to reduce noise pollution during induction and emergence, and to reduce …

Benefits And Barriers Of Using Prefilled Precedex Syringes In The Operating Room: A Cost Comparison, Ashley White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to a report published by the Institute of Medicine, at least 44,000 and possibly up to 98,000 Americans die each year because of medical errors in hospitals. More than 7,000 of those deaths are from medication errors alone (Stucki et al., 2013). Anesthesia providers in the operating room (OR) are at even greater risk to commit medication errors due to their easy access to medications and their autonomy to make independent choices for medication administration. A small rural community hospital in Pennsylvania lacks a protocol for Precedex preparation. Evidence-based research show the benefit of prefilled ready-to-administer syringes, but the …

A Structured Diabetes Continuous Glucose Monitor Education Program To Improve Patient Knowledge And Self-Efficacy, Krystal Abucevicz-Swick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction/background: Continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a recommended method of glucose monitoring for patients living with diabetes who are on insulin or experience documented hypoglycemia. CGM is a tool that can improve patient management of diabetes but works best when paired with education to achieve the maximum therapeutic benefits.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was (1) to develop an evidence-based structured CGM education program toolkit for people with diabetes who are ordered CGM, (2) to implement the CGM education toolkit into the Diabetes Self-Management and Education Services (DSMES) program at the project site, (3) to improve patient knowledge about …

Enhancing Inpatient Sleep Quality In Patients On An Intermediate Care Unit Through Healthcare Staff Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Avery B. Drouin

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background

In the Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU), patients often suffer from poor sleep quality due to continuous overnight care and inherent hospital environment noise. Poor sleep can adversely affect recovery, especially for cardiac patients, who constitute a significant portion of the IMCU population. Improving sleep quality in these patients is essential for their recovery and overall well-being.

Local Problem

Despite the importance of adequate sleep, only 47% of patients in the hospital that houses the microsystem reported a quiet environment at night using the Hospital Compare online survey platform. Disruptions from alarms, phones, and care activities significantly impact sleep quality, …

Nursing Students’ Comfort In The Nursing Program, Camella Bloom, Rebecca Karr, Makenzie Menard

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project’s purpose is to investigate student nurses’ comfort levels within the nursing program. The project focuses on how interactions with RNs impact comfort levels of nursing students. These interactions take place within the student nurses’ clinical experiences or their experiences at their healthcare jobs. The sample was sophomore, junior, and senior-level undergraduate BSN students at The University of Akron, which is about 434 students. The number of participants that completed the survey was 57 nursing students. The independent variables were student level in the BSN program and current employment status in a patient care role. The dependent variable …

Exploring Nurses' Perspectives Of The Use Of Hospital Interpretation Technologies Versus Other Methods For Communicating With Non-English Language Preference (Nelp) Patients: A Literature Review, Natalie Moreira-Rivera

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Nurses' perspectives on the use of interpretation technologies compared to other methods for communicating with NELP patients when providing treatment in a hospital setting was explored utilizing a literature review. The literature search was conducted using CINHAL, APA PsychInfo, Medline, and Applied Science & Technology Source databases. The search resulted in 84 articles, of which 6 were eligible to be included in the narrative review. Three themes emerged that helped explain nurses’ perspectives: preferred technology, facilitators/benefits, and barriers/concerns. Interpretation technologies were preferred over in-person translators in most cases. Nurses and other healthcare providers perceived technologies as convenient, flexible, versatile, and …