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Divining the Silhouette (poetry)
No full textDivining the Silhouette is a collection of poetry that examines relationships and interactions with the world in the context of living with a disability and in a disabled body. In many ways, the collection is a conversation between the author’s younger self and present self, as well as an acknowledgement of all the relationships and connections, environments and influences, essential to her becoming. The poems within the collection serve as a teaching tool, offering a model—one model—of how able-bodied people may interact more effectively with disabled people, offering glimpses of what works and what doesn’t, of what to do and what not to do, and how, if we let them, these relationships can be affirming for both sides. The collection is both self-apology and invitation for others to see an internal life more relatable than perceived at first glance. The body of work is organized into four sections (Outlines, Shadows, Shapes, Body) and includes a variety of poems including, but not limited to, lineated poems, erasure poems, 100 words stories, and prose poems
Empowering Choices: Patient Education for Contraceptive Confidence
Get PDFThe complexity of birth control options significantly impacts women\u27s lives, with hormonal contraceptives being commonly used but often misunderstood. These contraceptives, which contain estrogen and progestin or progestin only, come in various forms such as pills, implants, IUDs, injections, the vaginal ring, and skin patches, offering benefits such as reduced menstrual cramps and ectopic pregnancy risk. However, they can also lead to adverse effects including increased blood pressure, nausea, headaches, breakthrough bleeding, and heightened risk of blood clots, with research indicating a potential link between their use and a decline in mental health. Given the prevalence of depression, particularly in women, compounded by hormonal factors, it is crucial for healthcare providers, nurses, and educators to offer comprehensive education about the various birth control options and their potential effects on mental health. This research aims to investigate whether educating adolescent women about hormonal contraception could impact the knowledge of women using it and how it connects to addressing gaps contributing to poor mental health. An appointed nurse will provide a pre-education assessment, followed by education to adolescent women about hormonal birth control and its side effects, and will also administer a post-education assessment. The means of the two differing variables will be compared using a t-test to ascertain if the education has an effect on the population that was sampled.https://scholar.dominican.edu/nursing-student-research-posters/1039/thumbnail.jp
Emergency Department Safety with Psychiatric Unit
Get PDFBackground: Safety in the emergency department is of the highest priority with patient care for ED staff and psychiatric patients. Psychiatric patients are unpredictable and can have violent outbursts, especially in a mental health episode or under the influence of drugs and or alcohol. Research on psychiatric units in the emergency department has primarily focused on minimizing patient wait times, however, there is a lack of research on patient and staff safety. Objective: This thesis investigates the impact of incorporating a psychiatric unit staffed by mental health professionals and patient safety within the emergency department. Methods: This thesis will include a literature review with peer-reviewed journals and primary evidence associated with the violence ED staff endure with psychiatric patients, how mental health patients get easily overstimulated in the ED, and the education level of ED staff about psychiatric conditions. The results of this study will be reviewed before and after a psychiatric unit is placed within the ED and analyzed with inferential and descriptive statistics. This study will measure the number of violent events before and after a psychiatric unit is placed to determine the effectiveness of safety for ED staff and patients.https://scholar.dominican.edu/nursing-student-research-posters/1041/thumbnail.jp
Cultural Wounds Find Release: Art Therapy and First Generation Immigrants’ Mental Health
Get PDFhttps://scholar.dominican.edu/nursing-student-research-posters/1061/thumbnail.jp
Unveiling New Realities: An In-Depth Analysis of Virtual Reality\u27s Impact on Postoperative Adolescents
Get PDFThe traditional approach to postoperative pain management heavily relies on opioids, but there’s been a surge in their misuse and adverse effects, leading to a significant public health concern. This has led healthcare providers to incorporate a multimodal approach aimed at reducing opioid dependence. This proposal introduces an immersive component, virtual reality (VR), not as a replacement for opioids but as a complementary tool offering distinct advantages for enhancing postoperative pain management. By immersing patients in a virtual environment, VR effectively distracts them from pain and discomfort, allowing for reduced opioid dosages and mitigating the risk of opioid misuse. Additionally, virtual reality provides a non-invasive and drug-free alternative, making it a safer and more patient-centered option for improving the overall postoperative experience. Through a comprehensive literature review, research findings were analyzed to highlight the necessity and effectiveness of VR in the postoperative period and among pediatric patients. Given that adolescents constitute a unique and potentially more responsive demographic, particularly in the postoperative setting where limited studies exist, this proposal advocates for a quasi-experimental study design to investigate the significant reductions in pain intensity and opioid usage achievable through immersive virtual reality among postoperative adolescents.https://scholar.dominican.edu/nursing-student-research-posters/1069/thumbnail.jp
What is an occupational science perspective? Exploring students’ experiences and understandings
Get PDFNursing Burnout and Preventative Measures
