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[Excerpt From] Cultivating Compassion In Nursing: From Learner To Leader, Tim Cunningham, Rose L. Horton, Reynaldo Capucao Jr.

Sigma Publications: Book Excerpts

In a profession facing workforce shortages, burnout, technological disruption, and increasing complexity, compassion can no longer be assumed. It must be intentionally cultivated. Cultivating Compassion in Nursing: From Learner to Leader reframes compassion as more than an innate trait, presenting it as a teachable, measurable, and sustainable professional skill. Drawing on nursing science, neuroscience, leadership research, and real-world case studies, Tim Cunningham demonstrates how compassion strengthens human connection while supporting resilience in today’s healthcare environments. Through evidence-based research, reflective exercises, storytelling, art, and companion learning tools, readers learn to: 

• Develop compassion as a professional competency
• Build resilience and meaningful connections …

Preliminary Study Of Moral Distress Among York College Nursing Students, Nikea S. Debidin, Andrey Aminov

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Moral Distress can occur when individuals are unable to act in accordance with their moral or ethical belief, this can be due to either internal or external constraints. While moral distress has been widely examined in among practicing nurses, limited research has explored the presence among undergraduate nursing students. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of distress and frequency of moral distress at a preliminary level, among undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing program at York College in Queens, New York.
A quantitative descriptive design was adopted. Undergraduate nursing students (n=47) completed an anonymous …

The Genomic-Ready Nursing Student: Pilot Validation Of The N-Safe-9 Instrument, Amaris Aviles

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Genomic variation in drug metabolism significantly influences opioid safety, yet pharmacogenomics (PGx) remains minimally represented in pre-licensure nursing curricula, leaving graduates underprepared to interpret genetic results or apply gene-guided clinical decision-making. This pilot study introduces the Nursing Student Assessment of Pharmacogenomic Education (N-SAFE-9), a theory-informed, nine-item instrument designed to measure PGx knowledge, clinical confidence in opioid safety, and perceived system readiness to use clinical decision support (CDS). The instrument will undergo expert content validation followed by preliminary psychometric testing among pre-licensure nursing students at Northern Illinois University who have completed pharmacology coursework (target n = 45). Planned analyses include item …

Cultural Humility, Cultural Intelligence, Colorblindness, And Social Justice In Nursing Faculty, Marta I. Santiago-Jones

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This study examined relationships among cultural humility, cultural intelligence, colorblind racial attitudes, and social justice attitudes among U.S. nursing faculty. Grounded in emancipatory knowing and emancipatory nursing praxis [1,6], the purpose was to explore how faculty cultural competencies and racial attitudes relate to social justice orientation in nursing education, particularly amid health inequities and scrutiny of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

A quantitative, correlational design was used with 54 nursing faculty. Data were collected via an anonymous online survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regression. Validated instruments measured cultural humility [3], cultural intelligence [2], colorblind racial attitudes …

Improving Identification Of Older Adult Financial Exploitation Using The Oafem Screening Tool, Paige N. Horvath, J’Andra Antisdel, Lori J. Pajakowski

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Older adult financial exploitation is a growing public health concern that frequently goes unrecognized in healthcare settings. Financial exploitation can result in significant financial loss, psychological distress, and decreased quality of life for vulnerable older adults. Primary care settings represent an important opportunity for early detection; however, routine screening for financial exploitation is rarely incorporated into standard patient assessments. The purpose of this evidence-based practice project is to evaluate whether implementation of the Older Adult Financial Exploitation Measure (OAFEM) screening tool increases identification of older adults at risk for financial exploitation in a community-based primary care clinic. The guiding PICOT …

A Call To Standardization For Ventilator Waveform Education For Apps And Physician Fellows, Soraya Smith-Farmer

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Mechanical ventilation management requires accurate interpretation of ventilator waveforms to identify patient-ventilator dyssynchrony, guide clinical decision-making, and prevent adverse patient outcomes. Although mechanical ventilation is fundamental to intensive care unit (ICU) practice, traditional training may not fully prepare clinicians to recognize and manage patient-ventilator asynchrony. Competency in waveform interpretation improves with repeated exposure, deliberate practice, and clinical reinforcement; however, few training programs provide structured approaches to support continued skill development. This quality improvement project evaluated whether a structured, case-based ventilator waveform microlearning intervention would improve confidence and support retention of knowledge in waveform interpretation among advanced practice provider (APP) fellows, …

