Nursing Commons^™

Staff Education On Crisis Management Protocol For Aggressive Behaviors In Patients With Developmental Disabilities, Kenneth Mbuen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Improve End-Of- Life Pain Management Confidence Among Long-Term Care Nurses, Andrea Osuji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Coherent Breathing As A Stress-Reduction Intervention, Ete Kwegang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving Hypertension Control Among Middle-Aged, Black, Female Patients Through Staff Education On Evidence-Based Joint National Committee Guidelines, Afolake Oyinlola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education To Use Best Practices For Implementing And Utilizing The Digital Depression Screening Tool In An Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic, Robert James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of The Phq-9 For Early Detection Of Depression In Older Adults, Elsie Kumba Kamara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Building Nurse Managers’ Knowledge And Confidence To Lead Clinical Ladder Success: A Theoretically Informed Educational Framework, Michelle Joann Chlebinski

Doctoral Projects

Background: Clinical Ladder Programs (CLPs) offer a structured pathway for nursing professional growth, fostering clinical excellence while improving nurse satisfaction and longterm retention. Although nurse managers play a pivotal role in facilitating the CLP, there is currently no comprehensive educational framework to enhance their knowledge and confidence in supporting clinical ladder advancement. Purpose: The aim of this DNP project is to develop implement, and evaluate an educational framework grounded in Benner’s Novice-to-Expert framework and Watson Caring Science® to enhance nurse managers' knowledge and confidence in leading nurses towards clinical ladder success. Methods: In a quasi-experimental study using a single-group, pre-post …

Comparison Of Ecg Features, Cardiac Biomarkers, And Clinical Outcomes In Three Waves Of Hospitalized Covid-19 Pneumonia Patients With Cardiovascular Events, Yuchen Han, Jahnavi Sunkara, Tshura S Ali, Harideep Samanapally, Vidyulata Salunkhe, Fnu Deepti, Emma C. Huang, Justin J. Huang, Maiying Kong, Jiapeng Huang

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Background

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a rapidly evolving virus that can severely impact the cardiovascular system. With new variants, it is important to characterize wave-specific (defined by dominant circulating variants) clinical changes.

Methods

A multi-center retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 community acquired pneumonia at eight adult acute-care hospitals in the city of Louisville, KY was conducted. Patients hospitalized with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) community acquired pneumonia who experienced a cardiovascular event between March 2020 and July 2022 were included in this analysis. Variant assignment was based on temporal prevalence rather than genomic confirmation, and …

Nurse-Driven Infusion Protocols In Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Scoping Review, Nicholas Morrell Pierce Msn, Rn, Cen, Ccrn, Mary Cassandra Scott Bsn, Rn, Ccrn, Cen, Alvertis Demetreis Warren Bsn, Rn, Ccrn, Tracy Mcclinton Dnp, Aprn, Agacnp-Bc, Hget-C, Ebp-C

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a high-risk acute emergency requiring timely insulin titration, intensive monitoring, and coordinated interdisciplinary care. Traditionally, management relies on provider-driven insulin infusion adjustments, which may introduce delays and workflow inefficiencies. Emerging nurse-driven insulin infusion protocols aim to standardize care, improve safety, and enhance clinical efficiency. The purpose of this scoping review was to evaluate existing evidence comparing nurse-driven versus provider-driven insulin infusion protocols in the management of adult patients with DKA.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. From August 2023 through November 2025, …

Improving Restraint Care Plan Documentation Among Nursing Staff, Samson E. Okotie

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to improve nursing compliance with restraint care plan documentation standards using bundled interventions, including targeted education, electronic health record (EHR) prompts, and unit-based audit and feedback processes. The goal was to achieve at least a 70% improvement in documentation compliance within 12 weeks.

Background: Accurate restraint documentation is essential for patient safety, ethical practice, interdisciplinary communication, and regulatory compliance. Despite existing policies and education, institutional audits revealed compliance rates of 50% or less, demonstrating a persistent gap in practice and the need for structured interventions.

