Nurse Residency

This is a collection of work created by members of the New Graduate Nurse Residency Program of MaineHealth. This program serves as an adjunct to the traditional clinical orientation experience of one-on-one with a registered nurse preceptor.

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Evaluating the Effectiveness of Silicone Foam Dressing in Preventing Pressure Ulcers in Intensive Care Settings

Farah Ibrahim RN BSN

PICOT Question: For critically ill patients and high-risk aged care residents, does the use of multi-layer silicone foam dressing reduce the future risk of developing pressure injuries compared with those who receive the standard pressure injury preventions without the application of the dressing on their sacrum and heels?
Evidence-Based Diabetes Exercise Intervention

Laura Smith

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic, noninfectious disease that affects a large population of adults in the world. Typically, it is associated with obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and the consumption of undesirable meals (Nakrani et al., 2020/2023). Even with various treatments available for type 2 diabetes, most patients find it challenging to maintain a steady blood glucose level.
Fall Rates in Patient Populations with Remote Video Monitoring Compared to Companions

Alexandra Volpe and Catherine Close

Background: Healthcare facilities are constantly searching for new and improved interventions to minimize injury and fall rates within their units. 1:1 companions, or ‘sitters’, have been used to provide the patient with close monitoring in order to accomplish these goals. However, companions are not always a liable option for facilities due to poor staffing and increased expense in order to staff a ratio of 1 companion to 1 patient. Research has started to develop on the benefits of remote video monitoring, or ‘telesitting’, as an intervention to minimize fall risk and injury.
Fall Reduction: Using Exercise Interventions to Reduce the Number of Falls Among People with Parkinson's Disease

Michael D. Healy RN

PICOT Question: In geriatric patients with Parkinson's, what is the effectiveness of lower extremity strength training combined with medication management for the reduction of unplanned falls?
Fall Risk and Patient Safety

Sidney Sparda, Iza Lobue, and Lilly Morrissey

In patients with increased fall risk how does using the TIPS tool compared to The Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (JHFRAT) affect patient falls within an acute care setting?
Falls Happen... Do Tele sitters vs. 1:1 Companions Make a DIfference?

Jenna Flewelling RN, Gabby Guzman RN, and Rhiannon Regan RN

In patients with an increased fall risk (P), how does a tele sitter (I) compared to a 1:1 in person companion (C) affect the amount of falls that occur (O) within a hospital stay (T)?
Glycemic Control in Type II Diabetics

Brianna Jordan BSN, RN; Caelyn Smith BSN, RN; Kyleigh Alt BSN, RN; and Sarah Goslin BSN, RN

In type two diabetics, how does in-patient insulin protocols compare to interventions at home influence glycemic control over 6 months?
Handoff Report & Standardizing Report Sheets

Isabella Santeramo RN ADN, Caitlin Salas RN ADN, Samantha Neilhart RN ADN, and Debra Harmon RN ADN

PICOT Question: In nursing, how does a standardized report compared to a non-standardized report affect efficiency in continuity of care in a 12-hour shift?
HELP Programs Impact on Delirium

Abigail Holt

Background: Delirium is a condition that affects 1/3 of patients in the hospital. It is a condition that is preventable and reversible.
How Can We Improve How Delirium is Managed in Acute Care?

Lauren Wargo RN, Kaylyn Ritchie RN, and Jillian Lefebvre RN

In the acute care population, does assessing the patient's risk factors for delirium upon admission and daily, as well as implementing evidence based preventative measures based upon risk factors, reduce the incidence and duration of delirium compared to the patient that is not screened for risk factors and does not have preventative measures implemented?
How Environment of Care Standards Impact Patient Satisfaction

Taylor Tantingco and Raeven Bilugan

Background: Environment of Care (EOC) are standards of care that revolve around the safety and well-being of both the staff and the patient.

EOC takes into account variables such as a clean environment, basic standards of care (ADLs), and access to resources/materials.
How will the use of a black out hour and the improvement in handoff communication increase patient safety when arriving on the medical surgical units?

