21368 research outputs found
Sort by
Staff Education to Expand Clinicians’ Knowledge on the Use of Depression Screening Tools in a Longterm Care Facility
Full text linkDepression exists as a common yet often undetected mental health issue which affects many elderly residents who live in long-term care facilities. The combination of multiple depression screening tools with inadequate staff training leads to delayed resident diagnosis and produces variable treatment methods which raises the possibility of negative results for residents. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project addressed a practice gap related to inconsistent implementation of the Patient Health Questionnaire–2 (PHQ-2) and Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9) through the development and implementation of an evidence-based staff education intervention in a long-term care setting. The research study worked to improve medical care through nurse training development and screening system and documentation system creation which would help them meet CMS standards for depression identification. The educational program for nursing staff included evidence-based teaching methods which combined didactic instruction with case-based learning and skills practice and workflow support tools. The practice change focused on creating standardized depression screening protocols which healthcare providers could implement through PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 assessments in their standard clinical work. The evaluation process employed three assessment approaches which consisted of pre- and post-intervention knowledge tests and reviews of depression screening documentation and staff feedback surveys to measure their confidence and perceived abilities
Faculty Perceptions of Student Use of Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment in Prelicensure Alternative Pediatric Clinical Education
Full text linkBoth the changing healthcare environment and diverse pediatric care needs highlight the importance of exploring nontraditional clinical placements for entry-level pediatric nursing students to assess their critical thinking (CT) and clinical judgment (CJ). Many graduates are unprepared for pediatric care, creating safety risks and gaps in meeting children’s healthcare needs. The purpose of this study, guided by communities of practice theory, was to explore faculty experiences with and perceptions of CT and CJ use at alternative pediatric clinical sites for prelicensure undergraduate students in the Northeastern United States. Eleven nursing faculty with recent experience working in nontraditional pediatric sites and methods for evaluating CT and CJ were interviewed. Data analysis employed inductive thematic coding to identify two themes: available opportunities and the wholeness of the alternative experience. Faculty reported that alternative sites offered authentic learning experiences that fostered CT, captured under the theme Available Opportunities. The theme of Wholeness emphasized continuity, integrated learning environments, and structured reflection in promoting deeper learning. These findings suggest that alternative sites enrich teaching, support skill development, and align with CoP when creating intentional learning opportunities. This research cultivates positive social change by expanding the evidence base in pediatric nursing education and promoting improved practices across diverse healthcare settings. Future research should broaden the scope and methods by including diverse regions, larger samples, and student perspectives to enhance transferability and identify best practices for pediatric nursing education
Black Educated Women\u27s Experience With Relationship Formation After Intimate Partner Violence
Full text linkBlack women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at disproportionately high rates, yet most research has focused on those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, overlooking how educated Black women navigate relationships after IPV. While extensive studies have examined the health consequences of IPV among Black women, less attention has been given to their experiences with intimacy, trust, and partner selection post-IPV. Additionally, existing research on relationship formation after IPV has largely centered on other racial groups, leaving the unique challenges faced by Black educated women underexplored. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how Black, educated women describe their experiences of forming relationships after experiencing IPV. Betrayal trauma theory and Black feminist thought served as the theoretical foundation. Ten semi-structured interviews with Black college-educated women who experienced IPV provided the data, which were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results showed that Black educated women describe forming relationships after IPV as a reflective and non-linear process shaped by trauma, cultural expectations, and personal growth. Rebuilding trust was central, with many women adopting heightened vigilance or choosing singlehood to protect their emotional well-being. Participants emphasized the importance of mutual respect, friendship, and spiritual guidance in future relationships. These results can have implications for positive social change by fostering greater awareness, advocacy, and support for Black educated women, ultimately shaping policies and interventions that promote healing, empowerment, and healthier relationship outcomes
Strategies Financial Institutions Use to Mitigate Security Breaches for Mobile Customers
