The Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Projects collection contains the completed works of students from the DNP Program at Arizona State University's College of Nursing and Health Innovation. These projects are the culminating product of the curricula and demonstrate clinical scholarship.

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College of Nursing and Health Innovation
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Description
Background: Current standard of care practices for substance use disorder is inadequate in reducing relapse, with rates persistently 40-60% within one year of treatment. Unconventional approaches must be explored to reduce the risk of relapse, climbing rate of overdoses, and healthcare expenditures exceeding $740 billion annually. The purpose of this

Background: Current standard of care practices for substance use disorder is inadequate in reducing relapse, with rates persistently 40-60% within one year of treatment. Unconventional approaches must be explored to reduce the risk of relapse, climbing rate of overdoses, and healthcare expenditures exceeding $740 billion annually. The purpose of this quality improvement project demonstrates how an evidence-based group exercise intervention, used as adjunctive support to standard addiction treatment, can reduce relapse and promote long-term recovery during a global pandemic. Methods: Aims of this project sought to enhance quality of life scores. Participants were recruited upon admission to a residential treatment center. Pre-posttest design utilized the World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated scale to assess program impact on quality of life. Pre-program descriptive questions and a survey assessing prior addiction treatment were collected. Group exercise and wellness education sessions were delivered twice weekly in a live, interactive, virtual format with on-site participants. Upon completion, a post-program survey was utilized to capture the qualitative experiences of participants and impact of project to instill confidence to execute long-term sobriety. Results: Pre and post scores, as well as domain scores were clinically and statistically significant. Additionally, 80% of participants reported feeling more prepared to achieve long-term sobriety secondary to their participation in this project. Discussion and Conclusion: Results from this project demonstrate the positive impact that group-based exercise and lifestyle interventions can have on quality of life and long-term recovery. Peer support exercise programs may offer means to enhance addiction treatment and reduce overall healthcare expenditures globally by defying the odds of relapse.
Created2021-05-01
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Description
Objective: Obesity is the fifth leading cause of global death and is preventable. It affects all body systems and causes major chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, and some cancers. The goal of this transtheoretical stages of changes (TSOC) theory-based project are as follows: To educate the

Objective: Obesity is the fifth leading cause of global death and is preventable. It affects all body systems and causes major chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, and some cancers. The goal of this transtheoretical stages of changes (TSOC) theory-based project are as follows: To educate the participants of the project to be aware of obesity and its complications; motivate them to use community resources, and improve their body mass indexes (BMI), waist circumference (WC), motivation, quality of life (QOL) and lifestyle. Methods: Twenty-three participants were recruited in a primary care clinic. Six participants dropped out during the project. All the randomly selected participants who met the criteria of obesity signed written informed consent and were provided a 4-digit code to maintain anonymity. Participants were motivated and educated using a handout, two pre-and post-project in-person nursing visits, and five telemedicine weekly nursing follow-ups visits. Pre- and post-surveys collected during in-person visits include data such as weight, BMI, WC, demographic data, comorbidities, lifestyle, motivation, QOL, TSOC, and utilization of community resources. Results: Descriptive analysis and paired t-test is done utilizing Intellectus statistics software to measure the outcome. The results show improvement in dietary choices, physical activity, motivation, QOL, use of community resources, decrease in BMI, and WC. In paired t tests, results show clinical and statistical significance in BMI, WC, MOT and clinical significance in QOL. There was increase in the revenue at the project site due to reimbursement of the services provided for the patients. Conclusion: The results are expected to develop practice change in preventing and treating obesity. More evidence-based projects and studies with large sample size are needed to develop improvement in the knowledge base of providers and current practice.
Created2022-04-28
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Description
Background: Existing substance use disorder guidelines are deficient in reducing relapse rates, evidenced by the substantial number of persons experiencing relapse within months of recovery, with most relapsing within one year. Current interventions lack community reinforcement approaches to reduce relapse and risk factors required to combat the extensive damages related

