Pediatric Nursing Commons^™

Hangout Hour: A Safe Space Fostering Community Within The Adolescent Young Adult (Aya) Community, Brooke Ashmore, Makena Krier

2025

Falling For You: A Look At Fall Risk Assessment In The Cvicu, Kirsten Sutherland, Noelle Mason, Maggie Shepherd

2025

No abstract provided.

Ease The Quease! Educating Nurses On Non-Pharmacologic Nausea Intervention, Hawa Abdalla, Hannah Bookout, Leslie Martinez, Sidney Mcgregor, Jillian Norman, Gabriella Tadlock, Lucille Willians

2025

No abstract provided.

Cool Under Pressure: Optimizing Skin Integrity With The Arctic Sun, Claire Little, Ariana Medrano, Zaria Duncan, Neyda Saravia

2025

No abstract provided.

Connecting Through Creativity: Enhancing Pediatric Care With Playful Ppe, Betty Abraha, Lauren Burns, Alayna Smith

2025

No abstract provided.

Mental Health First Aid Training In K-12 Schools, Jenna L. Workman, Brianna L. Schierberg, Grace H. Sullivan, Erin Robinson

Posters-at-the-Capitol

The increasing prevalence of mental health challenges among school-aged children has become a rising public health concern. Recent data indicates that nearly 70% of schools report heightened mental health problems among students, with anxiety and depression being most common (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024). The purpose of this capstone project is to raise awareness of mental health issues in K–12 public schools and to increase faculty and staff confidence in recognizing and assisting students experiencing mental health difficulties through nurse-led Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. Using Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations Theory as a guiding framework, this project emphasizes the …

Bringing The Heat: Optimizing Current Feed Warming Practices For Hospitalized Infants, Kaitlyn Ballard, Christine Nguyen, Madison Pavelka, David Rice, Yesica Rivas, Hannah Gabrielle Sellers, Nathan Xie

2025

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap Transition From Pediatric Care To Adult Care, Jordan Garcia, Haley Henry, Amina Jamma, Guiliana Jimenez Carrion, Alexis Lowary, Jenna Potts, Josie Ramirez, Iman Siraj

2025

No abstract provided.

Beyond Standard Sizes: Tailoring Dressings For Pediatric Central Venous Catheters, Alexandra Chheng, Emily Peterson, Jennifer Govea, Jennifer Stedman, Tara Carter

2025

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Nurse-Led Distraction Techniques On Pain And Anxiety During Cancer Treatment In Pediatric Oncology Patients: Examining Virtual Reality And Play Therapy, Alexis Abalos

Nursing | Senior Theses

Children undergoing cancer treatment often experience pain and anxiety during cancer treatment, including chemotherapeutic invasive procedures such as frequent port access or peripheral catheterization. Nurse-led distraction techniques, including virtual reality and play therapy, have emerged as promising non-pharmacologic interventions to reduce levels of pain and anxiety in pediatric oncology patients. This thesis analyzes existing data through a close examination of primary and secondary research articles that prove the effectiveness of virtual reality and play therapy on reducing pain, anxiety, and psychosocial distress in pediatric oncology patients receiving cancer treatment. Using the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Symptom Management Theory, …

Dexmedetomidine Versus Propofol For Reducing Emergence Delirium In Pediatric Anesthesia: A Scoping Review, Hannah Laxton Bsn, Rn, Hannah Mclain Bsn, Rn, Robert Mohr Bsn, Rn, Sarah Rocha Bsn, Rn, Laura Reed Dnp, Aprn, Fnp-Bc, Cne, Dwanye Accardo Dnp, Crna, Faana

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Purpose/Background 

Propofol is widely regarded as the standard anesthetic agent for preventing and treating emergence delirium, particularly in pediatric patients. Emergence delirium presents as postoperative agitation that may escalate to self-injurious behavior that can lead to disruption of critical lines or equipment. Since its approval in 1999, dexmedetomidine has gained attention for its sedative and sympatholytic properties, offering potential advantages over propofol. This study compares the postoperative effects of propofol and dexmedetomidine in reducing emergence delirium in pediatric surgical patients.

Methods 

A scoping review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant literature published between 2000 and 2025. Databases searched …

Improving Remote Monitoring Compliance For Pediatric And Adult Congenital Electrophysiology Patients With Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (Cieds), Christine Meliones

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Improving Remote Monitoring Compliance for Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiology Patients with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs)

Purpose

The purpose of this scholarly project was to implement a quality improvement (QI) project to improve patient safety by improving cardiac implantable electronic device remote monitoring (RM) which has traditionally failed to achieve published benchmarks.

Background

The project was implemented at a healthcare institution in Houston, Texas. The practice area includes pediatric and adult patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) in an outpatient setting. Current compliance with 14-day post-implementation enrollment (44%) and ongoing compliance (60%) did not meet published benchmarks.

