Other Nursing Commons^™

Relations Amongst Power, Self-Health Patterning, And Quality Of Life In Older Adults With Chronic Illness, Philip J. Gimber

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between power, self-health patterning, and quality of life in older adults with chronic illness using Rogers’ science of unitary human beings and Barrett’s theory of power. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used to examine the variables in a sample of approximately 100 older adults with chronic illness. This study revealed that power, self-health patterning, and quality of life are related to one another and that both power and self-health patterning are associated with enhanced quality of life.

The Role Of Effective Nursing Management Of Chronic Pain To Decrease Opioid Misuse, Julia Pfetzer

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Review of literature surrounding the current nursing management of chronic pain, and how the use of alternate interventions and improved management of pain can potentially lead to decreased or discontinued use of opioid analgesics.

Animal-Assisted Therapy And Oncology Hospice Patients, Lauren Anderson

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Background: If there are more ways to induce comfort during hospice care, all options should be explored, which is why animal-assisted therapy (AAT) could be a viable, non-pharmacological option for oncology hospice patients.

Objectives: The aim of this research is to show that the use of AAT with oncology patients receiving hospice care will result in enhanced comfort and diminished pain. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects on pain for oncology hospice patients receiving AAT compared to oncology hospice patients who do not receive AAT.

Method: This study is performed as an integrative …

Prison And Its Effects On The Health Outcomes Of Hiv Positive Black Men Post Incarceration, Samuel Gaines

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Prison and its Effects on the Health Outcomes of HIV Positive Black Men Post Incarceration

Samuel T. Gaines

Faculty Sponsor: Young-Me Lee, PhD, RN

Background: With an estimation that one in three Black men will be incarcerated in their lifetime and that incarcerated Black men are five times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than their white counterparts, there is little information as to what factors affect their health outcomes post-incarceration.

Objectives: The purpose of this literature review is to use current research to explore the factors affecting the negative health outcomes of HIV positive African American men post-incarceration. …

The Effect Of Telemedicine With Healthcare Provider Feedback On Glycemic Control And Weight Loss In Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes, Monica B. Miguel

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Abstract

Background: Telemedicine with feedback (e.g., medication adjustments, lifestyle changes, support) may be effective in weight management and glycemic control. There has been mixed research determining whether telemedicine is effective in diabetes management and a lack of evidence identifying what strategies make it effective.

Objectives: The purpose of this integrative literature review was to identify whether telemonitoring with healthcare professional feedback is effective in weight management and glycemic control in those with type 2 diabetes and if so, how it is effective.

Method: An integrative literature review was conducted using the following databases: CINAHL, ProQuest, PubMed, and PsycInfo. Search …

Emergency Department Nursing Psychological Care (Early Crisis Intervention) For Adult Victims Of Violent Crime: A Quantitative Study, Barbara Conn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recognition of the significance of early interventions and the importance of addressing psychological trauma for the victim of violence is of utmost importance for quality of life and the victim’s future. The serious impact of psychological trauma on victims of violent crime supports further study to determine whether Emergency Department (ED) nurses assess this trauma and initiate early interventions and referral for ongoing psychological care. Nursing care, assessment and early intervention with victims of violent crime was the focus of this dissertation study.

A quantitative study, with a non-experimental, descriptive design employed retrospective chart reviews to determine whether ED nurses …

Getting To Zero: Creating An Infrastructure To Support Fall Prevention In A Medical–Surgical Unit, Krys Elgarico

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Hospital falls are a growing national patient safety concern that cause anxiety, pain, distress, serious injuries, and increased health care utilization. Despite the presence of a well-developed falls prevention protocol since 2017. Internal data from an inpatient medical-surgical telemetry (MST) unit indicate the largest number of fall-related events among the hospital’s departments.

