Graduate Publications and Other Selected Works - Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Welcome to TRACE the University of Tennessee College of Nursing Graduate Programs repository for works related to DNP student scholarship. Students who wish to submit to the repository should click here.
All submissions will be reviewed by UTK Nursing Trace administrators prior to acceptance. If revisions are required the administrators will return the submission back to the applicant for revision. Questions should be directed to Nursing TRACE administrators Dr. Tracy Brewer (tbrewer12@utk.edu) or Dr. Melissa Hessock (mhessock@utk.edu).
Submissions from 2026
What a Pain: The Use of Intravenous Lidocaine Infusions to Improve Postoperative Pain in Adults Undergoing Colorectal Surgery, Hetal Patel, Snehal Patel, Joshua Knight, Shelby Parker, and James Alberding
Submissions from 2025
Targeted Temperature Management to Improve In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Leah Apalodimas, Tracy L. Brewer, and Alexandra Schaller
Enhancing Follow-Up Care: Implementing Routine Depression Screenings in Primary Care Visits, Brittney Bailey and Cathy Philpott
The Peer Support. Empowerment. Encouragement. Recovery. (P.E.E.R.) Card: Integrating Peer Support Programs into Discharge Resources and Education for Patients with Substance Use Disorders., Foy Barton and Jeremy Mills
The Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment (COPE) Program: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Project to Improve Adolescent Depression, Claire Bensman and Allyson Neal
Recognizing Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patient Mental Health: Utilizing the AYA-POST to Improve Distress and Access to Psychosocial Care, Vanessa Betancourt and Allyson Neal
Implementation of Education-Based Reminders to Improve Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening Rates, Maria Isabel Blalock, Melissa Hessock, and Deborah Murph
Improving Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder Identification and Referral Process During Prenatal Care, Kathryn E. Bland BSN, RN; Rebekah G. Phillips BSN, RN; Tracy L. Brewer DNP, RNC-OB, CLC, EBP-C; Megan L. Young MPH; and Heather Moss MD
The Implementation of Wound Care Education for People Affected by Homelessness, Emily Boone, Nicole Cohen, Sawyer O'Neal, and Samantha Bauer
Transitioning from Cancer Patient to Survivor: Implementing a Breast Cancer Survivorship Care Plan, Lainey S. Briggs, Melissa Hessock, and Samantha Bauer
Improving Maternal Mental Health: Implementation of a Standardized Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Screening Program, Allie Brown BSN, RN; Tracy Brewer DNP, RNC-OB, CLC, EBP-C; Megan Young MPH; and Heather Moss MD
Improving Intravenous Access in Coronary Care Patients: Implementing Ultrasound-Guided Techniques for Difficult Venous Access, Dylan Cardwell, Omar Dabdoub, Colby Gladson, John Hixon, Allyson Neal, and Eleanor Petersen
Escalation Plan to Promote Nasogastric and Orogastric Tube Policy Adherence and Patient Safety, Kiana Carmichael and Marian Malone
Correcting Magnesium Levels to Improve Cardiac Health in an Inpatient Psychiatry Population, Aubree Madison Cole, Cathy Philpott, and Thomas P. Jensen
Process Improvement in Living Donor Kidney Transplant Education, Jillian Covello, Christina Brown, and Melodie Mastrogiovanni
Implementing a Multimodal Pain Management Best Practice Alert for Pediatric Orthopedic Injury Patients in an Adolescent Medical-Surgical Unit, Cassie Lynn Crabtree, Katherine Newnam, and Katheryne Amba
Implementation of Smoke Evacuation Cautery in the OR: An Evidence-based Practice Improvement Project, Angela Michelle M. Deprimo and Thomas E. Talley Jr.
De-labeling Inaccurate Penicillin Allergies: Improving Referral Rates for Penicillin Allergy Testing, Sandra Denise Desai and Melissa Hessock
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder Screening in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Evidence-Based Maternal Mental Health Improvement Initiative, Desiree' Dill, Melissa Hessock, and Megan Lacy Young
Automated Physical Therapy Consultation in ICU Patients: A Quality Improvement Project, Luke Dorton, Christian Ryan Bayless, Luke Hicks, Jacob Grubb, Jennifer Patrick, and Brad Milam
Reducing Total Joint Replacement Infection Rates: An Evidence-Based Practice Quality Improvement Project in Orthopedic Operating Rooms, Danielle Drews and Thomas E. Talley Jr.
