Nursing Commons^™

Nursing Turnover Based On Age, Race, And Gender In Community Hospitals In Michigan, Laura Lawhorn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hospitals struggle to maintain nursing staff to meet patient needs for a population that requires continuous care and experiences multiple illnesses. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the variations in reasons for leaving the nursing profession (dependent variable) based on age, race, and gender (independent variables) within community hospitals in Michigan. The theoretical framework for this study was the Nursing Neuman Systems Model, which posits that nursing comprises four key components: environment, individual, nursing practice, and health. A correlational research design was utilized to address the research question and analyze the relationships between the variables. The secondary …

Implementation Of A Diabetic Complication Educational Intervention For Staff At A Community-Based Clinic, Virginia K. Dennis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though there are many modalities put in place to manage diabetes and its complications, there have been many barriers to reducing the complications associated with diabetes in health care institutions. In this educational intervention to reduce diabetes and its complications, a staff education program was implemented to enhance staff knowledge about diabetes and the complications associated with it. The staff education program was implemented at a community-based clinic for a DNP-prepared nurse, three RNs, and five medical assistants (MAs) working at the clinic. A pretest and a posttest were administered to assess the impact of the educational session. The …

Predictors Of Sleep Duration In Undergraduate Students Attending A Health Sciences University In Japan, Aaron M. Eakman, Yuki Kawakatsu, Miki Takahata, Daisuke Kudo, Shinji Satake, Toshiaki Sato

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Inadequate sleep is a pressing public health concern contributing to absenteeism and poor school performance, especially in health sciences students. In this study we investigated the sleep quality and duration of undergraduate students in a prefectural university of health sciences program and explored factors explaining sleep duration (i.e., < 6 hours per night vs > 6 hours) using multiple variable logistic regression.

Method: This cross-sectional survey study included 369 nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy students who completed Japanese versions of the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, in addition to well validated sleep-related and mental health-related assessments.

Results: We found just 11.7% of the …

Meeting Interprofessional Education Competencies Through A Multi-Scene Standardized Patient Simulation: A Pilot Study, Joanna Behm, Kristen Slabaugh, Karen Burket

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose. Healthcare is increasingly delivered by teams of diverse disciplines. Interprofessional education for healthcare students is essential so that when students enter their respective fields, they come prepared with experience in interdisciplinary communication, teamwork, and communication. Accreditation and regulatory requirements for health professions programs have also increased the focus on interprofessional collaboration, requiring programs to be creative in finding effective and efficient integration methods. The purpose of this pilot study was to identify the perceived impact of an interprofessional collaboration event on enhancing students’ interprofessional education competency attainment. Methods. An interprofessional collaboration committee created a multi-scene, unfolding case study …

Fathers Using Light Touch On Their Infants And Its Effects On Postnatal Paternal Depression, Christopher Dirkes

DNP Projects

Background:
During the postpartum period there are multiple resources available to address maternal postpartum depression. However, there are limited resources available to help fathers during this transition period. Currently, limited data is available for best practice to decrease postnatal paternal depression, and increase paternal bonding and comfortability when caring for the infant.

Method:
Fathers were recruited from a Midwestern Public Health Department. After recruitment, fathers were provided with in-home education on how to perform a light touch intervention. Pre-intervention qualitative and quantitative surveys were provided at this time. Fathers were then asked to record their emotions as well as infant …

Implementation Of Intimate Partner Violence Education To Improve Practice And Attitude Amongst Healthcare Providers, Abigail Nguyen, Breanna Carpenter

DNP Projects

Background
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and costly public health issue. It is vital that patients are screened at least annually for intimate partner violence. Screening increases disclosure of abuse and allows primary care clinicians to provide comfort, education, and resources to patients experiencing IPV. Evidence strongly suggests that a major barrier to regular screening for IPV is a lack of knowledge and comfort amongst healthcare providers.