Methodology: The project used the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework across …

Improving Emergency Department Throughput: Implementation Of A Nurse-Driven Protocol In Pediatric Fast-Track Patients Presenting With Fever, Kerrigan A. Teeple

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Overcrowding in the emergency department presents significant operational challenges and is associated with adverse patient outcomes (Gottlieb et al., 2020). Despite throughput initiatives, increasing patient acuity and rising census levels continue to strain emergency department efficiency. This quality improvement project evaluated whether implementing a fever-reduction standing order protocol could reduce door-to-provider and door-to-disposition times for pediatric fast-track patients presenting to the emergency department. A review of evidence across 6 databases identified nurse-initiated standing orders as a best-practice strategy to expedite care, improve throughput, and reduce delays in disposition. Guided by this evidence, a standing order protocol for acetaminophen administration was …

Falling Star Program: A Visual Cue Intervention To Reduce Falls In Long-Term Care, Maggie Shanahan

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Falls among older adults in skilled nursing and long-term care settings remain a leading cause of injury, functional decline, and increased healthcare utilization, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality in this population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2022). The primary purpose of this project aimed to implement and evaluate a structured visual cue–based fall prevention intervention to reduce fall rates among high-risk residents in a long-term care facility in Northwest Indiana. The project included 23 participants aged 65 years and older who were identified as high risk for falls. Using …

A Quality Improvement Project To Strengthen Hospice Spiritual Care Delivery, Patricia Boudreau

Doctoral Projects

Spiritual care is an essential component of holistic end-of-life nursing, yet it is inconsistently provided in home hospice settings. For this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project, we developed and implemented the Compassionate Spiritual Comfort Integration Program (CSCI), a brief, theory-based educational intervention to strengthen hospice nurses' spiritual care practices. Grounded in Kolcaba's Comfort Theory and Jinpa's Compassion Framework, the CSCI was delivered as a prerecorded webinar. A quasi-experimental single–group pretest–posttest design was used to evaluate changes in spiritual care behaviors, measured with the 17-item Nurse Spiritual Care Therapeutics Scale (NSCTS) and a single-item confidence measure. Twenty-two nurses …

Increasing Medication Adherence In Those With Hypertension, Holly Kimiecik

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Hypertension is a chronic condition characterized by persistently elevated blood pressure and remains a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024), approximately 47.7% of U.S. adults have hypertension, yet only about one in five achieve blood pressure control below 130/80 mm Hg. Medication adherence plays a critical role in managing hypertension and preventing complications. Adults aged 18 years and older prescribed antihypertensive medications from a primary care clinic in Valparaiso, Indiana, participated in this six-week quality improvement intervention. Evidence from a comprehensive literature review supports combining patient …

Staff Education To Improve Phq-9 Knowledge, Confidence, And Competency In An Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Zainab Lawal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving Postpartum Depression Screening Through Psychiatry Clinical Staff Education, Michael Enwere

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving Nursing Orientation: A Preceptor-Led Competency Program, Brandy Tanesa Broadway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Staff Education Intervention To Improve Staff Knowledge And Competency In Supporting Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Self-Management, Dorothy Chudi-Agbaku

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Sedentary Behaviors And Measured Physical Activity In College Student Populations, Vanessa Grout, Elizabeth A. Easley, Sarah H. Sellhorst, William F. Riner

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Learning Organic Chemistry Reactions As A Nursing Student, Anna Bell

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper delineates a clear way to learn the fundamentals of organic chemistry and biochemistry for students ranging from those preparing for careers in the health field to non-science majors. It looks in depth at the reactions relevant to the biochemical processes of the human body, such as the reactions involving alcohols, carboxylic acids, esters, amines, amides, and disulfides. The objective is to present the subject matter in such a way that peer students can clearly relate it to topics relevant to their particular fields of study. This can be done using mnemonic assists such as acronyms, or by using …