Nursing Commons^™

Adaptation Of Kenyan-Born Registered Nurses Into The American Healthcare System, Emily Tangwar

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Kenyan-born nurses (KBNs) continue to be an important part of the nursing workforce in the United States of America (USA). They bring their skills, knowledge, and experience to their new areas of nursing practice. Even though it may be challenging to adapt, Kenyan Nurse's skills, knowledge, and experiences may be enhanced by successfully integrating them in the American healthcare system. Some of these challenges include socio-cultural difference; structure of healthcare systems; technology; language such as abbreviations, expressions, and phrases; and new environment. This study will be conducted using a quantitative research method and purposeful survey of 20 KBNs using Cross …

The Effects Of Oral Pain Medication Being Administered In Phase I As Compared To Oral Pain Medications Administered In Phase Ii, Dana Jones

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Healthcare and the provision of care are ever-changing as governing bodies over-see and regulate the way institutions provide care for patients. Pain assessment, reassessment, and pain management are a focus nationally and healthcare providers are held accountable for how pain is managed for patients. One piece to this broad topic is the use of oral pain medications, more specifically in the ambulatory surgical patient. The purpose of this project was to compare the length of stay, reported pain scores, and total amount of IV medications administered between patients who receive the first dose of oral pain medications in Phase I …

Impact Of Nurse Managers' Leadership Styles On Staff Nurses' Intent To Turnover, Joseph Warren L. Perez

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Nurse Managers have the unenviable responsibility of ensuring that nursing staff are engaged and perform their duties to the best of their abilities. Maintaining an environment conducive to maximizing nurses' potentials resulting in retention may be a by-product of an effective leadership style. The purpose of this study was to determine whether nurse managers' leadership styles have an impact on nurses' intent to turnover. Nurse Managers with more than one year of management experience were asked to complete the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X). The 45-item questionnaire rates the participant's leadership style based on the answers provided. Results were then compared …

South Carolina School Nurses' Knowledge, Opinions, Perceptions, And Practice Measures Regarding Childhood Obesity, Logan Camp

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Childhood obesity has become a significant national health issue due to rising incidences and associated chronic medical conditions. School nurses across the United States of America are in prime positions to address childhood obesity as they have access to large numbers of children and adolescents in school settings. A review of current literature demonstrated that school nurses were overall knowledgeable concerning childhood obesity, but encountered numerous barriers in enacting weight-related assessments and treatment programs. The purpose of this research study was to determine the knowledge, opinions, perceptions, and practice measures of South Carolina school nurses regarding childhood obesity. The "School …

Nursing Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Pain Management, Joycelyn A. Craig

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

In many clinical settings, nurses have a vital role in pain assessment and titration of opioid doses. Surveys of nurses have revealed knowledge deficits in these areas that are thought to contribute to under-treatment of pain. The present study surveys nurses' knowledge and attitudes about assessment and treatment of pain and confirms that nurses continue to undertreat pain. As shown in previous studies, nurses may be more influenced by the patient's behavior than the patient's self-report of pain, especially in relation to decisions about opioid administration. Nurses are less likely to manage a previously safe but ineffective dose of opioid …

Larckit: A Toolkit To Increase Prescribing Of Long Acting Contraceptives To Adolescent And Young Women In A Public Health Setting, Eva M. Fried

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Projects

In an urban, publicly funded women’s health and family planning clinic, 56% of pregnancies were reported to be unintended. The clinic director decided to address this problem by focusing on providers’ contraceptive prescribing habits; especially contraceptive prescribing for women aged 15-25. The purpose of the evidence-based practice improvement (EBPI) project was to increase provider disclosure about longer-acting reversible contraception (intrauterine and implantable methods known as “LARC” methods). The goal of the EBPI project was to increase the percentage of contraceptive prescriptions that are LARC methods for women aged 15-25 years. The clinical question guiding the EBPI project was “Among healthcare …

Maintaining The Vision In The Intensive Care Unit, Camille Leadingham

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Projects

Background: Intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation have an increased chance for eye complications due to the inability to operate their own protective mechanisms resulting in dry eye.

Purpose: Develop and test an eye care protocol utilizing the evidence to prevent dry eye.

Method: In phase 1 retrospective data was collected on sedated and mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU (n=30) to determine baseline eye care practices and outcomes. Then the DEPP was developed based on the evidence. Finally data were collected prospectively (n=30) in the same patient population.

Results: From Phase 1 to Phase 2, eye crust cases diminished …

Improvement Of Standardized Documentation Of Patients With Copd In An Acute Care Setting, Kimberly Biery

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Projects

The purpose of this project was to improve patient clinical outcomes of average length of stay, mortality rate, and readmission within 30 days by increasing health care provider order set usage and documentation as it relates to patients with a primary diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Epic ™ computer based clinical documentation by healthcare providers at The Christ Hospital (TCH) was inconsistent. The PICOT question developed was: in the COPD population of an acute care hospital, how does standardized electronic COPD process measure documentation and order set usage compared to no COPD process measure documentation and order set …

Self-Care Of Heart Failure In A House Call Program, Becky Bryant

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Projects

The incidence and prevalence of persons living with heart failure (HF) is growing in the United States. Heart failure is the most common admission in hospitals among Medicare recipients aged 65 years or older. Self-care of heart failure (SCHF) has been reported to decrease HF hospital admission rates. Elderly patients who are homebound do not have access to typical HF education and follow-up care. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to implement a SCHF program intervention by nurse practitioners (NPs) with homebound elderly HF patients receiving home visits in a house call program. There were 18 sample …

