Digital Commons Network^™

Nursing Home Without Walls: A Nurse-Led Innovative Home Support Program, Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard, Alisson Hache-Chiasson, Judy Freeze, Stephanie Lagosky, Andrea Piche, Danielle Theriault

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The United Nations (UN) Decade of Healthy Ageing (1) and the World Health Organization Sustainable Development Goals (2) both focus on improving the lives of older adults. The UN Healthy Ageing 50 (3) recently recognized global leaders who have demonstrated concrete actions to meet the needs of older adults and one such initiative is the nurse-led [Blinded Program Name] program (4).

Evidence-based and asset-based community development informed (5), [x] provides resources to long-term care facilities for them to provide services to older adults and caregivers in the community. The objectives of the program are to: 1) ensure access to appropriate …

Interactive Insights: Using Kwla-R© To Spark Active Learning And Reflection In Nursing, Amanda Adams

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Active learning within nursing education assists in the engagement and retention of knowledge among students (Bristol et.al, 2019). The Know, Want to Know, Learned, Application – Reflection (KWLA-R) teaching tool was implemented as an innovative strategy for prework and active learning within a concept-based nursing curriculum. This approach aimed to promote active engagement and critical thinking through scaffolding knowledge (Coffman, et. al, 2023). The adaptation was executed in a hybrid format: students first completed the initial half of the KWLA-R as a ticket prior to the didactic session, answering what they already knew and what they wanted to learn about …

Harnessing Synergy: Advancing Nursing Scholarship Development, Fang-Yu Chou

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Producing scholarly work is a core expectation of academic faculty in higher education, alongside responsibilities in teaching, service, curriculum development, and academic advising. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing defines academic nursing as the integration of practice, education, and research within baccalaureate and graduate programs. Nursing faculty are therefore expected to demonstrate a commitment to inquiry, generate new disciplinary knowledge, connect practice with education, and lead scholarly endeavors that advance health and health care. Yet, barriers such as limited funding and institutional support, overloaded teaching schedule and service duties, insufficient skills and knowledge in research, and role conflict between …

Mental Health Experiences Of Pakistani International Students In Canada: A Qualitative Study, Anila Naz Alisher, Salima Meherali, Tanya Park

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

International students, particularly those originating from Pakistan, a nation situated in South Asia, encounter distinctive sociocultural, academic, and emotional challenges during their studies at Canadian universities. These issues continue to be inadequately researched. This exploratory-descriptive qualitative study examines the mental health experiences of Pakistani international students in Canadian universities using photo-elicitation to understand how they navigate academic, social, cultural, and personal difficulties and how these shape their well-being. Seven students, from master’s to doctoral levels, participated in in-depth interviews.

Three major themes emerged. The first adjustment to a new environment included five subthemes: (1) personal characteristics; (2) religious and cultural …

The Reflective Voice Of Nurses Pursuing Graduate Studies In Defining The Nursing Profession, Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard, Alisson Hache-Chiasson

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Nurses have difficulty describing their roles and the core components of the profession (1). The absence of understanding the profession and the unique role of nurses in the health system negatively impacts the profession (2, 3, 4). The goal of this qualitative descriptive study was to gain an understanding of the reasons that motivated nurses to enter the profession compared to how they describe their current role as a practicing nurse and to examine the discordance from the initial vision of being a nurse and their current interpretation of their role.

After ethics approval, data was collected by examining the …

Building Research Infrastructure To Advance Recruitment And Retention Of Diabetes Mellitus Patients, Elidia V. Tafoya, Keith Henri Salvado, Latanya Dean, Pamela Josue, Briana Williams, Grissel Hernandez, Neera Ahuja

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

We assessed current strategies and built an infrastructure informed by historical studies demonstrating effective engagement of diverse participants to improve recruitment. Our objective was to increase enrollment of an inpatient health equity study experiencing food insecurity and diabetes mellitus (DM). This scalable model focused on supporting clinical integration for the development of a long-term, sustainable nutrition program.

This randomized control study included patients with a history of DM. The nursing research team screened patients using the validated, Hunger Vital Sign™ tool to assess for food insecurity. Using an evidence-based multifactorial approach, the implementation plan uses best practices to support socioeconomic …

On The Double: Educating Veterans And Clinicians On Evidence-Based Ptsd Treatment Options, Jacquelyn Baldwin, Beth A. Pratt, Alan Peterson, Cheryl A. Krause-Parello

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop after a traumatic event and may impair cognition, mood, behavior, and increase risk of psychiatric illness and suicide (Mann et al., 2024). The lifetime prevalence of PTSD among United States (US) veterans can reach 29% depending on their period of military service (Judkins et al., 2020; Na et al., 2023). Many veterans still do not seek treatment. In a study of 13,824 veterans, less than 50% received PTSD treatment in the year after diagnosis (Grekin et al., 2021). Limited awareness of PTSD treatment options may be a cause. The aim of this dissemination initiative …

From Evidence To Impact: Academic-Clinical Partnership As A Mentorship Accelerator, Jackeline Iseler, Joshua Winowiecki

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Formal mentorship is widely recognized for strengthening nurses’ evidence-based practice (EBP) competencies and supporting nurse-led research, yet persistent gaps remain between academic preparation and clinical translation. This project synthesizes existing literature and cross-institutional case results to examine how mentorship, when fully embedded in Academic-Clinical Partnership (ACP) infrastructure, catalyzes system-level transformation that extends beyond individual gains.

We integrated a literature synthesis of nine studies with a multi-site case analysis across two ACPs:

1. A large community hospital with a structured mentorship program supporting frontline EBP/QI and research initiatives.

2. A large multi-hospital system piloting a structured academic-clinical mentorship initiative, pairing clinical …

Open Visitation Hours: Improving Patient Outcomes In A Large Urban Hospital, Danielle Brochu, Victoria Freed

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Multiple studies have shown that patient clinical outcomes as well as patient/family satisfaction greatly improves with unrestricted visiting hours (Dragoi et al., 2022; Ning & Cope, 2020; Shao, 2022). The purpose of this project is to improve patient clinical outcomes and satisfaction by expanding visitation that enables families to be more present at the bedside and partner with nursing staff in patient care.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, patients around the world experienced an increase in negative physical and emotional impacts due to restrictions on family visiting (Hugelius et al., 2021). Post-pandemic, it is crucial to renew the focus on …

Becoming Blind: Innovative Nurse Case Management For Improved Outcomes, Amie Koch

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Globally over 338 million people live with blindness or moderate to severe vision impairment, and is predicted to double by 2025. Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a maternally inherited mitochondrial disorder that causes sudden, severe vision impairment. Onset can occur throughout the lifespan, however it most often occurs during the teen/young adult years in males and young adult/middle age for females. LHON-affected individuals face health-care barriers, financial hardship, and psychosocial challenges. Individuals with LHON vision impairment are at increased risk for unintentional injuries, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and lower quality of life. A non-profit organization supporting LHON patients collaborated with …

Decolonizing Peer Review: Dismantling Epistemic Gatekeeping In Nursing Scholarship, Kechi Iheduru-Anderson

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Peer review in nursing privileges Western knowledge systems while marginalizing Indigenous, Global South, and community-based traditions. This colonial structure limits who contributes to nursing science, which methodologies are legitimate, and constrains culturally responsive care. Current practices exclude nurse researchers employing non-Western epistemologies, working in non-English languages, or prioritizing community-based approaches essential to addressing health disparities.

Purpose: This presentation examines peer review as a colonial mechanism and advocates for reforms democratizing nursing knowledge production. It explores how linguistic hegemony, methodological gatekeeping, and citation politics perpetuate epistemic injustice, and identifies alternative models from Latin America, Africa, and Indigenous communities fostering collaboration …

Understanding The Intersections Of Pregnancy, Ipv, And Hiv Risk Among Youth In The Galápagos, Natalia Andrea Villegas Rodriguez, Rainier Masa, Cindy Fraga-Rizzo, Mimi Chapman, Brian A. Garcia, Lucero Rocha-Dela Cruz, Lizbeth Arvizu, Amy Kaiser

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background and Purpose: Ecuador has one of the highest rates of youth pregnancy and intimate partner violence (IPV) (1). Youth pregnancy and IPV may also increase other risks, such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (2). In Ecuador, HIV remains a concentrated epidemic that disproportionately affects youth aged 15–24 (2,3). Despite nationwide concern, little is known about these issues in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. The unique context of the Galapagos requires a distinct exploration of pathways linking youth pregnancy, IPV and HIV. The purpose of this study is to understand young adults’ perspectives about risk and protective factors for youth …

Cognitive Resilience In Action: Evaluating Neurological Adaptive Functioning In Nursing Students, Darlla Thompson, Shunda Wilburn, Morgan Sewell, Brionne Perterkin

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Resilience is a critical competency for nursing students navigating academic stress and clinical uncertainty. This mixed-methods study evaluates the impact of a five-module neuroadaptive resilience training program on undergraduate nursing students’ stress regulation, cognitive flexibility, and clinical preparedness. The intervention integrates mindfulness-based resets, cognitive reframing drills, and executive function planning to promote neuroplasticity and emotional resilience in high-stress environments.

