Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Interventions Addressing Moral Distress In Acute Care Nurses: A Systematic Review, Maira Alejandra Harris, Sarah Owens, Louis Baser, Jean Edward

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background. Moral distress (MoD), or psychological distress resulting from acting against one’s ethics, and its consequences is a growing concern in healthcare. Nurses experiencing MoD are at greater risk of experiencing burnout, workplace stress and fatigue, anxiety, and depression. There is a gap in the literature regarding MoD interventions in nurses working in the acute care setting. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify interventions that reduce MoD in registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) working in the acute care setting.

Methods. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO in September 2025. Search string results revealed 3,637 …

Examining Social Support Among Black Dementia Caregivers In The Greater Toronto Area, Deanna Marie Black

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Dementia affects more than 55 million people globally and disproportionately impacts Black populations due to inequities in healthcare access. In Canada, Black communities face higher dementia risk and greater barriers to timely, culturally aligned care. In the Greater Toronto Area, Black caregivers carry major responsibilities while navigating fragmented services shaped by race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Although social support reduces caregiver burden, little is known about how Black caregivers access and use support within intersecting social and structural constraints.

Purpose: This study will examine how Black adult caregivers in the Greater Toronto Area construct, access, and mobilize social support …

Sub-Saharan African Women’S Experiences Of Social Support During Childbirth In Finland, Emma Kwegyir-Afful, Anita Wikberg

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Over 50% of the estimated 90 million international migrants in Europe are women, many of whom are of childbearing age (Fair et al., 2020). Poorer pregnancy and birth outcomes are common among ethnic minority women (Soltani et al., 2020). In Finland Sub-Saharan African women (SSAW) are more likely to undergo caesarean section than Finnish women (Bastola et al., 2020).

Social support which is both informational (providing information for problem-solving) and emotional (offering care and/or trust) is key social determinant of health. It can be acquired through informal networks such as friends, family, and ethnic communities or through formal networks …

Predictors Of 3-Month Anxiety Among Intimate Partners Of Icd Recipients Following A P+P Intervention, Jinseon Hwang, Elaine A. Thompson, Cynthia M. Dougherty

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivors often require implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy, which introduces psychological challenges for patients and their intimate partners. Although the Patient plus Partner (P+P) intervention, a six-week post-discharge program, was developed to support recovery for both patient and partners, factors influencing early post-discharge partner anxiety remain unclear. This study examined predictors of 3-month partner anxiety among intimate partners of ICD recipients receiving secondary prevention.

Methods: This secondary analysis included intimate partners of patients who underwent ICD implantation for secondary prevention of ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia (n=63) from a randomized controlled trial. Partner anxiety was measured …

Optimizing Research To Practice Translation Time Through The Mountain Model: A Delphi Study, Jayne Jennings Dunlap, Julee Waldrop, Staci Reynolds

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: The Mountain Model (MM) is the first published framework to merge evidence-based practice and quality improvement (EBPQI) paradigms. The primary focus of the framework is to guide practitioners in healthcare and related settings with translating research for sustained practice improvements. The nurse-led MM is in use and being cited in the literature, however the efficacy of the MM is anecdotal and is not yet supported by empirical evidence for its validity.

Design: A Delphi study of currently practicing evidence-based practice (EBP) and quality improvement (QI) experts spanning eight patient-facing disciplines in healthcare was conducted in September and October 2025 …

Immigrant Women’S Experiences Of Living In An Abusive Relationship: A Narrative Inquiry, Fay M. Dastjerdi, Sassan Issari, Zipora Rahmanov, Elizabeth Sombilon

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Immigration has become a reality in most parts of the world for different reasons. Iranian immigrants ranked sixth in acquiring Canadian citizenship and eighth in being admitted as permanent residents (Bains, 2024; Risdon, 2024). Most immigrants experience some degree of loss and disassociation after being dislocated. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) impacts people of all genders, ages and socioeconomic, racial, educational, ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds; however,women experience this form of gender-based violence at much higher rates, most often perpetrated by men (Statistics Canada, 2023 & 2025). IPV presents a significant public health challenge affecting diverse demographic groups, including immigrant women …

Virtual Reality Training: Recognize Implicit Bias And Address Microaggressions In Nursing Education, Paige Ricca, Kathryn Vanderzwan, Antoinette Rosa, Rose Hernandez

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Virtual reality (VR) simulations are gaining prominence as a method for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training in medical education but are seldom used in nursing programs. Although health-related programs in academic institutions have begun to address inclusion and bias, data suggest that racial climate remains a challenge in academic medical and nursing institutions. The main purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility and impact of DEI training for nursing students, faculty and clinical instructors. Two-10-minute VR simulations in a clinical and a classroom setting tailored for nursing faculty and students were developed to provide an immersive and …

Ngo & Us/Kenyan Academic Multidisciplinary Teams Mitigate Climate Health Impacts For Hiv+ Women, Laura L. Van Auker, Stephen J. Cavanagh, Janet Meda, Charleen Singh, Miriam Carole Atieno Wagoro, Mariana Omenda

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This reports a 25-year case demonstration of a Kenyan-based NGO founded by an American RN in response to the life-threats for HIV+ widows and their children in Kenya. Initially providing AIDS medication, food, shelter and structured skills training for economic development and support for keeping their children in school, the program now provides interdisciplinary care by the program primary physician and social worker, agronomist and community support from program graduates. Long-standing academic partnership with a US University models APRN team-based care medical volunteers, later adding Kenyan University nursing faculty and students for mobile medical camps. Health data collection/analytics supports improved …

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 …

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 …

Seeing Through Students’ Eyes: Photo-Elicitation For Research And Program Evaluation In Nursing, Megan P. Williams

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Photo-elicitation invites participants to capture and share photographs representing their lived experiences. It offers a meaningful way to evaluate how nursing students integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes across cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains of learning. Grounded in visual sociology (Harper, 2002) and expanded through nursing pedagogy (Linz, 2011; Kronk et al., 2015), this approach helps students express ideas and emotions that are difficult to articulate or assess. Prior research indicates that photo-elicitation supports empathy, critical thinking, and self-awareness through learning experiences such as aging (Chonody, 2018), community health (Cooper et al., 2017), and academic challenges (Steenfeldt et al., 2019). …

Difficult Conversations In Hematology/Oncology Nursing: A Com-B Study Of Barriers And Facilitators, Joy Octaviano, Anna Oh, Penelope Blum, Regine Lopez

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Difficult conversations in hematology/oncology often involve prognosis, goals of care, and treatment decisions, contributing to moral distress and burnout. Prior studies show nurses view their role as integral yet secondary to physicians, citing limited confidence, inadequate training, and time constraints. Understanding behavioral drivers can inform strategies to support nurses in these challenging interactions.

This qualitative study explored hematology/oncology/blood and marrow transplant (BMT) nurses’ experiences with difficult conversations, identifying barriers and facilitators through the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation–Behavior (COM-B) model and Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

Purposive sampling recruited hematology/oncology/BMT nurses at a large academic medical center. Semi-structured interviews were transcribed; thematic analysis …

Ronald E. Mcnair Research Symposium Presentation Schedule 2026, Mcnair Scholars Program

McNair Symposium

This is the presentation schedule for the 24th Undergraduate Ronald E. McNair Research Symposium 2026.

An Adaptive Infrastructure Framework For Health Equity Integration Into Clinical Research, Keith Henri Salvado, Elidia V. Tafoya, Latanya Dean, Grissel Hernandez, Neera Ahuja

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

PURPOSE: The research team transformed a struggling health equity study by redesigning the clinical research infrastructure using population health management concepts and the A3 improvement methodology. The framework embeds the full cycle of clinical research in high acuity settings. This adaptive, nursing-led transformation aimed to optimize feasibility, to drive equitable access to research, and to bridge gaps in the literature.

METHODS: The research team overhauled the study using A3 improvement methodology within the framework of Lean and Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. To optimize recruitment, our team developed workflows around sales funnel principles. Culturally competent and linguistically appropriate interactions fostered research access. Strategic …

Ai-Guided Psychodrama Materials For Psychiatric Nursing: Feasibility Of Ai-Validated Synthetic Cases, Yen-Chung Ho, Chien Mei Sung

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Psychodrama is widely used in psychiatric–mental health nursing to help learners recognize and reorganize dysfunctional family-of-origin or role patterns, but faculty still lack standardized, reproducible, and ethically safe scripts (Giacomucci, 2021; Beauvais, Özbas, & Wheeler, 2019; Çataldas, Atkan, & Eminoğlu, 2024). Recent work on AI in nursing education and on privacy-preserving synthetic data suggests that high-fidelity, non–patient-derived materials can be generated if outputs are quality-checked (Lifshits & Rosenberg, 2024; Cucci, 2025; Qian et al., 2024; Mendes, Barbar, & Refaie, 2025).

