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Description
Chemotherapy refers to the use of chemical agents to inhibit or stop the growth of rapidly dividing cancer cells. There are many side effects of systemic chemotherapy, which are caused because the drug not only kills cancer cells but healthy cells as well (American Cancer Society, 2017). Common side effects include fatigue, hair loss, bruising/ bleeding, infection, anemia, nausea and vomiting, appetite changes, constipation, diarrhea, oral sores, nerve and muscle pain, dry skin and color change, kidney dysfunction, weight loss, cognitive difficulties, mood changes, sexual dysfunction, and fertility problems (American Cancer Society, 2017). Research shows that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may help relieve some of the side effects of chemotherapy. Examples of CAM include herbal medicine, dietary supplements, acupuncture, yoga, Tai Chi, massage, electromagnetic therapy, meditation, biofeedback, music, dance, and guided imagery (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2017). The aim of this creative project was to design a third-party website to provide information to patients undergoing chemotherapy and their family members regarding the use of CAM for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced side effects. Rationale for this project stemmed from a preliminary research step. We analyzed and coded for presence or absence of CAM-specific information on the websites of 20 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers across the United States. Fifty percent of websites were double-coded. Inter-rater reliabilities (kappa values) for coding of the presence or absence of specific CAM therapies ranged from 0.38 for acupuncture to 1.00 for exercise and yoga, expressive arts, and herbs (mean kappa = 0.75). Fourteen of the 20 websites mentioned meditation or mindfulness; 13 mentioned nutrition; 12 mentioned acupuncture; 11 mentioned exercise or yoga; 11 mentioned massage; 8 mentioned expressive arts; and 3 mentioned herbs. Frequencies for presence of either a description of the specific CAM therapy or an explanation of how the therapy works were lower. We then conducted a literature review using PUBMED to find peer-reviewed research on the efficacy of the previously described seven CAM therapies. The literature search focused on systematic reviews and meta-analyses published within the past 10 years. Based on the literature obtained, we created summaries of the scientific evidence for each CAM therapy. This information is now provided on our third-party website in tabular form with summative statements. The website describes in lay language: chemotherapy, chemotherapy side effects, CAM, seven specific CAM therapies, and evidence for the efficacy or lack thereof of each. Per the American Nurses Association (2015), it is our responsibility to advocate for our patients through education and holistic treatment. The role of the nurse is to educate the patient about treatment options; however, it is not within the nurse's scope of practice to prescribe a treatment. As such, this website should not be viewed as a prescription for CAM therapies, but instead as a user-friendly and easily accessible resource for informed decision-making regarding the adjunctive use of CAM therapies.
ContributorsNichols, Abrianna (Co-author) / Varosky, Maxwell (Co-author) / Langer, Shelby (Thesis director) / Morris, Brenda (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
As the complexity and severity of hospitalized patients increase, nurses working in an acute care setting will experience patient deaths. From novice to expert, nurses may utilize a range of coping strategies. When the patient is a pediatric patient, the coping strategies become critical. The purpose of this study is to explore the coping strategies used by novice and expert nurses when a pediatric patient dies. The second objective is to compare the coping strategies used by novice and expert nurses. The final objective is to determine if nurses feel nursing school and employee training prepared them for the death of a pediatric patient. Research has shown that nurses use many different coping strategies when faced with a patient's death (Abdullah, 2015; Kellogg, Baker, & McCune, 2014; Plante & Cry, 2011). Expert nurses who have years of experience should have more options for coping strategies than novice nurses, yet there is little evidence to support this. This qualitative descriptive study used structured in-depth interviews to explore the coping strategies of pediatric nurses when experiencing a patient's death. Using thematic analysis, transcripts of the interviews were coded such that themes emerged. Themes for novice nurses were compared to expert nurses. These themes were also placed into concepts that encompassed many similar themes. The findings help determine that there is a difference in the coping mechanisms used by novice and expert nurses, and there is a need for more education on coping strategies after the death of a pediatric patient.
ContributorsSummers, Amanda Justina (Author) / Stevens, Carol (Thesis director) / Beals, Jacquelin (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Objectives: The goal of this study was to compare older adults (ages 60 to 80) with a fixed sleep schedule compared to a restricted sleep schedule. The purpose was to determine if reducing one's sleep by an hour each night for 12 weeks, led to worse cognition and mood over time. Study Design: The study contained two groups: older adults with their sleep restricted and older adults with their sleep un-restricted. Participants were recruited by researchers at Arizona State University and The University of Arizona by advertising in newspapers, on flyers in senior centers, and on radio stations. After rigorous screening for health conditions, current sleep patterns and depression, individuals entered the study. Participants completed the Geriatric Depression Scale after two weeks of baseline, and again after treatment week 14 of the study. Likewise, males and females performed three cognitive tests after two weeks of baseline, and again after treatment week 14 of the study. These cognitive tests included Stroop Color and Word Test, Trail making and PVT. Results: The depression scale and three cognitive tests showed that there was no significant difference with cognition and mood over 14 weeks between individuals with a fixed sleep schedule compared to a restricted sleep schedule. Conclusions: Reducing older adult's sleep duration by an hour each night for 14 weeks does not produce negative effects, and does not provoke signs of depression or weakened cognition.
