Nursing students present research colloquium

Jennifer Riddell poses with Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. Riddell received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in a Poster Presentation. Photo by Dan Brick.

The UNMC College of Nursing Spring Research Colloquium for graduate nursing students was held last Wednesday (April 6) in the Durham Outpatient Center. Thirty-eight master’s students and one doctoral student presented their research findings in 20 poster and eight oral presentations.

The UNMC College of Nursing and Gamma Pi Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau sponsored the event, in which students displayed their posters and talked about their projects with judges, faculty, students and others.

Peggy Wilson, Ph.D., associate dean for graduate programs, said the students’ research represents about a year to a year-and-a-half of work. “This is an exciting time for the students who are nearing the end of their program,” she said.

For UNMC College of Nursing Kearney Division student Cynthia Shultz, and UNMC College of Nursing Lincoln Division student, Robert Gantz, their project titled, “The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Osteoporosis Knowledge and Calcium and Vitamin D Intake in Adults” will be helpful in their jobs.

Nursing faculty member and colloquium judge, Martha Foxall, Ph.D., far left, talks with students about their project. Students from left are: Bobbie LaFollette-Shuey, Maricel Johnson and Sheri French. Photo by Vicky Cerino.

“I use a lot of the skills picked up here in my work,” said Shultz, who works in a health and wellness program at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, where she writes grants and does studies. She is earning her master’s degree in the family nurse practitioner specialty. “I used a lot of the skills when we were designing our education and health program,” she said.

Shultz and Gantz said the most challenging part of the project was the data collection and analysis. The students conducted 30 to 40 phone interviews for up to an hour, asking study participants about their dietary and exercise behaviors.

Cathy Todero, Ph.D., dean for undergraduate programs, UNMC College of Nursing, enjoys the colloquium. “I enjoy talking to the students to see what they’ve found through their research,” she said. “You hope that you have triggered in them an interest in future clinical research.”

Winners of the UNMC College of Nursing Spring Research Colloquium

Gwen Journey, and Jeremiah “JJ” Jensen, UNMC College of Nursing Kearney Division Winners of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in an oral presentation. Photo by Diane Feldman.

Jeremiah Jensen and Gwen Journey received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in an oral presentation for their research on “The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Osteoporosis Knowledge and Calcium and Vitamin D Intake in Adults.” Their adviser was Carol Ott, Ph.D.

Jennifer Riddell received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in a Poster Presentation. Her research was on “Fatigue and Napping During Different Phases of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant.” Barbara Friesth, D.N.Sc., was her adviser.

Michelle Ellermeier received the Muriel Munchrath Gamma Pi Chapter-at-Large, Sigma Theta Tau Award for Excellence in a Nursing Research Presentation for her poster “Nurses’ Documentation Practices Prior to Implementation of Knowledge Based Charting (KBC©): A Descriptive Study.” Her adviser was Karen Grigsby, Ph.D.

There was a tie for the College of Nursing Alumni Association Rena E. Boyle Award for Excellence in Clinical Nursing Research. Karen Hrabak received an award for her poster “An Interoperable Encoding of Clinical Practice Guidelines, A Methodology to Support Evidence Based Practice.” Her advisers were Judith Heermann, Ph.D., and James Campbell, M.D.

Karen Hrabak, far left, and Matthew Pierce, far right, each received the College of Nursing Alumni Association Rena E. Boyle Award for Excellence in Clinical Nursing. They are joined by Rosalee Yeaworth, Ph.D., former dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. Photo by Dan Brick.

The second award went to Matthew Pierce for his poster “Heart Failure Patient Outcomes in Response to Medication Changes: A Description of Symptoms, Physical Examination Findings, and Hemodynamic Parameters.” His adviser was Bunny Pozehl, Ph.D.