Public Health and Community Nursing Commons^™

The Role Of The Public Health Nurse In Rural Areas Of Kerry And Cork, Hannah Healy

Theses

Aim of Research: To understand and gain insight into the role of the Public Health nurse in rural communities in Kerry and Cork.

Background: Public health nursing is the single largest group in community care, current figure employed by the HSE stands at 1,438. Demographic, changes such as the increase in population coupled with the shift in care from the acute sector to primary care has provided many challenges to the PHN service .

Objective: Whilst there have been substantial reviews on the role and workload of the PHN in Ireland, there is limited qualitative research available on what the …

A Mixed Methods Sequential Explanatory Study Of Male Farmers' Health Beliefs, Attitudes And Practices In Rural Kerry, Chrystal O'Brien

Theses

Aim/Background: Beliefs and attitudes about health directly and indirectly influence concomitant behaviours, practices and health outcomes. In Ireland, male farmers are experiencing a disproportionate burden of ill health in preventable lifestyle diseases, yet there is a lack of behavioural research in relation to male farmers and their health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the health beliefs, attitudes and practices of male farmers in rural Kerry, and to explore healthcare professionals' insights of male farmers' health beliefs, attitudes and practices.

Methodology: The study adopted a mixed methods design. Phase one of the study involved structured interviews with …

Making A Global Impact One Vaccine At A Time, Janice E. Hawkins, Deborah C. Gray

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Did you know that, worldwide, almost one third of deaths among children under age 5 can be prevented by vaccines? It's stunning to think that one child dies every 20 seconds from an immunization-preventable disease. That equates to 12 lives that could be saved in the time it takes to read this brief article!

Health Promotion Behavior Among Hypertensive And Normotensive Armenian Americans, Zoya Minasyan, Leslie C. Hussey, Kathleen Brewer

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Hypertension presents a significant health risk to both developed and developing countries, affecting approximately 78 million Americans of various ethnic backgrounds. Though a great deal of research about hypertension and minority groups has been published, no studies were located about hypertension in the Armenian American population, despite evidence of health disparities in this population. The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences in health promotion behavior between hypertensive and normotensive Armenian Americans. A quantitative approach was used to examine the relationship between hypertensive status and health promotion behavior. With a sample size of n = 204, this …

Assessment Of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Incidence And Identification Of Other Correlating Risk Factors In Patients Admitted Through The Emergency Department, Hannah Young

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to measure adherence rates to the current alcohol use screening process, and identification of correlations of alcohol use and outcomes in patients admitted to Norton Hospital, via the emergency department.

METHODS: The study design is a retrospective descriptive evaluation, of adherence to the current alcohol use screening process, and associations among age, gender, ethnicity, length of stay, number of ICU days, restraint use days, level of care at admission (ICU, TCU, LLM/tele, MS), incidence of AWS/DTs, and activation of the CIWA protocol among the adult inpatient population of Norton Hospital’s downtown campus, admitted …

Impact Of Education On Provider Knowledge And Screening Practices Related To Childhood Obesity, Natalie B. Fulk

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a provider education program on BMI screening practices and provider knowledge related to childhood obesity by implementing an educational intervention to advanced practice providers in a primary care clinic setting.

METHODS: A pretest/posttest design was used to examine changes in provider knowledge about BMI screening practices in children and adolescents, and lifestyle recommendations after a brief educational intervention was provided. A retrospective chart review was used to assess the screening and management practices for an elevated BMI percentile and provider documentation of lifestyle recommendations.

RESULTS: A total of …

A Retrospective Comparative Analysis On The Effectiveness Of Pharmacologic Weight Loss, Emily Dunn

DNP Projects

PURPOSE:Obesity costs the U.S. roughly $147 billion in health care spending annually. There has been a call for healthcare providers to initiate all possible weight loss interventions. One treatment strategy not used to its fullest potential is that of prescribing antiobesity medications. The purpose of this project was to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of three common weight loss medications used in the treatment of obesity, including discussion and recommendations.

METHODS: This project was a single-center retrospective study comparing three different groups of patients seen at a rural weight loss clinic. The sample consisted of 84 patients seen between September …

The Effect Of A School-Based Health Center On Access To Care In A Rural Community, Macey Cornwell

DNP Projects

BACKGROUND: Lack of access to healthcare is a nationwide issue that affects underserved, minority, and rural populations. School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) is one way to help increase access to care for students, staff, and family members.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to provide preliminary data on the impact of a SBHC in a rural Kentucky community on access to care and school attendance.

METHODS: A univariate descriptive analysis was conducted to evaluate the perceived impact of the SBHC on access to care and demographic factors. Data was analyzed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, two-sample t-tests, and The Wilcoxon …

Evaluation Of The Crafft Substance Use Screening Tool In Primary Care, Leanne Coleman

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the use of the CRAFFT tool within a pediatric primary care setting. The specific objective was to assess the frequency of documentation of substance use screening, counseling, and/or intervention before and after the implementation of the CRAFFT tool.

METHOD: The practice site chose to implement an evidence based adolescent substance use screening tool (CRAFFT Tool) to improve practice. This practice improvement project utilized a descriptive design with a review of electronic medical records before and after a substance use screening tool was implemented. Two hundred medical records were reviewed, 100 …

How To Prepare Interprofessional Teams In Two Weeks: An Innovative Education Program Nested In Telehealth, Tina S. Haney, Karen Kott, Carolyn M. Rutledge, Bruce Britton, Christianne N. Fowler, Rebecca D. Poston

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

PROBLEM:

Preparing health professional students for interprofessional collaborative practice, especially at a distance where provider shortages prevail remains difficult.

APPROACH:

A two-week interprofessional education (IPE) immersion experience preparing students from 11 disciplines and four universities was implemented. Week-one, using online technology, students develop/present an interprofessional careplan for a complex patient. Students then meet face-to-face to conduct group interviews with two standardized patient dyads. Week-two, students develop a website for use of the patient dyads. Websites are presented to faculty and fellow students via an online virtual meeting space.

OUTCOMES:

To date, 594 students have participated demonstrating capacity to: 1.effectively engage …

Depression Screening And Care Management In Diabetes Patients At Rural Health Clinics In Primary Care: Quality Improvement, Marcy Doyle

DNP Scholarly Projects

Depression is one of the leading causes of disease and disability, often found in patients with long-term chronic physical conditions such as diabetes. Collaborative care, which includes care managers, has shown to improve depression outcomes in patients; usual care has been shown to be inadequate. This quality improvement project screened patients with diabetes for depression. Patients with an elevated depression screening score were provided care management support and rescreened every two weeks to evaluate depression symptoms. A small cohort of patients from two rural health clinics participated in the improvement project. The practices noted improvement in depression screening; patients who …

Structural Stress And Otherness: How Do They Influence Psychological Stress?, Christine Dewilde

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The Theory of Cultural Distress offers a framework for understanding the potential outcomes in patients who do not receive care that incorporates their cultural beliefs (DeWilde & Burton, 2017).This study represents initial steps in researching the theory byexploring the layering of stressors that place the patient at risk for Cultural Distress. Methods: Utilized aCross-sectional descriptive correlational analysis of intersecting identities (Structural Stressors), ethnicity-related stressors (Otherness) and ethnic-identity (Otherness) to develop understanding of the potential effects of these variables on psychological stress. Independent variables included intersecting identities, perceived ethnic discrimination, concern for stereotype confirmation, own group conformity pressure, and …

Improving Adherence To Mental Health Treatment In A Low-Income Clinic, Janice G. Gandy

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Clinical Projects, 2016-2019

The increasing prevalence of mental illness in the United States presents significant challenges for primary care providers in low-income settings. Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) programs have resulted in improved general health for low-income participants; however, managing appointment adherence, in which the patient attends appointment as scheduled, is particularly challenging. The purpose of this pilot project was to implement bundled interventions at a low-income primary care clinic to improve patient adherence to behavioral health treatment. The bundle of interventions included: 1) educational interventions emphasizing the benefits of IBH care 2) warm patient handoffs between the primary care provider to a behavioral …

Lost In Translation, Daniel Pena

Master's Projects and Capstones

At the conclusion of a patient’s hospitalization the Registered Nurse (RN) will review all discharge instructions in the patients room in their preferred language. Plan time for the discharge and facilitate a calm quiet environment, such as the patient’s room with the door closed, if possible. Get the discharge instructions printed out in their preferred language and a set for yourself in English would be best so you are able to review the instructions line by line with them. When the patients medical team, such as but not limited to, medical doctors, pharmacists, physical therapists, and social work have completed …