Dnp Student Implementation Of Pc4 Model In A Pregnancy Resource Center To Improve Quality Of Care, Priscilla A. Outlaw

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) play a critical role in supporting women from underserved communities but often struggle to consistently meet clients’ emotional, cultural, and psychological needs. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to evaluate the impact of implementing the Person-Centered Care and Communication Continuum (PC4) Model—an evidence-based framework designed to enhance respect, communication, and individualized attention in maternal healthcare—on client satisfaction and service engagement at a local PRC.

Guided by Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, this mixed-methods quality-improvement project assessed antenatal client satisfaction and service delivery before and after PC4 implementation. Surveys and structured observations …

Impact Of Simulation-Based Ebp Training On Outcomes And Confidence In Newly Licensed Nurses, Karrie A. Youngs

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The transition from nursing student to newly licensed registered nurse represents a vulnerable period in professional practice. During this time, nurses must apply evidence-based practice (EBP) while managing complex patient care. Traditional hospital orientation programs often rely on didactic instruction and preceptorship, which may not fully prepare new nurses for fast-paced clinical environments. Simulation-based education has emerged as an experiential strategy that bridges the theory–practice gap through realistic clinical scenarios, guided debriefing, and competency-based evaluation. This literature review examines quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of structured simulation-based EBP training in improving clinical outcomes and confidence among newly licensed nurses.

A …

Eating Disorders In Male Athletes, Robbie-Lynn C. Puspoky

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The purpose of this integrative review was to explore the risk of eating disorders in male athletes aged 15-36 years old in high performance sports. Whittmore and Knalf’s integrative review method was followed to address this research aim. Two databases (Ovid MEDLINE 1946 to present and CINAHL) were searched between the years of 2000 and 2023. Suitability for inclusion was assessed, and data were extracted and analysed using thematic analysis. Twenty-three articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Three themes were identified and reflect the risk of eating disorders in male athletes in high performance sports between the ages …

Examining Covid-19 Vaccination Attitudes And Behaviors Among Undergraduate Nursing Students, Nicele Catherine Medel Arana

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

As COVID-19 transitions into endemic management, understanding vaccination behaviors and beliefs among nursing students is critical given nurses’ roles in patient education and vaccine advocacy. This descriptive, cross-sectional study examined COVID-19 vaccination attitudes, booster uptake, infection history, and advocacy confidence among undergraduate Bachelor of Science nursing students at a public urban college. Forty-six students across three cohorts completed an anonymous online survey informed by the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) following institutional review board (IRB) approval (IRB #2025-0805-York). Findings demonstrated near-universal completion of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, contrasted by lower booster uptake. A majority …

Impact Of A Video Surgical Tour On Preoperative Anxiety In Joint Arthroplasty Patients, Rose C. Fialkowski, Patricia A. Keresztes

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Preoperative anxiety is a prevalent and clinically significant concern among patients undergoing elective hip and knee arthroplasty, affecting up to 69.4% of surgical patients and contributing to poorer perioperative outcomes, including increased pain, delayed recovery, and decreased patient satisfaction. Despite routine preoperative education, many patients remain unprepared for the surgical experience, particularly due to unfamiliarity with the perioperative environment.

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project evaluates the effectiveness of a virtual surgical center tour in reducing preoperative anxiety among adult patients undergoing elective joint replacement surgery at an outpatient orthopedic center in Chicago, Illinois. Guided by Dorothea …

Hospital Falls In Hybrid Virtual Nursing Models: A Need For Future Health Outcomes Research, Lindsay E. Colby

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hospital falls are a global health concern with adverse implications for patients’ health-related quality of life. As a nurse-sensitive indicator, hospital falls reflect the quality and safety of the healthcare system. Hybrid virtual nursing, an emerging care delivery model, utilizes digital telehealth technologies and combines in-person nursing care with remote care. There is a dearth of literature related to the impact of hybrid virtual nursing on hospital falls.

