Public Health Education and Promotion Commons^™

Staff Nurses Lack Of Knowledge And Opioid Use At The Veteran Administration, Cathy J. Ramey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractStaff Nurses’ Lack of Knowledge and Opioid Use at the Veteran Administration By Cathy Ramey

MS, University of Phoenix, 2014BS, Chamberlain University, 2008

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University November 2022

Abstract Opioids are often prescribed for pain management, which may have led to high rates of opioid addiction among veteran populations. The problem identified in this DNP project was the nurses’ lack of knowledge regarding pain management and the use of opioids in the veteran’s (VA) hospital where the project commenced. Using the Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, …

Staff Education On The Benefits Of Pharmacogenetic Testing For Chronic Pain Management, Laura April Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic pain management is a growing concern in the medical community with one out of three people in America suffering from chronic pain. This educational practice-focused project identified the value of educating a group of primary care providers (PCP) on pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing offering genetic-based prescribing choices and reducing trial and failure in treating chronic pain patients. The practice-focused question explored if there would be support regarding learning gained by the providers following an evidence-based education process on PGx testing, as shown from pretest to posttest results. The educational model was guided by the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation …

Fire Safety Education And Increasing Functioning Smoke Detectors In Residential Apartments, Enrique Fernandez Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of functioning smoke detectors poses significant life safety risks to people in low-income residential communities. In 2019, a fire incident occurred in an urban Maryland community due to the lack of a functioning smoke detector. Although no deaths or injuries resulted, there was significant property damage and resident displacement. The purpose of this study was to assist a local fire department in an urban area of the state of Maryland with developing and implementing a fire safety community outreach program designed to reduce the percentage of residential homes in a low-income community without functioning smoke detectors. A qualitative …

Educating Nurses On Sbar Tool Implementation For End-Of-Shift Reporting, Doreen Rose-Park

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patient information transfer during nursing end-of-shift reporting remains a complicated process that lacks universal standardization. This lack of standardization was illustrated at the project site, a detention center in the northeastern United States. Deficiencies and gaps in the health care information of patients during end-of-shift reporting lacked consistence and congruency. This project was developed and implemented to educate the nursing staff at the project site on using the situation–background–assessment–recommendation (SBAR) tool during patient information transfer at cell-side in the facility infirmary. The practice-focused question that guided this project was whether a staff education on an SBAR communication tool designed to …

Why Some Cancer Patients Chose Fasting Instead Of, Or With, Conventional Treatments, Richard Alvin Sacks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Conventional cancer treatment consists of some combination of three therapies: chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. The purpose of this study was to understand why some individuals diagnosed with cancer elected to follow an alternative course of treatment, consisting of fasting on juices or water only rather than, or in addition to, conventional cancer treatment. The theory chosen to guide this study was the Markula Center for Applied Ethics framework for ethical decision making. Research questions were designed to understand the decision-making process of study participants in choosing fasting on juice or water only, rather than, or in addition to, the …

Sociodemographic And Behavioral Predictors Of Obesity Among Female Asian Indian Immigrants In The United States, Afiya Saleem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals from low-income countries such as those in the Asian region migrate to high-income countries and adopt obesogenic behaviors like sedentary lifestyles and high fat and sugar intake. This results in increased susceptibility to obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Previous research has demonstrated that migrants from South Asian countries are at an increased risk of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension; however, little is known about the factors that contribute to this phenomenon. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study guided by the social-ecological model. This study used secondary data from the National Health Interview survey to investigate …

Relationship Between Student-Centered, Active Learning Strategies And Student Success In An Undergraduate Nursing Course, Camden Seal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine issued a report calling for the transformation of undergraduate nursing education to prepare new graduates for the complexities of practice. To improve preparation for practice, faculty responded by incorporating student-centered, active learning strategies (SCALS); however, the effectiveness of SCALS has not been examined. The purposes of this descriptive correlational study, guided by Brunner’s constructivist theory, were to determine the relationship between (a) a nurse educator’s use of SCALS and the percent of students that successfully completed the course, (b) an educator’s self-perception of their learner-centeredness and the use of SCALS, and (c) an educator’s …

Public Safety Personnel And The Use Of Peer-To-Peer Mental And Emotional Support Through Social Media, Tiffany R. Shinton-Truitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The emotional and mental health of public safety personnel has been a topic that is continuing to receive attention. Being exposed to multiple traumatic events takes a mental and emotional toll on those who place their lives in harm’s way to help others. The study was based on social cognitive theory which focused on self-efficacy through social influences and environment. The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of public safety personnel’s training regarding their perceptions to mitigate emotional stress; the experience of public safety personnel with seeking mental health services; experience of public safety personnel with the …

Beyond The Basics: Educating Nurses At The Bedside About Evidence-Based Practice, Katherine D. Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nursing profession is a large and dynamic part of the healthcare industry with the greatest percentage of nurses practicing at the bedside. An increase in nursing professionalism with evidence-based practice has emerged over the past several decades. However, evidence continues to support a lack of knowledge among registered nurses in implementing evidence-based patient care at the bedside and the need for education related to evidence-based practice. The analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model of instructional design framed this Doctor of Nursing Practice project. The purpose of the project was to fill the practice gap through the planning, implementation, …

Impact Evaluation Of The Brfss In New York On Obesity Prevention For Weight Loss Among Women, Nikisha Skeete

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Obesity has increased among the adult population, specifically women, in the United States within the past few decades. While the increase in obesity has been linked to a lack of physical activity and poor dietary intake, obesity lacks contextual analysis within adult women as a group. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the impact of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) on obesity prevention for weight loss in women. Health behavior change theory, the transtheoretical theory model, and the health behavior model guided this study. The research questions were designed to examine whether modifiable lifestyle …

