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Nurse Residency Program: Improving Staff Awareness through Education
Get PDFAcross the health care continuum, organizations face persistent nursing shortages and the challenge of integrating novice nurses into clinical practice, often with limited skills and underdeveloped critical thinking abilities. Nurse residency programs have been integrated by many facilities to provide support for new novice nurses in transitioning from academia to the professional nursing role. This quantitative, quasi-experimental research project was conducted at a community-based hospital with an existing 8- to 10-week nurse residency program that had very limited stakeholder involvement. The purpose of the project was to create an educational training module for key stakeholders to strengthen awareness of why maintaining a nurse residency program is essential for novice nurses. Data were collected from 15 participants using the Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey pre- and posttest questionnaires. A point system measured knowledge gained, with pretest scores averaging M = 39.33 and posttest scores increasing to M = 44.53, reflecting a 13.2 percentage point improvement. Findings indicate that stakeholder education is essential for successful nurse residency programs. One recommendation to lessen time constraints of physical attendance in staff education sessions would be to build this learning module into the online HealthStream learning activity center for yearly competencies and training
Special Education High School Teachers’ Challenges with Implementing Social Emotional Learning
Get PDFThe problem that this study investigated was that special education high school teachers (SEHSTs) struggled with implementing social emotional learning (SEL) into their teaching of core subjects in Maryland high schools. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore SEHSTs’ perceptions of the challenges with implementing SEL into core subject areas. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Argyris and Schon’s theory of action. Using a basic qualitative design, 10 SEHSTs participated in semistructured interviews. Participants were Maryland licensed high school special educators with a range of experience in teaching co-taught classes. Coding and thematic analysis were conducted for data analysis. Eight themes emerged, indicating challenges with SEL implementation and desired resources. Participants identified a lack of teacher understanding of district expectations, a lack of availability of resources, and negative teachers’ perceptions as challenges. Professional development (PD) around SEL implementation was the most requested resource. In response to the findings, the three-day PD plan was developed. This study may contribute to social change by providing a structured PD plan focused on strengthening SEL implementation in high school core subject classrooms
Business Intelligence Architectures and Implementation Strategies
Get PDFOrganizations often make inferior decisions without business intelligence (BI) architectures. Information technology (IT) managers are increasingly concerned that without effective BI architectures, they forfeit data-driven intelligence, hindering organizational competitiveness, innovation capacity, and broader economic progress within their industries and communities. Grounded in the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the strategies used by data architects to implement BI architectures in the financial industry. The participants were six data architects who had successfully implemented BI architectures in the financial industry in the southwestern United States. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, field notes, and publicly accessible industry documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, from which four themes emerged: (a) scalable systems, (b) strategic alignment with business goals, (c) supportive environment, and (d) user experience. A fundamental recommendation for data architects is to design BI architectures that are elastic, modular, and cloud-ready, providing an architecture that can expand with demand, data growth, and new tools without interruption. The implications for positive social change include the potential for BI architectures to transform hidden data into actionable insights that amplify diverse voices, promote equitable decision-making, strengthen organizational and societal resilience—enabling policymakers, communities, advocacy groups, and marginalized populations to hold institutions accountable, influence policy, and promote more intelligent and inclusive responses to emerging challenges
Mentoring Programs for Youth in Hagerstown, Maryland: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic
Get PDFGoal Statement: The goal of this social change portfolio is to help develop and promote mentoring programs for youth in Hagerstown, Maryland as preventive strategy to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic. This initiative seeks to strengthen resilience, enhance academic performance and foster healthy decision-making among adolescents through consistent, supportive adult-youth relationships. The proposed mentoring framework to integrate culturally responsive, trauma-informed and community-based approaches address the systemic and interpersonal factors contributing to misuse in Washington County. Significant Findings: In Washington County, where Hagerstown is located, it continues to experience one of the highest opioids overdoes within Maryland which is nearly double the national average (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022). Youth in the region are disproportionately affected due to family instability, economic hardship and limited access to positive role models (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2019). Consequences of the epidemic have included increased rates of trauma exposure, declining academic performance and community disconnection. Research has demonstrated that mentoring programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters can serve as an effective protective factor which can enhance coping skills, improving emotional well-being and reducing early initiation of substance use (Grossman & Tierney, 1998; Raposa et al., 2019). Findings have also indicated that community-based, culturally adapted mentoring models improve engagement and sustainability in these high-risk populations. Therefore, implementing a structured mentoring model in Hagerstown could mitigate intergenerational cycles of addiction and strengthen overall community resilience. Objectives/Strategies/Interventions/Next Steps: 1. Develop a Community-Based Mentoring Framework: Collaborating with local schools, recovery organizations, and the Big Brothers Big Sisters model to design a culturally responsive and evidence-based mentoring program to target at-risk adolescents. 2. Recruit and Train Culturally Diverse Mentors: Engaging volunteers, including individuals in recovery and bilingual mentors to help promote trust and reduce stigma within Latino and other underserved populations. 3. Integrating Mentoring into Schools and Youth Services: Advocating for inclusion of mentoring within school wellness programs and after-school initiatives to provide consistent, accessible support for adolescents. 4. Implement Trauma-Informed and Resilience-Focused Training: Provide professional development for mentors on topics such as trauma awareness, emotional regulation and strengths-based mentoring to build adaptive coping skills among youth. 5. Evaluate Outcomes and Sustain Programs: Partnering with the Washington County Health Department and the Maryland Department of Education to help assess progress using measurable indicators such as school attendance, self-efficacy and substance use reduction. Secure ongoing funding through public health grants and local partnerships to ensure programs sustainability
Suicide Prevention Through the Reduction of Counseling Stigma in Fort Riley, Kansas
Get PDFGoal Statement: The goal of this social change portfolio is to decrease the stigma of seeking mental help through addressing culture, norms, or systems within Fort Riley, Kansas, that contribute to stigma and suicide risk while using preventative measures to reduce suicide ideation and risk.
