Faculty of Health Sciences Projects (Master's)

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Elevating capacity with individuals with substance use disorder: a professional practice model to guide nursing practice in the concurrent setting
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2022) Gwynn, Jenny Ann; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences; Koso, Silvia
There is need for increased knowledge, skill, and capacity for nurses caring for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) in the dual diagnosis (DD) environment and in other areas of healthcare. SUD is found to be under-addressed, even in DD care environments. Individuals with SUD have historically been stigmatized in most societal structures, including healthcare which leads to substandard care and outcomes for individuals with SUD. Without a robust body of research, formal education in the area of SUD has also lagged behind other healthcare areas, even mental health. Without this formal education, nurses may resort to stigmatizing societal narratives, rather than evidence-based intervention, for the care for individuals with SUD. This substandard nursing care then diminishes the outcomes for individuals with SUD in the healthcare setting. After a thorough literature search, implementing project management strategies, and a small pilot evaluation, a professional practice model (PPM) has been created as a practical tool for guiding nursing practice when interacting with individuals with SUD to fill the gap in knowledge for interventions with individuals with SUD. As such, the pilot indicated the PPM was effective in elevating nursing knowledge of caring for individuals with SUD.
Keep ticking: congestive heart failure self management program
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2022) Bodie, Kendra Laine; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences; Koso, Silvia
The social determinants of health are factors that impact an individual’s ability to self-manage congestive heart failure. Social determinants of health impact adherence to treatment and self-monitoring. Assessing how the social determinants of health impact patients on an individual level improves patient-centered care planning and health education. Registered nurses play a key role in facilitating access to health care resources and promoting healthy behaviors by building effective relationships and fostering open communication. There is a gap in practice within the Calgary Integrated Home Care Program in what patients need to be supported with, and what they end up being supported with. The Keep Ticking: Congestive Heart Failure Self- Management program offers an education seminar to registered nurses working with heart failure patients that highlights how the social determinants of health affect heart failure management, the role nurses have in addressing heart failure management, and provides strategies in which nurses can use to improve the delivery of health education. This program also uses an assessment tool that nurses use with heart failure patients to identify specific self-management barriers related to the social determinants of health and acts as a guideline in how nurses can help support patients in mitigating those barriers. This program has shown to be effective in improving health education by assessing baseline understanding of patient’s knowledge in heart failure management. Further assessment tool adaption and timing is required to improve its applicability in the home care program. Future program implementation will focus on collaboration and building relationships for effective patient-provider relationships. Nurses in the home care setting are limited on how they can address barriers related to the social determinants of health. Action is required beyond the level of care that home care nurses can provide, and further intervention is required on a social and political level.
Pelvic health fitness and education: a six-week fitness program for incontinence knowledge and prevention
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2022) Price, Jessica Lynn; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences; Koso, Silvia
Urinary incontinence (UI) is associated with devastating consequences and is highly prevalent in women. Conservative measures can effectively prevent and treat UI, although women have little knowledge about these treatments. Practice guidelines for the treatment of UI advocate for the increased education of women on UI and its treatments as well as promoting conservative efforts in community settings. Nurse-led educational efforts are effective and costeffective methods of addressing UI. Nurses are in an excellent position to provide UI education in community settings. Advancing pelvic health nursing in the community will increase access to care and promote the prevention and treatment of UI. This program combines pelvic health education and fitness to be administered in community fitness facilities. The curriculum is designed to increase women’s knowledge about urinary incontinence and its treatments, increase self-efficacy to manage urinary incontinence and decrease the stigma associated with it. This program has been guided by Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy to increase women’s capacity to self-manage their pelvic health. The program was adapted due to fitness instructor staffing shortages and the education portion of the program was implemented on its own as a pelvic health seminar for women. Evaluation of the program was completed using a paper or online survey before, immediately after, and at one-month after the seminar. There was a statistically significant increase in women’s knowledge of pelvic health and a decrease in stigma associated with UI immediately after the program. This was maintained at the one-month evaluation. Verbal feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive showing women appreciated having the ability to access health education of this nature in more community settings where they can bypass needing to see their physician or a specialist practitioner. This program fills a noted gap in the literature advancing nursing practice in pelvic health. It also answers the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) call to action to increase UI education for women provided in community settings. Having nurses provide increased education and access to care is vital to maintaining efficiency in our healthcare system and will relieve long waitlists for specialty practitioners.
Preparation before the operation: pre-assessment clinic continuing education course for rural perioperative nurses
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2022) Doré, Christopher Dawn; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences; Koso, Silvia
The project, Preparation Before the Operation, was designed to assess the feasibility of a rural tailored online continuing education course to address the gaps in perioperative education. The 4-week asynchronous course focused on supporting nursing education in rural preoperative settings across the south zone of Alberta. Knowles and Duchscher’s theoretical frameworks guided course content on adult learning principles. The ADDIE model for online course design underpinned the delivery methodology and course strategies. The project outcome reinforced online continuing education as an effective strategy to enhance nursing knowledge and skills in remote practice settings. This project is relevant to nursing practice as it demonstrated that investing in continuing education can have a positive impact on surgical outcomes and rural surgical environments. Because perioperative nursing requires extensive knowledge and skill beyond maintaining sterility and monitoring the patient in the operating room, this unique ruralfocused continuing education course supported rural nurses to engage and apply evidence-based knowledge to enhance preoperative care. The project was reinforced by primary healthcare initiatives, underpinned by social determinants of health. This project added to the growing body of nursing knowledge and evidence exploring the impact of social determinants of health on surgical outcomes. It also advanced preoperative nursing skills and knowledge, to reduce surgical inequities, that are critical to optimizing patients.