Impact Of Poverty On Antibiotic Prescribing Rates In The United States Through Mediation Effects Of Underlying Health Conditions, Nato Tarkhashvili

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Resistance to antibiotics among bacteria develops largely due to frequent use of antibiotics in human and animal medicine. Little is known about how patients’ socioeconomic factors, in conjunction with chronic health conditions, impact antibiotic prescribing rates in the United States. The research questions aimed to explore the relationship between poverty and antibiotic prescribing rates while also adjusting for confounders such as population aged ≥ 65, physician density, prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The relationships were evaluated using a quantitative, ecological study design using the ecosocial theory and mediation analysis of 2020 survey results provided by …

Military Health Services Impact On Patient Understanding Of The Zika Virus Within A Military Community, Gabrielle Tellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Zika virus does not have a known treatment, despite ongoing efforts since 2016 to develop a vaccine. The Zika virus has been labeled by World Health Organization and the Department of Defense as a threat to the readiness, resiliency, and preparedness of military service members and dependents that currently travel or serve in areas where high concentrations of the virus are present. As such, it is important to understand how the military community understanding of the Zika virus is impacted by military health services and education. A phenomenological qualitative approach was utilized to conduct this study. Twenty active-duty military …

The Association Between Self-Efficacy, Patient Health Education, And Self-Management In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Julie Vultaggio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although previous researchers have studied education for patients with chronic conditions, they have not adequately considered the relationship between self-efficacy (SE), patient health education, and perception of self-management (SM) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Educating a patient can empower them to better SM. The purpose this study was to examine these associations in this patient population. This quantitative research study featured a descriptive, nonexperimental cross-sectional survey design using nonprobability convenience sampling. The theoretical framework was the social cognitive theory. The independent variables were SE and patient health education. SM was the dependent variable. Patients with RA from a rheumatology …

Factors Influencing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Hispanic Youth In Bexar County, Texas, Timothy Edward Wallum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A high number of Hispanic youth in Bexar County, Texas, face morbidity and mortality related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection due to inadequate vaccination coverage youth. A better understanding of the factors that influence vaccination might help public health authorities to increase coverage. The aim of this quantitative, cross-sectional study, which was based on the socioecological model and involved analysis of weighted survey data from the 2016 to 2018 National Immunization Survey-Teen, was to better understand the multilevel factors influencing HPV vaccine use among Hispanic youth. The weighted sample was representative of the study population in terms of survey characteristics …

Staff Education To Improve Workplace Wellness Program Resource Use, Joann Coley Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace wellness programs, as a determinant of health, have the potential to improve the health of people, but are often underutilized due to a lack of knowledge of the programs. This project was conducted to examine whether a panel of experts would validate a staff education module designed to improve knowledge deficits amongst Army civilian employees and their supervisors about the Army’s civilian fitness program (CFP). The purpose of this project was to create a staff education module with a pretest and a posttest that could be validated by a panel of experts. The education module addressed the public health …

Weight Management Clinical Practice Guidelines For The Obese, Pre-Diabetic, And Diabetic Population, Dawn Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDiabetes is among chronic or lifestyle-related illnesses posing health care challenges at epidemic proportions, pressuring health care systems infrastructure for positive outcome-driven practices and sustainable costs, as continued research suggests that obese people are up to 80 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. In June 2021, a weight-loss and wellness center serving this high-risk population established recommended guidelines for Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) screening and education. During the initial 3 months of implementation, data findings captured 37% in a total of 220 with elevated HbA1C levels. The gap in practice is that the Wellness Center did not have a …

Perceived Diabetes Susceptibility Among African American Female College Students, Khaliah India Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of death among African American women ages 20-44 years, and African American female college students are at high risk. Research shows that college students tend to underestimate their susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes, despite their existing risk factors. There is a gap in knowledge concerning African American female college students and their perception of diabetes susceptibility, despite their increased risk. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental, correlational study was to identify the factors associated with perceived personal susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes-related health behavior among African American female college …

Subnational Data To Inform Measles Vaccination Campaigns In Children Under 5 Years In Tanzania, Tracie Jean Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases ever known, infecting as high as 90% of susceptible persons encountering the virus, and globally is one of the main causes of disability and death among children. Measles remains an avoidable disease that can be prevented by receiving a measles containing vaccine using supplemental immunization activities (SIA) implementation strategies. Because national-level measles data may not reflect geographic differences, program capacity, or localized outbreaks, SIAs prompted by and geared toward the subnational level may have a greater impact than a nationwide SIA. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to examine the …

Treatment-Seeking Behaviors And Malaria Prevalence Among Under-5 Children In Niger, Aissa Yaye Habi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is a deadly vector-borne disease that mainly affects children in Africa, especially in Niger. Although public health efforts in malaria prevention have been successful in many parts of the world, malaria remains a significant public burden in sub-Saharan Africa, especially among children. Despite the numerous studies conducted on individual factors influencing the prevalence of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and Niger, there is little knowledge about the collective influence of treatment-seeking behaviors and malaria prevalence among under-5 children in Niger. This study was a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design guided by the social-ecological model (SEM) that used secondary data …

Relationships Between Stress Self-Management, Social Support, And Health In Hispanic Informal Caregiver Burnout Prevention, Nicole Alexandra Mas Román

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burnout syndrome is a psychological disorder characterized by physical, emotional, and mental distress and exhaustion resulting in feelings of depression, anxiety, irritability, and negative attitudes. If left unattended, burnout syndrome can lead to new or worsening health outcomes. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to examine the relationship between stress self-management, perceived social support, health status, and burden among Puerto Rican informal caregivers. The theoretical foundations for this research were the informal caregiving integrative model and the individual and family self-management theory. Survey data were collected from 415 participants. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship …