Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons^™

How The Lack Of Shift Breaks Effects Nurses And Their Patients, Keana Meriweather

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Nurses work 12 hour shifts in the hospital. Nurses should have 1 unpaid 30 minute meal break and 2 paid 15 minute breaks. On some days, on the unit I have my practicum in Hospital A, nurses are able to have their 15 minute breaks. Other days they may not get a chance for one or both breaks. Most of the time the nurses eat their lunches in a hurry at the nurse’s station. I researched the causes and effects related to the lack of nurses taking breaks on shift. With the research I planned to find a better way …

Does Childhood Exposure To Substance Use Correlate To Adult Substance Use?, Hannah Jones, Monica Himes

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Children who have grown up around parents or caregivers who use substances face hardships, attachment issues, trauma, and genetics that may cause future use of substances. Twenty-five to seventy-five percent of substance abusers have experienced trauma or abuse (Carmona, 2022). Many studies showed the awareness of parental substance abuse and how it affects their children. The focus of this study is to bring awareness to how substance abuse affects children. It may lead to future substance use or mental health concerns.

Healing Through Nature: The Impact Of Light And Trees As Non- Pharmacological Interventions In Hospital Patient Care, Amanda Ann Isele

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

While in the clinical setting I observed that medications can only go so far (effectiveness, time between doses, and effects of the drugs), and the need for a nonpharmacological approach to improve patient outcomes. While researching the benefits of changing the patients’ environment with lighting, and trees I realized that this would also reduce nurse burnout. • Using the QSEN principles of evidence based practices and quality improvement to guide my approach, I researched natural light, light therapy, and trees to improve patient outcomes and the effects on nurses. • Studies show that natural light, light therapy, and exposure to …

Facing The Silence: Addressing Nurse Abuse In Emergency Departments, Jodi Perkins

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Nurse abuse in emergency departments (EDs) is an escalating concern that jeopardizes both the safety of healthcare professionals and the quality of patient care. The unique and high-pressure environment of the ED, characterized by unpredictable patient volumes, long wait times, and the presence of individuals in crisis, creates a fertile ground for aggressive behavior. Studies have shown that nurses are frequently subjected to various forms of abuse, including verbal harassment, physical assaults, and psychological intimidation, all of which can lead to significant emotional and professional repercussions. • Recent research indicates that a staggering percentage of ED nurses experience workplace violence, …

The Undertreatment Of Pain In Women, Abigail R. Schultz

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Pain is a prevalent reason for patients to seek medical care. Despite a high incidence of pain conditions, there is evidence suggesting that women, in particular, experience undertreatment of pain. The undertreatment of pain in women can contribute to long-term negative health effects and physical suffering. • The QSEN principles are the foundation to quality improvement research and implementation. Within this project, patient-centered care, safety, and evidence-based practice are incorporated to highlight the key focus of the need for women’s health advocacy and pain management

Comprehensive Pain Management In Pediatric Patients: Evaluating Pharmacological And Non-Pharmacological Therapies, Danielle Willis

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Within the hospital setting it is seen how chronic pain affects people of all ages. At hospital A, adult clients rate their chronic pain on a scale of 0-10, voice aggravating and alleviating factors and medications are provided based upon that scale. Unfortunately, pain in the pediatric setting is not as easy to assess and treat. Chronic pain substantially affects a number of children and adolescents and can lead to a diminished quality of life. Addressing this challenge requires a holistic approach that combines pharmacological treatments with non-pharmacological treatments to alleviate pain and enhance daily living.

Religion/Spirituality And Substance Use, Jaiden Mckenzie, Monica Himes

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The purpose of this study was to see if there is a significant correlation between a person’s religion or spirituality and their use of substances. In this study, substances can be considered alcohol, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, acid, tobacco/ nicotine, and any other unprescribed substance. • The Research Question for this study was: Does religion/ spirituality affect the use of substances? • The Hypothesis for this study was: Someone who is religiously or spiritually affiliated is less likely to use substances than someone who isn’t religiously or spiritually affiliated

First Generation College Students: Challenges And Rewards, Tabitha Houston, Jennifer Mcwhorter, Lynn Geurin

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

First-generation college students are defined as those whose parents do not hold a bachelor's degree or higher. • There is a 73% higher dropout rate among first generation college students compared to their peers from legacy families (Davis, 2024). • Key factors impacting first-generation students include self-image, academic performance, and financial security (Flynn & Macleod, 2015). • Lack of sufficient support can lead to serious mental health problems for first-generation students (Johnson & Riley, 2021). • Academic programs specifically designed for first generation students have been shown to increase retention and graduation rates (Katrevich & Arguete, 2017). • A study …

Pressure Injuries Prevention And Management, Madelynn Mckittrick

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Pressure injuries, also known as pressure ulcers or bedsores, remain a significant concern in hospital settings. These injuries develop due to prolonged pressure on the skin, leading to complications, increased healthcare costs, and extended hospital stays. This capstone project examines prevention and management strategies for pressure injuries using evidence-based practices and QSEN principles. The project emphasizes the importance of proactive measures, including patient mobility, pressure redistribution, and interdisciplinary collaboration, to enhance patient care and outcomes.