Context: Practice improvement project was initiated in a 217-bed community hospital to determine barriers and potential success factors. This MST is a dynamic, 48-bed unit providing care to mainly geriatric patients who require continuous telemetry monitoring and complex medical, trauma, and surgical services. Senior leaders in the …

Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury Prevention: A Quality Improvement Project, Sukhjit Dhillon

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPI) can be costly for the hospitals and devastating for the patients. Most pressure injuries are considered preventable, but despite that a lot of Americans die from pressure injury related complications each year. Hospitals spend billions of dollars on pressure injuries which can be used for other treatments. A quality improvement project was created to address these concerns and improve patient care. There were 5 cases of HAPIs on the telemetry/stroke unit prior to the start of this project. Interventions were created to improve the outcome. After careful review of the related literature, HAPI prevention …

Prospectus For Decreasing Lab Specimen Errors, Sabrina Scruton

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

It has been estimated that >160,000 adverse patient events occur each year in the United States because of patient or specimen identification errors involving the laboratory (Sandhu, et. al 2017). The overall effect of specimen labeling errors often leads to patient safety issues related to medication errors, misdiagnosis, and delays in care (Sandhu, et. al 2017). The Women’s Clinic (WC) an outpatient clinic located within a larger northern California acute care facility had noted a significant increase in the number of lab years in the last year. This clinic sees on average four hundred patients and collects hundreds of …

Prospectus For Creating A Nurse Suggestive Acuity-Based Staffing Model In Ambulatory Infusion Settings To Improve Patient Safety And Quality Of Care, Yongli Qiu

Master's Projects and Capstones

Due to the lack of reliable and valid infusion nurse suggestive acuity-based staffing model, ambulatory infusion settings are burden with potentially compromised patient safety, poor quality of patient care with over-scheduling of unexpected complex patients, limited resources related to nurses and infusion chairs, the dissatisfaction of patients and family members, and infusion nurses’ burn out. This project seeks to determine the appropriate nurse to patient acuity-based point ratio in staffing and scheduling factors that influence nurse staffing model, and established nurse staffing strategies. This three-month project was conducted with the infusion nurses, a nurse manager, a nurse supervisor, an assistant …

Cryolipolysis: A Guide For Primary Care Practitioners, Miryam Harper, Jane H. Lassetter

Faculty Publications

A desire for the ideal body image has influenced the development of a nonsurgical body-shaping procedure known as cryolipolysis. The purpose of this clinical feature is to inform nurse practitioners about the risks and benefits of cryolipolysis so they can educate their patients. Cryolipolysis is a safe, effective method of reducing small areas of unwanted fat. Adverse effects are minimal and include pain, redness, bruising, and swelling. Results are seen within 12 weeks, but long-term effects are unknown. There are contraindications, and it is relatively expensive; however, it may be a safer option than invasive surgery.

Contemporary Nursing In Rural Appalachia: A Hermeneutic Study, Evelyn Brewer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nurses make up a significant source of direct care for individuals, families, and communities. The problematic distribution of nurses and the potential to lose practicing nurses emphasizes the importance of retention and support of nursing professionals, especially in rural locations. One of the best ways to discover what is important to nurses is to ask and listen to the replies.

The focus for this dissertation is the lived experience of registered nurses in a six-county area in three adjoining states in rural South Central Appalachia. The purpose of this study is to interpret and understand the lived experience of contemporary …

Race-Based Trauma Care Training For Veteran’S Health Administration Nurse Practitioners, Vanessa Loyd

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Trauma informed care has become a priority for persons exposed to psychological, physiological, emotional consequences as a result of traumatic experiences. Veterans are from different cultures, including gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and other social groups. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is responsible for the health of this culturally diverse patient population. Healthcare providers without any prior military experience may experience difficulty obtaining an accurate history and physical exam due to the military’s cross-cultural environment. The project aim was to increase confidence and competence in race-based trauma care by incorporating training into a new acute care fellowship …

Adult-Geriatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Fellowship For The Veterans Health Administration, Karen Scaglione

Dissertations

Problem: Nurse practitioner (NP) fellowship programs assist the novice NP in transitioning from a traditional nursing role to advanced practice. The Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) utilizes a NP primary care fellowship program. An acute care fellowship may assist with role transition, confidence and competence for acute care NPs. The purpose of this evidence-based pilot project was to develop a transition to practice acute care fellowship program at a Midwestern VHA hospital.

