Nursing Commons^™

A Secondary Data Analysis Of The Practice Intervention Designed To "Wipe Out C. Difficile", Kimberly Aronhalt

Theses and Graduate Projects

Clostridium dfficile infection (CDI) recognized as a global healthcare-associated infection (HAI) causing infectious diarrhea, has increased in incidence, severity, and mortality among patients in the last three decades. Related health care costs to patients and health care facilities are enormous. To prevent HAIs healthcare organizations are charged to have infection prevention control programs in place to address CDI. Surveillance of CDI and prevention strategies are challenged to impact the transmission of CDI due to its anaerobic, spore forming characteristics. At a tertiary medical center, Wipe Out C. dfficile was a targeted approach for five high incident units to reduce CDI. …

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Are Emergency Department Providers Identifying Which Patients Are At Risk?, Barbara Kay Stuart

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Identify patients with specific emergency department (ED) discharge diagnoses who later report symptoms associated with a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), compare frequency and severity of MTBI symptoms by discharge diagnoses, investigate the frequency of head injury education provided to ED patients with each diagnosis, and finally, to learn what type of changes have occurred in the lives of patients as a result of their injury.

Methods: Fifty-two ED patients, aged 18 to 28 who were at least two weeks post injury, spoke English and were discharged with a diagnosis of concussion/closed head injury (CHI), head laceration, motor vehicle …

The Prevalence Of Postpartum Depression In Hispanic Immigrant Women, Nissa Breann Lucero

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of postpartum depression among Hispanic immigrant women seeking healthcare services at a community health clinic.

Data Sources: Hispanic immigrant women were recruited. Out of 116 study participants, 96 women were in the final sample. Using the Beck PDSS-Spanish version, women were screened for symptoms of postpartum depression.

Conclusions: The prevalence rate of significant symptoms of PPD was 54.2% for the entire sample of 96 women. Nearly 66% of women who screened positive for symptoms of PPD scored above the listed cutoff score for suicidal thoughts. Women were divided into …

Use It Or Lose It: Physical Fitness For Nurses, Kelly Amtmann, Msn, Rn, John Amtmann, Edd

Nursing

No abstract provided.

Pediatric Nurses’ Attitudes And Knowledge Regarding The Provision Of Breastfeeding Support In A Pediatric Medical Center, Tracy L. Brewer

Nursing Faculty Publications

Breastfeeding gives all neonates the best nutritional start in life.

Sexual Harassment At Work Place: Are You Safe?, Anila Naveed, Ambreen Tharani, Nasreen Alwani

School of Nursing & Midwifery

In today's world women are increasingly participating in the realm of work force, yet they are facing many obstacles in their way. Sexual harassment is one of those obstacles. Sexual harassment at work place is prevalent in every society. It could happen to anyone but women are the targeted victims. Sexual harassment is considered as a traumatic event and the victim may end up in having physical and mental sufferings that hinders a person to work effectively. At an organisational level this may result in decrease work effectiveness, decreased work productivity, high absenteeism, high turnover, and low staff morale. Hence …

Understanding The Perspective Of Adolescent Siblings Of Children With Down Syndrome Who Have Multiple Health Problems, Carol Ann Graff

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to obtain information from adolescent siblings of children with Down syndrome (CWDS) regarding their perceptions of living with a child who has Down syndrome (DS). Twenty-three adolescents between 12 and 19 years of age who lived with a child who had DS and additional health problems including cardiac, endocrine, gastrointestinal, hematological, neurological, and behavioral conditions were interviewed individually. After examining the tape recorded interviews, major themes revealed both positive and negative aspects of living with a child with DS who has major health problems. However, overall the adolescents reflected more positive experiences …

Adn Program Benchmarking Using Standardized Exams For Assessment And Remediation, Amy J. Waters

