Nursing Commons^™

Identifying Disease Characteristics, Parent Experience And Coping Strategies When Predicting Pediatric Illness-Related Stress In Parents Of Children With Mitochondrial Disease, Brenda Senger

Nursing Faculty Scholarship

Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a group of rare, inherited, chronic, life-limiting, incurable neurodegenerative disorders known to affect children early in life that result from failure of the mitochondria to turn food into energy. The diagnosis of mito is elusive and complex, with a variety of clinical manifestations, multisystem involvement and the lack of a reliable biological marker for screening and diagnosis. The unpredictable prognosis and erratic nature of this illness can be overwhelming to parents who bear the daily responsibilities of managing the child's care. Little is known about the experience of parents caring for a child with mito.

Objective …

Effects Of A Pneumonia Pathway On Hospital Readmission Rates, Melissa Ash, Brian Glynn, Silvana Romeo, Zenobia Black, Ashley Adams, Bridget Dutil, Raymond Malloy, Maribeth Kelly

Department of Nursing papers and presentations

There are inconsistencies in treating inpatients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) and providing adequate post discharge follow-up contributing to significant hospital re-admission rates and increased healthcare costs. Will the use of a pneumonia pathway decrease hospital re-admissions and healthcare costs? Our null hypothesis for this study was that the use of a pneumonia care pathway will have no significant effect on hospital readmission rates.

Perceptions Of A Dedicated Education Unit In The Mississippi Delta, Jacquelyn Felecia Brownlow

Doctoral Projects

The highest health care disparities in the country plague the Mississippi Delta. A weakened economy, minimal access to healthcare and an outdated traditional clinical learning environment place enormous strains on nursing education in this area to provide more nurses. The office of Nursing Workforce reported a 14% to 16% nursing turnover in the Delta compared to the national average of 13.5%. As a result, the health care organization has encountered high nurse turnover, increased staffing shortages, and a decrease in nursing quality indicators. As an effort to improve clinical education and bridge gaps between education and practice, several schools in …

Assessing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists’ Attitudes Toward And Barriers To The Use Of Evidence-Based Anesthesia Practice, Laurie E. Parkman

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

Evidence-based practice is the integration and synthesis of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values. Use of evidence-based practice decreases variability in care and improves patient outcomes. This research project assessed variables that inhibit the adoption of evidence-based practice into individual CRNAs’ practice. Ninety-two CRNAs in Georgia participated in an email survey to assess attitudes and perceived barriers to evidence-based practice. Attitudes toward evidence-based practice were assessed with the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ), and perceived barriers to the use of evidence-based practice were assessed with the BARRIERS scale. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was computed to assess …

Effect Of Asthma And Cystic Fibrosis On Health Utilization And Education Progress In Children And Adolescents., Bradlee A. Jenkins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Aims. To determining the effect of asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF), and both on healthcare utilization, absences from school, and rate of progress in school.

Background. Previous studies on academic progression and health care utilization in children with the respiratory diseases of asthma and CF have been limited or conflicting.

Design. Non experimental, cross-sectional, secondary data analysis using a multilevel probability sample.

Methods. The response of all persons under 18 years of age in the U.S. 1997-2012 National Health Interview Survey to interviewer questions on demographic, educational, and health care utilization items were analyzed. The mean and 95% confidence intervals for …

Symptoms In Early And Long-Term Breast Cancer Survivors Who Have Completed Primary Therapy, Faith Strunk

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background

Many breast cancer survivors continue to have single or multiple symptoms after they have completed primary cancer therapy. The quantifiable, subjective experience of multiple symptoms and their impact is defined as symptom burden. Previous research has focused on symptoms during primary therapy or shortly after completion of treatment.