The purpose of this poster is to: explore health outcomes measures and data sources related to hospital falls; review literature related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models. …

Rompiendo Fronteras: Addressing Language Barriers In Hispanic Palliative Cancer Care, Carla Mcnulty, Catherine Finlayson

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanic people, accounting for 20% of deaths (American Cancer Society, 2023). In 2024, the American Cancer Society predicted that 195,300 Hispanics would be diagnosed with cancer in the United States, and 50,400 (25%) would die from their disease, leaving approximately 144,900 (75%) living with cancer. As the Hispanic population rises in the United States, one can predict that cancer diagnoses will also increase. This is likely to result in a higher number of cancer-related deaths, as well as more individuals living with cancer. Consequently, there will be an increased demand for …

Supporting Socialization & Expression In Ltc: A Scoping Review Of Language Barriers & Older Adults, Christina Oleynikov, Amanda Mcintyre

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Communication is central to socialization and the expression of cultural identity [7]. In multilingual societies such as Canada, language barriers can hinder full integration, affecting social participation and overall quality of life [6,7,9]. The proposed study focuses on language barriers faced by minority older adults in long-term care settings. Non-English speaking residents who face barriers in communication and lack the adequate support necessary to overcome them, become vulnerable to impaired meaningful interactions and social isolation [3,11]. This study plans to gather and review existing scientific literature on how these barriers affect older adults and impact their socialization needs. A scoping …

Utilizing The Health Belief Model To Explore Mental Health Help-Seeking In Chaldean Adults, Dali Majeed

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Since the United States’ invasion of Iraq in 2003, three-fourths of the Chaldean population fled the country, seeking refuge from persecution, resulting in a Chaldean diaspora with hundreds of thousands dispersed outside Iraq. Michigan is home to approximately 160,000 Chaldean people, the highest concentration in the U.S. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are a growing concern, yet are likely underreported due to community stigmas and cultural beliefs, leading to unhealthy coping behavior and delayed mental health treatment. While evidence supports a high incidence of mental health illnesses among the Arab population, literature assessing the Chaldean population remains understudied. …

Creating Space For Grief: A Bereavement Support Initiative In Critical Care, Donna Nguyen, Morgan Curnell

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: To examine current bereavement practices in critical care through a scoping review and identify evidence-based strategies to support families and nursing staff during and after end-of-life events. This review highlights gaps, facilitators, and opportunities for nurse-led approaches to strengthen compassionate, consistent bereavement care.

Background: In ICUs, bereavement extends beyond families to nurses who frequently experience emotional and moral distress after patient death. Despite evidence supporting structured bereavement interventions, practices remain inconsistent, culturally variable, and often lacking clear guidance for frontline nurses. A synthesis of current literature is needed to inform standardized, grief-informed practices that benefit both families and staff. …

The Future Starts Here: Stay Rounds For Meaningful Nurse Engagement And Job Satisfaction, Shelly L. Brody

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges for the workforce, leading  to high turnover. Leaders worked on engaging employees and creating a culture that encourages retention. The global nursing workforce totals 27.9 million, with about 5.9 million vacancies. "Stay Rounds" is an innovative strategy to improve nursing retention in healthcare institutions, focusing on preventing burnout and turnover by fostering a supportive work environment.

Purpose: The project aims to enhance employee retention and engagement through a comprehensive process that involves conducting Stay Round Interviews with employees, ultimately leading to a reduction and reduction in turnover rates.

Methods: The project was carried out …

Virtual Reality Pedagogy To Improve Clinical Judgment And Work-Readiness: An Integrative Review, Maria Hurd

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Aims: To appraise the literature examining the impact of virtual reality (VR) on the development of clinical judgment and work readiness in undergraduate nursing students.

Background: Preparing nursing students for safe entry into practice remains challenging due to limited clinical placements and increasing expectations for competence. VR simulation provides immersive, repeatable pedagogical experiences that support clinical reasoning and decision-making [1,2]; however, its effectiveness in developing work readiness remains unclear.