Improving The Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rate in Adolescents in a Rural Pediatric Primary Care Clinic: A Quality Improvement Project, Haley E. Foster, Marian Malone, and Lauren Fox-Bergvin
Oncofertility: Standardizing Fertility Preservation Discussion and Referrals for Adolescents and Young Adults with Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer, Janet Fuller and Melissa Hessock
Xylazine-Related Wounds: Using Wound Care and Harm Reduction Best Practices to Improve Wound Healing and Patient Education for People Who Inject Drugs, Dustin Gibbons, Noel Arring, and Greg Stafford
Bronchiolitis Care: Implementing an Inpatient Pediatric Protocol, Amanda Gibbs and Marian Malone
Preventing Illness in Refugees Resettling in Tennessee: An EBPI Project to Improve Attendance at Adult Refugee Immunization Appointments, Elizabeth Goncalves, Christina Brown, Mary Gitau, and Hannah Johnson
Implementation of a Developmental Screening Program in a Childcare Setting, Lindsey Hurst and Marian Malone
Utilizing Non-Pharmacological Interventions to Increase Resilience, Laura Kate Inman and Allyson Neal
Lighting the Way: Implementation of a Depression Screening Protocol in a Rural Primary Care Clinic, Denette Jackson, Jeremy Mills, and Kate Hull
Medical Devices, The Double-Edged Sword: A Quality Improvement Project to Reduce the Number of Medical Device-Related Pressure Injuries in the Pediatric Population Using the Braden QD Scale, Courtney Kijek, Marian Malone, and Donna Brester
Moving Toward Wellness: Exercise Augmentation of Affective Disorder Treatment in Inpatient Psychiatry, Steven LeBreux, Jeremy Mills, and Michael Derchak
A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Human Milk Feeding Intention Through the Implementation of a Prenatal Educational Toolkit, Lauren Cole McGuirk, Tracy L. Brewer, and Margaret Beaudrot
Reducing Falls in Older Adults Using Antipsychotics During Hospitalization: Implementation of a Fall Risk Screening and Prevention Protocol, Brittany Munford BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC; Jeremy Mills DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC; and Heidi M. King BSN, RN, CCRN
The Effects of a Preoperative Anesthesia Educational Video on Anxiety Levels in Adult Surgical Patients Receiving General Anesthesia: A Quality Improvement Project, Taylor Renee Neuharth, Brandon Allen Smith, Ashley Nicole Parsons, Kayla Nichole Hindle, Jennifer Patrick, and Jeffery Ollis
Implementation of an SBAR Pre-Brief with Medical Interpreters: An Improvement Project, Zumaya Maribel Otaduy-Ramirez, Carrie Bailey, and Noël Arring
Initiating Early Palliative Care in the ICU: Integrating Critical and Supportive Care for a Unified Approach, Brittany Powell, Noel Arring, and Melanie Kayser
Detecting Anxiety in Adults: A Screening and Specialist Referral Protocol for Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Primary Care Setting, Florence Quenu, Jeremy Mills, and Erica Lyon
Head Over Heels for HAPIs: Prevention in Critical Care, Chelsie Lynn Raby and Thomas E. Talley
Addressing Issues in Isotretinoin Treatment Plan Adherence: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Project, Ashley Riedy, Christina Brown, and Kimberly Brefini
Supporting First Responder Resilience: A Mental Health Initiative, Taylar Rothfuss, Cathy Philpott, and Alisa Koval
Recognizing Cognitive Decline in the Rural Communities: An Initiative to Improve Cognitive Screening in Adults less than 65 years old in Rural Areas, Teresa J. Santa Maria, Noel Arring, and Lawson Hunley
Reducing Missed Mental Health Appointments: A Telehealth Clinic Quality Improvement Project, Jason M. Tallman and Allyson M. Neal
Enhancing Patient Satisfaction Through the Implementation of Pre-operative Patient Education Videos: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Madison Tipton and Christina Brown
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder in Early Adulthood: Improving the Transition to Autonomy, Erin Wells and Allyson M. Neal
Implementation of a Nutrition Education Module in an Elementary School System in Belize, Christopher Adam West and Amanda Harper
Right Patient, Right Prescription, Every Time: A Quality Improvement Project for Two-Person Time-Out in Dialysis, Bethany N. Yocum, Cassandra Ketteman, Robin Harris, and Jillian Nestor
Submissions from 2024