Objectives

Our study objectives were to determine whether symptom burden differed according to survivor status (early as opposed to long-term survival) and/or use of endocrine or hormonal adjuvant therapy. We hypothesized that there would be no difference in the symptoms expressed among early- and long-term survivors.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, …

Developing Ethical Competence: The Perspective Of Nurse Educators From Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Programs Accredited By The Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education, Jennifer Lee Bartlett

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nurses face ethically-charged situations every day, yet ethics education is not universally integrated into pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing programs. Like other forms of competence, ethical competence requires development. Nurse educators are poised to impact on the competence of their students, both defining the ethics content and designing students' exposure. The purpose of this study is to describe the concept of ethical competence from the perspective of baccalaureate nursing faculty and describe current methods of integration and evaluation of ethics education in pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing programs. This research will be conducted using a sequential (quantitative-qualitative) mixed method approach. The first phase of …

The Lived Experiences Of Acute-Care Bedside Registered Nurses Caring For Patients And Their Families With Limited English Proficiency, Jami-Sue Coleman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Approximately 8.6% of the total U.S. population is considered limited English proficient (LEP), a term that has been used by official US federal policy and will be used throughout this study. In a landmark report, the Institute of Medicine found that minorities received lower-quality health care than Caucasians even when insurance status, income, and other factors were equivalent. These differences were tied to issues such as bias, stereotypes and communication barriers between patients and their caregivers. In the hospital setting, registered nurses provide the most direct contact with patients and their families. Effective communication between patients and health care professionals …

A Pilot Study To Develop A Cognitive Intervention To Support Dementia Caregivers: A Focus Group Of Caregivers Caring For Persons With Dementia As Informants, Abir K. Bekhet, Karie R. Kobiske

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Journey To Becoming-Authentic From The Voices Of Nursing Students Living With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sheryl Lynn Allen

Dissertations

Research and literature on nursing students living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in higher education is deficient in supporting the needs of a growing population. The aim of this study sought to uncover the essence of nursing students’ experiences through a hermeneutic phenomenological approach and promote deeper understanding of the meaning of lifeworld experiences through the lens of critical social theory (CST). CST sustains freedom from ideological restraints to allow exploration into individual experiences. The voices of student participants provide the medium for articulating meaning. An integrative approach using van Manen’s (1990) and Munhall’s (2012) methods guided this study. …

Group Empowerment Capacity And Capability In Schools Of Nursing, Mary Louanne Friend

Dissertations

Nursing education is experiencing rapid changes as nurses are expected to transform and lead health care delivery within the United States. The ability to produce graduates who can promote a culture of safety, and provide patient centered care in collaboration with others will require nursing administrators and faculty who are empowered and able to achieve goals. The Sieloff Theory of Group Empowerment within Organizations (Sieloff & Bularzik, 2011) provided the theoretical basis for this exploratory correlational study examining group empowerment capacity and empowerment in administrators and faculty within the United States. Empowerment was conceptualized as the ability of the group …

Understanding And Managing End Of Life Symptoms: A Teaching Guide For The Primary Caregiver, Christine Miraglia

Nursing Masters

Abstract The goal of hospice is to support patients and the family or friend who has taken on the role of the caregiver. The majority of care provided in the home to the ill patient is provided by informal caregivers with limited experience. Emotional and physical strain can cause caregiver breakdown even to the most capable caregiver. Caregivers become over whelmed and panic when they are expected to monitor, interpret, and make decisions, in providing direct care. There are tremendous expectations of the caregiver in the home setting. The home healthcare hospice nurse should provide teaching materials and information to …

Management Of Acute Gi Bleeding In Patients Who Refuse Blood Or Blood Products, Eliza K. Weis

Nursing Masters

Background and Significance: The Gastroenterology consult service evaluates patients who are admitted to the hospital with gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding. Prompt endoscopic evaluation is the mainstay for the diagnosis and treatment of clinically significant GI tract bleeding and occurs in concert with the initiation of supportive measures, including replacement of lost blood, correction of coagulopathy, treatment of hemorrhagic shock, and stimulation of erythropoiesis. There have been several case reports of patients who exsanguinated from acute GI tract bleeding due to refusal of blood or blood products on religious grounds. Management of such patients presents many treatment and ethical challenges. The …