Reflective journaling and structured pre/post assessments will be used to measure changes in perceived stress, coping strategies, and professional identity formation. Quantitative data will be analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA to assess improvements in resilience and cognitive flexibility. Qualitative data from …

Sci-Fi And Nursing: What We Got Right, What We Got Wrong, And What Is Our Next Frontier, Tara Marko, Matthew Mincey

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: Science fiction (Sci-Fi) has been imagining advances in human healthcare for over 200 years. With each advancement in technology, we can see parallels to Sci-Fi ideas that have now integrated into all aspects of the nursing profession.

Design: We will visually explore the history of nursing and healthcare depicted in Sci-Fi media, highlight key moments and predictions, and discuss how those predictions translate to technology that nurses use today. We will show the promises of Sci-Fi and how modern nursing is being shaped by technology that was once fantastical. We will also imagine what modern nursing could look like …

Development And Feasibility Of A Community-Based Breast Cancer Prevention Program For Asian American, Jingxi Sheng, Maichou Lor, Lisa Cadmus-Bertram

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background. Asian American (AsA) women have the fast-growing breast cancer incidence in the United States, yet face persistently low screening uptake, the slowest improvements in mortality, and underrepresentation in cancer prevention research. Building upon a culturally developed cancer screening program for Hmong women, we partnered with a multi-ethnic AsA Community Advisory Board (CAB) to address these gaps and co-develop a culturally tailored breast cancer education and prevention initiative for diverse AsA communities. This abstract provides an overview of the Breast Cancer Awareness and Risk Education for Asian Americans (CARE) Program and describes its iterative refinement during pilot testing.

Methods. CARE …

Advancing Sdg 6: Nursing-Led Home Follow-Up On Water Filtration In Rural Ecuador, Stephanie Black

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Globally, many communities still lack safely managed drinking water, and preventable waterborne disease remains common in rural and low-resource settings. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 calls for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the sustained use of household water filters, perceived health outcomes, and the impact of nursing-led water education among families in rural Ecuador one year after an initial clean water implementation project.

Methods: This completed follow-up project used a simple descriptive design. Nursing faculty and students returned to 10 participating families in …

Advancing Quality In Online Nursing Education: A Global Perspective, Kaneez R. Odgers, Shantha Franks

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The global shift toward online and hybrid nursing education has transformed how nurses learn, offering flexible pathways for students across diverse geographic and socioeconomic contexts. As nations continue to face nursing shortages, digital and distance education models have expanded access, yet ensuring high-quality, competency-based preparation in virtual environments remains a major challenge. Concerns include the adequacy of virtual learning for developing clinical reasoning, variability in clinical training standards across countries, and disparities in technological access that directly affect learning outcomes. These issues reflect findings in current literature, showing the need for evidence-based strategies to ensure that digitally educated nurses are …

Harnessing Expert Insights To Strengthen Hiv Care Through Innovative Programme Development, Mebelo Medupe, Deliwe Rene Phetlhu

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and validate an education programme designed to improve the quality of life (QoL) of people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the Johannesburg Metropole. The Delphi technique was employed to gather expert consensus on the content, scope, and relevance of the program to ensure its appropriateness and effectiveness.

Methods: A three-round Delphi process was conducted with ten purposively selected experts, including HIV/AIDS specialists, practitioners, nurses, and PhD students with relevant experience. Round one involved the development of an initial questionnaire based on literature review and previous research, which …

Development Of Nurse-Led Ultrasound-Guided Iv Access Using Novel Diva Scoring Too, Kevin Lamonica

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: To develop and validate a novel Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA) prediction tool for an urban emergency department (ED) and implement a nurse-led ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous (USGPIV) access program.

Background: Difficult intravenous access affects 10-24% of ED patients, causing treatment delays and unnecessary central line placement (Egan et al., 2013; Loon et al., 2016). USGPIV demonstrates superior success yet procedures remain physician-restricted. Existing DIVA tools developed in European populations may not accurately predict risk in diverse urban settings. Expanding nursing scope requires validated risk stratification and standardized training.