Significant Findings: This project focuses on reducing counseling stigma to prevent suicide among military personnel and veterans at Fort Riley, Kansas. Despite available mental health services, 44% of soldiers report fearing career impacts if they seek help, highlighting the need for cultural and systemic change (Irwin Army Community Hospital, 2024). Using the Social- Ecological Model and Social Cognitive Theory, the project identifies risk factors such as isolation, deployment stress, and military cultural norms, while emphasizing protective factors like peer support and confidential counseling. Evidence-based programs such as Ending Self- Stigma for PTSD (ESS-P) demonstrate how increasing self-efficacy and modeling help-seeking behaviors can reduce stigma (Drapalski et al., 2021). Recommendations include leadership training, expanded embedded behavioral health services, culturally responsive interventions for at-risk groups, and advocacy across institutional, community, and policy levels to foster a culture where seeking help is recognized as a sign of strength (Britt et al., 2020).
Objectives/Strategies/Interventions/Next Steps: This project outlines five key objectives to guide professionals in reducing counseling stigma and preventing suicide among service members and veterans at Fort Riley, Kansas. First, promote leadership engagement through stigma-reduction workshops emphasizing mental health advocacy and model help-seeking behaviors. Second, expand confidential and embedded behavioral health services by partnering with Irwin Army Community Hospital and the VA to ensure accessible, stigma-free care. Third, implement the evidence-based Ending Self-Stigma for PTSD (ESS-P) program to enhance self- efficacy and reduce internalized stigma. Fourth, collaborate with the Military Family Life Counselors Program and local mental health agencies to foster connection and awareness and develop community-based peer support and outreach initiatives. Finally, advocate for policy reform to strengthen confidentiality protections and improve Department of Defense–Veteran Affairs care coordination. These objectives provide a comprehensive, multi-level strategy for sustainable cultural and systemic change
Comparison of Two Clinical Education Models on Confidence, Resilience, Organizational Commitment, and Stress and Burnout of New Graduate Registered Nurses
Get PDFThe transition to independent clinical practice is a stressful experience that may lead many new graduate RNs (NGRNs) to leave their first role within a year. Effective clinical education can help prepare NGRNs for the dynamic environment of the acute care setting. The purposes of this study, guided by Meleis’s transitions theory, were to determine if there was (a) a difference in confidence in NGRNs who experienced a dedicated education unit (DEU) and NGRNs who experienced a traditional clinical education model (TCEM), (b) a difference in resilience in NGRNs who experienced a DEU and NGRNs who experienced a TCEM, (c) a difference in organizational commitment in NGRNs who experienced a DEU and NGRNs who experienced a TCEM, and (d) a difference in stress/burnout in NGRNs who experienced a DEU and NGRNs who experienced a TCEM. Archived Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey results were collected for 36 NGRNs who had experienced TCEM compared to 24 NGRNs who had experienced DEU. Results of a Mann-Whitney U showed no statistically significant differences in ranks between the TCEM and DEU groups across all four subscales. Future research should include larger sample sizes and incorporate additional dependent variables using expanded survey instruments. Ensuring the implementation of the most effective clinical education models through academic-practice partnerships is essential to support NGRNs’ transition to practice success, which affects positive social change
Staff Education to Internal Medicine Clinic
Get PDFThis is a staff education project. The practice problem addressed was the lack of standardized orientation on the electronic health record (EHR) system for rotating students, which impacted documentation quality and workflow efficiency. Prior to the intervention, students received no formal training on the clinic’s EHR system, resulting in documentation errors, workflow disruptions, and dependence on administrative staff. The educational session, tailored to the clinic’s EHR platform, aimed to promote student knowledge and confidence through structured, site-specific training. The practice-focused question was: How does structured education on site-specific EHR use impact knowledge and documentation confidence among rotating medical and nurse practitioner students? Nine students participated in the project, completing pre- and post-surveys consisting of eight identical questions on essential EHR functions. Training was delivered via a PowerPoint presentation with EHR screenshots and a printed checklist. Descriptive statistics were used to compare results. The average number of correct answers per student increased from 3.33 to 7.78. Students reported greater confidence, demonstrating the training’s effectiveness. Structured EHR education supports patient safety and digital competence among future providers. Recommendations include mid-rotation refreshers, expanded content, and multilingual materials to promote inclusion and equity. This initiative reinforces the importance of integrating informatics skills into nursing practice, supports positive social change by addressing disparities in digital literacy, and aligns with goals to prepare a culturally responsive and competent workforce
Telemental Health Utility: Working Toward Foster Carer Role Satisfaction and Placement Stability
