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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Subcutaneous Anticoagulation Administration vs Ecchymosis

Ethan Langlois RN

In adult patients receiving subcutaneous anticoagulation, how does using a slow injection time and local cold application compared to standard practice affect bruising?
TAVR Closure Devices and Their Effect on Bedrest Time

Emily Curtis RN, Allie Gilbert RN, Morgan Jackson RN, Jaden Morin RN, and Shauna Riordan RN

In transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement patients, how do different bed rest times as well as different closure devices affect the patient outcomes postoperatively?
The Benefits of Heat Application and Range of Motion vs. Ice Therapy

Jared Proulx RN BSN and Alejandro Canales RN

PICOT Question: In patients with musculoskeletal injuries, is heat application and gentle range of motion more or less effective than standard icing and immobilization methods in regard to the healing process, prognosis and positive patient outcomes?
The Benefits of Psychosocial Interventions on the Inpatient Pediatric Population Diagnosed with Eating Disorders

Melissa Guzzi, Samantha Pelkey, Rebekah Reny, and Molly McCluskey

What is the effect of consistent, scheduled psychosocial interventions versus the absence of scheduled psychosocial interventions on the pediatric inpatient population diagnosed with eating disorders and requiring medical stabilization?
The Benefits of Self-Care and Wellness

Tara Nau

Among practicing nurses, does participation in health-promoting self-care and lifestyle interventions improve their health behaviors and well-being compared to those who do not engage in such interventions?
The Benefits of Simulation-Based Training

Brooke Taylor

Background: Due to COVID-19, many hospitals shut down their in-person classes and simulated trainings. This has had a negative impact on the education of our new graduate nurses.
The Comparison Between Chlorhexidine and Povidone-Iodine Antiseptics in the Operating Room to Prevent Surgical Site Infections

Eleanor Decarolis

Background: Surgical site infections (SSI's) are one of the most common and costly complications from surgery. Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and Povidione-Iodine (PVI) are the most common antiseptics used in surgery. The efficacy and uses of these surgical preps have been studied to determine the most effective in preventing surgical site infections.
The Complexity of PRN Psychotropic Medications in the Acute Care Setting

Morgan Pasquali BSC RN

PICOT Question: In the geriatric population who have PRN medication for agitation compared with those without PRN medication for agitation, are at risk for adverse events during their hospital stay?
The Effects of Care Handoffs and Hospital-Wide Flow

Abbey Siulinski, Kaitlyn Leavitt, Ryan Pullen, and Katie Schmid

Introduction: Observed extended boarding of admitted patients and increased length of stay in the ED due to delay in handoff resulting in decreased ability to provide full extent of care.
The Effects of Care Handoffs and Hospital-Wide Flow

Abbey Siulinski BSN, Kaitlyn Leavitt RN, Ryan Pullen BSN, and Katie Schmid BSN

PICOT Question: In admitted patients, do timely nurse to nurse reports vs delays in care handoff negatively affect patient care and outcomes?
The Impact of Clustered Nursing on Adult Patients in the ICU

Haley Armentrout and Jacob Sackett

Background: Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are at risk of developing many different complications due to the complex nature of their health conditions as well as the care required in the critical care environment. Among the different complications that can occur in this population, delirium and issues associated with mechanical ventilation are especially concerning.
The Impact of Prone Ventilation Among Patients Diagnosed with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Mary Steward and Kimberly Loomis

Background Mechanical ventilation is a commonICU intervention for patients in respiratory distress. Proning is a form of mechanical ventilation that has been recently studied which improves gas exchange and lung perfusion among patients specifically diagnosed with ARDS.
The Importance of Early Mobilization in the Inpatient Setting

Amanda Brawn

For hospital patients, how do early mobility interventions, compared to current practice (no intervention), affect their length of hospital stay and readmission rate?
The Need and Impact of Child Life Interventions and Support on Night Shift

Meranda Martin RN, Elise Moloney RN BSN, and Natani Condo RN BSN

PICOT Question: For pediatric patients (P), how would having a Child Life resource available on night shift (I) improve (C) overall patient experience (O) during hospital stays (T)?
The Power of Empowerment: What Happens When We Include Patients in Nutritional Decision-Making

Katarina Konstantino BSN, Julia Vaughan BSN, and Jennifer Hillyard BSN

In hospitalized patients, how do personalized meal selections impact patient satisfaction and overall quality of life during hospital stays?
The Therapeutic Use of Intraoperative Music to Reduce Postoperative Pain in Patients Receiving General Anesthesia

Caroline Ford

Background: The recovery from surgery can be very painful for some patients and require opioid management and longer hospital stays for unmanaged pain. Music has been a non-analgesic way of helping patients with chronic pain and recent studies have shown that music intraoperatively can greatly improve the patients' pain after surgery requiring general anesthesia.
The Use of Nitrous Oxide in Adult Inpatient Populations for Analgesic and Anxiety Management During Bedside Procedures

Avery Low RN, Frances Brown RN, and Hannah Lewis RN

PICOT question: In adult medical-surgical inpatient populations, how does nitrous oxide compared to commonly used pain medications, affect patient procedure compliance and/or experience, within the length of their hospital visit?
Trans and Non-Binary Patient Satisfaction in Relation to Practitioner Education

Kristen Goodale

In trans and non-binary patients, how does the use of mandatory education modules compared to no specific mandatory education modules impact patients’ satisfaction, safety, and trust in the care they receive in the emergency department?
Trauma-Informed Care for NICU Parents

Emma Stahl BSN RN and Elise Tilton BSN RN

For parents of neonates that have been admitted to the NICU, does the use of trauma-informed care reduce the risk of parental stress/ trauma?
Treatment Protocol for Withdrawal of Alcohol

Kendra Bishop, Simone Lauture, Benita Ehomo, and Andrey Popov

PICOT Question: In patients experiencing or at risk for alcohol withdrawal, how does Phenobarbital protocol compared to standard protocol (use of Benzodiazepines) affect patient detox experience and outcome within their hospitalization?
Turn and Stay Turned

Whitney Brown

Does the use of specialized positioning tools compared to standard hospital pillows improve the degree of turn achieved and maintained in patients requiring regular turns to offload pressure?
Uninterrupted Bedside Handoff Impact on Patient Care

Amina Nur RN, BSN; Kalli Grover RN, BSN; Kaela Godwin RN, BSN; and Sue Aubuchon RN

When addressing the needs of hospital inpatients(P), what is the effect of having an uninterrupted hand-off report(I) on patient care(C), compared to one that is delayed or interrupted by addressing emergent patient needs(O) during the shift change hand-off reporting(T)?
Unsafe Sleep Practices

Hillary Nash RN, BSN; Caitlin Rouselle RN, BSN; and Sabrina Schleh RN, BSN

In newborns does enhanced verbal and visual education given to their parents/guardians related to unsafe sleep practices help to lower the incidence of unsafe sleep reported on our unit?
Use of Language-Adapted Resources in the Non-English Speaking Patient Population

Jenny Lansing and Emma Dubois

Background: Across the healthcare field, it is essential that patients and families can both communicate and understand the care they receive. A lack in this can lead to delays in care, missed findings, unnecessary care and costs, and even preventable emergencies. Limited research surrounds the impact that language barriers pose as well as methods to address this.
Use of SAT/SBT in Adult Critical Care

Jack Shibles RN, Kelsie Lynch RN, Grace Decker RN, and Matthew McDonald RN

In mechanically ventilated adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients, how does having a protocol for pairing a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) with a spontaneous awakening trial (SAT) compared to not having a protocol affect the number of ventilator days?