Detection Of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes In Bacteria Collected From The Triplett Creek Watershed, Heavenly Mays, Emily Morgan, Geoffrey W. Gearner

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Ongoing research in the Triplett Creek Watershed (TCW) focuses on assessing water quality and monitoring bacterial contamination. The spring 2024 sampling efforts aimed to evaluate bacterial density and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across multiple sites. To screen for AMR in bacteria, the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used. A total of 35 bacterial isolates were tested against multiple antibiotics. This revealed 26 isolates were resistant to Erythromycin, 32 isolates were resistant to Clindamycin, 2 isolates were resistant to Colistin, 7 isolates were resistant to Ampicillin, 4 isolates were resistant to Amoxicillin with Clavulanic acid, 2 isolates were resistant to tetracycline, 3 …

Systemic Strain: Evaluating The Effects Of The Opioid Crisis On Social Service And Treatment Agencies In Appalachian Kentucky, Alma Selina Moreno, Monica Himes

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The opioid epidemic has caused profound and lasting damage to communities all around America, with rural areas like Appalachian Kentucky experiencing disproportionate harm. Due to a lack of resources and transportation options, as well as workforce shortages and pervasive stigma related to substance use disorder, social service and treatment networks in these regions are overwhelmed (Hansen & Netherland, 2016; Keyes et al., 2014). This study examines the longer-term impacts of the opioid epidemic on social service and treatment agencies in Appalachian Kentucky. Data were collected via an online survey (n=73) of social service providers in the region. The study's findings …

Impact Of Year And Animal Origin On Key Factors Of Ewe Longevity, Rachel Bell, Alyssa Howard, Rickalyn Rayburn, Elena Verdecchia, Madison Werner, Flint Harrelson, Patricia Harrelson

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The MSU sheep unit is an Innovation flock for the nationwide Sheep GEMS Project led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The overall goal of this project is to increase knowledge and improve traits in different breeds of sheep across the United States. Robustness and climatic resilience are vital factors to maintaining and further developing the industry. Unfortunately, these are not common characteristics of U.S. sheep breeds. The work of being an Innovation flock includes measuring how maternal traits of the ewes affect the survivability of the lambs. Taking consistent measurements will assist in determining what traits promote greater success in …

Comparative Analysis Of R-Cards And Idexx Quanti-Tray/2000 For The Detection And Enumeration Of Bacteria In Environmental Water Samples, Heavenly Mays, Emily Morgan, Geoffrey W. Gearner

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The Kentucky Watershed Watch program, a non-profit that relies on the help of volunteers, trains Kentucky residents on proper analytical procedures needed to assess waterways near their homes. Volunteers can deliver samples to established labs for bacterial analysis or independently test sample sites’ pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, and Escherichia coli levels. One of the ways the Watershed Watch program analyzes water quality is by using R-Cards, sample cards that contain a chromogenic medium useful for detecting and enumerating E. coli. These cards cost $1 each and are quite simple to set up, whereby one mL of sample site water …

Tiny Earth: The Identification Of Antibiotic-Producing Bacteria From Soil Samples, Joe Reader, Ava Reed, Aiden Wagenlander, Geoffrey Gearner

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Tiny Earth is a nationwide undergraduate student-sourced antibiotic discovery project. Antimicrobial resistance exhibited by pathogenic bacteria has become a significant concern in public health, especially with a group of six bacteria called the ESKAPE pathogens. This project aims to isolate soil bacteria from the local environment and determine if they produce antibiotics when co-cultured with ESKAPE bacteria. Extracts of soil samples collected from the grounds surrounding Lappin Hall were plated on tryptic soy agar (TSA) medium containing amphotericin B (which inhibits fungal growth) and then incubated for a few days at room temperature. Emergent colonies of the cultures were then …

Expectation Vs Reality: Attempting To Circularize Ch. Iv In Yeast Resulted In A Ch. Iv-Ii Fusion, Dylan R. Carroll, Blake D. Hoover, Megan S. Shirley, Adelyn J. Weaver, Mark T. Wilson, Melissa A. Mefford

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Chromosomes are structures that transmit genetic information from one cell to another during cell division • Eukaryotes, like humans, have linear chromosomes containing ends called telomeres that act as buffers to protect the genome • Loss of telomere sequences is associated with aging, and the activation of the enzyme telomerase is correlated with most cancers • Question: Why do eukaryotes have linear chromosomes?