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

The purpose of this research investigation was to determine the correlational values between testing scores when utilizing the Assessment Technologies Institute™, LLC (ATI) standardized content exams during the third and fourth semesters of an associate degree nursing (ADN) program, and the sub-scale scores in the same content areas of the comprehensive final exam, the ATI RN-Predictor, taken during the final weeks of nursing school. The RN-Predictor is used to assess graduating students’ preparedness for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®). A Level II, nonexperimental, correlational study design utilized convenience and retrospective sampling of academic variable data of …

The Effect Of Using A Turn Clock To Cue Patient Repositioning For Pressure Ulcer Prevention In An Acute Care Setting, Julie Wiens

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, a nursing care quality indicator, are becoming increasingly common in United States acute care facilities. In fiscal year 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recorded 257,412 “avoidable” Stage III and Stage IV pressure ulcers acquired in our nation’s hospitals on patients who were admitted to receive care for their primary diagnosis (CMS, 2007). Pressure ulcers are associated with pain and suffering, loss of function, increased length of stay, increased morbidity and mortality, and significant financial burden (Ayello & Lyder, 2008). In October 2008, the CMS discontinued payments for additional costs associated with pressure ulcers …

A Critical Reflection On Advanced Practice Nursing, Patricia Quinn Phd

Dissertations

Legitimation of the Nurse Practitioner (NP) and advanced practice nursing is explored using the framework of critical theory and the case study methodology of Yin. Three different cases are analyzed using classic themes of critical theory - oppression, alienation and ideology and false consciousness. Three publishable articles comprise this portfolio. First is "Looking for love (legitimation) in all the wrong places - A critique of Nurse Practitioner effectiveness literature". This article reviews the literature of NP effectiveness and offers an analysis of the failures and problems of these positivistic studies. Article two is "At least some of us are still …

Mobile Librarian Service To The Wayne State University College Of Nursing, Nancy A. Wilmes

Library Scholarly Publications

In recent years, College of Nursing faculty and students have visited the Science and Engineering Library (which houses the Nursing Collection) less frequently to obtain reference assistance and research support. Nursing faculty and students are using online resources for their research, but these patrons still need to be able to ask questions and obtain clarification about: database search strategies, electronic journal access and full-text document delivery. To address these important resource and service issues, the Nursing Librarian Liaison has been offering reference service and research support in person, on-site in the Wayne State University College of Nursing office building. This …

Thai Patients' Experiences Of End-Stage Renal Disease: A Path Through An Unknown World, Chuleeporn Piyasut Phd

Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore how Thai end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients manage the challenges of living with hemodialysis. The participants were Thai ESRD patients, who were receiving hemodialysis in one of the central provinces in Thailand. A grounded theory approach was employed in this study as it focuses on social processes grounded in individual experiences of participants in the study. The participants included 30 ESRD patients, aged 26-75, who had been undergoing hemodialysis from 6 months to 12 years. Individual in-depth interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed by using Atlas.ti. Data analysis revealed "a …

The Influence Of Psychosocial Factors On Academic Performance Of Adolescents: A Quality Assurance Project, Saleema A. Gulzar, Tazeen S. Ali, Amina Aijaz, Neesha Hussain

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Adolescence is a time of rapid psychological and physiological changes and is associated with anxiety and mental distress. This project looks at the potential of school-based programs to reduce these negative effects of academic performance in both the short- and long-term. This study was conducted in a private school in Karachi, Pakistan between October 1998 and December 2006 on 305 students with low academic performance. Results show that students scoring low grades had a mean of 55 + 2.8 and postintervention score of 56 + 2.6. The intervention package significantly created a difference in reducing the number of students receiving …

New Mothers' Perceptions Of Their First Encounter With A Health Care Provider, Katherine Ure

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Since its genesis, health care has been developing and evolving to meet the needs of the population it serves. Hospital length of stay after childbirth has progressively decreased over the past 29 years initially in response to public pressure to reduce the medical aspect of childbirth. More recently, the decrease in length of stay has accelerated in response to cost-containment pressures (Eaton, 2001). This investigation examined new mothers’ perceptions of their maternal role attainment through their initial interaction with a health care provider. Ramona Mercer (1990) stated in Parents at Risk that there is a pressing need to facilitate early …

