Other Nursing Commons^™

Evaluation Of A New Nurse Mentor Program, Corinne Romano, Diane Whitehead

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Novice nurses in a 160-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital had a turnover rate of 32% in 2017 and 2018, despite participation in a novice nurse residency program. This quality improvement project was a 3-month process evaluation of a 1-year mentor program designed for novice nurses. The purpose of the process evaluation was to explore whether the organization had (a) successfully implemented the program as identified, (b) successfully recruited and retained participants to date, (c) maintained projected timelines, and (d) provided all participants the opportunity to provide feedback at the 3-month mark of the program. The process evaluation provided an opportunity for …

The Role Of Extracellular Vesicles In Cancer-Related Fatigue And Its Co-Occurring Symptoms, Dilorom M. Sass

Theses & Dissertations

Cancer survivors report many debilitating symptoms associated with cancer and its treatments. About 30% will report long-term cancer-related fatigue (CRF) which often co-occurs with depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, cognitive fatigue, and poor overall health-related quality of life. The underlying causes of these co-occurring symptoms have been related to systemic processes such as inflammation. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain systemic markers such as genetic and protein materials that inform about cell-to-cell interactions that influence immune signaling and inflammatory processing. No study to date has explored the associations of EVs with cancer-related symptoms. So, the purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the …

Coping Behaviors Of African Americans With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Focused Ethnography, Patricia Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Increasing numbers of African Americans are being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the United States (Dahlhamer, Zammitti, Ward, Wheaton, & Croft, 2016). Little is known about the influence of culture on coping with the disease. Method: Twelve African American adults with IBD were interviewed and observed using a focused ethnography. Results: Data analysis resulted in four major themes: (1) spending time living in the bathroom; (2) time and food restricted eating practices and cultural food avoidance; (3) dealing with a life full of stress; and (4) the practice of seclusion to promote health. Discussion: Participants described coping …

Improving End-Of-Life Care On Navajo Through Education, Johanna G. Bahe

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

End-of-life care (EOLC) is an essential component of comprehensive healthcare and has been shown to improve the quality of life of patients and their families by preventing and relieving pain caused by physical, psychosocial, and spiritual complications. Many rural communities lack access to EOLC, specifically certified palliative and hospice services. The lack of this specialty in rural areas directly affects the experience of healthcare staff. The absence of education for rural healthcare staff and the importance of culturally sensitive care among indigenous people are key concepts in this study.

The purpose of this study was to measure the knowledge, confidence, …

Stress And Burnout In Nurse Leaders, Laura E. Johnson, Kiersten J. Nichols, Jayme A. Sakhitab

Nursing Masters Papers

Problem: Nurse leaders commonly experience stress and self-reported burnout. The associated negative consequences are compelling, yet few studies to date consider the nurse leader population. Stress is “a multidimensional phenomenon determined by a person’s perceptions and may be assessed as harm, loss, threat, or challenge” (Udod, Cummings, Care, & Jenkins, 2017a, p. 160). Burnout is a lack of professional fulfillment caused by emotional, physical, and psychological stress (Nurse Burnout, 2019). Drivers are associated and contributing factors which lead to stress and self-reported burnout.

Purpose: The purposes of this correlational study are to (a) identify drivers from the literature and …

Diffusion Of Precision Health Phenomenon Into An Undergraduate Nursing Research Course, Mary Anne Schultz, Mary Anne Schultz

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

This 15-week course layout for NURS 4222 (Nursing Research & Evidence-Based Practice), illustrates the adoption of threads from an emerging phenomenon, Precision Health, into an undergraduate Nursing Research course.

Hereditary Cancer Syndrome Recognition And Testing: Beyond Brca, Deborah O. Himes, Hanford B. Shuman

Faculty Publications

Hereditary cancer syndromes, resulting from mutations of tumor suppressor genes, can significantly increase the risk for breast cancer. Although hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome caused by BRCA1/2mutations is well-known, less well-known hereditary cancer syndromes also exist. This article focuses on 3 other syndromes, including Li-Fraumeni, Cowden, and Peutz-Jeghers. This article will help prepare nurse practitioners to recognize key clinical features of these syndromes and understand testing criteria. Additionally, this article discusses barriers to diagnosing hereditary cancer syndromes and the role of primary care nurse practitioners in ordering genetic tests and making genetic referrals for optimal patient care.