ContributorsSchneck, Morgan Gail (Author) / Youngstedt, Shawn (Thesis director) / Petrov, Megan (Committee member) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Homelessness has a history of existing as a misunderstood condition involving stereotypes, stigmas and assumptions. In fact, the combination of acute-care medical professionals with patients of chronic illness and chronic homelessness can lead to incongruity of attitudes. These mindsets have the potential to affect the care homeless individuals receive in the emergency department (ED) and impact their intentions to seek medical help in the future (Ugarriza & Fallon, 1994, pp. 26). Furthermore, homeless individuals account for 54.5% of all ED visits in the United States (Kushel et al., 2002). The author conducted a qualitative descriptive study of 10 in-person interviews with homeless individuals in the downtown Phoenix, AZ area. The objective was to determine homeless individuals' perceptions of welcomeness and unwelcomeness by emergency department staff. Findings support significantly unwelcome experiences in the ED and negative perceptions of ED staff through repeating concepts of dehumanization, dismissal, stereotypes and discrimination. Further research is needed to create interventions for improving perceptions of ED staff, promoting health and preventing illness in the homeless population, and reducing ED visits by homeless individuals.
ContributorsLeander, Lauren (Author) / Stevens, Carol (Committee member) / Kleinlein, Shirley (Committee member) / McNulty, Julie (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2014-05
The Steps to My Stethoscope: Evidence Based Resources for BSN Students During and After their Degree
Description
Evidence has shown that new graduate nurses have a lot to learn when they begin working (Moore, Sublett, Leahy, & Bradley, 2017). Some of the common themes related to what new graduates are lacking when they move into their new roles include communication skills, problem solving, and critical thinking (Missen, McKenna, Beauchamp, & Larkins, 2016). However, there is also a large gap involving information that new graduates need in order to make the transition into nursing practice. Nursing managers have stated that students are prepared for the hospital setting instead of how to get into the hospital setting (Missen et al., 2016). After two years of extensive education, I have found that other students and I have unanswered questions and concerns involving what to do after our nursing education ends. Little to no time was spent in formal coursework discussing topics like resumes, test anxiety, or what to wear for interviews. To address this need, I constructed a blog to not only reflect on my own experiences and get my own questions answered, but to also answer the questions of other nursing students, both present and future, and consolidate that information into one place. This blog goes into more depth and logistical detail using the Keele Curriculum Model developed by Humphreys, Wood, Johnson, Walsh, Witton, Green, and Corkhill (2013) as a conceptual framework. Even though scholarly blogging is a new form of communication, this is a useful way to exchange and discuss different ideas and facilitate collaboration (Puschmann & Mahrt, 2014). Blogs permit students to have access to a lot of information in one place and reduces the need to search through libraries and other resrouces. Blogs also allow for communication between professors and students who may not be geographically connected. Because blogs allow for editing after they are written, I will be able to update information in this scholarly blog as new research comes out, making the blog current and applicable for future nursing students.
ContributorsWillins, Natalie Nicole (Author) / Rascón, Aliria Muñoz (Thesis director) / Quillman, Jill (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This research addresses the importance of factors such as gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum weight of mothers, as well as obesity rates in infants born to these mothers who are included in the population of low-income Mexican-American mothers and infants enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Evaluating these factors will contribute to finding recommendations to help solve the obesity epidemic in this specific population. Breastfeeding duration, mother BMI, infant birth weight, and infant weight z-scores were statistically analyzed from a WIC population in Houston. The study participants are involved in a five year intervention study where the home environment and education on feeding practices, breastfeeding duration and obesity are evaluated. The results found that: (1) breastfeeding initially indicates a further continuation of breastfeeding; (2) mothers who breastfed for six months were likely to have a lower BMI at twelve to eighteen months than those who did not; (3) the birth weight of the infant is associated with the weight pattern of the child later; (4) the weight/height percentiles of a newborn are somewhat likely to stay the same until age three; (5) the prenatal weight of the mother impacts the weight of the newborn infant; and (6) the mother's postpartum BMI at one week is associated with a similar BMI at 12 months postpartum. In conclusion, women in this population tend to not breastfeed for 6 months and are not losing gestational weight postpartum, leading to increased wright retention after pregnancy, as well as heavier babies that will maintain this weight in early childhood. Further breastfeeding, nutrition, exercise, obesity, and proper infant feeding education are needed to reduce the rate of obesity in low-income Mexican-American WIC populations.