Mackenzie Aleva

Background: Change of shift admissions also increase nurse's frustration and workload. Most importantly change of shift admissions pose a risk for patient safety. On this unit specifically there are frequent change of shift admissions that occur.
Impact of Gum Chewing on Return of Gastrointestinal Motility in Postoperative Colorectal Surgery Patients

Cheryl Kaufman RN

PICOT Question: In postoperative colorectal surgery patients, how does gum chewing versus non-gum chewing beginning post op day one impact the return of gastric motility and the prevention of postoperative ileus?
Impact of Sleep Comfort Measures on Patient Experience

Elizabeth Cotsifas RN, Lydia Gordon RN, Lillian Renier RN BSN, and Emily Schade RN

PICOT Question: For hospitalized patients, how does the utilization of sleep comfort measures, or lack of, affect patient quality of sleep from admission to discharge?
Impacts of Fluid Restriction in Heart Failure Patients

Monica Lopez RN, Jacob Maxwell-Couch RN, Jennifer Perry RN, and Barbara Shea RN

PICOT Question: In hospitalized patients with heart failure does a fluid restriction versus liberalized fluid intake lead to improvement of heart failure symptoms?
Improving Nurse-Provider Communication

Caitlin Martel-Harrington and Martha Mary Lane

Background: Ineffective communication among healthcare staff has been shown to cause an increase in errors and decrease in patient satisfaction.
Improving Outcomes: Preoperative Education in Cardiac Surgery

Carson Dyer RN, BSN and Odette Zouri RN, BSN

In patients undergoing cardiac surgery, does preoperative teaching vs. no preoperative teaching decrease anxiety and increase adherence to changes in lifestyle during the postoperative period?
Improving the Balance Between Patient Satisfaction and Efficient ED Throughput

Jessica Graham and Izzi Marceau

Background: Patients come into the Emergency Department (ED)when they are having an emergent health concern. One role of the ED nurse is balancing the patient expectations of care with ensuring the flow of the department. The studies reviewed here examine the way that ED nurses can help to coordinate realistic expectations for patients as they are waiting to be seen.
Initiation of J-tube

Emily Bolduc, Olivia Lagace, Megan Dunn, Lauren Long, and Rolanda Nubuor

How does the initiation of J-Tube feeds affect the postoperative care plan of an esophagectomy patient?
In patients aged 70 and above, male and female, how does the length of stay after treatment compared to early discharge impact the patient's level of orientation?

Amanda Ames, Caitlin Chasse, and Jamie Beaupre

Background: The length of stay after treatment can put patients’ health and well-being at a disadvantage. Length of stay can not only cause delirium but can also have detrimental impacts on pre-existing comorbidities. By decreasing a patient's length of stay following the completion of treatment, there are lower levels of adverse outcomes that not only benefit the patient but also those around them.
Intermittent Auscultation vs Electronic Fetal Monitoring in Laboring Patients

Nichole Plummer and Jennifer Kellerman

In healthy laboring women, how does the use of Intermittent auscultation, compared to continuous monitoring, affect fetal and maternal outcomes?
Interventions to Improve Mental Health in New Graduate Nurses

Katherine Lewis RN BSN, Cordelia Inman RN BSN, Hannah LeClair, and Caroline Spencer RN BSN

PICOT Question: In new graduate nurses (CN1), how does mental health support groups compared to no specific mental health support affect new nurses within the first year of hire?
Labor & Delivery EBP Project: Reducing Implicit Bias in Nursing as a Way to Decrease Maternal Racial Health Disparities and Improve Outcomes

Julianne Andreades and Robin Illian

Introduction/Background:

• Maternal mortality for Black birthing people in the United States is 3X higher than it is for white birthing people (CDC, 2022).

• Racism, including implicit bias, is a driver of these disparities (CDC, 2022).

• Research has shown that clinicians' implicit bias, defined as unconscious attitudes and beliefs that impact behaviors, affects treatment decisions and patient outcomes (Groves et al., 2021 and Siden et al., 2022).
Low vs. High Patient Ratio Effects on Medical Errors

Katelynn Watkins RN, Chris Strong RN, and Najmo Ali RN

PICOT Question: This evidence-based practice project aimed to analyze; in acute-care settings how do variations in nurse-to-patient ratios when comparing low and high ratios, influence medical errors, patient outcomes and nurse outcomes?
Medical Play

Sophie Dugas RN and Michella Canning RN

PICOT Question: Does medical play create a positive outlook during and after medical procedures in pediatric patients during their hospital stay?