Poster: The Beat Stops Here: A Nurse-Driven Protocol To Manage Telemetry Orders, Holly Dripps, Kirk Hummer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

At a large midwestem healthcare organization, cardiac telemetry monitoring orders are not aligned with clinical guidelines developed by the American Heart Association (AHA). A nurse-driven protocol, based on AHA guidelines, to manage cardiac telemetry orders may reduce telemetry usage. Donabedian' s quality improvement framework of strnch1re-process-outcomes was utilized as the theorical framework for this project, with the purpose to reduce telemetry days within 30 days on a selected acute care unit utilizing AHA guidelines. Project objectives included developing an assessment tool based on AHA guidelines, educating pe1iinent stakeholders on the nurse assessment tool, and implementation of the tool on the …

Poster: Impact Of Educational Modules On Knowledge Among Neuroscience Nurses Working In The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (Emu), Shivani Bhatnagar, Joy Shoemaker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Background: Little data exists about nursing care and knowledge on an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU). This study evaluated the impact of an educational series (three modules) on nursing knowledge and confidence in providing care, using a pre-test/post-test design. Objectives: There were three objectives for this study. The first objective was to improve nursing knowledge and competence in educating patients and families. The second, to increase nursing confidence in providing care and decision-making for the specialized patient population on the EMU. The third, to evaluate the effectiveness of educational modules. Subjects: Thirty-eight nurses working in the neuroscience unit participated in the …

Report:Impact Of Educational Modules On Knowledge Among Neuroscience Nurses Working In The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (Emu), Shivani Bhatnagar, Joy Shoemaker

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Background: Little data exists about nursing care and knowledge on an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU). This study evaluated the impact of an educational series (three modules) on nursing knowledge and confidence in providing care, using a pre-test/post-test design. Objectives: There were three objectives for this study. The first objective was to improve nursing knowledge and competence in educating patients and families. The second, to increase nursing confidence in providing care and decision-making for the specialized patient population on the EMU. The third, to evaluate the effectiveness of educational modules. Subjects: Thirty-eight nurses working in the neuroscience unit participated in the …

A Faith-Based Quality Improvement Project To Increase Awareness, Prevention, And Management Of Coronary Heart Disease In African Immigrants, Temitope S. Okpebho

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Problem Description: Coronary heart disease (CHD) affects people globally, and it is the leading cause of death in the United States. Despite increased CHD awareness, evidence shows the increased prevalence and low CHD awareness among African Immigrants. According to Boateng et al. (2017), African immigrants are more likely to have CHD risk factors and be unaware. This may be due to changes in eating habits, lack of physical activity, increased stress level, and the adaptation of the Western diet.

Rationale: This project included implementing a culture care theory in a faith-based organization to increase awareness, management, and prevention of CHD …

The Effects Of Nursing School Peer Tutoring On Tutors, Yelyzaveta Soboleva

Undergraduate Honors Theses

An integrative review was used to examine the effects of being a tutor versus not being a tutor. The matrix method was used to guide the research process, to identify articles that met the inclusion criteria, and to reduce data into common topics of peer tutoring. The results of the integrative review yielded 20 articles and suggested that students in the position to assist others are more confident in communicating in groups and have higher knowledge in the subject they help with than their fellow peers. The literature showed that students in the position to assist others have defined personal …

Effect Of Gender On Intentional Learning Orientation, Sarah Anderson, Loyd Lee Glenn

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Knowledge of how gender affects learning is scarcely understood in the realm of nursing education. Prior studies have indicated certain learning styles are predictors of passing board examinations. Pinpointing specific learning styles could improve educational outcomes and produce thoroughly equipped nurses. Previous researchers have studied the differences in learning preferences according to gender; however, no studies have solely concentrated on gender specific learning preferences among undergraduate nursing students. Learning Interest, as well as Goal Orientation, were found to be statistically significant between genders.

