NURSING PROJECT SUMMARIES
SPRING 2024
Elizabeth Dowdell
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Quality and safety are two major components in providing a high level of health care. Unfortunately, hospital-acquired infections (HAI), which are infections acquired during a hospitalization and manifest 48 hours after admission to the hospital, are an increasing problem across the United States. The impact of HAIs is not just at an individual patient level, but across families, communities, and healthcare systems. The cost at a personal and financial level can be dramatic as HAIs have been linked to serious illnesses, longer hospital stays, poor recoveries, and death. Identifying patients with risk factors for HAIs is very important in the prevention and minimization of these infections. Using a case study methodology and approach, this project seeks to identify protocols and standards of care that reduce HAIs while finding resources to improve a person’s quality of life. The framework of trauma-informed care will be used in conjunction with a systems model to better classify nursing actions, since nurses who have more knowledge have been shown reduce HAI outcomes. Decision-making models will be examined with a focus on leadership opportunities specific to bedside care. It is also anticipated that legal and simple financial models will also be included.
Seeking a first year student who possesses high personal motivation, self-management, and detail-orientation to perform the following duties that include:
Searching literature databases, state legislations in addition to assisting in the design of a manuscript. Will also include preparing print documents, and other graphics using Word and Excel.
Sunny Hallowell
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Twenty-first century nurses must be equipped with the expertise to make evidence-based clinical decisions focused on integration of the social determinants of health and adoption of informed, inclusive language. The project Inclusive Clinical Advocacy - Responsible Education involves design, development and evaluation of web-based virtual gaming simulation (ICARE-VGS) to support healthcare providers' development of clinical and communication skills to promote equity, diversity, and belonging in the communities they serve. In this phase of the project we are collecting and analyzing data to measure the effectiveness of this digital education intervention and to develop new resources for educators across the campus and across the country. We are also looking at production of a new game and are interested in individuals with interest in open educational resources, AI, game design, data analysis, and website design.
Student responsibilities include:
1. Attend weekly meetings (TBD via Zoom)
2. Document minutes of meetings
3. Participate in Data analysis
4. Communication with participants
5. Conduct a literature review
6. Production assistance if we are filming in the spring semester