Community-Campus Partnership Effectiveness For Nursing Faculty Curricula In Rural Virginia, Adriana Myers

VA Engage Journal

Nursing schools state that faculty shortages caused by low faculty salaries are a primary reason for nursing shortages. In a Shenandoah University graduate survey, many nurses wanted to teach but could not leave their higher-paying clinical jobs. Shenandoah University’s Graduate Program in Winchester, VA received funding from the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority to use rural community-campus partnerships to plan a nursing faculty residency program to increase the number of nursing faculty. The program’s planning partners were economic development, business, academic, and philanthropic organization leaders in seven rural planning districts. Community Based Participatory Research was used to assess the effectiveness …

Determining The Effects Of Past Negative Experiences Involving Patient Care, Jennifer L. Brown Phd, Francine M. Parker Edd, Msn, Cne, Ramona B. Lazenby Edd, Fn-Bc, Cne

Journal of Health Ethics

As the cost of healthcare continues to raise, the need to address nurse attrition, which is a contributing factor, also rises. While there are various factors that influence nurses’ decision to leave or stay, job satisfaction and ethical climate are significant variables. This study examined the effects of negative previous work experiences on job satisfaction and ethical climate. The results showed previous work experiences moderated both job satisfaction and ethical climate. In addition, ethical climate mediated the effects of previous experiences on job satisfaction. The implications include identifying nurses who may have had negative experiences prior to their current employment …

Meaningful Ethical Encounters:The Lived Experience Of The Genetics Nurse, Elizabeth A. Tinnon

Journal of Health Ethics

Meaningful Ethical Encounters: The Lived Experience of the Genetics Nurse

Abstract

Discoveries of the Human Genome Project, while beneficial to improving health, are accompanied by new and unique ethical concerns. The aim of this study was to describe and gain an understanding of the lived experience of genetics nurses as it relates to encountered ethical concerns. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach using van Manen’s thematic analysis was the method for this investigation. A sample of eight genetics nurses participated in the study. Seven essential themes emerged from the texts: (a) caring over time, (b) shared pain and suffering, (c) my job …

Five-Course Meal Infused With Information Skills And Resources, Kimberly J. Whalen, Suzanne E. Zentz

Library Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ua1c11/57 Sigma Theta Tau Photos, Wku Nursing

WKU Administration Documents

Unidentified Sigma Theta Tau photos.

Nursing's Ethical Responsibilities In Value-Based Purchasing, Wendy B. Bailes, Marcia M. Rachel, Sheila Keller

Journal of Health Ethics

Healthcare changes have resulted in the development of reimbursement initiatives such as value-based purchasing. These initiatives are designed to improve quality of care, decrease healthcare costs and improve the perception of care. Many of the compliance mandates are related to care provided by the professional nurse. Ethical considerations of these mandates will be explored utilizing the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics.

Child Weight And Feeding Patterns In An Old Order Mennonite Community, Dawn M. Garrett Wright, Maria E. Main, M. Susan Jones

Nursing Faculty Publications

Feeding practices in some religious communities may decrease childhood obesity. However, there is limited research in these communities to assess maternal perceptions of their children’s weight and feeding patterns. The purpose of this study was to ascertain Old Order Mennonite mothers’ perceptions of their children’s body weight and to examine feeding patterns for their children. Sample: Participants for this descriptive, correlational study were recruited from an Old Order Mennonite community in south central Kentucky. Sampling was achieved using a snowball sampling strategy and the use of a community insider. Methods: Body Mass Index was measured for mothers and child participants, …

Can Follow Up Phone Calls Decrease Complications Of Chemotherapy Toxicities In Adults?, Maire M. Blankenship

Doctor of Nursing Practice Technical Reports

Approximately 22% of all cancer patients in the United States receive chemotherapy. Older adults account for 60 % of new cancer diagnoses in the United States. The aging process is associated with comorbidities that potentially can increase toxicities associated with chemotherapy. These include coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Monitoring for toxicities during treatment and intervening when needed allows patients to move forward in their treatment plan. Interruptions in the treatment plan have the potential to adversely affect treatment goals. The purpose of this study is to determine if patients receiving phone calls on predetermined days had fewer days of …

The Effect Of An Early Mobility Protocol In Critically Ill Mechanically Ventilated Patients On Incidence And Duration Of Delirium And Length Of Stay, Melody R. Campbell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Projects

Delirium in mechanically ventilated patients is a significant problem. At Good Samaritan Hospital, the incidence of delirium in mechanically ventilated patients was found to be 78%, which is similar to results found by other researchers. Delirium is associated with longer lengths of stay on the mechanical ventilator, in the ICU, and hospital, as well as higher ICU mortality and healthcare costs.

The use of an early mobility protocol has demonstrated effectiveness in decreasing delirium and ventilator stay with minimal risk or harm to patients. The objective of the project was to answer a population-intervention-comparison-outcome-time question (PICOT): In (P) critically ill, …

Project Title Improving Pci Door-To-Balloon Times Through Team Collaboration, Diane Rydzy Rn, Kenneth Forte Dnp, Rockman Ferrigno, Stuart Zarich

Posters

Objective: To utilize a team approach in identifying areas of improvement to reduce median door-to-balloon times (D2B) for heart attack patients

Simulating Real Life Enhances Palliative Care For Patients In The Micu, Jennifer O'Neil Bsn, Rn, Leigh Jimmie Bsn, Rn

Posters

The objective of this project was to determine whether or not a palliative care education program would increase RN knowledge and comfort in caring for palliative care appropriate patients in the Medical Intensive Care Unit.