On April 21st, more than 80 students, faculty, and staff gathered for the UConn School of Nursing’s second annual Research and Scholarship Day.
The event featured a keynote speaker, podium presentations, poster displays, networking opportunities, and a luncheon.
Keynote speaker Ann-Margaret Navarra, Ph.D., CPNP, FAAN, associate dean for research and innovation at Stony Brook University, did her presentation on “Nursing Research and Innovative Partnerships for the Promotion of Health Equity.” She offered in-person consultations for faculty and Ph.D./DNP students on research and scholarships.
The presentation was centered around her work involving HIV among adolescents and young adults. Promoting health equity across all populations and interprofessional collaboration were key takeaways from her presentation.
Podium presenters included faculty and students whose work represents the depth and breadth of SoN scholarship.
Carrie Morgan-Eaton, Ph.D., RNC-OB, C-EFM, CHSE, assistant clinical professor, presented her project, “Qualitative Analysis of Women’s Experiences of Postpartum POST-BIRTH Warning Signs Education.” Yashika Sharma, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor, presented “Examining the Influence of Sexual Orientation-Related Nondiscrimination Laws on 30-Year CVD Risk Among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Adults.”
Students from the SoN DNP and Ph.D. programs also provided podium presentations. Their presentations included “Meta-ethnography of the Experiences of Women of Color Who Survived Severe Maternal Morbidity or Birth Complications” (Cristina Mills, Ph.D. candidate) and “Palliative Care in the Emergency Room: A QI Project” (Rachel Butler, recent DNP graduate).
SoN Honors student, Jahmiha Lindo, presented “Sepsis Knowledge Amongst Black Parents in the United States.”
“The opportunity to conduct research that is directly benefiting my community, the Black community, is especially rewarding to me,” she said.
It took her almost three years of research, literature reviews, approvals, funding, and applications, to get to this point in her career.
“I feel getting to this moment and sharing the research and the data is really full circle,” Lindo said. “I’m just glad to add to the pool of information that is currently out there.”
In total, 45 posters were showcased at the event covering nurses’ health and high-quality care, student success, symptoms and self- and family management across the lifespan, women’s and family health, health promotion across the lifespan, and health equity.
“It’s a showcase of our Ph.D. students, our DNP students, and our undergrad students work of what they’re doing in their courses, and they bring it to life here,” said Louise Reagan, Ph.D., APRN, ANP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, associate professor and director of the Ph.D. program.
“It’s phenomenal to see them all, and our speakers, doing some cutting-edge research,” she said.
Attendees voted for their top three poster presenters on overall appearance of the poster and rigor.
Michelle Cole, DNP, MSN, RN, CPN, an associate clinical professor here at UConn, received first place for her poster “Empowering Women: Enhancing Menstrual Health Knowledge and Access in Rural Guatemala.”
Rejoicing in her win, she couldn’t help but relate to Navarra’s presentation on the importance of collaboration. She emphasized the help she received from her team – Morgan-Eaton and two graduate students – saying she wouldn’t be here without them. Her project was funded with a seed grant from the SoN Office of Research and Scholarship.
Being recognized for her work was a very impactful moment for her.
“I’m honored to have clinical work being recognized in this space and representing women from Guatemala,” she said. “It’s very nice because it has a deep meaning to me.”
Katherine Bernier Carney, Ph.D., RN, received second place for her poster “Addressing Burnout Before the Bedside: A Pilot Mindfulness Intervention for Pre-licensure Nursing Students,” and Ph.D. candidate Ashwag Alhabodal earned third place for her poster on “Experiences of Family Caregivers of Individuals with Hypertension and Diabetes: A meta-ethnography.”
Everyone is proud to show off their research and what they have done. In turn, everyone is interested in other individuals’ work creating a community of researchers comprised of faculty and students to network and connect.
The event is meant to highlight and celebrate the work everyone in the UConn nursing community has done, and it did just that.
This event is a “wonderful opportunity to highlight some of the important research and clinical scholarship conducted by our faculty and students and an opportunity to facilitate collaborations. I am grateful to our planning committee and staff for their assistance in organizing and running this meeting,” said Nancy Redeker, Ph.D., RN, FAHA, FAAN, senior associate dean for research & scholarship.
