Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects
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.
Collaborating Institutions:
College of Nursing and Health Innovation
Displaying 1 - 10 of 11
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- All Subjects: Pediatrics
- Creators: Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation
Description
Objective: Delirium frequently occurs in Pediatric Cardiac intensive Care Units (PCICU) of hospitals with critically ill patients. An inflammatory process of the brain causes neurotransmitters imbalances and neuronal alterations, leading to increased days on mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the ICU, and possible self -harm. Delirium can be reduced and controlled if detected early through frequent patient monitoring and screening. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the implementation of a delirium screening tool along with education on delirium
Study Selection: An education module on delirium and the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAP-D) screening tool along with a non-pharmacological bundle was implemented on a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit for patients 2 to 18 years of age, admitted to an Arizona metropolitan children’s hospital. All nurses were required to attend the education session. Data was collected by using pre- and post-survey questions on delirium for those nurses who chose to participate in the study.
Data Synthesis: The results from the pre- and post-tests suggest there was an increase in education. The average score for the 15 nurses on the pre-test was 87.1% while the same nurses scored 100% on the post-test. Chart reviews of the CAP-D screening tool from November 2000 – February 2021 had 71 patients on the unit and had 8 patients scored on the CAP-D screening tool. Chart reviews after implementation of the education module from November 2021 – February 2022, were conducted and 118 patients were on the unit while only 23 patients were scored on the CAP-D screening tool.
Conclusion: So far, the use of an education module and implementation of a non-pharmacological bundle has proven some promising results in helping with delirium and its reduction in the PCICU.
ContributorsHernandez, Ricardo (Author) / Bucci, Aimee (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2022-04-26
Description
Objective: To understand and prevent adverse discharge events, the project assesses the needs and gaps of discharge care coordination for child(ren) with medical complexities (CMC). The National Survey of Children’s Health show 87.4% of CMC does not receive care in a well-functioning system, and 47.4% did not receive adequate care coordination 1. Therefore, does initiating measurement tools and communication before and after discharge identify and prevent discharge related adverse events?
Methods: After IRB approval, a mixed-methods approach project occurred at southwestern pediatric free-standing hospital. Through eight weeks of convenience sampling, CMC caregivers were recruited in the inpatient setting (n=5). Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained through: [Pediatric] Care Transitions Measurement Tool – 15 (CTM- 15), with a Cronbach’s alpha of .932; a demographics survey; a post-discharge survey; and electronic health records.
Results: The CTM-15 post-discharge score was 83.3 (N = 4, SD = 9.83, SE¬M = 4.92). CTM-15 qualitative data included: communication issues; rushed discharge; poor discharge anticipatory guidance; hospital policy concerns; follow-up appointment issues; and prescription errors. LOS average for all participants was 137.8 days (SD = 102.75, SEM = 45.95) with 40 unintended hospital days (SD = 41.55, SEM = 18.51). Issues encountered 30 days post-discharge included: prescription errors, follow-up issues, and home health issues.
Conclusion: Hospitalized CMC have an increased risk to encounter a discharge adverse event because of a complex intertwining of disciplines, services, medications, and needs. Communication, tools, and surveys did not capture all the problems encountered by families with CMC; however, it did identify areas of notable concern.
ContributorsChalla, Hannah (Author) / Bucci, Aimee (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2022-05-02
Description
Objectives: Asthma education is essential for every pediatric asthma management plan. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Quality Improvement (QI) project, guided by the Social Cognitive Theory, aims to explore effective and innovative interventions for asthma management and determine if telehealth is an effective way to deliver asthma education to parents.
Methods: Parents (n = 5) of children with asthma at an urban pediatric primary care clinic were recruited to attend four weekly, 60-minute asthma education sessions over Zoom®. Participants were recruited with flyers and clinic referrals. Participants answered pre- and post-intervention online questionnaires following informed consent, including the Parental Asthma Management Self-Efficacy Scale (PAMSES), the Asthma Control Test (ACT), and a parent program evaluation. Paired sample t-tests were conducted to analyze data and measure mean differences in pre-and post-parent self-efficacy and asthma control in their child.
Results: The results include a statistically significant change in pre-intervention and post-intervention mean PAMSES scores. There was no significant difference between pre-intervention and post-intervention ACT scores; however, there was an increase in mean ACT scores from baseline.