Methodology …

The Effects Of Strong Parental Support And Societal Support Compared To Low Or Absent Support In Lgbtqia+ Youth, Kassandra Bautista

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: LGBTQIA+ youth with unsupportive backgrounds face negative outcomes in their mental health. Past studies share that LGBTQIA+ youth have increased symptoms of mental illness including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors related to unsupportive environments among parents, peers, and society. Objective: By advocating for this minority group through education and culturally competent care, healthcare providers can reduce negative outcomes in the mental and physical well-being of the youth. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to address the impact of parental and societal support in LGBTQIA+ mental health, and to implement interventions and increase awareness of this issue. …

How Social Media And Cyberbullying Correlate To Eating Disorders In Adolescents, Nicoli A. Panelo

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: Social media is very prevalent in today’s society, particularly in adolescents. This time period is crucial for this age group in terms of developing a sense of purpose and identity. Although social media may keep many of our children entertained, they also can create negative impacts on them and ultimately hinder their overall development both mentally and physically through negative body image and unrealistic self-expectations. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find the correlation between social media use and the rise of eating disorders in adolescents. Doing so would allow us to find ways to lower the …

The Impact Of Parental Mental Health On Infant Outcomes In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Length Of Stay, Feeding, Bonding, And Developmental Progress, Andee L. Plaskett

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be a highly stressful environment for both infants and their parents. Poorer infant outcomes, including longer hospital stays, feeding difficulties, and delayed developmental progress can all be a reflection and outcome of elevated parental distress. Currently, mental health distress and infant screening tools are used in most NICUs but are not seen in all practices, it is also important to provide interventions based on the screening results. Screening tools are used to identify a problem but interventions should be implemented to try to alleviate the problem. Objective: By implementing a standardized screening …

Blister Packaging Versus Bottles: Caregiver Accuracy And Child Safety In Pediatric Medication Gummy Administration, Paolo Olimpiada

Nursing | Senior Theses

The safety of medication in pediatric settings has become an increasing concern as gummy-formulated medications have gained popularity in children’s care. Gummy-formulated medications have a close resemblance to candy, and this may mislead children to ingest additional doses or more than what was prescribed. Children also depend a lot on their caregivers for medications. Therefore, the design of packaging would be impactful in supporting medication dosing accuracy. And studies have evaluated safety features of packaging related to adherence, misuse, and unintended administration. However, limited studies have examined the influence of medication packaging on the dosing accuracy at the time of …

Short Time, Lasting Impact: Teaching Pediatric End-Of-Life Care In One Day, Mckenzie Taliaferro

Honors College Theses

Background: Pediatric nurses working in specialties that experience terminal diagnoses, death, and post-mortem care, often feel unprepared for the emotional toll and lack adequate support systems (Camera et al., 2024). Nurses report feeling under prepared due to a lack of hands-on opportunities before graduation (Richoux, et al., 2022). Pediatric death is a traumatic experience for families and nurses. Previous studies have shown that hands-on education increases nurses' confidence in caring for patients at the end of their lives (Cole & Foito, 2019; Noyes et al., 2023). Method: A one-day, hands-on multidisciplinary workshop on pediatric end-of-life (EOL) was created and offered …

Measles Vaccine Hesitancy Improvement Bundle To Improve Vaccination Rates In A Rural Outpatient Clinic, Ramie Malone

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Introduction

Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations to vaccinate children against measles, a decline in measles vaccination rates has been observed at a rural family medicine clinic. While numerous factors contribute to the decline in vaccination rates—including parental doubts about the necessity of vaccination, concerns about vaccine side effects, and insufficient education—the latter remains a fundamental underlying cause of suboptimal vaccination coverage.

Objectives

This project focused on surveying, educating, and boosting parents' confidence in measles vaccines for children under five to raise the measles vaccination rate.

Methods

This project used a pre- and post-intervention bundle over an …

Improving Asthma Management In Schools: A Comprehensive Approach To Education, Environmental Enhancements And Asthma Action Plans, Yesenia Trevino

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Abstract

Introduction

Asthma contributes to school absenteeism, especially in underserved communities. This project aimed to enhance asthma management at a South Texas elementary school through staff and student education, monthly air filter changes, and personalized Asthma Action Plans (AAPs).

Methods

A quality improvement project at a South Texas elementary school involved 40 asthmatic students over eight weeks, using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework. It included staff and student education, air filter maintenance, and facilitation of Asthma Action Plans (AAPs). Pre/post surveys, custodial logs, AAP audits, and attendance were analyzed, with paired t-tests used to assess changes (N=32).

Results

There was 71.9% …

Starting Strong: Improving Mmr Vaccination Rates In Kindergartners, Regina Bryan

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Abstract

Introduction

During the 2023–2024 academic year, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage among kindergarten students in this school district did not meet the Healthy People 2030 target, thereby elevating the risk of disease outbreaks. This quality improvement project aimed to improve MMR vaccination initiation and completion through coordinated, school-based interventions.

Methods

Guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework, an eight-week immunization bundle was implemented across 14 elementary schools in South Texas. Interventions included reminder calls, multilingual education, districtwide communication, and a partnership with a nonprofit clinic that provides free or reduced-cost vaccines through on-site and community clinics. Pre- and post-intervention …