Hospital To Home: Fall Prevention Interventions For The Discharging Patient, Joy Bridewell

Nursing Masters Papers

Falls is a major public health problem globally, with an estimated 646,000 fatal falls per year. This makes falls the second leading cause of unintentional injury death. Falls are very costly with non-fatal fall injuries costing about $50 billion per year and fatal falls with an estimated $754 million. Many risk factors contribute to a person’s risk of falling. Risk factors include age, gender, muscle strength, underlying medical or disabling conditions, and unsafe environments. Patients who have been hospitalized are also among those at risk. Most hospitalized patients are assessed frequently to determine their risk of falling so that care …

Developing A Clinical Practice Guideline For Surgical Diabetic Patients, Barbie Denise Harbaugh, Diane Whitehead

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Diabetes is a recognized risk factor for postoperative infection, acute renal failure, ileus, and lengthy hospital stay. Optimal screening, management, and scheduling of elective surgery for diabetic patients has been shown to improve quality care, decrease complications, and increase the efficiency and lower the costs of preoperative patient care. However, surgery cancellations are common due to inadequate preoperative glycemic control and poor intraoperative glycemic control, which is a recognized risk factor for perioperative or postoperative complications. There were no clinical practice guidelines or optimization protocols for elective surgery patients at a small rural hospital in the Northeast United States. The …

The Management Of Cancer Pain: Should Interventional Therapies Be Approached As First-Line Treatment Along With Beginning An Opioid Regimen?, Sarah Holmes

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cancer produces many symptoms, and pain is one of them. When a person is having pain due to cancer, many aspects of the person’s life may be altered or inhibited; for example, activities of daily living may be difficult to perform, their psychological state may be altered, their social lives may be changed, and their overall physical function may be affected in a way that the person may need to modify what they typically do in a normal day. The pain a person experiences depends on the type of cancer, how far the cancer has progressed, and the treatment being …

Improving The Self-Esteem Of Early Adolescent Girls, Kelly Inoue

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Translational and Clinical Research Projects

Self-esteem varies throughout an individual’s life and influences a person’s overall wellbeing and self-efficacy. A reduced self-esteem is associated with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse amongst other negative outcomes that impact the individual’s quality of life. A known decrease in self-esteem occurs in early adolescence and is more pronounced in females. There is an abundance of factors that influence self-esteem, such as body image, social support, and physical activity. Programs such as Free Being Me have been created to improve body image and self-esteem in young adolescent girls. The Free Being Me program was implemented in the afterschool program at …

Iatrophobia: How It Impacts Health, Jessica Newbury

Senior Honors Projects

According to Mara Hollander (2019), iatrophobia is “the fear of doctors, medical care, or the medical care system." The most severe cases of this fear only affect a small percentage of the population; however, many people, for a variety of reasons, reported that they disliked or felt uncomfortable seeking medical care. An anonymous survey was created and distributed to males and females between the ages of 18 to 75 to retrieve self-reported data regarding specific questions about doctor's visits and the healthcare system. The total sample consisted of 379 participants who voluntarily completed the assessment. Quantitative data was collected using …

Reflections On Texas Back Institute Internship, Shelby Jones

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

For my honors project, I chose to do the experimental option to gain more knowledge on topics that we do not spend much time covering in nursing school. I had the privilege to complete an internship with the Texas Back Institute, their main office is located in Plano, Texas. I worked closely the Scoliosis and Spine Tumor Center that is a branch of their team, and completed my internship from May to the first week of August 2019. I worked 20 hours a week during my internship between the clinic and the hospital. I was able to observe physicians in …

Honors Internship Evaluation, Lauren Nolan

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper addresses the experience of an undergraduate nursing student in a Student Nurse Intern Position. The student addresses how her position differed from a certified nursing assistant (CNA), how the position helped her to imrpove organization and time management skills, and addresses patient scenarios that were encountered during her internship. These scenarios were used to address how this student will carry her experience into her nursing practice. This paper also addresses changes that could be beneficial for future honors students participating in nursing internships.