Conclusions: Telehealth is a practical and cost-effective way to address gaps in asthma education and improve patient outcomes. The use of telehealth may be an effective way to address gaps in parent/patient education regarding the prevention of and management of asthma symptoms. Ongoing assessment is needed to evaluate if asthma telehealth education can be effective in other settings, languages, and age groups.
ContributorsFlores, M. Cynthia (Author) / Jacobson, Diana (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2022-04-29
Description
The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project is to develop and implement a culturally tailored educational program into a community clinic in a northern border community in Mexico to prevent and combat childhood obesity. In Mexico, 33.2% of children are overweight or obese and numbers are continuing to rise, which has a significant impact on physical and psychological health and can lead to diabetes, fatty liver disease, thyroid disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, and other chronic diseases. Guided by Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, weekly education sessions were delivered to members of the community clinic for two weeks. Content included both a nutrition component and an exercise component. An emphasis was made on increasing physical activity, increasing water consumption, decreasing sugar sweetened beverages, and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. Videos were developed for each education session. Worksheets and handouts were developed to enhance learning and give participants a tangible reference for individual learning. Content was taken from the CDC and adapted to fit the needs of the community. All content was culturally tailored for low literacy levels and translated to Spanish. Knowledge, behavior change, and self-efficacy were measured by pre and post surveys. Self-efficacy showed statistically significant change from pre and post intervention. These findings suggest that healthy eating and exercise education can potentially increase knowledge, promote behavior change, and enhance self-efficacy, which can, in turn, prevent and combat childhood obesity and related disease states.
ContributorsBahena, Sara (Author) / Jacobson, Diana (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2022-04-26
Description
Background: Existing practice standards for discharge education are insufficient to support parents of children with new enteral feeding devices in the outpatient setting which has led to increased clinic and emergency department visits, hospital stays, and preventable complications. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to design and deliver a comprehensive evidence-based enteral feeding tube hospital-based discharge education intervention for parents after their child’s gastrostomy tube placement surgery. Guided by Transition’s theory, the project aims to bridge the gap in education by providing the parent with ongoing support and education about their child’s gastrostomy tube. Methods: This project measured the impact of inpatient discharge education with ongoing support and outpatient education on parent knowledge and confidence. All English-speaking parents of pediatric patients ages 0-17 years with new gastrostomy tubes at a large, urban, freestanding pediatric hospital in the southwest United States were eligible for participation. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. The education intervention was delivered at hospital discharge then reinforced at the first follow-up visit in the surgery clinic. Data analysis included demographic items, a Paired Samples T-Test, and a Two-tailed Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test analyses. Results: Results indicated a statistically significant difference in parent knowledge after the educational intervention. Results also indicated a clinically significant increase in parent confidence. Conclusion: Providing ongoing support and education positively impacts parent knowledge and confidence related to the care of their child’s new gastrostomy tube. Future impacts of this educational intervention may demonstrate a decrease in clinic and emergency department (ED) visits, hospital expenditure, and preventable complications.
ContributorsFriedl, Anne (Author) / Jacobson, Diana (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2022-04-29
Description
Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and long-term disability among children. The Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF) guidelines integrate initiation of early enteral nutrition which is essential for achieving best clinical outcomes. Gaps in knowledge, consistency, and collaboration when managing these patients hinder adherence to the guidelines and puts the patient at risk.
Objective: This project purpose was to review the updated BTF guidelines and implement a rounding checklist to increase the early initiation of enteral feeding following a TBI.
Methods: This quality improvement project was conducted in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at a level one pediatric trauma center and included all patients admitted with severe TBI. A pre- and post-test accompanied education regarding the guidelines and instructions for checklist completion. The checklists included all BTF guidelines, with a primary focus on early initiation of feeds. Checklist data was presented by the bedside nurse during rounds.
Results: Using descriptive statistics, the average pre-test score was 69% and average post-test score was 93%. Prior to the education, 82% of registered nurses believed a bedside checklist would help manage patients with severe TBI and increased to 95% after education. The checklist was used on 7 (100%) patients and 43% had feeds initiated within 72 hr post-injury (n = 3).
Conclusions: Early initiation of feeding in critically ill patients impacts patient outcomes. A rounding checklist can improve interprofessional communication and healthcare quality by delivering standardized pediatric TBI care. Research regarding enteral nutrition is needed to ensure nutrition is provided in a safe, timely manner.