Full text linkMobile fraud attack rates are increasing rapidly. Financial institutions, cybersecurity managers, and regulators need effective strategies to reduce consumer financial harm and operational risk. Grounded in the cybernetics model, this qualitative, pragmatic inquiry identified the cybersecurity strategies that cybersecurity professionals use at financial institutions to mitigate data breaches for mobile customers accessing financial data. Data were collected from five cybersecurity professionals through semistructured interviews and from publicly available documents and guidance issued by financial institutions and standards bodies. Six significant themes emerged from thematic analysis: implementing multifactor authentication, deploying virtual private networks (VPNs), delivering user education, promoting regular account monitoring, endorsing authentication apps, and enforcing strong password policies. A key recommendation is to integrate cybernetic principles into the design of multifactor authentication to enhance security protocols. The implications for positive social change include the potential for financial institutions and policymakers to implement the identified strategies to protect consumers’ livelihoods and reduce operational and transactional risks
Staff Education on Metabolic Syndrome Screening in Patients Receiving Long-Acting Injectable Psychotropics
Full text linkSummary This Doctor of Nursing Practice project was a staff education initiative designed to improve metabolic syndrome screening practices for patients receiving long-acting injectable psychotropic medications in an outpatient psychiatric setting. People living with serious mental illness face a heightened risk of cardiometabolic conditions, and inconsistent screening leads to delayed detection, avoidable illness, and ongoing health disparities, underscoring the importance of this practice gap within nursing practice due to nurses’ central role in medication oversight and preventive care. A key limitation of the project was the small sample size and short-term evaluation period, which limited generalizability and did not allow assessment of sustained practice change. The teaching plan included an educational presentation, interactive case-based discussion, workflow review, and printed screening reference materials, with outcomes evaluated using a pre- and post-test design and a 10-item knowledge assessment. Results showed meaningful knowledge improvement among five outpatient psychiatric clinical staff members, with mean scores increasing from 4.0/10 pre-test to 7.6/10 post-test and a normalized learning gain of 60%, supporting intervention effectiveness. Major project products included the staff education curriculum and screening reference tools. Conclusions support staff education as a feasible quality improvement strategy to promote guideline-concordant metabolic screening, with recommendations to integrate training into routine staff education and standardize screening workflows. The project reinforces nurses’ leadership in evidence-based practice and supports positive social change by promoting equitable preventive screening for individuals with serious mental illness
Implementation of Structured Nursing Leadership Rounding to Improve Hospital Policy Adherence
Full text linkVariability in nursing policy compliance contributes to inconsistent clinical practice and compromises the delivery of standardized care. Limited leadership presence, support, and accountability have been identified as significant contributors to this practice gap. This Doctor of Nursing Practice project focused on educating nurse leaders about the importance and benefits of consistent unit-based leadership rounding as a strategy to support frontline nurses and reinforce policy adherence. A structured leadership rounding checklist was developed to guide purposeful, consistent check-ins with nursing staff, facilitating real-time support and identification of barriers to practice. Implementation of the checklist promoted increased leadership accessibility, improved communication, and reduced variability in rounding practices. These findings suggest that structured leadership rounding may serve as an effective, sustainable approach to enhancing nursing support, strengthening accountability, and improving consistency in organizational policy compliance and clinical practice
Staff Education to Emergency Nurses on Improving Handoff Communication Using the I-PASS Tool
Full text linkEffective communication during nurse-to-nurse handoff remains a critical determinant of patient safety in high-acuity emergency settings, where rapid decisions and fluctuating clinical demands can lead to inconsistent structure, omission of critical information, and inefficient transitions of care. The practice gap identified was a lack of standardized knowledge and consistent use of a structured bedside handoff tool among emergency department (ED) nurses. The practice-focused question guiding this project was, Does educating ED nurses on using the I-PASS bedside handoff tool improve knowledge of structured bedside reporting as measured by pre- and post-implementation surveys? The ADDIE framework and the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice (JHEBP) model guided development and implementation of this project. Fifteen peer-reviewed scholarly articles were used to inform the educational PowerPoint, knowledge-based pre- and post surveys, and the I-PASS direct observation checklist. Twelve ED charge nurses and clinical coordinators (collectively referred to as unit coordinators for this project) participated in a single, in-person train-the-trainer session in the ED conference room and completed pre- and post-education knowledge assessments and implementation within their respective teams. Knowledge scores improved from a pre-test mean of 12.83 (85.6%) to a post-test mean of 14.42 (96.1%), representing a statistically significant increase in knowledge, t(11) = 5.06, p \u3c .001. This project contributes to positive social change by improving communication reliability during transitions of care, enhancing patient safety, and supporting a culture of standardized, evidence-based nursing practice in the ED