Purpose
This project’s purpose was to provide educational tools for healthcare providers related to the importance of screening for IPV, guidelines for most effective screening, common IPV misconceptions, and local resources. …

Living In Fear: Be Empathetic (Life)-Tool Kit, Desiree A. Díaz, Heather Peralta, Samantha Stephenson, Danny Hernandez, Geraldine Luzincourt, Syretta Spears, Ann Marie Parker, Trysten Altamirano

Nursing Handouts, Tools, and Other Documents

Open source materials to immerse learners in rural and public health experiences are needed to ensure the new work force is equipped to care for a variety of people in differing circumstances. Public health remains a vital yet underemphasized component within healthcare education, specifically nursing education. This often limits opportunities for students to develop the skills necessary to become strong advocates for equity and systemic change. A

This project emerged from a commitment to provide experiential opportunities replicating the communities we serve. A Empathy Walk and LIFE Clinic (Díaz et al., 2025) was created as a strategy designed to engage …

Practical Intelligence: Generative Ai Toolkit For Nurse Education, Jennifer Vanderlaan, Lisa Nicholas, Necole Leland

Nursing Faculty Research

This toolkit delivers a structured introduction to generative AI tailored for nurse educators, offering practical guidance across six domains: foundational concepts; course and lesson design; assignment development; scholarly applications; simulation integration; and strategies for facilitating student engagement with AI. Beginning with an accessible overview of how generative models function and where they fail. It presents frameworks for critical evaluation and transparent use. Subsequent sections demonstrate how to leverage AI for organizing curricula, writing objectives, crafting assessments, and generating discussion prompts, all aligned with professional standards. Applications in scholarship cover literature search planning, peer‑review simulation, and evidence‑based question development. Simulation chapters …

Staff Education On Evidence-Based Transitional Care Interventions Toward The Goal Of Reducing Readmission Rates, Adebowale A. Oyebamiji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The staff education project was implemented in a behavioral health hospital in the Midwestern region of the United States. The behavioral healthcare setting experiences poor transitional care, resulting in high readmission rates of psychiatric patients. Poor transitional care is associated with inadequate knowledge of evidence-based transitional care strategies among psychiatric nurses. The practice-focused question was: For staff in an inpatient mental health unit, will education on evidence-based transitional care interventions improve knowledge toward reducing readmission rates? The project aimed to enhance psychiatric staff knowledge on evidence-based transitional care interventions to reduce readmission rates. The analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation …

Food Literacy Program Among Adults In A Primary Care Setting, Marie K. Williams

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice problem: The increase in preventable chronic diseases is associated with food illiteracy, which arises from a lack of understanding of nutritional value and dietary guidelines (Silva et al., 2023).

PICOT: (P) In adult primary care patients aged 30-75 years, (I) does the implementation of evidence-based food literacy program (C) compared to standard practice (O) improve food literacy (T) in eight weeks?

Evidence: Using a validated food literacy questionnaire effectively measures improvements in food literacy. Customized programs that fill knowledge gaps are essential for enhancing overall food literacy. Intervention: Customized educational tools were provided to participants based on their knowledge …

Staff Education To Use The Teach-Back Method To Decrease Congestive Heart Failure Readmissions, Carlita Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This staff education project focused on educating staff to use the teach-back method to decrease congestive heart failure (CHF) readmissions. It is essential to address this issue within the context of nursing practice because CHF patients have left the hospital without adequate knowledge of their care plans, which compromised their self-care and increased their chances of returning to the hospital. This project employed the teach-back method, which is an effective communication process involving the patient reiterating what the staff has told them. The practice-focused question which guided the project was: For staff in an acute care hospital, will evidence-based training …

Staff Education To Improve Fall Prevention Practices In The Home Health Setting, Chinemelum Okoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls among adults aged 65 and older represent a significant public health concern, as they are the leading cause of injury and hospitalization within this demographic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one in four older adults experiences a fall annually, leading to over 3 million emergency department visits. In home health settings, the risk of falls is heightened due to uncontrolled environments and insufficient staff training. This quality improvement project assessed the effectiveness of an educational intervention aimed at fall prevention strategies for home health staff, including registered nurses (RNs) and certified nursing assistants …

From Surviving To Thriving: The Oxygen Mask Approach For Middle Management, Lydia Marque

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Middle managers in healthcare experience high levels of stress, heavy workloads, and burnout. At a large medical center in Northern California, middle managers reported low perceptions of organizational support for well-being despite an abundance of available resources.

Context: Baseline data indicated a perceived support score of 6.5 out of 10 on the Employee Interest Survey and a People Pulse Culture of Health score of 60 for assistant nurse managers (ANMs), both below regional benchmarks. These findings suggested inadequate engagement with organizational well-being resources.

Interventions: A six-month performance improvement initiative, guided by the ADKAR change model and …

Skin Care Excellence: Increasing Rn Skin Check Frequency To Prevent Hapis, Yu Jian Kwan

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background:
This quality improvement project was implemented in the Transitional Cardiac Unit (TCU), a 32-bed telemetry unit primarily serving older adults recovering from cardiac procedures. A microsystem assessment revealed a hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) rate of 1.49 per 1,000 patient days, exceeding the regional target of 0.82. Key barriers included limited skin assessment frequency, inconsistent documentation, and gaps in staff training.