ContributorsMichael, Holly N. (Author) / Sebbens, Danielle (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2021-04-25
Description
All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a leading cause of pediatric trauma. Children may experience a range of injuries from concussion and fractures to severe traumatic brain injury and even death. ATV safety is a priority. Research emphasizes the importance of helmet use while riding an ATV and adhering to manufacturing guidelines for ATVs. These findings have led to the initiation of an evidence-based project to identify behavioral changes within the pediatric population, specifically children 12-18 years of age who are on the Trauma Service of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Each patient was given a pre-test survey to assess their knowledge regarding ATV safety. After the pre-test survey was completed, an educational component was implemented, the participant used teach-back to the project personnel to demonstrate understanding, and a post-test survey immediately followed. The posttest had several open-ended questions that identified the patient’s intention to follow the safety recommendations when riding their ATV in the future.
ContributorsO'Donnell, Elly (Author) / Sebbens, Danielle (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2021-04-25
Description
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a high-risk, but highly successful intervention for the survival of critically ill neonatal and pediatric patients. Patients supported by ECMO require continuous infusions of anticoagulant medications to prevent clotting of the ECMO circuit, thrombotic events in the patient, and other bleeding complications. Close monitoring, care, and management of the ECMO circuit and its components, with specific focus on systemic anticoagulation, is vital as many factors may influence the efficacy of the anticoagulant and ultimately the patient condition. Globally accepted guidelines exist for the correct management of anticoagulation while supported on ECMO; however, health care centers frequently deviate from these recommendations. This project report synthesizes the most current literature on anticoagulation management in the pediatric ECMO supported population, discusses the limitations in current research, and demonstrates the necessity to use standardized anticoagulation protocols for the safest and most successful outcomes. To implement these findings, this project report suggests the need for an evidence-based project that focuses on the quality improvement of current ECMO anticoagulation guidelines.
ContributorsHolmes, Lauren Michelle (Author) / Sebbens, Danielle (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2021-04-26
Description
Childhood cancer affects nearly eleven-thousand children under the age of fifteen years each year, which launches families into a treatment trajectory of unforeseen complexities in several domains. As pediatric oncology healthcare providers tailor family-centered care for these highly fragile children, it is vital to understand the family’s lifestyle and available community resources. Children residing in remote areas may experience more burdensome needs as they progress in the cancer treatment trajectory, which healthcare providers may not be aware of unless the information is specifically solicited or incidentally discovered. Use of an evidence-based needs assessment for families who reside in remote zip codes will aid in identification of unique needs and assist the multi-disciplinary care team to specifically tailor interventions to the family. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of childhood cancer survivors using an expert-validated needs assessment tool. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project is to develop a needs assessment for children with cancer in order to identify which needs are amplified in a remote community in order to match and create resources to meet those needs.
ContributorsHarrell, Lauren (Author) / Jacobson, Diana (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2021-04-30
Description
Introduction: Drowning is the leading cause of death in children between 1 and 4 years of age; in Arizona drownings are double the national average for this age group. The goal of this Doctor of Nursing project was to educate and empower pediatric providers to give quality drowning prevention (DP) anticipatory guidance (AG) to caregivers of children between 1 and 4 years of age at every well exam.
Method: This quality improvement (QI) project included 32 providers from six pediatric clinics in Arizona. A one-hour education session focused on drowning prevention followed one month later by a a thirty-minute follow-up feedback session were conducted. Pre- and post- education surveys were administered at the first session to measure perceived previous and future intended DP AG practice. An additional follow-up survey was administered at the second session to evaluate perceived change. In addition, caregivers were contacted and surveyed one to three months post initial education to assess provider delivery of AG. Likert-scales and descriptive statistics were used to evaluate data sets.
Results: Post-educational intervention, providers reported increased intention (p = 0.027) to provide water safety AG, and increased intention (p < 0.001) to connect water AG to developmental milestones. Post-intervention follow-up indicated an increased provision of developmentally specific water safety AG to caregivers (p < 0.001) and increased connection of developmental milestones in AG (p = 0.016). Barriers that prevent water safety AG were reported as time constraints and other perceived AG of higher priority.
Implications: This QI project adds to the literature and demonstrates the benefit of education to invigorate and empower increased provision of quality DP AG from providers.
ContributorsDiMiceli, Carolyn (Author) / Jacobson, Diana (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)
Created2021-04-22