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The Effect of a Positive Work Culture in Emergency Service Nurses: An EBP Proposal
Get PDFThis paper aims to address the spirit of inquiry of the effect a safe work environment has on compassion fatigue in nurses in the emergency department (ED). The World Health Organization promotes an eager approach to the battle of compassion fatigue in frontline healthcare workers, stating, Unless this is addressed, it will further add to the global nursing workforce shortage. (Stafford et al., 2022, p. 1853). Unfortunately, 69% of nurses under the age of 25 report burnout from working conditions (American Nurses Association, 2022). Improving nurses\u27 job satisfaction and motivation levels is necessary to increase the effectiveness of nursing services (Goktas et al., 2022). Hospital organizations must strive for a supportive social climate to achieve the most effective outcome to reduce the pressure on nurses and negative personal emotions (Hu et al., 2022).
To investigate the effect of intervention strategies on compassion fatigue, the prognosis research question was formed: For nurses in the ED, how does a positive work environment, compared to a hostile work environment, decrease compassion fatigue? This research question guided this literature review to discover successful techniques to promote a work culture of success. After the literature synthesis, a plan was created to implement the Caring Mentorship Model, a formal mentoring program for all nurse leaders to create an environment where nurses can excel, promoting quality and efficiency of care
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Prevent Nurse Burnout In sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFOverall, burnout prevention has been shown to foster nurse resilience, ability to cope with stressors, teamwork, and improving the personal value of “doing good” and “being good”; the effects have been shown to last between 6 months and one year. The current evidence is strong enough to recommend a change to current nursing practice via annual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) trainings to strengthen nurse resilience.
This researcher proposes to implement a CBT-based burnout prevention program in Ghana’s capital of Accra in sub-Saharan West Africa. There is ample evidence that African nurses face many of the same burnout issues that nurses in the USA face. However, because the health care system in West Africa has fewer resources, burnout may disproportionately burden the hospitals in Ghana. Implementing a 9-week course of 1-hour weekly sessions of CBT-based mindfulness classes, with daily “homework,” is expected to improve the mental health of nurses at a large medical center (LMC), as well as other health care workers (HCW) who will participate
ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELING OF ENDEMIC TEXAS CRAYFISH SPECIES UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS
Get PDFCrayfish play many important roles in freshwater ecosystems such as ecosystem engineering, bioindicator, and food resource. Even though they are important to ecosystems, they are highly understudied. There has been previous work done on ecological niche modeling on Texas crayfish species, but this study takes it a step further by combining soil, climate, and hydrology variables to model the ecological niches of three endemic species: Procambarus texanus, Procambarus nueces, and Procambarus fayettei. Ecological niche models were created for the three species of interest using the program Maxent. I found that P. texanus and P. fayettei have indistinguishable fundamental niches, while P. nueces has a unique fundamental niche. P. texanus and P. fayettei prefer habitats with intermediate volumetric flow rates and precipitation, whereas P. nueces prefers larger catchment areas and more erodible soils. While Maxent models help generate hypotheses about the preferences of these species, further work to physiologically verify their specific habitat needs is warranted
DNP Final Report: RAISING AWARENESS OF IMPLICIT BIAS IN NEW NURSES
No full textImplicit bias is a cognitive function that leads to automatic attitudes, generalizations, and prejudices either in favor of or against other people based on characteristics such as gender, race, size, nationality, or sexual orientation. Implicit bias operates inconspicuously affecting interactions, perceptions, and decision-making that consequently affect the daily lives of marginalized individuals in various social domains, including healthcare. Implicit bias contributes to inequities in healthcare, negatively affecting the quality of patient care, treatment, and outcomes. Implicit biases have been described as malleable and influenced with awareness and other techniques. Anecdotal evidence was gathered at the target organization that supported a lack of awareness of implicit bias and that it was an issue that needed to be addressed in the target organization.
