Digital Commons Network^™

Implementation Of Positive Reinforcement To Promote Staff Adherence To Bowel And Bladder Plans At A Long-Term Care Facility, Alfonso Segura Sanchez

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Background: Bowel and bladder plans (BBPs), also known as toileting programs, are individualized restorative nursing programs that have strategies to promote continence in residents and reduce the negative consequences of incontinence (Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual Version 1.20.1, 2025). Purpose: Senior nursing students implemented positive reinforcement in a quality improvement (QI) project to reduce rates of incontinence and inconsistent adherence to BBPs at Elim Wellspring, a skilled nursing facility for long-term care in Princeton, MN. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Minnesota Department of Health, the most recent report on quality indicators for …

A Systematic Literature Review Examining Suicide Risk Factors In Older Adults, Carolyn Bivens

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Introduction & Background: Suicide in older adults is a increasingly prevalent tragedy worldwide, and rates in North America have uniquely increased over the past two decades. The context of the cultural environment of North America and population-specific factors in the elderly must be explored to protect this vulnerable group.

Purpose Statement Question: In older adults living in North America, what experiences and risk factors influence the development and severity of suicidal thoughts and behaviors?

Literature Review: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flowchart guided the search of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature …

Association Of Self-Efficacy, Preceptor Teaching, And Role Modeling With Practice Preparedness In Student Nurse Practitioners, Quinton Carroll, Pi-Ming Yeh, Jean Croce Hemphill, Melessia Webb, Alex Sargsyan

Epsilon Sigma at-Large Research Conference

Purpose: Final-semester student nurse practitioners (SNPs) often report unpreparedness for practice. Little is known about which preceptor characteristics prepare students for practice. The purpose of this study was to examine whether final-semester SNPs' practice preparedness is associated with their self-efficacy and most significant preceptor’s clinical teaching effectiveness and role modeling.

Aim: To identify which student and preceptor factors are associated with and predict SNP preparedness.

Methods: Cross-sectional correlational study of final-semester SNPs (N = 83). Participants completed the New Nurse Practitioners’ Practice Preparedness Survey, New General Self-Efficacy Scale, Cleveland Clinic Teaching Effectiveness Instrument, and Role Model Apperception Tool. Analysis …

Inside The Study: A Meta-Exploration Of Undergraduate Ra Experiences In Social Work, April Janel Jackson-Andal

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Social work is not generally seen as a research-based field, yet social workers rely on evidence-based practices to address clients’ needs (Council on Social Work Education [CSWE], 2022; National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021). Research has shown that social work students often avoid research due to disinterest or anxiety (Gredig et al., 2022). Professors typically favor master’s-level students, providing few hands-on research opportunities for undergraduates (Inoue et al., 2017; Sidell, 2007). This creates a gap in understanding undergraduate experiences.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of 5 undergraduate research assistants in the social work department at The University of …

Suicidality Prevention: Insights From The Literature, Leah M. Rivera

Applied Practice Experience (APE) Capstones

Suicidality Prevention: Insights from the Literature was developed through a University of New England Graduate Public Health Applied Practice Experience to support community-based suicide prevention efforts. This evidence-informed resource integrates published research, demographic trend analysis, and public health best practices to examine factors associated with suicidality across multiple age groups. The project highlights opportunities for prevention, strategic planning, and intervention while demonstrating the application of public health competencies in literature review, data interpretation, knowledge translation, and professional communication. Designed for practitioners, organizations, and community stakeholders, the presentation translates complex evidence into an accessible format that can inform prevention initiatives and …

How Does Schizophrenia Affect The Expression Of Alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In The Brain?, Shruti Varshney, Nimish Acharya

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a psychiatric disorder with a pathophysiology that has not yet been fully understood. This mental illness is characterized by disruptions in cognition, social activity, affect, and perception, and affects approximately 0.085% of individuals worldwide. The Alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (α7nAChR) has been connected to auditory function gating deficits. The purpose of this review is to understand the current literature in how the levels of α7nAChR expression and function are affected by SZ, information that could be used to develop therapies to modulate auditory hallucinations in patients with SZ. A literature search was conducted for peer-reviewed journal …

