Poster PresentationWhat, Why & How To

By Kathy Powell, MSCHA, BSN, RN, NCSN

What is TSNO Excellence in School Nursing Poster?

Hint: It doesn’t have to be formal researching. What tips do you have to share from your practice?

Posters are a visual display to provide an opportunity for discussion and stimulating interest. We want to showcase the ideas and programs that our varied and talented nurses across the state use in their School Nurse Practice.

But, I’m not a researcher!

Yes you are. We all are – every day. “I have 10 kids with injures today. What’s going on? Hmmm all 10 were on the monkey bars when that happened. Let me check what is happening on the monkey bars. Is there a metal pole that sticks out? Do the kids need proper instruction in play on the monkey bars? Is there a lot of pushing and shoving? What can I do to improve the situation?” BUT It doesn’t have to be formal researching. What tips do you have to share from your practice- “I’m getting a lot of kids with headache lately. It’s testing time. What if I went into the classrooms and teach some relaxing exercises before tests?” “15 kids come in after lunch with stomachaches. Is it the food? Are they rushing through lunch so they have more play time in the heat? What if they had recess before lunch…” “Kids are hanging out in the halls an hour before school starts. What if I started a walking club…” “Does honey really stop a cough?” You get the idea. You are only limited by your imagination.

Ok, but my ideas are nothing special, anyone can do it!

Even better! Simple ideas are easy to replicate. And other nurses may not have thought about that. We all are in a money crunch, so ideas that use the available resources are welcomed.

I tried something but it didn’t work!

That’s ok too. We learn by trial and error. Ask what stopped the child from benefitting from…? What would happen if…? Wow, my old reliable go to method didn’t work. What is best practice now?

The deadline is almost here

I am extending the abstract deadline to October 15th.

What’s in it for me?

Well, besides helping your fellow school nurses and presenting at your professional organization conference, this year we will give a $50 gift certificate to #1 and #2 entry and $25 gift certificate to #3 and #4. So hurry and enter!

For more information watch the PowerPoint and see the application on our website. www.txsno.org

Guidelines & application form separate.

What Have You Been Doing in Your Clinic?

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Why is X done this way?

Is there a better way to do X?

Is

X the best t

reatment o

r

intervention fo

r this?

Is doing X as effective as doing Y?

WHY?

What successes have

other nurses had?

HOW?

Help Me

Ideas?

Nursing Process

Nursing process is a patient centered, goal oriented method of caring that provides a frame work to the nursing care based on problem solving

Types of Investigation

Background Foreground

Usually simple questions that can be answered in textbooks or journals.Examples: What are the symptoms of elevated serum potassium? When do the effects of NPH Insulin peak?

Questions answered about diagnosing treatment or assisting patients (students/staff) with understanding of their disease or prognosis

Getting Started

Ask the clinical question in PICO(T) format

P = Population Who are you interested in and what setting?(i.e. elementary, high school, K-12, 3rd graders, students in high school diagnosed with migraines, students ages 5-10)

I = Intervention of Interest(a therapy, diagnostic test, prognostic factor or risk factor. i.e. anti-depressants on school age children)

C = comparison intervention or issue of interest (optional)

This is only used if there is a comparison of one or more interventions or no intervention(i.e. cold cloth and dark room vs. dark room only for migraine; resting vs. doing nothing; medication vs. placebo)

0 = outcomeWhat are you trying to accomplish, measure or figure out?

T = time it takes for intervention to achieve outcome (optional)

In behavior modification programs for high school students what is the effect of music therapy compared with environmental changes (i.e. moving closer to the teacher, provide separate room or space, restraints, etc.) on agitation within the 1st semester of the school year.

Example Question

P In behavior modification programs for high school studentsI what is the effect of music therapy C compared with environmental changes (i.e. moving closer to the teacher, provide a separate room or space, restraints, etc.)O on agitationT within the 1st semester of the school year.