Methods: This multi-phase quality improvement initiative utilized SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines. Phase I: …

Individual Factors Associated With Self-Management In People With Coronary Heart Disease In Colombia, Jennifer Rojas Reyes, Edith Arredondo Holguín, Maria Paulina Florez Gonzalez

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: The rise in mortality from ischemic heart diseases such as acute myocardial infarction in Colombia—14,964 deaths by 2024 (1)—shows the need to identify factors that support self-management, an issue scarcely studied in Latin America, where most research focuses on cardiovascular risk (2–4) or other chronic diseases (4,5).

Objective: To examine correlations between individual factors and self-management in people with acute myocardial infarction in a quaternary hospital in Medellín, Colombia.

Method: A cross-sectional study with 177 participants with confirmed AMI who were close to hospital discharge. After ethical approval and informed consent, the adapted “Partners in Health Scale” (6) and …

Decisions Under Fire: Healthcare Students Reactions To An Active Shooter Simulation, Linda S. James, Sarah Hirsch

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The Joint Commission (2021) recommended that hospitals train their employees on how to act and respond during an AS event. Students are required to complete agency trainings (i.e. fire, HAZMAT etc.) prior to attending practicum but are not required to complete AS response, sending them into clinical settings ill prepared.

The purpose of this study was to examine healthcare professional students’ moral and ethical challenges experienced from an interprofessional active shooter (AS) simulation. This simulation also explored ethical decision-making and provided students an opportunity to practice critical thinking in high-stress situation and had a secondary impact on their development of …

Effect Of Personal, Organizational, And Work Attributes On Long-Term Care Nurses’ Intent To Stay, Marilyn J. Hodgins, Caitlin Mcarthur, Janice M. Keefe, Rick Audas, Carole Estabrooks, Rose Mccloskey, Gail Tomblin Murphy

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

A stable workforce is key to creating and maintaining a positive work environment, enhancing productivity, reducing adverse events, and lowering recruitment and orientation costs (De Vries et al., 2023). Stability in staffing of long-term care (LTC) facilities is particularly important given the vulnerability of the residents and increasing complexity of their physical and psychosocial care needs (Calver et al., 2025; Virdo & Daly, 2025). However, before action can be taken to address high turnover rates among LTC staff (Gandhi et al., 2021), factors influencing such decisions need to be understood.

PURPOSE: To examine extent that LTC nurses’ intent to stay …

Postpartum Depression Screening By Pediatric Clinicians In North-Central Florida, Jessica S. Bahorski, Sionika Thayagabalu, Stacy Wright, Dominick Lemas

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Perinatal depression is defined as an episode of depression during pregnancy or within the first year after birth (National Institute of Mental Health, nd; World Health Organization, 2022). Perinatal mental health disorders in women are underrecognized with screening recommended during pregnancy and the postpartum period (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2023; Earls et al., 2019; World Health Organization, 2022). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends screening for postpartum depression (PPD) at well child checks/visits (WCC) in the 6 months after birth (Earls et al., 2019). To determine if pediatric clinics incorporate this practice, this study aimed to …

Usa-Kenyan Primary Care Teams Offer Phq-9 And Gad-7 Screening For Hiv+ Women In Kenya, Janet Meda, Laura L. Van Auker, Stephen J. Cavanagh, Miriam Carole Atieno Wagoro, Mariana Omenda

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: As HIV treatment advances in sub-Saharan Africa, care for women living with HIV (WLWH) shifted from acute AIDS management to chronic disease care, with need to integrate mental health and HIV services. In low-resource settings comorbidities and antiretroviral (ARV) side effects can heighten anxiety and depression. Anemia, diabetes, hypertension, malaria, and ARV-related fatigue, pain, and neuropathy complicate diagnosis and treatment. Mental health screening in primary care improves identification and supports better outcomes. Rural and urban WLWH face different barriers and resources, emphasizing context-specific approaches. Expanding nursing education and advanced nursing roles may help reduce gaps in integrated care.