Alpha 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Expression In The Hippocampus Of Patients With Schizophrenia, Shruti Varshney, Ananya Nethikunta, Minjal Patel, Mary Kosciuk, Randel L. Swanson, Venkat Venkataraman, Robert Nagele, Eric Goldwaser, Nimish K. Acharya

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Schizophrenia (SZ) is a heterogenous psychiatric condition characterized by disruptions in cognition, social activity, affect, and perception often associated with a varied combination of positive and negative symptoms. The pathophysiology behind SZ remains poorly elucidated. Earlier reports have cited the importance of the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChR) in the hippocampus and the receptor’s association with auditory sensory gating and cognitive function. Specifically, variations in the expression and functionality of α7nAChR can be linked to auditory hallucinations experienced by patients with SZ and several therapies have been researched that target α7nAChRs. However, there are very few primary research …

How Older Men And Women Varied In Coping During Covid-19 Pandemic, Mateo Villarreal

Academic Festival

Due to the novelty experience posed by COVID-19, understanding how older adults coped is important and more so, if their coping strategies varied by sex. Research studies show that older adults differ in terms of comorbidity, with women mostly affected. Since COVID-19 poses unique challenges such as social distancing and quarantine, the present study seeks to understand COVID-19 coping related strategies among older adults, and variations in coping by sex. The present study recruited 68 older adults (39 females and 29 males), aged 55-69 (m=65.7 years) from the East Coast region of the United States to participate in interviews on …

The Effects Of Verbal Fluency Interventions: Phonemic Versus Semantic Fluency Outcomes In Parkinson’S Disease, Brian Connelly

Student Academic Conference

•Relevant Literature and Background –Verbal Fluency Tasks –Parkinson’s Disease •Practice Activity –Phonemic and Semantic Trials •Discussion of the Study –Methods –Results –Discussion

Sustainable Small House Project, Mollie Jo George

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The Sustainable Small House Project was developed in cooperation with UNO/UNL Engineering, UNO Gerontology, and Metro Community College. This project merges both sustainable living with the small house movement to promote aging-in-place for older adults. This presentation describes the journey of Dr. Bing Chen as he envisioned the Sustainable Small House Project to its development and finally to implementation at its current location--west of Baxter Arena or adjacent to the UNO ballfield.

From a gerontological lens, the project focuses on principles of universal design which allows for aging-in-place, fall-detection and prevention using smart technologies such as Nobi, and voice-activated technologies …

Using Imaging To Understand Achilles Tendon Adaptation And Injury In Female Athletes, Aaron W. Johnson

BYU Research Development Office Research Networking Conference

Musculoskeletal Imaging, Rehabilitation and Function of the Lower Extremity and Spine, Achilles Tendinopathy/Plantar Fasciopathy, Blood Flow and Perfusion of Foot Structures, Foot Morphology and Function, Hamstring Injury, Physical Therapy, Orthopedics

Using Imaging To Understand Achilles Tendon Adaptation And Injury In Female Athletes, Aaron W. Johnson

BYU Research Development Office Research Networking Conference

Musculoskeletal Imaging, Rehabilitation and function of the lower extremity and spine, Achilles tendinopathy/plantar fasciopathy, Blood flow and perfusion of foot structures, Foot morphology and function, Hamstring injury, physical therapy, orthopedics

Gendered Work And Home Life Expectations During The Pandemic, Kassandra Alfaro

Academic Festival

This research aims to understand the gender-specific impact of working from home during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Primarily focusing on gender expectations of mothers in dual-earner families, the purpose of this study is to measure gendered expectations toward work and family sacrifices. Specifically, this study tests the hypothesis that mothers will face a greater expectation than fathers to prioritize family over career responsibilities in the context of the Covid 19 lockdowns. To reach this objective the attitudes of 434 participants ages 18-81 towards gender and work/home balance were surveyed via a vignette model of quantitative analysis. The results indicate that there …

The Affects Of Dementia On Signed Language Production For D/Deaf Clients Communicating With Sign Language Interpreters, Alayna Wade

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Relationships Between Exposure, Knowledge, And Concern In Regards To A Rat Zoonotic Disease As Determined By A Survey Of Chicago Residents., Ashriya Ashik Patel

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The threat of increased human and rat population density coupled with the high probability of flooding, based on future climate predictions, could put the Chicago Metropolitan area at risk for a Leptospirosis outbreak. Understanding the relationship between residents' knowledge, concern, and exposure to rat-associated diseases can help monitor and mitigate at-risk behavior that increases the likelihood of spillover events. Using survey data from The Chicago Rat Project, partners with the Lincoln Park Zoo, this study identifies residents' lack of knowledge surrounding Leptospirosis is independent of possible exposure risk or concern regarding rat zoonotic diseases.

