CCRS Projects Making an Impact on Nursing Practice

The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe the shared experiences among nursing students and recent graduates whose clinical rotations were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings from this study will help identify nursing students and recent graduates’ experiences and clinical readiness which may help future students and nurse educators.

Nursing documentation at the bedside has the potential to improve documentation accuracy and timeliness. During Phase 1, a retrospective chart analysis of documentation practices of 136 nurses will be conducted to compare the timeliness of documentation at a nursing station computer versus documentation completed at a bedside computer. Phase two will use a survey method to examine barriers to bedside charting.

This retrospective study examined whether inpatient hospital against medical advice (AMA) discharges decreased pre/post the implementation of a hospital-wide substance use disorder assessment and intervention, Study findings showed no statistically significant change in AMA discharge rates at a large urban hospital following the implementation of hospital-wide substance use screenings and interventions. While substance use disorder is frequently cited as a significant indicator of AMA discharge, it is not the sole factor.

*Manuscript in preparation.

The purpose of this 8-week study was to evaluate the feasibility of short mindfulness sessions (Mindful Moment) practiced prior to a shift, available in-person and online, on nurse burnout and perceived levels of stress. Findings showed that a brief, self-care intervention resulted in lower levels of burnout and perceived stress among this population of clinicians. Mindfulness, yoga, and meditation continue to show promise as a method for nurses to practice self-care and may be particularly useful as nurses are caring for critical, complex patients, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

*Manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal of Holistic Nursing Practice.

Elderly patients in skilled care units receive daily physical, occupational therapies and/or speech therapy. Social interactions when patients are hospitalized for weeks and in some cases even months may decrease or be limited. Social relationships, quality of life, and sleep have not been studied in the inpatient skilled care populations. The purpose of this longitudinal study is to describe loneliness, quality of life, and sleep quality in in-patients (>65 years) admitted to a skilled unit.

*Manuscript in preparation.

This descriptive study is designed to better understand barriers to participation in clinical trials through assessing cancer health literacy level and knowledge, receptivity, and attitudes of patients with lymphoma towards participation in clinical trials. This research study involves 2 phases. Phase 1 includes lymphoma patients (n=30) who have participated in a cancer clinical trial within the last 2 years or are currently receiving therapy as part of a cancer clinical trial. Phase 2 includes lymphoma patients (n=15) who declined participation in a cancer clinical trial from January 2019 to present.

The purpose of this ongoing study is to assess the impact of art therapy on perceived stress and anxiety among patients undergoing cancer treatment. This 4-week study involves 90-minute art therapy sessions and focuses on a different theme and painting medium each week. The study is delivered virtually to adhere to social distancing precautions. Thus far, 4 participants have completed the study with favorable reductions in perceived stress and anxiety.

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to provide families with young children outpatient fever education to 1) increase parental fever knowledge, and 2) decrease avoidable outpatient and ER visits. Twenty-eight parent-infant dyads completed fever management education. Most parents (79%) participated during a well-child visit, had completed some college (61%), and reported no other siblings in the household (64%). Parents correctly identified twice as many care interventions to treat their child’s fever at home after the education. Overall parental confidence improved by 44.5% and every parent correctly recognized a fever as 100.4F.

*Manuscript in preparation for Journal of Pediatric Health Care.

The purpose of this study was to examine the educational needs of oncology nurses who administer oral chemotherapy drugs in the ambulatory setting. Recently completed a survey assessing educational needs and is currently preparing educational sessions.

The purpose of this retrospective chart review was to examine the 48 hours leading up to every in hospital respiratory and cardiac arrest outside of the ICU, Operating Room and Emergency Department. This review will help to identify trends, patterns and areas for improvement.

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to measure the effectiveness of a 4-hour Mindfulness and Resilience Workshop through the evaluation of nurse’s burnout, perceived stress and mindfulness.

*1 manuscript publication in Journal of Holistic Nursing Practice, 1 national conference and 3 regional conferences. 

This 18-month pilot study assessed the feasibility to recruit and retain participants with high grade glioma (HHG) into a 10-week exercise intervention and evaluated the impact on CRF and QOL. Participants were enrolled into usual care (UC), education (EDU), or exercise (EX) based on time of enrollment and radiation treatment location. Thirty patients were screened and 19 agreed to participate, providing a 63% accrual rate. EX participants experienced less fatigue and improved QOL compared to UC and EDU, suggesting that exercise favorably impacts clinical outcomes and is feasible among patients with HGG.

The purpose of this initiative was to determine the impact of mechanical chair massage among registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice providers (APPs) on perceived stress, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). Data from 110 massage chair encounters revealed a significant different in nurses perceived stress and BP and a favorable change in HR. These findings suggest that providing a quiet room to relax within the clinical setting serves an opportunity to promote a healthy work environment and favorably impact BP, HR, and perceived level of stress.

*Manuscript has been accepted for publication in Viewpoint, the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing Journal; 1 national conference.