Background: Existing substance use disorder guidelines are deficient in reducing relapse rates, evidenced by the substantial number of persons experiencing relapse within months of recovery, with most relapsing within one year. Current interventions lack community reinforcement approaches to reduce relapse and risk factors required to combat the extensive damages related to substance use as costs exceed $1 trillion annually. Guided by the Social Cognitive Model, this quality improvement project aims to explore how group exercise combined with community reinforcement reduces relapse. It aims to boost recovery capital by improving quality of life scores. Methods: A CrossFit instructor delivered personalized group exercise and wellness education in-person biweekly for six weeks. Adult residential treatment clients were eligible to participate recruited via a flyer upon treatment entry. A pre-intervention demographic questionnaire, a pre-/post World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated scale (reliability ? = > 0.70) assessing intervention influence on the quality of life, and a post-intervention survey was administered. The lead investigator performed all data distribution and collection. Institutional Review Board approval safeguarded participants' rights and risks. Results: Pre/post improvements observed in all domains; psychological and environmental were statistically significant, while 100% of participants reported enhanced QoL, social support, & confidence related to long-term sobriety post-intervention. Discussion/Conclusion: Desired outcomes are increased quality of life scores to boost recovery capital. A sober community reinforcement approach combined with exercise may link to reducing relapse and total costs related to this growing public health crisis.
Created2022-04-30
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Description
Purpose: Patient portals are widely available online applications with many health-related tools that facilitate patient engagement and enhance communication with providers yet are highly underutilized. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to explore an English and Spanish patient portal educational video's impact on patient engagement in a

Purpose: Patient portals are widely available online applications with many health-related tools that facilitate patient engagement and enhance communication with providers yet are highly underutilized. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to explore an English and Spanish patient portal educational video's impact on patient engagement in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). The social cognitive theory underpins the project because patients' portal use behavior can change if changing their environmental factors in the clinic with educational videos. Methods: The Universities Institutional Review Board granted exempt approval to ensure human subject protection. The participants included bilingual adult patients in an FQHC who have access to the internet and email addresses who visited the center during the implementation period. The tablets in the patient rooms displayed the English and Spanish educational video on step-by-step instructions on accessing, using the patient portal, and the benefits of use. The information technology technician pulled aggregate data from the analytics component of the patient portal before and after the four-week implementation period. The data included total number of clinic patients, number of active portal users, number of monthly logins, and gender. The project facilitator used descriptive statistics to compare pre-and post-intervention analytics. Results: Active portal users increased by 0.22% and monthly logins increased by 390 logins. Only aggregate data was collected so the statistical significance was not calculated. Conclusion: This EBP project enhances knowledge on patient portal utilization's impact on patient engagement and may apply to current practice.
Created2022-04-29
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Description
Background/Objective: As a part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) was intended to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes through providing wellness visits for all Medicare recipients at no cost. However, adoption has been minimal since its inception, particularly in

Background/Objective: As a part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) was intended to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes through providing wellness visits for all Medicare recipients at no cost. However, adoption has been minimal since its inception, particularly in rural populations Study Design: A top priority of a rural federally qualified healthcare organization (FQHC) was to improve utilization of the AWV due to a patient response well below the national average. A six-week trial was conducted that examined a patient information campaign combined with a strategic workflow that encouraged interoffice collaboration. Methods: The office staff of a pilot medical clinic was selected by the FQHC quality improvement committee as the project site. A Relational Coordination survey (RC) was administered before and after the intervention to determine if the intervention improved interoffice collaboration regarding the AWV. Descriptive questions were used to determine which aspects of the intervention proved useful. Reliability of the survey results was verified by a Crohnbach’s ? > 0.08. An independent samples t test was used with p value < 0.05 to determine statistical significance and confidence intervals. Results: The patient information brochure demonstrated improved patient understanding of the AWV from the office staff perspective as demonstrated by an independent samples t test comparing pre and post survey responses (t(32) = -4.14, p < .001, CI 95%). The RC survey results identified an area for collaborative for improvement between the front office and medical staff.
Created2022-04-29
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Description
Background and Purpose: Across the United States, there are low adherence rates of prenatal care visits, primarily among the low-income and ethnic populations. Inadequate prenatal care education contributes to low appointment adherence and missed prenatal care during their first trimester. The project aim is to assess the current use of paper-based prenatal education