Acute Physiological And Perceptional Responses To Unilateral Versus Bilateral Walking With Blood Flow Restriction, Sage Donaldson

Undergraduate Research Competition

The use of blood flow restriction (BFR) has skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years as a therapeutic modality. Studies have shown that the application of BFR at 20-30% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) yields similar improvements in cardiovascular fitness, muscle mass, and strength when compared with traditional exercise at 60-90% of VO2max. The substantially lower workload accompanying BFR allows for more tolerable workloads in special populations, such as those recovering from musculoskeletal injury. Because previous studies regarding BFR have mainly focused on bilateral BFR, it is unclear how unilateral BFR compares to bilateral BFR. Therefore, the purpose of …

Brain Cancer Caregivers Experience High Emotional Distress, Sunny Mathaun

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Sunny Mathaun, Dr. Laurie Minns

Brain Cancer Caregivers Experience High Emotional Distress

Glioblastoma multiforme grade 4 is a type of highly malignant tumor that has an extremely poor prognosis, which leads to major emotional challenges such as heavy and unhealthy burden on caregivers. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most severe types of cancer with an average prognosis of 15 months. Due to its high mortality rate, GBM creates major health challenges for patients in a fast rate, but also significantly impacts the caregivers who are caring for these patients. Caregivers can be categorized in a formal and informal …

Dementia Friendly 18: A Program To Increase Community Dementia Awareness, Bailey Rustad, Anne Gradoville

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

The purpose of the Dementia Friendly 18-day email training is to provide participants with a unique and efficient way to learn about dementia through articles and videos in 5 to 15 minutes daily. The content of the presentation will include why and how we got involved in this project, our goals, our methods, the results and feedback received from participants, and ideas for future improvements.

Examining Assistive And Interactive Technology Needs Of Older Adults, Joshua Idachaba, Julie Blaskewicz Boron, Sarah Hubner, Marcia Shade, Natalie Manley, Meaghan Walls, Ann Fruhling

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Most older adults have expressed a desire to age in place. Advances in medicine and technology have helped improve the feasibility to fulfill this desire. Assistive and interactive technologies (AITs), which assist with at least one activity of daily living (ADL) or instrumental activity of daily living (IADL), may be key in supporting independent living, improving the user’s quality of life, and reducing caregiver burden. This study aimed to investigate the technology needs and preferences of older adults and how demographics, IADL/ADL function, and quality of life relate to these needs and preferences.

Older adults, mostly in Nebraska, were recruited …

Animal-Assisted With Nursing Home Residents, Kierstyn Stevens

Scholars Week

This study was conducted to evaluate the use of animal-assisted therapy in nursing home residents, particularly a Nursing and Rehabilitation center in Paducah, KY. Residents of long term care facilities, like a nursing home, face many challenges due to physical and mental changes. Factors contributing to these changes may include financial changes, loss of autonomy, mobility changes, etc. Various articles concerning animal-assisted therapy in elders, residents of hospitals, and residents of long-term care facilities were gathered to examine potential benefits. Findings indicated significant improvement in variables found often in elders, such as anxiety, depression, aggression, and loneliness. Many of these …

A Melting Pot Of Medications: Issues Regarding Over-Prescribing In Dementia Populations, Angela Gifford

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Over-prescribing is an issue faced by many in the older population, but dementia patients statistically experience higher prescribing rates of potentially inappropriate medications compared to their peers. There are currently no FDA approved medications available for the direct treatment of dementia, but drug classes like anticholinergics and psychotropics are used for the management of behavioral symptoms associated with the disease. These drugs can cause negative side-effects in the dementia populations including gastrointestinal issues, neurological issues, increased hospitalizations, and increased mortality rates within this group. Most troubling, the benefits that are supposed to occur from taking these drugs have been show …

Comprehensive Elderly Care: Moving Towards A Person Centered Care Model Of Dementia Care, Evan Cerebe

