Contributors to Hospitalized Infective Endocarditis Outcomes Among Patients With Substance Use.

Patients with substance use (SU) diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE) have high rates of discharge against medical advice (DAMA) and 30-day readmission. Evaluate contributors associated with DAMA and 30-day readmission among patients with SU and IE. This retrospective chart review included patients >18 years, admitted to one hospital in the Northeastern, United States for SU and IE from January 2018 to December 2020.

Exploring the Clinical Outcomes of Implementing Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support in a Primary Care Practice: A Quality Improvement Project.

Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) can be a very valuable service for many patients with diabetes. Unfortunately, despite its expected benefits, many patients do not receive DSMES through a quality, structured program. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if integrating a diabetes education program utilizing the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES)7 Self-Care Behaviors into diabetes care in a primary care clinic could improve glycemic control and body mass index (BMI).

Direct Yet Opposite Effects of Stress-related and Mindful Eating on Diet Quality.

Objective: Examine the relationships among dietary quality, mindful eating, and constructs of the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, women (n = 67) aged 25-50 years, with a body mass index of 25-40 kg/m completed 3 days of 24-hour recalls and a survey that included the Perceived Stress Scale, Eating and Appraisal Due to Emotions and Stress Questionnaire, and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling assessed relationships among all constructs with the dependent variable, the Healthy Eating Index-2015.

Management of Diabetes During a Dual Pandemic.

The dual pandemics of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and diabetes among patients are associated with 2- to 3-times higher intensive care admissions and higher mortality rates. Whether sheltering at home, quarantined with a positive COVID-19 test, or hospitalized, the person living with diabetes needs special considerations for successful management. Having diabetes and being COVID-19-positive increases the risk of poor outcomes and death.

Impact of a Diabetes Toolkit on Weight Loss Among Veterans.

This quality improvement project aimed to answer the following clinical question: Among U.S. male veterans (N = 30) living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) receiving services from a Veterans Affairs (VA) endocrinology clinic, how does a diabetes toolkit influence knowledge and glycaemic control? All the study participants were male and from 31 to 91 years of age.

Risk Reduction Interventions for Human Papillomavirus in Rural Maryland.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is largely vaccine preventable. The Healthy People 2020 target goal for vaccine administration is 80%. Current United States (U.

Comparisons of Trauma Outcomes and Injury Severity Score.

Trauma is a global health problem and a leading cause of mortality. One of the major predictors of trauma mortality is the Injury Severity Score (ISS). Theoretically, as the ISS increases, the probability of survival decreases; ISS = 75 is considered to be not survivable.

Simulation With Advanced Care Providers in a Nurse Residency Program.

As many hospitals are implementing residency programs for new graduate nurses, the utilization of high-fidelity simulation has become common. This pilot program compared simulation with participation of only new graduate nurses and new graduates with advanced care providers. Results found a statistically significant increase in knowledge of differing roles and skills in simulations that included both groups.

Improving HPV vaccination rates among young males in rural areas of the United States.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination occurs more frequently among females ages 11 to 18 than their male counterparts. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to identify reasons why parents/guardians either choose or decline HPV immunization and increase rates of vaccination among males ages 11 to 18 in rural areas of the United States.

Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Provider Monitoring of Endotracheal Tube and Laryngeal Mask Airway Cuff Pressures.

Previous research demonstrates that monitoring and adjusting pressures in endotracheal (ET) tubes 30 cm H2O or less and laryngeal mask airways (LMAs) 60 cm H2O or less decrease rates of postoperative pharyngolaryngeal complications. In this evidencebased practice project we examined whether a multistep intervention (departmental education plus reference cards in operating rooms plus addition of cuff pressure documentation variable in electronic anesthesia record) would increase the frequency of providers monitoring intracuff pressures and decrease the rate of high intracuff pressures. Before and after the intervention, we recorded intracuff pressures of 51 ET tubes and 51 LMAs in surgical patients, as well as providers’ self-reported incidence of monitoring and adjusting intracuff pressures.

Diabetes Self-Management Education and Self-Efficacy Among African American Women Living With Type 2 Diabetes in Rural Primary Care.

African American women suffer the highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Self-efficacy is important for optimal diabetes self-management (DSM). To evaluate DSM by comparing pre- and postintervention responses to a diabetes self-efficacy scale.

Group Conference Call Diabetes Educational Support Sessions: A Pilot Study.

The aim of this study was to determine the acceptability of group-conference-call diabetes educational support sessions for rural dwelling southern African-American women and to describe the impact on diabetes distress. Pre- post-test design was utilized to determine any change in scores on questionnaires. Qualitative techniques were utilized to determine the acceptability of the conference callformat.

Strategies to Alleviate Anxiety Before the Placement of a Stereotactic Radiosurgery Frame.

Background: Patients scheduled for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) need the placement of a head frame for accurate treatment of brain metastases and other abnormalities in the brain. These patients frequently experience anxiety before frame placement. Although there is evidence that preprocedure education can alleviate anxiety, less is known about education for patients undergoing head frame placement.

Identifying Women at Risk for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome Utilizing Breast Care Nurse Navigation at Mammography and Imaging Centers.

Approximately 5-10% of breast cancer cases appear in families at a higher rate and at an earlier onset than in the average population. Two known gene defects, BRCA1 and BRCA2, account for the majority of these hereditary related breast cancers. Additionally, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are related to the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer syndrome (HBOC), where risk for other related cancers are increased.

Identifying early signs of peripheral neuropathy among patients with diabetes mellitus.

This article aims to help nurse practitioners develop a best practice algorithm to identify the early signs of peripheral neuropathy (PNP) among individuals living with diabetes mellitus. This literature review also seeks to determine if there are better clinical testing methods than the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament examination to detect diabetes-related PNP.

Expedited diagnosis and management of inpatient hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome.

Purpose: This practice improvement project was formulated to determine accuracy rate in differentiating between two hyperglycemic crises (diabetes ketoacidosis [DKA] and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome [HHNKS]) in a clinical population of individuals who manifested hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus (DM). We hypothesized that HHNKS was commonly misdiagnosed as DKA. Our primary aim was to determine frequency of correct HHNKS diagnoses.

The synergistic effects of HIV, diabetes, and aging on cognition: implications for practice and research.

Thanks to highly active antiretroviral therapy, many people infected with HIV will likely live into old age. Although this is a welcome prognosis, new issues are emerging that may complicate the ability to successfully age in this clinical population. HIV and aging independently are related to cognitive impairments, so there are concerns that those aging with HIV may be more at risk of such cognitive impairments.

Substantive review of the literature of medication treatment of chronic low back pain among adults.

Purpose: Pain can be debilitating, and it is often inadequately treated, particularly among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). CLBP has a substantial economic impact, as it affects an individual's ability to perform activities of daily living and maintain employment. This study aims to review original studies related to the evidence-based management of patients with CLBP to develop an algorithm for prescribing medications and recommending other treatment modalities for patients with CLBP.

Cardiometabolic risk, knowledge, risk perception, and self-efficacy among American Indian women with previous gestational diabetes.

Objective: To describe cardiometabolic risk among a sample of American Indian women with previous gestational diabetes and describe the women's knowledge, risk perception for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and self-efficacy beliefs related to preventing these diseases.

Design: Mixed methods, cross-sectional, exploratory, descriptive.

Setting: Four campuses within one American Indian tribal health care system in a southwestern state.