Background and Purpose: Across the United States, there are low adherence rates of prenatal care visits, primarily among the low-income and ethnic populations. Inadequate prenatal care education contributes to low appointment adherence and missed prenatal care during their first trimester. The project aim is to assess the current use of paper-based prenatal education in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in southwestern Arizona and inquire if patients would elect to engage in a phone application for prenatal education with appointment reminders. Approach/Methods: The Theory of Planned Behavior was the theoretical framework utilized to guide this project. The Quality Improvement (QI) project gathered information regarding patient technology use and accessibility as well as utilization of FQHC prenatal booklet, collected with a 13-question survey. A non-identifying demographic questionnaire was also distributed during the prenatal visit. Results: Survey responses indicated that patients find utility in prenatal education and appointment reminders provided through a phone application. Out of the total participants (n=23), only 18 had received the prenatal care booklet and completed the entire survey. 80% of participants expressed they would use the phone application while 84% find prenatal education on the phone helpful. In comparison, less than 28% of respondents planned to continue to use the prenatal booklet they were provided at the clinic during their pregnancy. Outcomes: There is potential in utilizing digital platform and appointment reminders at FQHC to improve appointment adherence and early entry to prenatal care. The results will be used to inform FQHC on decisions regarding continuing prenatal booklet use and integration of techbased education formatting.
Created2022-05-02
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Background: People with diabetes are at greater risk for comorbid cardiovascular disease, end stage organ damage, disability, and early death. There is substantial evidence that individualizing self-care education, such as eating a healthy diet, greatly improves diabetes management. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to review the

Background: People with diabetes are at greater risk for comorbid cardiovascular disease, end stage organ damage, disability, and early death. There is substantial evidence that individualizing self-care education, such as eating a healthy diet, greatly improves diabetes management. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to review the outcomes of a diabetes education program offered to underserved women in the Southwestern United States. Methods: Four weekly nutrition classes were individualized and taught at a nonprofit organization in the southwest United States. Behavior change was measured using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) tool. Classes were advertised via the center’s monthly class calendar and fliers. A total of nine participants (N=9) came to every class and took the SDSCA survey before and after class instruction. Results: Descriptive statistics and two 2-tailed t-tests with the critical value set at p<0.05 were used for data analysis. The participants were Hispanic women, most between the ages of 40-49, and had an income between $0-14,000. The mean difference between the variables of both general diet and specific diet pre and post-tests were significantly different from zero. The assumptions of normality and homogeneity were met. The results of both two-tailed paired sample t-tests were significant suggesting the means of general and specific diet pre-tests were significantly lower than the means of the general and specific diet post-tests. Discussion: The assumptions of normality and homogeneity were met and the results were significant. The pre-intervention scores for both categories were statistically significantly lower than the post-intervention scores for both categories. Thus, the desired outcome of helping clients within the organization modify, adapt, or change self-care behaviors related to diet was met.
Created2022-04-26
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There is an increasing number of cancer patients outliving their diagnosis and treatment and requiring more support as they transition to cancer survivors. To bridge this gap, survivorship care plans should be provided to all cancer survivors to provide post treatment plans of care, recommendations, and resources (Commission on Cancer,

There is an increasing number of cancer patients outliving their diagnosis and treatment and requiring more support as they transition to cancer survivors. To bridge this gap, survivorship care plans should be provided to all cancer survivors to provide post treatment plans of care, recommendations, and resources (Commission on Cancer, 2016). A quality improvement project was implemented in the urology practice of a National Cancer Institute-designated, academic hospital in Phoenix, Arizona to provide survivorship care plans to prostate cancer patients with surgical intervention as their cancer treatment.