Capstone Showcase

Person Centered Care, or PCC is a framework of care which emphasizes the importance of individuality and individually based needs. This framework takes into account all aspects of the human being, such as their personality and personal history. This stands in stark contrast to the traditional model of care, the medical model, which focuses on the disease and its treatment, rather than the psychosocial needs of the individual. Proper care in the psychosocial realm is a necessity within elderly populations with Dementia. This is because Dementia manifests itself differently depending on the person. This, along with the incredible rate of …

Your Local Area Agency On Aging: Rockin' The Ages, Peggy Jo Luukkonen

Center for Social Gerontology Community Conference (2017-2022)

Many people are not aware of the comprehensive programs and services offered through their local Area Agency on Aging (AAA). Participants will get an overview of who the AAA’s serve, what services are provided, and how innovative programs are being developed on an ongoing basis to help meet gaps in the community. AAA’s are no longer just about a noon meal for someone over the age of 60. Many local AAA’s now provide evidenced based wellness programs, hospital and nursing home transitions programs, caregiver assistance programs, dementia programs, and innovative assistive technology programs that launch rocket science technology from the …

"Shacking Up" And Settling Down: Cohabitation In Middle And Late Adulthood, Nadia Flanigan, Jennifer Zorotovich

Center for Social Gerontology Community Conference (2017-2022)

Rates of cohabitation have increased sharply among adults of all ages over the past few decades, particularly among adults ages 50 and older. Researchers have observed key differences between younger cohabiters and older cohabiters. Whereas younger cohabiters are more likely to be cohabiting as a path towards marriage, older cohabiters are more likely to be cohabiting after a previous marriage that may have ended in divorce. With increasing divorce rates among adults 50 and older, rates of cohabitation among this age group may continue to rise. Also compared to younger cohabiters, older cohabiters are more likely to view their relationship …

Top 10 Takeaways For Today And Tomorrow, Steve Smith

Involvement to Industry Conference

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Community-Engaged Research And Service Learning, Tracey Gendron, Meghan Z. Gough, Katie Elliott, Lynn E. Pelco

Community Engagement Institute

No abstract provided.

Pilot Study Of Empathy In Adults, Libby Moberg

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Empathy is of critical public health importance due to its association with relationship satisfaction and well-being (Davis & Oathout, 1987; Davis, 1983). There is growing evidence that bilingual individuals may have higher levels of empathy (Javor, 2016). One potential mechanism for this relationship is that bilingual individuals tend to have higher levels of executive functioning (Costa et al, 2008), which is linked to higher empathy because individuals are able to more easily adopt others’ perspectives. Previous studies examining this question have largely relied on self-report questionnaires assessing empathy as a general tendency (i.e., trait). No studies have examined differences in …

The Effects Of Family Support Within The Long-Term Care Facility: An Integrative Literature Review, Mia Delesdernier

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Background: As people age they might require more care, and this care can become more difficult; the family can only take on this burden for so long. It is common for a family to move their loved one into a long-term care facility. Many of these facilities are moving towards a family-centered model for patient care.

Objective: The purpose of this literature review was to determine the effects of a family-centered model within long-term care facilities, to determine if these effects were positive or negative, and to discover changes that can be made to this model in order to generate …

Having Pride In Your Work: How To Serve Lgbt Older Adults Better, James Moorhead Jr.

Center for Social Gerontology Community Conference (2017-2022)

Common misconceptions about older adults include that all older adults are heterosexual. This is merely a myth. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults live in all states and territories of the United States and all parts of Georgia, from the rolling mountains in the north to the humid swamps of the south. Understanding the needs of this unique population is critical for gerontologists as the Baby Boomer generation ages, who tend to be more “out” and self-identify with pride. More importantly, LGBT older adults have been accessing needed services, often returning to the proverbial closet (Maddox, 2010). This …

Intro To Community-Engaged Research And Service Learning Presentation, Tracey Gendron, Jennifer Early, Katie Elliott

Community Engagement Institute

The purpose of this workshop is provide participants with an introduction of community-engaged research (CEnR) and service learning (SL) at VCU. Academics will be encouraged to think of the 3 traditional aspects of academic work (research, teaching, and service) as doors that they can open to collaborate with community partners in an integrated portfolio of scholarship. Community partners will be encouraged to consider how community initiatives align with academic aspects of research, teaching, and service.