A systematic review and appraisal of evidence was performed to determine the best strategies for improving awareness of implicit bias. A combination of educational strategies, including lectures, group discussion, and case studies were found to be most effective for raising awareness. An evidence- based educational program consisting of lecture, case study discussion, and debriefing was developed and implemented to raise awareness in new nurses about implicit bias and its relationship to healthcare inequity. Eleven new nurses enrolled in an internship program at the organization participated in the educational program. Ten out of the 11 participants completed surveys before and after the program.
Survey results revealed that participants’ level of awareness about implicit bias increased 100% from before to after the program. Participants’ confidence in recognizing instances of implicit bias increased 121%, and their understanding of the relationship between implicit bias and healthcare quality increased 100%. These findings support that using a combination of educational strategies is effective for raising awareness about implicit bias. Incorporation of the educational program into future nursing internship programs in the organization is planned
Academic performance among pharmacy students using virtual vs. face-to-face team-based learning
Get PDFIntroduction
This study compares pharmacy students’ performance using face-to-face (FTF) team-based learning (TBL) vs. virtual TBL across multiple courses and different academic levels while accounting for student demographic and academic factors.
Methods
The study included pharmacy students from different academic levels (P1–P3) who were enrolled in three didactic courses taught using FTF TBL and virtual TBL. Multiple generalized linear models (GLMs) were performed to compare students’ performance on individual readiness assurance tests (iRATs), team readiness assurance tests (tRATs), team application exercises (tAPPs), summative exams, and total course scores using FTF TBL vs. virtual TBL, adjusting for students’ age, sex, race, and cumulative grade point average (cGPA).
Results
The study involved a total of 356 pharmacy students distributed across different academic levels and learning modalities: P1 students [FTF TBL (n = 26), virtual TBL (n = 42)], P2 students [FTF TBL (n = 77), virtual TBL (n = 71)], and P3 students [FTF TBL (n = 65), virtual TBL (n = 75)]. In the P1 cohort, the virtual group had higher iRAT and tRAT scores but lower tAPP scores than the FTF TBL group, with no significant differences in summative exams or total course scores. For P2 students, the virtual TBL group had higher iRAT and tRAT scores but lower summative exam scores and total course scores than the FTF TBL group, with no significant differences in tAPP scores. In the P3 student group, the virtual TBL group had higher iRAT, tRAT, tAPP, summative exam, and total course scores than the FTF TBL group.
Conclusions
Students’ performance in virtual TBL vs. FTF TBL in the pharmacy didactic curriculum varies depending on the course content, academic year, and type of assessment
Beyond Standard Urine Culture: Advanced Molecular Testing for Urinary Tract Infections
Get PDFIn this review article, it is emphasized that adopting advanced molecular diagnostics is essential for modern UTI management, offering a more comprehensive, accurate, and rapid approach compared to traditional methods. Standard urine culture’s limitations include low sensitivity and failure to culture certain microorganisms, leading to undiagnosed cases and increased morbidity. Advanced molecular techniques, like multiplex-PCR and pooled antibiotic susceptibility testing have been shown to reduce empiric treatments and negative outcomes significantly. And advanced molecular methods like metagenomics (mNGS) offer comprehensive pathogen detection without prior knowledge of target organisms, improving diagnostic yield. These methods also detect antibiotic resistance genes, aiding in precise treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes. Adopting advanced molecular diagnostics is essential for modern UTI management, offering a more comprehensive, accurate, and rapid approach compared to traditional methods. These technologies are vital in improving patient care and combating antibiotic-resistant infections
Validation of a Tool to Evaluate Nursing Students’ Electronic Health Record Competency in Simulation
Get PDFAIM
The aim of the study was to establish reliability and validity of the Competency Assessment in Simulation of Electronic Health Records (CASE) tool.
BACKGROUND
Effective teaching and learning practices, including valid and reliable assessment of students’ electronic health record (EHR) competency, contribute to safe, high-quality, efficient nursing care.
METHOD
The study used a mixed-methods design to test reliability and validity of the CASE tool. RESULTS A nationally representative sample of faculty from universities representing 27 states provided scores for videos using the CASE tool. Forty-seven participants completed the first scoring survey; 22 of the 47 participants (47%) completed the second-round scoring. Intraclass correlation for the final score between the first and second responses shows the consistency of test-retest reliability (ICC = .78, p \u3c .001).