Effects Of High Fidelity Simulation On Knowledge Acquisition, Self-Confidence, And Satisfaction With Baccalaureate Nursing Students Using The Solomon-Four Research Design, Rachel M. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High Fidelity Simulation is a teaching strategy that is becoming well-entrenched in the world of nursing education and is rapidly expanding due to the challenges and demands of the health care environment. The problem addressed in this study is the conflicting research results regarding the effectiveness of HFS for students’ knowledge acquisition after participating in simulation exercises. Specifically this researcher determined the effects of a formatted simulation scenario on knowledge acquisition among nursing students and the students’ satisfaction and selfconfidence with the simulation learning activity. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (1984) provided the framework for this study.

This study used a …

Efficacy Of The Arvigo Techniques Of Maya Abdominal Therapy On Dysmenorrhea Symptoms In Women., Tabitha S. Burchett

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dysmenorrhea is one of the most reported symptoms by women in OB/GYN departments with an effect on up to 95% of women. Because pain experienced during menstrual cycles influences the mental and physical health of women, it is important to find practical and effective relief.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a new clinical and scientific field in the practice of Western medicine. The use of CAM by the public has increased dramatically in recent years and among the practiced modalities lies a fairly new massage technique aimed at treatment of uterine abnormalities attributed to misplacement. The Arvigo Techniques of …

Exploring Self-Efficacy And Stress Of Senior Nursing Students Who Participate In Progressive Simulation., Kaitlyn Nora Luckey-Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

According to Bandura (1994), self-efficacy is defined as "the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required in managing prospective situations" (quoted by Pajaras, 1996, p. 543). Self-efficacy has long been theorized to increase job retention and success after graduation from a nursing program. In this study, the researchers explored whether high fidelity simulation during the senior semester of nursing school increases perceived self-efficacy among nursing students. We also evaluated the impact of stress levels on perceived self-efficacy. The study surveyed 135 senior BSN students from both traditional and accelerated programs a Southeastern Tennessee University …

Meeting The Needs Of Family Members Of Icu Patients., Kalie Nolen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The intensive care unit is an extreme environment which houses the most critically ill patients in a hospital. As a result, an array of equipment, IV lines, medications, and sounds that are unfamiliar to the general public can be found. These factors, added to the fragile emotional state of families and friends who have recently admitted a loved one, can be overwhelming. This rush of unforeseen stimuli often leads to feelings of fear and powerlessness (Farrell, Joseph, & Schwartz-Barcott, 2005).

The patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) are the primary focus of staff; some need virtually continuous care. As a …

Psychometrics Of The Positive Thinking Skills Scale Among Dementia Caregivers, Abir K. Bekhet

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Acupuncture For Sleep Disturbances In Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Heather C. King Phd

Dissertations

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has emerged as a significant problem among Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans. Disturbed sleep is one of the most frequently reported symptoms among OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD. PTSD itself is impairing, but the burden of this disorder is likely heightened when accompanied by sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances have been associated with a 75-90% increased risk of co-morbid conditions, increased levels of depression and anxiety, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, reduced psychomotor performance, diminished work productivity, and decreased quality of life. These consequences of disturbed sleep emphasize the critical need for additional evidence based therapies …

Understanding Faculty And Non-Traditional Student Perceptions Of Self-Directed Learning In A Practical Nursing Program, Carmen Marie Rogers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to identify and investigate nursing faculty and student perspectives of self-directed learning in a practical nursing program. It also explored the degree to which student's perceptions of self-directed learning exhibited factors consistent with that of critical thinking. This study is important because self-directed learning and its critical thinking elements are essential in providing safe, competent, effective, and efficient nursing care within practice and education. Using an explanatory case study design the practice of self-directed learning within a practical nursing program was examined through the use of: classroom observations, interviews with nursing faculty, nursing students, and document …