Lived Experiences of Law Enforcement Officers Assigned to Co-Response Teams Responding to Mental Health Crises
Full text linkLaw enforcement officers are increasingly called upon to respond to mental health crises, yet their experiences as members of co-response teams (CRTs) remain underexplored. This study was conducted to address that gap by examining the lived experiences of officers assigned to CRTs that pair specially trained officers with mental health clinicians to respond jointly to calls involving individuals in crisis. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe how officers experience CRT work and how it shapes their perceptions, practices, and professional identity. The study was guided by Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress, appraisal, and coping, which frames stress as a dynamic process involving the appraisal of demands and available coping resources. Eight officers who had served on CRTs for at least 6 months participated in semistructured interviews. Participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using Groenewald’s five-phase phenomenological explicitation process that included bracketing, identifying units of meaning, clustering themes, and validating findings through member checks. Key findings revealed three central themes: professional development, operational dynamics, and community engagement. Officers reported increased empathy, improved communication skills, and a shift from skepticism to support for the CRT model. Challenges included limited staffing, inconsistent program availability, and the need for stronger coordination with community mental health services. The findings of this study has implications for positive social change that include elevating CRT officers’ voices and offering recommendations to improve training, staffing and public trust
Psychologists’ Attitudes on Capital Punishment and Interpretation of the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code
Full text linkWhen defendants are sentenced to death due to the nature of the crime, psychologists may be asked to participate in these cases, performing tasks such as conducting competency evaluations. Because the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code states that psychologists cannot participate in activities that violate human rights, an ethical debate has emerged regarding whether they should participate in capital cases. The present study examined psychologists’ opinions on capital punishment and their interpretation of the APA Ethics Code, which does not specifically define what constitutes a violation of human rights. The theoretical framework for the study is the ethical decision-making theory, which has two approaches: rationalist-based (which assumes that judgment is reached through reason) and non-rationalist-based (which assumes that judgment is reached through emotion and intuition). Opinions regarding capital punishment can develop due to many factors, such as religious affiliation, race, age, geographic location, fear of crime, and beliefs about alternative forms of punishment. The present study is a generic qualitative study. Six psychologists who participated in or have participated in capital cases were interviewed. The results indicated that most of the participants were opposed to the death penalty, and most were unsure if participating in capital cases is a violation of human rights, and believed the APA Ethics Code is often insufficiently detailed in its instructions. The findings of this study could help policymakers and the authors of the APA Ethics Code determine what information would be the most beneficial to include in instructions for psychologists
Automating Academia: Implications of GenAI Use in Doctoral Research and Online Mentoring
Full text linkThis study critically examines the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), specifically ChatGPT, in the development of doctoral dissertation proposals, highlighting both its potential and its ethical implications. Through a content analysis of a dissertation proposal created using ChatGPT, the study investigates how GenAI supports structural organization, academic writing, and citation formatting while exposing significant concerns related to fabricated references, methodological misalignment, and diminished scholarly rigor. Although GenAI accelerates the proposal-writing process, its outputs often lack the depth, coherence, and originality expected at the doctoral level, thereby threatening the integrity of academic research. Findings reveal that GenAI-generated content may deceive faculty reviewers with convincingly formatted but nonexistent citations and underdeveloped arguments. The study further explores the pressures that motivate doctoral candidates to misuse GenAI, including time constraints, high-stakes academic expectations, and limited access to sustained mentoring. Particular attention is given to the role of online doctoral mentoring, where faculty advisors must now counterbalance the efficiencies of AI with the responsibilities of academic guidance, critical evaluation of AI-generated work, and coaching students in the ethical use of these tools. These findings underscore the urgent need for higher education institutions to implement clear GenAI usage policies, enforce transparency and disclosure standards, and provide targeted faculty development to strengthen online doctoral mentoring practices. This research contributes to the evolving discourse on AI ethics in academia and calls for institutional safeguards to ensure that GenAI enhances, rather than undermines, the standards of doctoral scholarship and the credibility of the scholarly record