Probiotics Are Food; Herbs Are Plants; What’S The Risk? Informed Consent For Complementary And Integrative Therapies, Lisa Hanson, Leona Vandevusse

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Adolescents' Preferences For Primary Care Provider Interactions, Kristine C. Schaeuble, Kristin Haglund, Melissa Vukovich

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

PURPOSE. Adolescents receive less primary care than other age groups. One reason may be the negative ways that providers sometimes interact with adolescents. The purpose was to develop knowledge regarding adolescents' preferences for provider interactions.

DESIGN AND METHODS. Design was descriptive and mixed method. Donabedian's healthcare quality model guided the study. Data were collected via focus groups and a survey.

RESULTS. Twenty-four adolescents participated. Four themes described their preferences: forming a relationship, supporting independence, assuring confidentiality, and conveying caring.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Care that is congruent with adolescents' preferences may improve quality of, and access to, care and, ultimately, …

Cultural Comparison Of Chronic Conditions, Functional Status, And Acceptance In Older African-American And White Adults, Patricia Mcdonald, Jaclene Zauszniewski, Abir K. Bekhet

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Acceptance of functional decline accompanying chronic illness is challenging for all elders, and even more so for African-American elders. This study examined functional status and the number, types, and acceptance of chronic conditions in 16 African-American and 46 White elders. African-American elders reported better functioning but resembled Whites in number of chronic conditions and acceptance. All African-Americans reported hypertension; 76% of Whites reported arthritis. Greater acceptance was correlated with fewer chronic conditions (r = -.23, p < .05) and better functioning (r = -.59, p < .01). Poorer functioning (i.e., functional disability) was correlated with more chronic conditions (r = .27, p < .05). Culturally sensitive interventions are needed to enhance elders' acceptance of chronic conditions and to improve their functioning.

Listening Sessions With Latinas: Documenting Life Contexts And Creating Connections, Ruth Ann Belknap, Leona Vandevusse

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To use listening sessions with groups of Latinas to develop a contextual understanding of the lives of immigrant women to inform program development and ultimately better serve the community's needs for domestic violence services.

Design and Sample: This study was exploratory and descriptive, mixing qualitative listening sessions with quantitative methods. Seven listening group sessions were facilitated with 63 women participating.

Measures: Data included information from a short demographic questionnaire, texts of narrative from the sessions, and tallies of thematic comments made during the listening sessions.

Results: Themes derived from aggregated data from the listening sessions …

Hiv: Make The Diagnosis And Take The Next Step, Julie G. Stewart, Amy R. Weinberg

Nursing Faculty Publications

With the CDC urging screening for all willing patients, providers will be testing and managing a growing number of HIV-positive individuals.

The CDC estimates that with more than 40,000 new infections annually, more than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV-and 24% to 27% may not be aware of their infection status.1 Studies have shown that HIV is often diagnosed late in the disease process, when the individual has already developed AIDS, which typically occurs 8 to 11 years after HIV infection.2 Research also points to missed opportunities to offer HIV testing and diagnose the infection …

A Qualitative Study Of Role Transition From Rn To Apn, Sandra L. Spoelstra, Lorraine B. Robbins

Peer Reviewed Articles

Role transition from registered nurse to advanced practice nurse is a difficult process. A qualitative thematic analysis guided the integration of various experiences of 24 students in a twocredit, web-based role development course in a Master’s of Science in Nursing program at a large Midwestern university. Findings supported that students had developed an understanding of the core competencies and complexity of the advanced practice nurse role, and that beginning role transition had occurred. An overarching theme, ‘the essence of nursing’ was evident. Three subthemes supported the occurrence of role transition, which included the importance of: a) building a framework for …