Improving Early Sepsis Identification On Inpatient Units, Yee Yang

Master's Projects and Capstones

Sepsis is a serious complication caused by an overwhelming immune response to infection that affect millions of people worldwide each year. Sepsis is a time sensitive illness that requires early identification and quick interventions to improve patient outcomes. This quality improvement project includes a team of clinical nurse leader (CNL) students and gathering information on the nursing compliance of the sepsis protocol at a large metropolitan hospital. The observations on different inpatient units and chart review conducted at the large metropolitan hospital led to increased awareness of gaps that prolong the identification of sepsis among patients; also to the creation …

Inpatient Hospice Home: A Needs Assessment And Business Plan, Stacey Middleton

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

An Abstract of the Scholarly Project by

Stacey Middleton

There are two constants that every person can count on in life, being born and dying. No amount of research is required, and there is no need to challenge the inevitable. When a child is born, people celebrate and congratulate the new parents and their family. When a person dies, people are saddened by the loss of a friend and loved one. Death comes to all and is either, fast and unexpected or a slow drawn out process. Every dying patient deserves to die with dignity, be free from pain, and …

Data Aggregation Reporting Tool For Implementation In Home Health Fall Reduction Program, Jose Alberto Cruz

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

Falls are a major preventable problem in healthcare that affects people of all ages but disproportionately affects the frail and elderly. Fall reduction programs play a significant role in reducing falls and fall related injuries and are a critical component in Home Health settings. This project takes place in a home health and hospice services agency. The purpose of the project consisted of aggregating fall data for benchmarking metrics to bring the agency’s Fall Reduction Program closer to compliance with state and national fall prevention guidelines. Two hundred and three fall event reports were analyzed and a problem arose …

Exploring Perceptions And Experiences With Resources Among Rural Alzheimer's Dementia Family Caregivers In The Midwest, Rita M. Million

Theses & Dissertations

Exploring PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES WITH RESOURCES AMONG RURAL Alzheimer’s Dementia Family Caregivers in the Midwest

Rita M. Million

University of Nebraska, 2017

Supervisor: Karen Schumacher, Ph.D., RN

Background. Despite vast amounts of research on informal caregiving in the Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) population, research on the experience and perceptions of rural caregivers is limited. A better understanding of rural caregivers’ knowledge, use, and nonuse of resources is essential to offset the impact of caregiving. Purpose. This study explored Alzheimer’s dementia family caregivers’ experiences and perceptions with resources in rural Midwest communities. Design. A descriptive qualitative approach with one-time semi-structured interviews was …

Vietnamese American Women’S Beliefs And Perceptions On Cervical Cancer, Cervical Cancer Screening, And Cancer Prevention Vaccines: A Community-Based Participatory Study, Connie Kim Yen Nguyen-Truong, Kim Quy Vo Nguyen, Thai Hien Nguyen, Tuong Vy Le, Anthony My Truong, Keara Rodela, Rachael Allan

Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal

Cervical cancer remains commonly diagnosed in Vietnamese American women. Despite efforts to increase cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese American women, participation rates are persistently lower than the national goal. The objective of this study is to explore beliefs of Vietnamese American women about cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening, and cancer prevention vaccines. A qualitative descriptive investigation captured group perceptions about meaning and beliefs of cervical cancer, screening, and cancer prevention vaccines, and participants’ stories using a community-based participatory research approach.

Forty Vietnamese American women were recruited from the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area into four focus groups. Using a process of …

Self-Management As A Mediator Of The Relationship Between Social Support And Health Outcomes Of African American Adults With Type 2 Diabetes., Tariq N. Al-Dwaikat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is often associated with serious complications. African American adults have higher rates of diabetes-related complications than other ethnicities. Diabetes self-management reduces the risk of developing biological and psychological symptoms. Social support promotes positive behavior change and self-management that leads to improved biobehavioral and psychosocial outcomes. Few studies explored the relationship between social support dimensions and self-management behaviors, diabetes biomarkers, and psychosocial outcomes of African American adults with T2D. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the relationships of various dimensions of social support with self-management behaviors and diabetes biomarkers and psychosocial outcomes of African American …