Document Type
DNP Project
Department
School of Nursing
Date of Degree
Summer 2019
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Primary Advisor
Mercedes Echevarria, DNP, APN; Kate Driscoll Malliarakis, PhD, ANP-BC, MAC, FAAN
Abstract
Inadequately controlled acute pain is a problem for hospitalized patients. Non-pharmacological pain management interventions (NPPMIs) are recommended but underutilized. Nurse-directed lavender aromatherapy is a feasible and effective NPPMI. Patients at a community hospital, including its surgical-orthopedic unit, reported lower patient pain management experience scores than the average score of Magnet Recognition status hospitals. The community hospital planned to improve pain management by implementing nurse-directed lavender aromatherapy. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to fortify the hospital’s nurse-directed lavender aromatherapy implementation with change agents. A logic model guided implementation. Project aims were to increase the surgical-orthopedic unit’s pain management experience scores and to offer nurse-directed lavender aromatherapy to all appropriate patients by close of the project. Change agents included a Doctor of Nursing Practice student and nurse pain champions. Interventions included Doctor of Nursing Practice student-led: (a) surgical-orthopedic unit Lunch & Learn presentations and Rounding for Results sessions and (b) implementation discussions with nurse pain champions from four units, including the surgical-orthopedic unit. Because of these interventions, surgical-orthopedic unit patient pain experience scores increased from 43rd percentile to 78th percentile. In five of six project weeks, all appropriate surgical-orthopedic unit patients were offered nurse-directed lavender aromatherapy. Adoption of the practice change was successful, but slower than anticipated because of slow adoption by the nurses. Nurse leaders responded to this slow adoption by adding additional change agent rounds. Logic model development and change agents are effective strategies for NPPMI implementation.
Copyright Notice
© 2019 Karen Mack. All rights reserved.
Recommended Citation
Mack, K. (2019). Change Agent Impact on Pain Management Experience through Lavender Aromatherapy: Evidence-Based Practice Project. , (). Retrieved from https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/son_dnp/56
Open Access
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