ContributorsSchmid, Emily Grace (Author) / Reifsnider, Elizabeth (Thesis director) / Danielson, Kim (Committee member) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), also known as integrative medicine, is an important intervention used for holistic care of patients. It is patient-centered care, addressing multiple aspects of one's health ranging from physical and psychosocial to spiritual influences. CAM has been successful in patients' symptom and stress management, and has grown substantially in recent decades, especially in oncology nursing. Despite widespread use and their support for CAM therapies, nurses' lack of CAM knowledge and vocabulary are barriers to communication with patients. Also, little is known about the student nurses' awareness of CAM and the college instructors' opinions on the intervention, which are crucial in developing the college nursing education on integrative medicine. The purpose of this study was to describe the college nursing students' knowledge and their instructors' perspectives on integrative medicine and oncology care, and compared the data of the two populations. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants from the community in College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI) at Arizona State University (ASU). Five students (M age = 20.6 years; 80% female) and five nursing instructors (M age = 56.8 years; 100% female) were invited to 60-90 minute in-depth interviews on perceptions and knowledge of CAM. Four major themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Insufficient awareness and knowledge of CAM; (2) education and information needs on CAM; (3) positive attitudes toward CAM; and (4) importance of nurses' roles in CAM. Implications for nursing included need for more structured and efficient CAM in nursing programs; early exposure and education of college nursing students on CAM; and academic relationships between nursing instructors and students.
ContributorsKim, Jiwon (Author) / Kim, Sunny (Thesis director) / Langer, Shelby (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
I conducted a research study with the intent to test an educational tool (a PowerPoint presentation) to evaluate its effectiveness at educating a group of nursing students (ASU college juniors) about Parkinson's disease (PD), Parkinson's medication and medication administration guidelines, and the necessity of getting patients with PD their medication on time. This research was based on the fact that a majority of patients with PD do not get their medication on time in a healthcare environment, and that structured interventions will increase awareness and knowledge of the specific needs of the PD patient. Upon analyzing the results of a survey given before and after the presentation, this educational tool was effective, but more research is needed to justify its implementation into education.
ContributorsHodges, Marie Bernadette (Author) / LuPone, Kathy (Thesis director) / Ash, Deborah (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of social interaction with children on the symptoms of depression in elderly participants at the John C. Lincoln Adult Day Healthcare center when compared to depressive symptoms in the elderly who do not regularly interact with children. This organization provides care to elderly members of the community in a dignified and stimulating manner. It allows caregivers of participants to take a break from day to day responsibilities while providing the participants with a safe and active environment. It shares premises with the Lincoln Learning Center, which is a care/educational facility for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years of age. The children and the elderly interact one day a week for half an hour in a planned activity in the Adult Day Healthcare Center. The Geriatric Depression Scale- Short Form was used to assess for presence of depressive symptoms in both the control group (those who did not regularly interact with children) and the experimental group (those who did regularly interact with the children). The scale consisted of 15 yes-or-no questions regarding the average emotions the participants experienced in a week. A total of 15 people participated in the study, eight in the control group and seven in the experimental group. Eight of the participants were male, seven were female and they ranged in age from 58 to 96 years old. An independent sample t-test was performed to assess the data for statistical significance.
ContributorsHorneman, Kaitlyn Noelle (Author) / Speer, Therese (Thesis director) / O'Brien, Janet (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
For this creative project, an instructional video on relaxation techniques was created. The relaxation techniques demonstrated were intended to help patients with comorbid cancer and sleep disturbance fall asleep with greater ease. Based on a literature review, autogenic training and tai chi were chosen as the relaxation techniques to demonstrate in the video project. The literature review informed what components of autogenic training and tai chi should be included in the video. A patient with cancer was asked to participate in the making of the video. The patient was guided through autogenic training and tai chi. The patient provided feedback on her experience after completing each technique. The video also included background information on the two relaxation techniques. The completed video was presented to the director of Natural Medicine and Detox in Phoenix, AZ, a naturopathic physician, and a cancer survivor. These individuals provided feedback on what they liked about the video and what they thought needed improvement. The video was posted on YouTube as a resource for patients with cancer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04kYz1kSCaU
ContributorsIliescu, Michelle Kathleen (Author) / Petrov, Megan (Thesis director) / Larkey, Linda (Committee member) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12