Decreasing Healthcare Utilization with Parent/Caregiver Asthma Education: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Project in Pediatric Primary Care, Jacquelyn Basile and Katherine Newnam
Effects of a Compassion Fatigue Workshop on Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses, Johnnie Elizabeth Bower BSN and Mary Johnson DNP
Implementation of an Education Program to Decrease Inpatient Falls, Elizabeth M. Carpenter and Jewyl Gibson
Thermoregulation in Colorectal Patients: Heating CO2 Insufflation Gas, Alejandro Conde, Alieu Jawara, Laura Savage, James Alberding DNP, and Michael Godbold
Adolescent Depression and Anxiety: Introducing Screening Tools in the School Setting, Sarah Moses Cooper, Margaret Elizabeth Tasket, and Amanda Harper
Under Pressure: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Approach to Reducing Injuries Related to Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressures, Nicholas A. Cress, Kiley D. Decker, Shawna N. Spurgeon, Courtney Rae Wilson, and Jennifer Patrick
Initiating Culturally-Directed Education for Hispanic Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Marie Davis, Jennifer Smith, and Mandy Horner
Perioperative Hyperglycemia Prevention for Patients Undergoing Colorectal Surgery, Tucker Devore, Matthew Mustard, Chikaosoro Igwe, and Julie Bonom
Evidence-Based Practice Education for Nurses Caring for Oncology Patients with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Quality improvement Project., Natalie N. Ellis and Pamela Hardesty
Recognizing Maternal Mental Health: An Initiative to Improve Perinatal Depression and Anxiety Identification during Prenatal Visits Using a Standardized Screening Protocol, Breslin Therese Gillis, Tracy L. Brewer, Megan L. Young, and Heather Moss
Reducing E-Cigarette Use Among High School Students: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Project, Courtney R. Guiler, Melissa Hessock, and Molly Sehring
Reducing COPD Readmissions through the Implementation of a Guideline-Based Clinical Pathway: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Project, Hannah F. Hall, Allyson Neal, and Samantha Bauer
Improving Mental Health Access Through Primary Care: Implementation of a Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screening and Specialist Referral Protocol, Sydney L. Halliday, Jeremy Mills, and Ashley Vasilik
Increasing Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening: An Improvement Project, Devin M. Hammonds, Dr. Samantha Bauer, and Sister Mary Lisa Renfer
Effects of Initial Specimen Diversion on Blood Culture Contamination Rates in the Emergency Department, Kathryn Mahoney Hancock, Robin Harris, and Andrew Holt
Implementation of an ICU CLABSI Prevention Checklist, Ashley Lorraine Haynes and Pamela Hardesty
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment Therapy to Decrease Anxiety and Stress in College Athletes, Breana Hunt and Samantha Bauer
Working Under Pressure: Evidence-Based Risk Assessment and Pressure Injury Prevention in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, James A. Hutcheson IV and Allyson M. Neal
How Soon Is Too Soon? A Quality Improvement Approach to Postoperative Length of Stay Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, David Brian Jones, Robin Harris, Paul N. Fiorilli MD, and Allyson Neal
Implementation of a Verification of Local Anesthetics (VoLS) Tool to Reduce Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity, Myles K. Kimble SRNA; Jospeh B. Welsh SRNA; Pedro G. Aguirre SRNA; Trevor P. Shirley SRNA; Jim Alberding DNP, CRNA; and Jason Buehler MD
Increasing Post-Code-Event Debrief Adherence in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Project, Grace Kohlmaier RN, BSN; Tracy Brewer RNC-OB, CLC, EBP-C; and Ryan Skeens MD
Neuro Status Change or Miscommunication? Improving Handoff Between Anesthesia and the Neurocritical Care Unit, Lindsey Miles, Katie DeBord, Alex Koenig, Jennifer Patrick, and Paige Ledlow
Optimizing a Clostridium difficile Screen for Intensive Care Unit Admissions, Mary Katherine V. Natour and Jennifer Smith
Antibiotic Stewardship in Patients with Viral Upper Respiratory Illness: Improving Quality Measures in Retail Health, Meredith A. Nolan, Robin Harris, and Clay Smith
Outpatient Depression Screening for Patients with Melanoma, Brittany Olson, Meghan Englishby, and Amanda Harper
Effects of Nurse-Led Triage Tool to Initiate Palliative Care Consult for Cancer Patients Being Treated in the Emergency Department, Kelsie Peterson and Samantha Bauer