Objectives: …

Analyzing Proposed Federal Policy For Nurse-To-Patient Staffing Ratios: Insights From State Data, Brayton Amidon

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Approaches to nurse staffing in the United States is a highly debated topic. Nurses, policymakers, and hospital administrators are interested in improving patient outcomes and many researchers have looked to safe staffing as a way to improve these outcomes (Costa & Yakusheva, 2016). Mandated nurse-to-patient staffing ratios have been implemented at the state level and have been proposed at the federal level (Bartmess et al., 2021). Many state hospital associations oppose mandated staffing ratios as they claim these ratios could exacerbate the nursing shortage, deny nurses the flexibility to determine staffing needs, limit access to healthcare, and increase hospital …

A Culturally Tailored Soap Opera (Telenovela) Intervention To Reduce Hiv Risk Among Latinas, Natalia Andrea Villegas Rodriguez, Baiming Zou, Yuanyuan Yan, Clare Barrington, Saif Khairat, Evelyn Iriarte, Christine Toledo, Nilda Peragallo, Laika Maganga, Susana Barroso, Daniel Santisteban, Rosina Cianelli

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: HIV continues to disproportionately affect Latinas in the U.S.(1) However, referrals to HIV testing and Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remain low (2). Telenovelas provides a culturally relevant platform for delivering health promotion to Latinas (3,4).

Aim. To assess the preliminary efficacy of Infectious Love (IL) to improve HIV prevention behaviors among Latinas.

Methods. 95 Latinas in North Carolina participated in a randomized controlled pilot study (n = 50 intervention, n = 45 control). IL consisted of four weekly episodes (~10 minutes each) available online (2). Latinas completed surveys assessing targeted HIV-related outcomes at baseline, 1-month, and 7-months post-baseline. Latinas in …

Illuminating Instances Of Punitive Approaches To Care In Perinatal Settings In Canada, Amy L. Wright, Jen Rinaldi, Idil Abdillahi, Yann Zoldan, Julia Smith, Emilie Hudon, Lauren Munro

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Carceral perinatal care is the provision of coercive or punishing care by clinicians during the perinatal period (1). Whether intentional or driven by licensure/policy demands, clinicians have been implicated in the provision of punitive care for pregnant and parenting patients (1-4).

Purpose: The Do No Harm project aims to thoroughly understand carceral instances of clinical practices across the perinatal continuum of care to develop abolitionist solutions that are equitable, person-centred, and trauma-responsive. Abolitionist solutions reimagine prevention, intervention and healing ways of accountability that do not cause further harm (5).

Methods: Informed by the Reproductive Justice Framework (6) and Abolitionist Feminism …

From Seed Funding To Global Impact: Building A Successful Nurse-Led Research Program, Nicola Cornally, Mohamad M. Saab

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Large scale nurse-led research is infrequently observed when compared to other health disciplines. Advancing nurse-led research and improving uptake of evidence requires a shift in how the profession secures funding.[1] Nurse-led research faces barriers like limited opportunities, competing demands, low perceived value, and a paucity of role models/mentors. [2] With the increase in doctorly trained nurses, there is an urgent need to address such barriers.

Aim: To explore the mechanisms that build a successful nurse-led research program.

Methods: Case studies (CS) of how two nurse Chief Investigators navigated the path to leading major grants.

CS1: From a small post-doctoral …

Lead Together: Amplifying The Nursing Voice In Public Media And Discourse, Richard Ricciardi

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Nurses stand as the largest and most trusted healthcare workforce, yet their perspectives remain vastly underrepresented in global mass and social media. Despite accounting for fewer than 4% of quoted sources in health news, nurses have unparalleled insight into patient care, public health, and systemic challenges. By cultivating targeted knowledge, media engagement skills, and strategic media literacy, nurses can transform from behind-the-scenes providers into powerful public advocates. Equipping nurses to speak confidently and clearly with journalists, leverage digital storytelling platforms, and publish thought leadership pieces not only uplifts nursing as a profession, but also enhances health literacy, informs policy, and …

Social Well-Being In Pediatric Orthopedics: Predictors From Promis Peer Scores, Sally Ann Martens, Christine Rae Platt, Shima Salahshoor

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Children with orthopedic conditions often face social stigmatization, which can impair psychosocial development. Positive peer relationships are critical for emotional resilience, yet little is known about how demographic, diagnostic, and socioeconomic factors influence these relationships.

Purpose: To examine associations between peer relationship quality and age, race, gender, diagnosis, and socioeconomic status among pediatric orthopedic patients.

Methods: A cohort of 3,261 children treated at Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California completed the PROMIS Peer Relationship short form. Demographic and diagnostic data were extracted from medical records; socioeconomic status was estimated using the Area Deprivation Index (ADI). Analyses included descriptive statistics, …