Get PDFApproximately 400,000 children in the Child Welfare System have an average of more than three placement disruptions while in care in what is termed placement instability (PI). PI is a known toxin to children’s neurodevelopment that predisposes them to a life of poor behavioral outcomes. Previous research shows that foster parents dissatisfied with their carer role contributed to PI by quitting or terminating a child’s placement. However, an important gap remains in the PI literature about the ability of telemental health (TMH) to provide adequate support to foster parents, to increase satisfaction in the carer role and potentially decrease the rates of PI. Therefore, the main purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the role of TMH utility among foster parents for its contributions to carer role satisfaction and placement stability using a survey design. A second goal was to explore the role of caregiver orientations on TMH utility among foster parents in the United States using the Caregiver System Scale (CSS). A convenient sample of 77 foster parents who have used in-person and TMH services will be recruited with the help of a community partner. A multivariate regression analysis was used on survey data to explore whether TMH utility is associated with placement stability; and a one-way MANOVA was used to explore mean differences in TMH utility among caregiving orientations. Findings from this research could clarify how TMH utility contributes to placement stability with the aim of developing a service delivery model. This is an important contribution to the existing literature and would enhance social change initiatives through the development of a TMH praxis that helps to reduce PI and protect the neuropsychological development of cared-for children
Associations Between Devices, Flavors, Ease of Acquisition, and Use of E-Cigarettes Among American Youth
Get PDFAbstract Initiation of use of e-cigarettes is attributed to many factors and must be understood to curtail health-related problems such as cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases that are associated with use of tobacco products. This study used the Social Cognitive Theory to analyze how curiosity and peer influence could be possible predictors of e-cigarette use among youth in the United States. Predictors of flavor preference and acquisition were also examined. Data were acquired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey (N = 20,189). Statistical tests to determine existing relations and associations were binary and multinomial logistic regression. The binary logistic regression revealed there was an association between level of curiosity and peer influence and use of e-cigarettes among American youths (p \u3c .001). Curiosity and peer influence varied by race. Age was also a strong and significant predictor of use of e-cigarettes, as odds of use increased by 35.1% as age increased. Younger age groups were more inclined to use fruit (p \u3c .001) and menthol-flavored (p =.027) e-cigarettes. Females were more inclined to use candy-flavored e-cigarettes than male (p = .006). White respondents were more likely to obtain their e-cigarettes from some other source other than a family member (p = .002), friend (p =.020), or vape shop (p = .261) when compared to other races. The results of this study provided evidence regarding associations between demographic factors and flavor and place of acquisition as well as the role of curiosity and peer influence as predictors for use of e-cigarettes. This evidence can be used to strengthen anti-e-cigarette efforts, resulting in positive social change through reductions in the use of e-cigarettes among American youth
Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The National Rural Health Resource Center: An Integrative Review
No full textRural healthcare institutions face diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) challenges similar to those encountered by all healthcare organizations, particularly in effectively integrating DEI initiatives into their operational framework. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify evidence-based strategies for advancing DEI initiatives at The National Rural Health Resource Center, guided by the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) framework. An integrative review process based on available literature investigated literature on leadership development, standardized metrics, and community engagement. An integrative review of peer-reviewed literature included 21 articles and was conducted to evaluate effective DEI implementation strategies in rural healthcare settings. The analysis revealed three key themes and nine subthemes: (a) the importance of structured leadership development in DEI competencies—embedding DEI in leadership roles, providing structured training, and aligning policies and resources; (b) the need for standardized metrics and accountability frameworks—establishing benchmarks, using data-driven decision-making, and ensuring transparent reporting; and (c) the value of systematic community engagement approaches—fostering inclusive stakeholder involvement, cultural adaptation, and sustainable partnerships. The findings indicate that successful DEI integration requires a multifaceted approach combining strong leadership commitment, measurable outcomes, and community-centered programming. These elements must work in concert to effectively serve diverse rural populations and address systemic healthcare disparities. The National Rural Health Resource Center can foster positive social change through more equitable access and improved health outcomes by applying these strategies