Problem:
From June to December 2024, six HAPIs occurred in the TCU. Despite existing protocols requiring two-RN skin assessments at admission, transfer, and discharge, early detection of skin breakdown remained insufficient. Contributing factors included inconsistent surveillance, varied assessment skills, …

Enhancing Onboarding And Role Transition For Advanced Practice Clinicians Through The Development Of A Structured Mentorship Program, Christina Sternesky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The assimilation of advanced practice clinicians (APCs), nurse practitioners, and physician assistants into healthcare systems is significantly dependent on the quality of their onboarding experience and the availability of a structured mentorship program. Without mentorship programs, APCs often experience job dissatisfaction, reduced confidence, undefined role clarity, and increased burnout. In this quality improvement Doctor of Nursing Practice project, I conducted a comprehensive assessment of the needs of APCs and subsequently developed a structured, evidence-based mentorship program. The program, approved by an expert panel, was designed to support the onboarding of APCS, their role transition, and ongoing professional development within a …

New Patient Onboarding, Jennifer Fournier, Sarah Flagg, Alletta Roberts Dzik, Lyndsay Stevens, Shannon Smith, Karen Waterhouse

Operations Transformation

Currently there are barriers to establish a new patient with a primary care. The workflow for patients who self-refer currently requires 10 steps and is performed by 7 care team members.

• 4 PSR at the front desk complete paper intake forms that are then manually entered into a spreadsheet by 3 other care team members.

The step in the workflow, to obtain the release of information for patient records to be requested and submit the form, is inconsistently followed internally and externally and results in very long process time of 40+ days. This step is frequently overlooked due to the …

Oncology Nurse Self-Assessment Of Caring Behaviors Following Telehealth And In-Person Visits, Maryann Connor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oncology nurses coordinate care, ensure the safe administration of treatments, manage symptoms, and support those newly diagnosed with cancer. Traditionally, oncology care included in-person visits, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth, transforming how oncology care is delivered. The purposes of this study, guided by Watson’ theory of human caring, were to determine (a) if there is a difference in oncology RNs’ self-assessments of applying caring behaviors during in-person visits compared to oncology RNs’ self-assessments of applying caring behaviors of telehealth visits with newly diagnosed cancer patients, and (b) if there is a difference in self-assessment of caring …

Policy Review Of The Aha Clinical Practice Guideline For Congestive Heart Failure: Evaluating Best Practices, Brenda E. Garcia

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a significant public health challenge that impacts various populations and contributes to rising hospital admission rates.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this scholarly project was: For healthcare policymakers and interprofessional teams (P), how does a policy review of the American Heart Association’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for Heart Failure (I), guided by the CDC’s Polaris Framework (C), conducted over a 12-week period (T), evaluate alignment with evidence-based practices and potential for adoption in the care of patients with congestive heart failure (O)?

Evidence: This scholarly project focused on reviewing the current clinical guidelines …

Staff Education On Early Diagnosis And Management Of Hypertensive Crisis, Sharon Fairweather

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary This project is a Doctor of Nursing Practice initiative to educate healthcare professionals at a primary healthcare clinic. The focus was on improving staff knowledge of hypertensive crises in African American patients aged 20 to 40. The project included face-to-face training sessions and educational resources to empower providers and enhance patient outcomes. Hypertensive crises are a significant health risk, especially in African Americans. This group has higher rates of hypertension, leading to serious health complications. Addressing this issue is crucial in nursing practice. Early diagnosis and timely interventions can significantly improve care. Equipping nurses with the necessary skills is …

Emergency Nurses’ Perceptions Of A Trauma-Informed Organizational Climate: A Cross-Sectional Study, Audrey Kobina

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare leaders face numerous challenges in today’s complex healthcare environment. The most pressing issues are staffing shortages and burnout among healthcare workers. By 2025, the U.S. healthcare system could experience a shortfall of up to 450,000 nurses, or 20% fewer nurses than needed to provide adequate patient care. High job dissatisfaction and burnout levels are significant factors driving many nurses away from the profession. This three-paper dissertation portfolio addressed how trauma-informed approaches and practices can enhance the work environment by establishing trauma-informed organizational climates to mitigate burnout. Understanding the impact of trauma-informed practices within healthcare systems supports the nursing workforce. …