NK4

 

Research and Dissemination NK4

 

Provide one example, with supporting evidence, of how clinical nurse(s) disseminated the organization’s completed nursing research study to external audiences. 

 

 

Example: Clinical Nurse Disseminates Research Findings Nationally to CommonSpirit Health Healthcare Providers

Organization’s Nursing Research
Nursing research provides the scientific basis for the practice of the profession. Using multiple philosophical and theory-based approaches and diverse methodologies, nursing research focuses on “understanding the symptoms of illness, preventing and slowing disease or disability, finding effective approaches to achieving optimal health, and improving clinical settings where care is provided” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2006, p. 1).

 

Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) St. Vincent Hot Springs (SVHS) clinical nurses are encouraged to continually grow professionally. One way is getting involved with nursing research studies. Clinical nurses are encouraged to inquire what opportunities there are to improve on the nursing practices every day at CHI SVHS.

 

CHI SVHS Cancer Treatment Center (CTC) cares for many patients with head and neck cancer. David Pruitt, MD, Radiation Oncologist, and Elizabeth Bright, RN, OCN, Nurse Navigator, inquired about an opportunity in caring for patients receiving radiation therapy to have better outcomes and completed a nursing research study to see if this opportunity could indeed make a difference.

 

The SMAP-AV: Saving Mucosa with Prophylactic Aloe Vera Therapy study was approved by the IRB in April 2019. The study was completed in March 2023. The purpose of this study was to determine if the prophylactic use of aloe vera juice in patients receiving external beam radiation therapy specifically for those with a biopsy confirming the diagnosis of head or neck cancer:

  • Would prevent drastic weight loss (more than 10%)
  • Would prevent this patient population from requiring a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube
  • Would have this patient population experience two or less on the WHO (World Health Organization) oral mucositis scale during their course of radiation

 

The potential benefit of the study is that the patient will expect to experience fewer treatment-related side effects, most specifically mucositis and esophagitis, and prevent drastic weight loss during treatment by using the correct consistency of aloe vera juice prophylactically, as prescribed during external beam radiation therapy.

 

retailers in America. Aloe vera juice is like any other vegetable and is sold alongside other produce. There is very little risk with ingesting Aloe Vera juice. Thirty patients were enrolled in the study.

 

An IRB application was completed for the nursing research study, titled “SMAP-AV: Saving Mucosa with Prophylactic Aloe Vera Therapy” and submitted to the IRB on April 1, 2019. (Evidence NK4-1, IRB Application) The Catholic Health Initiative (CHI) Institute for Research and Innovation Institutional Review Board (CHIRB) reviewed and approved the nursing research study on April 23, 2019, and determined the project to be a full IRB review that was expedited. (Evidence NK4-2, IRB Approval Letter)

 

The CHI SVHS principal investigator for the study was Pruitt, and the CHI SVHS co-principal investigator was Bright. The nursing research study was launched on May 22, 2019, and completed on March 14, 2023.

 

Findings of the Study

The results for the three endpoints of the study for the 30-patient sample were:

  • Patients will not lose greater than 10% of their initial body weight:
    • Seventeen out of 30 (57%) patients lost less than 10% of their initial body weight.
    • Eight out of 30 (27%) patients lost more than 10% of their initial body weight but were not compliant with the use of aloe vera juice.
    • Five out of 30 (17%) patients did not complete radiation.
  • Additionally:
    • One patient had a hospital admission and never resumed treatment.
    • Three patients quit the study, due to discomfort or pain.
    • One patient had a cardiac arrest and disease that was not due to the study.
  • Patients will not require a PEG tube:
    • Two out of 30 (7%) patients had PEG placement during treatment.
    • One out of 30 (3%) patients had a PEG placed before consult but did not let us know.
    • Three out of 30 (10%) patients required PEG tube placement after the completion of treatment.
  • Patients will experience two or less on the WHO oral mucositis scale:
    • Two out of 30 (7%) patients had a WHO oral mucositis score of 3.
    • Twenty-eight out of 30 (93%) patients had a WHO oral mucositis score of 0 to 2 at the completion of radiation.

 

Clinical Nurse Disseminates Research Findings to External Audience

Amy Works, RN, Clinical Nurse, CHI SVHS CTC, was instrumental in the nursing research study as she worked with the patients daily who were enrolled in the study. Works provided the aloe vera juice to the patients along with getting written and verbal consent to be a part of the study.

 

Works weighed the patients at baseline and weekly while undergoing treatment and more frequently if weight loss was identified. Works asked patients to complete daily journals to record the time they took the aloe vera juice and any side effects that may have occurred around administration.

 

Works disseminated the completed nursing research study findings externally at the Nursing Excellence Showcase for CommonSpirit Health (CSH) healthcare providers nationally on November 16, 2023, via Zoom PowerPoint presentation. The Nursing Excellence Showcase is a monthly platform presented by the CSH Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Council.

 

CSH is the largest nonprofit faith-based healthcare system in the nation. CSH consists of 142 hospitals nationwide and approximately 175,000 employees and physicians, including about 45,000 nurses and clinical nurses. Communication is carried out across all 142 hospitals through multiple different platforms. Presenting the information at the Nursing Excellence Showcase results in the opportunity for the nursing research being disseminated to be available to all 142 hospitals.(Evidence NK4-3, Flyer and Roster 11-16-2023) (Evidence NK4-4, SMAP-AV November 2023 PPT)


Works successfully disseminated the nursing research study and findings externally to CSH healthcare providers nationally, including nurses and clinical nurses throughout CSH.