Methods: PubMed and CINAHL were searched for studies examining VR-based pedagogical approaches and outcomes related to clinical judgment and work readiness. Of 216 articles identified, 193 were screened after duplicates were …

Learning, Unlearning And Transformation: Recommendations For A Successful Workplace Integration, Archana Paul

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: The process of learning, unlearning, re-learning, and ultimately transformation is a fundamental aspect of personal and professional growth. Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) bring extensive knowledge, skills, and experience to their practice areas. However, they must undergo a process of change to assimilate, adapt, and practice competently as a nurse. Despite the existence of some studies exploring IENs' transition into their workplace, there is a significant scarcity of focus on their experiences of relinquishing old habits, beliefs, and ideas to acquire new or alternative knowledge and skills, which ultimately facilitate transformation. It is crucial to recognize the significance of this …

Creating And Implementing Multinational Research Collaborations In Nursing, Allison P. Squires

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

As a profession, nursing possesses a unique body of knowledge that guides our practice and service delivery. The creation of our knowledge comes from the production of research using the scientific method and involves both creating local knowledge reflective of local practices as well as contributing to the global evidence to inform clinical practice and policy. The COVID 19 pandemic highlighted the need for strengthening research capacity in nursing, especially in countries where it is nascent or a relatively recent phenomenon. Strengthening research capacity in nursing and healthcare more broadly is also a key goal of the World Health Organization's …

Assessing Bse Knowledge And Practice Among Female Undergraduates In Oyo, Nigeria, Esther Oluwatoyin Famutimi, Phoebe O. Ayandokun

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Breast cancer is a major global health burden and the most common malignancy among women in Nigeria. Early detection through Breast Self-Examination (BSE) remains a cost-effective method for reducing mortality, especially in low-resource settings. Despite high awareness levels, many young women lack adequate knowledge and regular practice of BSE. This study, therefore, assessed the knowledge and practice of BSE among female undergraduate students in two tertiary institutions in Oyo State, Nigeria.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted. The study population comprised female undergraduates from Atiba University and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo. A multistage sampling technique …

Social Determinants Of Health: Beliefs About Healthcare As A Right Or A Privilege, Dianne Mcadams-Jones

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Nursing education nationwide has integrated Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) into curricula to prepare future healthcare providers to address inequities and improve outcomes. While understanding SDoH is essential for equitable care, nurses’ own beliefs—shaped by personal experiences and environments—can influence practice behaviors and perpetuate disparities (Egede, Walker & Williams, 2024). This qualitative descriptive pilot study explored perceptions of healthcare as a right or privilege, examining how personal beliefs intersect with SDoH and bad science which ultimately impact healthcare outcomes (Bandura, 1971). Using an unstructured survey distributed via email, 110 responses were received, with 64 healthcare professionals and first responders included …

Flexible Scheduling: Pathway To Building Sustainable Nursing Workforce: A New Zealand Context, Adetoun Adebimpe Oyekunle

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Hospital nurses frequently work long and irregular shifts, exposing them to high fatigue and stress that undermine wellbeing and retention. Rigid rosters limit autonomy, erode work-life balance, and contribute to turnover. In New Zealand, the situation is intensified by chronic workforce shortages, an ageing nursing population, and rising reliance on internationally qualified nurses. Flexible scheduling and shift choice, which give nurses greater control over when and how they work, may offer an effective strategy to reduce fatigue,increase job satisfaction, and improve retention.

Aim: To explore how flexible scheduling and shift choice affect fatigue, job satisfaction, and retention among nurses …

Leveraging Collaboratory Community Assessments To Strategically Guide Service-Learning Projects, Judy L. Gregg

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The Association of American Colleges and Universities supports high impact practices including service-learning, global learning, research, and collaborative projects resulting in a university participating in a Collaboratory Community Assessment in order to strengthen an established partnership in a remote indigenous village in Guyana.

While most service learning project goals are established by the host, collaboratory projects can improve service-learning outcomes through a community engagement pedagogy that combines learning goals and community service in ways that enhance both student growth and the public good. Collaboratory projects are high-impact practices where teaching, service, and scholarship overlap.