CONCLUSION
The CASE tool provided evidence of validity and reliability in evaluating EHR competency in simulation
Reducing Recidivism at DAEP with Social Emotional Learning and Character Education in Restorative Circles
Get PDFThis dissertation examines the impact of integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) and character education (CE) in restorative circles on recidivism rates in district alternative education programs (DAEP). It also explores how comprehensive training influences teachers\u27 perceptions of teaching SEL and CE within restorative circles. With an increasing number of students returning to DAEPs, there is concern over the insufficient SEL/CE skills necessary for success in their regular school environments. A mixed-method approach was utilized, incorporating quantitative data on student attendance, discipline, and a Likert survey on teacher perceptions, alongside qualitative data from open-ended questions. Recidivism was measured by tracking the number of students returning to the DAEP during the study. Data collection involved pre- and post-tests for attendance, discipline records, and teacher perception surveys, along with open ended questions from three teachers to gain deeper insights into observed changes. The analysis indicated a reduction in disciplinary incidents and recidivism, coupled with an improvement in student attendance. Although changes in teachers\u27 perceptions were not statistically significant, they showed a positive trend. These findings suggest that incorporating SEL and CE in restorative circles can be an effective strategy for educators, equipping students with essential skills for success both in school and in life
ENHANCING FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION THROUGH MACHINE LEARNING
Get PDFThis thesis presents a comprehensive application of machine learning techniques, namely Fine Gaussian SVM and RUS Boosted Trees, to enhance fundraising strategies in higher education institutions. Analyzing a rich dataset from Blackbaud Raiser\u27s Edge NXT, spanning 2012 to 2022, the study focuses on donor profiles, including demographics, donation history, and engagement patterns. Key demographic insights include the increasing engagement of younger donors (20-29 age group) and significant contributions from older donors (70-99 age group). Geographical trends are also examined, revealing distinct patterns based on donors\u27 city, state, and ZIP code. The Fine Gaussian SVM model demonstrates moderate discriminatory power, with an AUC-ROC of 0.9105, indicating a strong ability to differentiate potential donors from non-donors. It particularly excels in identifying true positives but shows some limitations in accurately predicting negatives. The RUS Boosted Trees model, tailored for the dataset\u27s imbalance, achieves a higher AUC-ROC of 0.9416, indicating superior performance in distinguishing repeat donors. These models are evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and AUC-ROC to ensure robustness and applicability
Targeting the PAI-1 Mechanism with a Small Peptide Increases the Efficacy of Alteplase in a Rabbit Model of Chronic Empyema
Get PDFThe incidence of empyema is increasing and associated with a mortality rate of 20% in patients older than 65 years. Since 30% of patients with advanced empyema have contraindications to surgical treatment, novel, low-dose, pharmacological treatments are needed. A Streptococcus pneumoniae-induced rabbit model of chronic empyema recapitulates the progression, loculation, fibrotic repair, and pleural thickening of human disease. Treatment with single chain (sc) urokinase (scuPA) or tissue type (sctPA) plasminogen activators in doses 1.0–4.0 mg/kg were only partially effective in this model. Docking Site Peptide (DSP; 8.0 mg/kg), which decreased the dose of sctPA for successful fibrinolytic therapy in acute empyema model did not improve efficacy in combination with 2.0 mg/kg scuPA or sctPA. However, a two-fold increase in either sctPA or DSP (4.0 and 8.0 mg/kg or 2.0 and 16.0 mg/kg sctPA and DSP, respectively) resulted in 100% effective outcome. Thus, DSP-based Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1-Targeted Fibrinolytic Therapy (PAI-1-TFT) of chronic infectious pleural injury in rabbits increases the efficacy of alteplase rendering ineffective doses of sctPA effective. PAI-1-TFT represents a novel, well-tolerated treatment of empyema that is amenable to clinical introduction. The chronic empyema model recapitulates increased resistance of advanced human empyema to fibrinolytic therapy, thus allowing for studies of muti-injection treatments