Purpose: To test the feasibility of an AI workflow that generates a synthetic psychodrama case, converts it into multimodal …

Effectiveness Of Medical Clowns In Improving Emotion For Children Undergoing Invasive Treatments, Pao-Li Pan, Wei-Wen Wu, Cheng-Shi Shiu, Meng-Yao Lu, Leigh Lu

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background and Objective: Children diagnosed with cancer often find hospitalization and medical procedures confusing and distressing due to limited developmental understanding. Hospitalized children frequently experience heightened anxiety, especially during invasive procedures. Among psychosocial interventions, medical clowning has emerged as effective in improving emotional well-being. In Taiwan, past study suggested group-based medical clown services improve children’s emotional well-being, but evidence for individualized services—recently adopted in Taiwan—is limited. In other countries, individualized clown interventions before procedures, such as intravenous insertion or surgery, significantly reduce anxiety and distress. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of individualized medical clown services in enhancing the …

Using Greater Resilience Information Toolkit As A Transformative Strategy For Native American Women, Kathy Prue-Owens, Marie Zephier, Lauren Shaw, Nicole Weis

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background/Purpose: Native Americans (NAs) exhibit lower quality of life due to poverty, inadequate health services, historica/ongoing discrimination. NA women are underrepresented when it comes to the epidemic of violence, mental health and wellness outcomes.The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore the relationship between Native American (NA) women cultural beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions by gathering cultural input on the Greater Resilience Information Toolkit (GRIT) program.

Methods: This is a mixed-method community-based participatory research (CBPR) study. Self-efficacy is the theoretical framework. Upon Institutional Review Board approvals, flyers were posted at the tribal wellness center. Prior to focus groups, participants …

Early Indicators Of Transition To Severe Dependency In Older Adults With Dementia, Kuei-Min Chen, Szu-Yu Chen

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: Functional assessment plays a critical role in monitoring dementia progression. However, the early identification of individuals who are at risk of rapidly deteriorating into severe functional dependency remains a significant challenge in dementia care. This study aimed to address this issue by examining the association between cognitive impairment and functional ability among older adults with dementia.

Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional survey design, recruiting 258 older adults from 22 adult daycare centers in southern Taiwan. Data collected included demographic characteristics (age, sex, education, marital status, and cohabitation status), chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, psychiatric and behavioral symptoms, and functional …

Secondary Traumatic Stress In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Kristen N. Oakley, Linda Carman Copel, Jennifer Gunberg Ross

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Nursing students undergoing clinical training are at risk of developing negative physical and psychological secondary traumatic stress (STS) symptoms. However, the study of STS in this population has been limited by both a lack of clarity on the concept of STS and the lack of generalizable findings. Therefore, the purpose of this multi-method study was to determine the prevalence, severity, and experience of STS in traditional, non-accelerated prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students in the United States. The relationship between STS and personal and clinical learning environment factors was also explored. A descriptive, correlational multi-method survey design was used. Instruments included a …

Adolescent With Pediatric Liver Transplantation: The Perspectives Of Quality Of Life And Self-Care, Ya-Hui Chang, Bih-Shya Gau, Ming-Chih Ho, Jia-Feng Wu, Hsiao-Ling Yang

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background and Significance: Many children with end-stage liver disease have their lives extended by liver transplantation, growing into adolescence and even adulthood. Therefore, it is important to understand the long-term health outcomes of liver transplantation and provide relevant assistance during this developmental process. However, there is a lack of domestic research on the long-term and comprehensive health outcomes of pediatric liver transplantation, and less attention is paid to the children's own self-care ability and development.

Objective: To understand the attributes, health-related quality of life, and chronic disease self-care ability of adolescents who have received liver transplantation in early childhood and …

“I Didn’T Choose To Write My Life”: Trauma-Informed Values In The Design Of Social Care Records, Marissa Cummings, Gemma Teal

DRS Biennial Conference Series

While there has been a recent interest in trauma-informed design approaches, there is still a need for further research on its use in participatory design (PD). This paper discusses the methodology of a values-driven, trauma-informed PD project which explored how social care records could be redesigned to meet the needs and aspirations of young people (YP). Care-experienced people have often lived through traumatic experiences closely associated with their experiences of care, resulting in a lack of trust in social care professionals. While foregrounding the views of care-experienced people, this project also engaged with professionals, revealing systemic tensions which needed to …

Exploring Common Understandings And Bodily Experiences Of Vulnerability In Design Researchers In Sensitive Contexts, Bhakti Moghe, Roberta Antognini, Sofie Dideriksen, Zhuochao Peng, Francesca Toso, Maarten Houben

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Design researchers are increasingly being exposed to stressors while empathizing with their participants such as feeling emotionally charged, leading them to feeling vulnerable. Currently, there is a lack of clear consensus on how this vulnerability arises and manifests, hindering both individual and collective awareness and support. To address this gap, we conducted an empirical investigation into the vulnerability of design researchers. We conducted exploratory workshops with PhD students working in the field of design research in sensitive settings. The workshops consisted of three approaches to understand researcher vulnerability: (1) Reflecting on individual and collective vulnerability, (2) Exploring embodied experiences, and …

Designing With Care: Proposing An Ethical Canvas For Co-Design With Marginalised Groups, Hilkka Lydén, Soile Juujärvi, Satu Miettinen