In Fall 2023, a one credit …

Measuring Stress Of Nurse Caregiving In The Nicu: Development Of Measure To Inform Practice, Debra Brandon

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are exposed to a variety of stressors based on their health condition and length of hospital stay. Stress has also been associated with negative neurodevelopmental outcomes.¹ Cumulative measures of NICU stress exist.² Yet, stress caused by specific nurse caregiving activities are poorly understood.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to categorize the intrusiveness of nurse caregiving activities to inform “clustered nurse caregiving” with a goal of minimizing cumulative stress experienced by infants in the NICU.

Methods and Results: Assessment of intrusiveness was developed in 3 Phases. In Phase …

Fear Of Progression And Associated Factors In Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Mixed-Methods Study, Hongxia Liu

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) frequently develop excessive fear regarding disease recurrence and progression, which substantially affects their health. The Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSM) offers a useful framework to explain how these recipients perceive, process, and respond to such health threats.

Objective: To develop and validate a model of fear of progression (FoP) in kidney transplant recipients, analyzing its influencing factors; and to identify contextual factors associated with this fear as well as recipients’ lived experiences.

Design: A convergent mixed-methods design was employed in this study.

Settings: Kidney transplant follow-up centers at three tertiary hospitals in Beijing, Hunan, and …

Advancing Clinical Practice Using Precision Infusion Delivery And Standardized Flushing Protocol, Sudha Saravanan

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Ambulatory infusion centers are required to infuse complex therapies within scheduled chair times while sustaining excellent patient-centered care. This project evaluated how advanced clinical nursing practices can optimize routine infusion workflows by improving drug-volume accuracy and standardizing post-infusion flushing.

Infusion times go beyond expected time when nurses program pumps using manufacturer-stated volumes rather than actual bag volume, which often contains significant overfill [3]. In addition, variation in flushing practices creates inconsistent timed dose delivery and potential drug loss [2,4]. These deviations contribute to prolonged chair time and patient dissatisfaction.

Evidence supports weighed volume accuracy as an essential safeguard for time-dependent …

Strengthening Self-Efficacy To Reduce The Confidence–Performance Gap In Nursing Skill Execution, Efrat Danino

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

A persistent gap between nurses’ perceived confidence and their actual performance of clinical skills poses risks to patient safety, quality of care, and workforce preparedness. The purpose of this study was to examine how internal factors—particularly self-efficacy and perceived ability—and external factors, including departmental climate and gender, influence the execution of core nursing procedures.

Limited research has evaluated how self-efficacy and perceived ability translate into consistent performance across diverse clinical environments. Addressing this gap is essential for developing evidence-based strategies that enhance competence, promote safe practice, and strengthen the global nursing workforce.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using validated self-report …

Dysphagia Strain Sensor For Swallowing And Volume Status Assessment In Heart Failure, Juvel-Lou P. Velasco

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: Dysphagia often appears days before conventional volume overload indicators, suggesting it may be an earlier marker for impending volume overload. The The Massey Bedside Swallow Screen and videofluoroscopic swallow studies are standard dysphagia diagnostic tools, but are limited by subjectivity and resource availability, respectively. The Dysphagia Strain Sensor (DSS) offers objective assessment and easier accessibility. This study assessed the feasibility of the DSS in detecting dysphagia and evaluating volume status in heart failure (HF) patients.

Methods: An exploratory feasibility enrolled 15 HF patients aged 18 years and older, classified as New York Heart Association Functional Class II to III, …

Leading The Charge In Advanced Competency: Through Muta/Guta Training In Graduate Nursing Education, Janice Ketcham Williams

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Graduate nursing education is undergoing a significant transformation as academic institutions are required to prepare their learners to meet the evolving needs of a complex healthcare system. This requires them to be prepared to care for patients with diverse healthcare needs, while also meeting the expectations of nursing regulatory and accrediting organizations. One of these requirements is the transition toward competency-based education. This transition to competency-based education requires faculty to employ pedagogical approaches that demonstrate consistent, measurable development of clinical knowledge, skill acquisition, and professional attitudes. Research has validated the effectiveness of incorporating diverse simulation experiences throughout the curriculum as …