Methods: A prospective, descriptive design utilizing a convenience sample of senior adult-geriatric nurse practitioner (AGNP) students during a pilot study of an acute care fellowship program. Outcome measures …

Management And Support Of Uninsured Patients With Diabetes Type Ii Within A Nurse Managed Clinic, Emma Spencer

Dissertations

The purpose of the project was to improve the quality of care for the uninsured, Type II Diabetics residing in a Midwestern urban underserved community. Community Health in Partnership Services (CHIPS) was a nurse-managed clinic, located in that area, that sought to lessen the burden of being uninsured. An annual fee of $35.00 allowed an uninsured community member access to a variety of different health care providers including specialists. In order to utilize this health care team efficiently, it was necessary to implement nurse-led care coordination for patients diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. This quality improvement project followed the Plan …

A Rural Telehealth Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Devon Schlottach

Dissertations

Problem Rural healthcare consumers experience increased health disparities, especially when accessing health care. The use of telehealth to improve access has become an essential competency for nurse practitioner (NP) students. This study evaluated NP students’ confidence and competence of rural social determinants of health (rSDOH) before and after a telehealth simulation.

Methods A descriptive, cohort design was used to review NP students’ pre- and post-surveys, written case studies, and a video-recorded telehealth OSCE for a patient living in a rural area.

Results Student self-rated knowledge of rural health care did not improve despite didactic learning and simulation (z = …

Reducing Cautis In A Neurological Icu, Claire Mckee

Dissertations

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the primary source of infection in patients with urinary catheters and are the fourth leading cause of healthcare-associated infection. Because indwelling urinary catheters are not completely avoidable in hospitalized patients, it is crucial to utilize evidence-based research to prevent CAUTIs. A urinary catheter maintenance bundle is one way to reduce CAUTI rates in hospitalized patients. This quality improvement project utilizes a catheter maintenance bundle with seven elements with the aim of reducing CAUTI rates. The project takes place in a 20-bed neurological intensive care unit (ICU) in a larger tertiary care medical center. Prior …

A Special Message To Students And Graduates About Publishing In A Journal, George Zangaro, Diane Whitehead

Journal of Excellence in Nursing and Healthcare Practice

The Journal of Excellence in Nursing and Healthcare Practice (JENHP) was created to promote innovations, translation, and dissemination of evidence supporting improved outcomes in the nursing practice environment. The journal welcomes manuscripts focusing on topics such as national and international workforce issues, quality improvement projects, evidenced-based practice initiatives, nursing research studies, interprofessional practice, educational issues, improvements in technology, innovative practice problem solutions, and the impact of social change in society. Although we accept submissions from all types of researchers, both new and experienced, one central purpose of this journal is to provide an outlet for research conducted by students. Hence, …

The Relationship Between Nursing-Faculty Incivility And New-Graduate-Nurse Self-Confidence During Transition To Practice: A Correlational Study, Martha Kershaw

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Decreased self-confidence is seen in nursing students who experience nursing-faculty-to-nursing-student-incivility and in new-graduate-nurses during their transition to practice. Using a quantitative correlational design, I examined the relationship between nursing-faculty-to-nursing-student incivility and new-graduate-nurse self-confidence including the extent to which the relationship exists and whether the relationship existed for some groups more than others, specifically male and female nurses, and nurses who graduated from associate’s degree and Bachelor of Science programs. Through the surveys completed by 212 registered nurses who had been practicing less than three years, the participants reported on their experience with nursing-faculty-to-nursing-student incivility using the Perceived Faculty Incivility Scale …

Just Culture: It's More Than Policy, Linda Ann Paradiso, Nancy Sweeney

Publications and Research

Any healthcare organization’s top priority is effective and safe care. Despite this, medical error is the third-leading cause of death in the US. Hospitals are imperfect systems where nurses have competing demands and are forced to improvise and develop workarounds. Errors rarely occur in a vacuum, rather they’re a sequence of events with multiple opportunities for correction. Clinical nurses can have a significant impact on reducing errors due to their proximity to patients. When errors are identified, the events and impact on safe care need to be shared. Just culture is a safe haven that supports reporting. In a just …