Through interprofessional collaboration, the process change was designed and implemented with the residents and Physician Assistants of the urology practice. There was a 93% adherence rate in delivering the survivorship care plans during the project. The “Confidence in Survivorship Information” questionnaire was used to measure the patients’ confidence in survivorship information prior to and after receiving a survivorship care plan. A paired t-test showed statistical significance in improvement in confidence in the knowledge of long-term physical effects of cancer treatment, strategies for preventing and treating long-term physical effects, and resources available for family members who may be at risk. The project will continue in order to meet requirements for cancer programs established by the Commission on Cancer (Commission on Cancer, 2016).

ContributorsShirley, Brittany (Contributor) / Root, Lynda (Thesis advisor)
Created2018-04-23
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Cancer survivors meet survivorship with uncertainty due to a lack of uniform information provided post cancer treatment. The implementation of survivorship care plans (SCP) has been recognized by key stakeholders as the solution to transitional uncertainties. In fact, to achieve accreditation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) cancer centers are

Cancer survivors meet survivorship with uncertainty due to a lack of uniform information provided post cancer treatment. The implementation of survivorship care plans (SCP) has been recognized by key stakeholders as the solution to transitional uncertainties. In fact, to achieve accreditation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) cancer centers are required to deliver SCPs to cancer survivors within a year of their treatment completion. Research demonstrates SCP delivery results in significant improvement in patient satisfaction, coordination of care, and survivorship care knowledge.

In order to meet CoC standard 3.3 and bring understanding to SCPs function in cancer survivorship care a quality improvement project was initiated within an Arizona cancer center. SCPs were delivered at a survivorship visit to adult breast cancer patients. SCPs affect on survivors’ confidence in cancer self-care knowledge and care satisfaction was evaluated as well as the organization’s adherence to CoC standard 3.3 requirements. Identified survivors were scheduled for a survivorship visit where a SCP was delivered by a oncology provider.

Survivors perceived confidence in knowledge and satisfaction was measured using the modified 16-item Confidence in Survivorship Information Questionnaire (CSI). Questionnaires were completed pre and post survivorship visit. A paired t-test analysis was used to evaluate SCP effectiveness. There was an increase in the delivery of SCPs from zero to 57 with an 84 percent SCP delivery from August 2017 to January 2018. Survivors and providers verbalize value in SCPs.

No statistical significance was found in the comparison of SCPs affect on survivors’ confidence in cancer self-care knowledge and care satisfaction to that of standard follow-up care; however, when comparing the pre/post questionnaire averages an improvement was noted across the board.The prospect of this project is to unveil the impact SCP delivery at a survivorship visit has on the selected metrics. This project aids as a director for organization wide implementation for CoC standard 3.3 requirement compliance.

ContributorsSegerholm, Beth (Author) / Demeter, Susan Halli (Thesis advisor)
Created2018-04-27
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Cancer survivorship has been identified as separate stage in cancer treatment posing unique issues that arise from the diagnosis of cancer, as well as late effects associated with treatments. Evidence shows that cancer survivors demonstrate suboptimal follow-up care, and report high levels of unmet needs related to their cancer experience.

Cancer survivorship has been identified as separate stage in cancer treatment posing unique issues that arise from the diagnosis of cancer, as well as late effects associated with treatments. Evidence shows that cancer survivors demonstrate suboptimal follow-up care, and report high levels of unmet needs related to their cancer experience. To improve care for the increasing number of cancer survivors in the United States, survivorship care plans (SCPs) have been proposed as way to strengthen care coordination and improve patient outcomes.

Research suggests that SCPs have favorable impact on patient satisfaction and quality of life, however little research to date investigates the utility of SCPs in improving patient outcomes, adherence to follow-up recommendations, or patients’ confidence in self-care management. To further understand the role of SCPs in survivorship care, a pilot implementation of SCPs in colon cancer patients was implemented to gather data on the identified gaps.

ContributorsRuegg, Lauren (Author) / Chifelle, Rochelle (Thesis advisor)
Created2018-04-29