Question Broken Down

Research/Evidence-based practice-- current research that maybe useful and possibly implemented into practice

Practice – innovative strategies for school nurses to replicate in their schools

Leadership/Legal -- strategies and information to school nurses to build their leadership skills and/or enhance their understanding of laws and policies affecting school health

Health Promotion -- promoting health in today’s fast-paced, dynamically changing environment

Poster Areas

What is the question/concern/issue What is the reason or significance of this topic How did you address the issue or problem (Strategy) What were your findings? Outcomes or conclusions Further study or usage (optional)

What Do I Include in a Poster Presentation

byKathleen Powell, RN, BSN, MS, NCSNSchool Nurse, JJ Pearce High School

Richardson, TexasSeptember 2013

A Solution to Educational Time Lost Due to Abdominal Cramps Findings From a 2-Year Study

Numerous high school girls presenting in the clinic for complaints of menstrual cramps.

#2 Problem seen in clinic Missing valuable class time Against the school district policies to

give over-the-counter medications Want to encourage students to try non-

drug related solutions Heating pad only treatment available

Problem Identification

ThermaCareTM

Menstrual Heat Patches used at the high school for menstrual cramps in the school’s female population can significantly reduce loss of educational time over the standard electrical heating pads.

Proposition

Collected data to define problem Investigate ideas for solution Acquire ThermaCare

TM Heat Pads for

study Funded by PTA with donation of 30 pads

for next year

2012 -2013

Educational Time Lost Due to Cramps 2012-2013

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

Educationaltime lost in

minutes

clinic

home

Total

2012-2013 School Year 125 girls seen in the

clinic for cramps. Educational time loss =

5021 minutes. This averaged out to

40.2 minutes/student lost in educational time.

+ 18 girls went home missing an additional 3310 minutes lost in educational time.

Total Lost educational time was 8331 minutes or 138.85 hours.

In teenage girls with dysmenorrhea what is the effect of using thermal heating patches compared to electric heating pads on time missed out of class.

My Question

Randomly girls were selected when they came to the clinic with complaints of menstrual cramps to receive either treatment with a heating pad or a ThermaCareTM Menstrual Heat Patch.

Due to limited number of heat patches, time and amount of participants limited

Approximately half were given a heating pad and half were given a heat patch

Study conducted between September 1, 2013 and November 30, 2013

2013-2014 Information Background on Study

Study ResultsTime Period

9/1/13 –11/30/13

Number of Participants

Average Educational Time Lost While in School

Additional Educational Time Lost

with Students

Going Home

Total Educational Minutes Lost

Heating Pads 34 68 minutes/student

250 minutes/Student *

4562 minutes or 76 hours

Heating Patch 30 8.5 minutes/student

0 minutes/student

255 minutes or 4.25 hours

* 9 students out of the 34 using heating pads, still went home losing more educational time – 2250 minutes. 0 students using the Thermal Patch went home – no additional educational time lost

Comparison of Educational Time Lost With Heating Pad VS. ThermaCareTM

0

5001000

1500

20002500

3000

35004000

4500

5000

educationalminutes lost

homeminutes

Total Loss

Therma Care

Heating pad

Using the ThermaCareTM Menstrual Heat Patch did save on lost educational time vs using a conventional heating pad

Definitely worth further study on ThermaCareTM Menstrual Heat Patches

Would encourage students to try non-drug related solutions

Other data was collected such as grade and ethnicity, but not utilized in this research. Might be valuable in future studies

Conclusions

Because of the short time of the study, I continued my collecting of data for the 2013-2014 school year and found that the problem was increasing – More girls seen for complaints of menstrual cramps and more missed educational time

Small sample used – validate with larger sample

Heat Patches Expensive

Further Study Needed

Handouts are always welcomed with posters as a pearl to remember

For more information or to turn in an application please contact Kathy Powell at kathleen.powell@risd.org