Improving Diabetic Adherence Through a Diabetes Self-Management Education Program: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Project, Kallie Elizabeth Pothier, Jacquelyn Farr, and Karen Lasater
Implementation of a Resiliency Model of Care for Women Experiencing Homelessness, Aneitha Marie Pratt, Jennifer Terese Arth, Danielle Wright, and Allyson Matney Neal
The long and winding road: What comes next after detox, Michelle Pryce and Karen Lasater
Implementation of a Pediatric Palliative Care Team for Pediatric Oncology Patients: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Project, Chelsea Lynn Ridener and Melissa Hessock
Implementation and Evaluation of a Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection Bundle in the Pediatric Emergency Room: An Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Project, Karis N. Rogers and Robin Harris
Implementation of a Quiet-Time Protocol on a Post-Surgical Spine Unit, Brianna M. Rucci and Mary Johnson
Improving Safe Sleep in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Sydnee Scott and Katherine Newnam
Reminder/Recall System to Address Decreased Pediatric Immunization Rates: A Quality Improvement Project, Elizabeth Sowell, Katherine Newnam, and Cathy Strysniewicz
Reducing Patient Delays in the Preoperative Unit: A Quality Improvement Approach, Lesley Conner Spires and Pamela Hardesty
Music Therapy in the PACU: An Evidence Based Practice Project on Multimodal Postoperative Pain Interventions, Rachael Addison Spruell and Pamela D. Hardesty
Implementing the Use of a Lullaby Device During Painful Procedures for Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Project, Megan Suter, Katherine Newnam, and Margaret Gettis
Improving Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity (LAST) Recognition and Treatment Through Education of Advanced Practice Providers on a Code Stroke Team, Benjamin Ty Sweeney, Michael Ellis, Jed Maverick Newport, and Julie Bonom
Improving Outcomes for Persons with Opioid Use Disorder by Introducing Buprenorphine in the Emergency Department, Emily Caroline Wegenka, Mary Johnson, and Thomas Vajen
Submissions from 2023
Initiating a Skin-Care Bundle in the Emergency Department to Decrease Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries in Geriatric Patients, Suzanne Babcock and Pamela Hardesty
Pediatric Vaccine Pain Management & Perceptions of Caregivers and Nursing Staff: An Evidence-Based Project, Madison K. Bears and Tami H. Wyatt
Implementation of Provider-Completed Asthma Action Plans in a School Setting, Madison G. Branham and Amanda Harper
Non-Opioid Pain Relief: Use of Vitamin D in Central Appalachia, Christina Brown, Karen Lasater, and Teresa Tyson
Improving Oncofertility Discussions and Referrals: Implementation of a Formal Fertility Preservation Program, Mackenzie Danielle Browning and Melissa Marie Hessock
Ultrasound-Guided Intravenous Access as a First-Line Approach by Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project, James Austin Burkhart, Pamela Hardesty, and Melissa McDonald
Educational Intervention on Pediatric Concussions for Providers, Melissa Callaway and Robert Cornette
Reducing Hopelessness in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: Educational Intervention, Kara R. Callear and Pamela Hardesty
How Nurses Perceive Their Task Load when Caring for Behavioral Mental Health Patients in the Pediatric Emergency Department, Emily Cameron and Robert Cornette
The Practice Environment for Nurse Anesthetists in Tennessee, Taylor Cathey, Jessica Hobbs, Matthew Owen, Alexis Varney, James Alberding, and Tausha Alexander
Implementation of Standardized Contraceptive Education to Improve LARC Initiation in Postpartum Individuals, Gracie E Clayton, Melissa M. Hessock, and Amanda Flood
Identifying Risk and Improving Outcomes: Application of the GAD-7 Screening Tool Used Among Patients with Chronic Pain in an Outpatient Setting, Connor J. Cochran and Mary Johnson
Implementation of Standardized Handoff Report in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, Christie Faye Cox, Godsy Raju, Alyssa Garcia, Nicole Odom, and Jennifer Patrick
Implementation of a Single-Patient-Use Airway Taping Product in the Operating Room, Savannah Sierra Nicole Craig, Kaitlin D. Burrell, and Jennifer Patrick
Mindfulness-Based Educational Module for Nurses Caring for Pediatric Mental Health Patients, Brianna Mai Desjardins and Katherine Marie Newnam