Get PDFNursing burnout is a crucial problem that needs to be addressed due to the effect it’s having on nurses, such as causing many nurses to leave their jobs. Some of the major causes of nursing burnout include the effects of the work environment, emotional strain, and lack of sleep. Several nurses have stated that some environmental factors related to work that is causing nursing burnout include a high nurse-to-patient ratio, long shifts, and stressful specialties. Lack of support and emotional stress from patient care have contributed to burnout. Lastly, poor health habits, such as lack of sleep, also influence burnout progression. There are three types of interventions that focus on targeting these causes. Changes to the workplace environment can help prevent compassion fatigue for nurses. Yoga that incorporates mindfulness is vital in decreasing stress, which would ultimately also decrease burnout. Lastly, burnout can be fought by increasing resilience through various self-care strategies and healthy habits, such as sleep and guided imagery. This thesis, including a literature review and a proposal for further research, will investigate the main sources of burnout in nursing hospitals and incorporate a few ways that could be done to avoid getting it. It’s an important topic to be addressed because it could lead to a shortage of nurses and lower the quality of patient care
The Impact of Sleep Deprivation in Nurses on Psychomotor Skills, Memory, and Medical Errors
Get PDFNurses are often subjected to working long shift hours, doing overtime, or being on the night-shift. These factors often predispose nurses to inadequate sleep, which impacts memory, cognition, and mental health. This is significant because nurses depend on their psychomotor skills and clinical judgment to deliver effective nursing care. Each decision made is vital to the safety of the patient. Previous research studies have shown the negative effects of sleep deprivation on impaired concentration, judgment, and long-term health such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. While there is significant data in the general population, the specific effects of sleep deprivation in the nursing field are not well-researched. More research is needed to explore how sleep deprivation could be impacting clinical judgment and the occurrence of medical errors. It is also imperative that an effective solution is found to facilitate a nursing environment that allows nurses to get the sleep they need to function at their most optimal level. The studies in this literature review suggest that there is a relationship between sleep deprivation and impaired psychomotor skills, memory, and increased occurrence of medical errors. Another study investigated how scheduled naps could be an effective implementation in reducing fatigue and the occurrence of medical errors. Based on the findings in the review of the literature, a mixed method longitudinal study was designed to examine the effectiveness of naps scheduled during a nursing work shift to alleviate sleep deprivation and potentially decrease the incidence of medical errors
Promoting Cultural Arts Access through Sensory-Friendly Theatre
Get PDFChildren with sensory processing differences have “reduced participation in recreational and community activities compared to children with both typical development and other developmental disabilities” due to their difficulties with social communication, and strict social settings (Giserman-Kiss et al., 2020). Sensory-friendly theatre programs aim to dismantle social participation barriers for individuals with sensory processing differences by creating a relaxed theatre experience that includes preparatory materials, environmental modifications, and specialized training (Umeda, 2017). We implemented a pilot sensory-friendly performance of Willy Wonka, Jr. in collaboration with youth actors at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA on February 13th, 2022. Approximately 80 total tickets were sold, half to the sensory-friendly community and half to the general public. Our sensory-friendly performance offered preparatory materials of a social story, environmental modifications including dimmed house lights, zones (movement, tech, chill out, quiet) within the house, relaxed behavioral expectations, and specialized training for the youth actors including an educational video about sensory-friendly performances. Program evaluation data were collected through post-performance surveys for audience members and performers, interviews with audience members, and a debrief with the theatre program director. Audience members indicated that they were likely to attend another sensory-friendly show and valued the accommodations, meanwhile suggesting a more thorough explanation of the purpose and possible noise, and relocation of the zones. Our program illustrates occupational therapists’ ability to collaborate with theatres and contribute knowledge on sensory processing differences and environmental modification to increase community cultural arts participation for people with disabilities and their families
Exploring the Occupational Transition of Leaving a Cult
Get PDFThe emergence of cult groups has introduced a new population for occupational therapists to understand and support through the unique challenges they face after transitioning out of these organizations. While research within the field of psychology is robust, little is known about the occupational transition of individuals who leave cults and how occupational therapists can provide occupational science based intervention. In this study, the frameworks of Doing, Being, Becoming (Wilcock, 2002), and Belonging (Hitch et al., 2014b) were utilized to guide theme development and enrich interpretation of 11 hand-searched first-hand accounts. First-hand accounts were analyzed from multimedia sources such as memoirs, podcasts, blogs, and social media posts. Using qualitative interpretive description and reflexive thematic analysis to analyze data and deepen understanding of this phenomenon, five themes emerged from the sources: Forbidden Occupations, Fish Out of Water, Finding Closure Through Occupation, (Re)Discovering Self Through Occupation, and Rebuilding Life. This study contributes to occupational science research by examining the occupational transition of leaving a cult. By increasing the knowledge base of this topic, it will not only increase occupational therapist’s understanding of this population, but provide an opportunity to provide occupational science informed intervention. Additional interview-based research of former members may further validate findings of this study and may promote implementation of occupational science informed intervention