DRS Biennial Conference Series

This paper addresses gaps in ethical guidance for socially oriented designers engaged in co-design with marginalised groups. It introduces an ethical canvas for planning and evaluating co-design, developed through a collaborative inquiry led by a practitioner-researcher with long experience in community-based design. The canvas was informed by the authoring team’s expertise in service design, ethical decision-making, and socially engaged design research. It makes ethical deliberation visible and actionable, especially where multiple or conflicting values are present. The canvas invites designers to reflect on their stance, engage with participants’ lived realities, and navigate tensions between institutional expectations and situated needs. It …

Paper, Pixels, And Play: Designing A Trauma-Informed Ai Assessment Toolkit, Awais Hameed Khan, Angela Elvery, Dang Khuong Tran, Suvradip Maitra, Suzanna Fay, Paul Henman, Lyndal Sleep

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automated processes hold significant potential to enhance service user experiences, by augmenting or fully automating aspects of service delivery. However, if not carefully designed, these systems also risk creating unintended, widespread harms, at unprecedented speed and scale. Drawing upon trauma-informed principles and developed in collaboration with social service delivery practitioners, we designed the Trauma Informed AI Assessment Toolkit (TIAKIT). TIAKIT supports users in critically designing, reviewing, and evaluating current or planned AI service integrations. We report on the iterative design process of TIAKIT and its adaptation across three formats — analogue, digital, and design game. Findings …

Agnes As A Critical Wearable: Mediating Age, Materiality, And Embodied Expertise, Elisa Cardamone, Taylor Brennan, Sophia Ashebir, Lisa D'Ambrosio, Joseph F. Coughlin

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Design is increasingly engaging with the body through soft systems, wearables, and responsive materials, exploring how material interactions shape experiences of care and inclusion. This paper examines the Age Gain Now Empathy System (AGNES) - a wearable suit simulating the chronic physical conditions and functional changes associated with older age - as a critical, soma-focused design intervention. Drawing on auto-ethnographic reflection and participant observation, we present a theoretical and methodological analysis. We argue that AGNES' critical materiality actively mediates how the ageing body is read and made visible, inviting embodied understanding and supporting co-creation partnerships. We analyse how this wearable …

Beyond Assumptions: Identity Mapping As A Tool For Inclusive Public Design Learning, Corie Seed, Chiara Del Gaudio

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Recent studies in Design Education emphasize the importance of teaching Design as a contextually situated practice, and ways for leveraging local knowledges and embracing plural epistemologies. Within this framework, it becomes crucial for designers to be able to acknowledge their own assumptions, biases, and identities and how they influence their design decisions when dealing with cultural complexity. Yet, an effective practice for cultivating this awareness, defined as critical self-reflection, remains underexplored in Design Education. This paper aims to outline key ways to foster the practice of critical self-reflection in teaching and learning Public Design. Drawing on interviews with design educators, …

Computational User Research For A Public Helpline For Continuous Service Improvement: Parents Anonymous® As A Service Ecosystem, Ali O. Ilhan, Elizabeth C. Harris, Isil Oygur

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Parents Anonymous®, a social service agency, provides a comprehensive ecosystem of supports to parents through its National Parent & Youth Helpline and mutual support groups. The verbal support provided through the Helpline is the core of this public service. We present a computational user research approach that learns from call transcripts to guide continuous improvement across the helpline–group system. From real conversations, we extract clear, actionable signals: how emotions shift during a call, which needs recur over time and when people are most likely to reach out. These insights feed back into everyday practice: refining counsellors’ training and responses, timing …

Support Designer’S Wellbeing: Understanding Resilience In Design Education As A Wicked Challenge, Yilin Quan, Matthew Isherwood, Ji Han

DRS Biennial Conference Series

Design students are expected to engage with wicked problems as part of their learning. Since these problems have no definitive solutions, the learning process can be challenging and may negatively affect students’ wellbeing. Cultivating resilience becomes critical. Although the conceptualisation of designer resilience has gained attention, it remains underexplored. This paper proposes a new conceptual model of resilience in design education, suggesting two capacity clusters: one emphasising short-term recovery and balance restoration, and the other focusing on long-term sustained engagement. It further frames resilience cultivation in design education as a wicked problem in itself, characterised by the inherent complexity within …

Design For Healthy Ageing: Developing And Applying A Resource Model, Yumei Dong, Hua Dong, Tingting Wang, Richard H. M. Goossens

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The sustainable development of an ageing society necessitates active participation of older people, requiring effective integration of their individual and collective resources into design. However, designers’ understanding of older people’s resources is rather limited. This study aims to develop a conceptual model of older people’s resources to support design for healthy ageing. Through literature review and interviews with 19 recently retired Dutch seniors, twelve resource types were identified, categorised into six dimensions: practical, emotional, intellectual, social, cultural, and time. These categories were synthesised into a Diamond Model of Resources. The framework, encompassing both resource categories and the Diamond Model, was …