Photography Practicum: Learning The Basics Of Managing A Fine Art Photography Studio, Mason Pollock, Ashley Routt, Robyn Moore

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

During this practicum, we've acquired unique skills in managing and maintaining a black and white darkroom and two fine art archival inkjet printing stations. Our responsibilities included providing feedback, reviewing equipment usage, mixing chemicals, and maintaining printers, all while navigating our own coursework and individual research about different photographic processes. All the while, creating a productive, supportive, and safe environment for our peers.

Bryoflora Of Ed Mabry-Laurel Gorge Wildlife Management Area In Northeastern Kentucky, Teagan Pattinson, Allen C. Risk

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Bryophytes include liverworts, hornworts, and mosses - Ecological importance: primary colonizers, retain moisture in the environment, cycle nutrients, and act as bioindicators (McKnight et al., 2013) - Bryophytes have a dominant gametophyte life cycle phase and lack complex vascular tissue - Incredibly adaptable to a wide array of environments and can grow on almost any surface - The objective of this project is to document the diversity of bryophyte species in the Ed Mabry-Laurel Gorge Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Elliott County, KY - This WMA features narrow, deep sandstone gorges, creating a perfect environment for a diverse range of …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Emotional Well-Being And Addiction, Joshua Croucher, James Allen Pauley-Baker, Lynn Geurin

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) include abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction, such as domestic violence, parental addiction, and mental health issues (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). ▪ Most adults (60%) have experienced at least one ACE per lifetime in the United States. ▪ Rates in Kentucky are high with 64% of the population having a history of multiple ACEs (Kentucky Department for Public Health, 2016). ▪ Research links ACEs to increased risks of mental health issues (e.g., depression, anxiety) and substance use disorders in adulthood (Kobrinsky & Siedlecki, 2023; Lu et al., 2007; He et al., 2022).

Textile Artwork, Maina Ratcliff, Elizabeth Mesa-Gaido

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The objective was for Ratcliff to research past and contemporary textile artists and techniques; create works of their own design; experiment with textile techniques; combine fabric with other art materials; and disseminate their creative productions for exhibition and publication.

Streamlined Rapid Response Team Communication: A Capstone Project For Rapid Response Systems, Caleb Williams

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

• In acute care settings, the ability to quickly mobilize a rapid response team (RRT) is critical in improving patient outcomes, especially during urgent situations. • This capstone project emerged fromfromasafety problem identified at Hospital A during practicum in which resources were delayed to help a fall patient due to the lack of immediate access to a rapid response system. • The guiding objective of this project is to explore and implement technological solutions that improve emergency communication and reduce response times, thereby enhancing patient safety. By integrating the QSEN principles, particularly those of safety, teamwork and collaboration, and informatics, …

The Impact Of Family Centered Care In Healthcare, Shalyn West

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Family-Centered Care (FCC) is a cornerstone to healthcare that promotes engageFamily-centered carement with families by fostering a respectful relationship and improving the line of communication between staff and families. However, its prioritzation is waning, leading to diminished patient and family satisfaction and increasing nurse burnnout. This project is meant to highlight the importance of FCC to increase patient safety/satisfaction and reduce nurse burnout to better improve the healthcare system as whole. Nurses are experiencing negative attitudes towards FCC, but these feelings are causing a separation between patient families and hospital staff. This creates a strained communication, jeopordizing patient well-being. As …

The Functions And Processes Of An Acetylene Torch, Mike Bowen, Cail Jones, Maija Wehr

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

We will be exploring the processes and safety of an Acetylene torch. We will explain in depth the uses of a Oxy-fuel torch, brazing, welding, cutting, and forming metals. We aim to emphasize the specific safety of preparing the torch during set-up and during use. An Oxy-acetylene torch is a multi-purpose tool that uses combination of fuel and oxygen. Both the fuel and oxygen have it’s own hose that is connected by the torch. This creates a combustible fuel that allows welders to be able to cut, weld, braze, and heat metals. Both the fuel and oxygen have knobs controlling …

Environmental And Social Determinants Of Gastrointestinal Cancer In Eastern Kentucky, J.D. Berry, Leah Wells, Dylan Williams, Timothy Hare

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

This study aims to answer the research question: What health behaviors and other factors affect diet and contribute to disproportionately high rates of gastrointestinal cancer in Appalachian Eastern Kentucky? Gastrointestinal cancers and nutrition are closely linked, and certain eating habits increase the risk of these diseases. These patterns are even more complicated in Appalachia, where environmental and social challenges shape how people eat and live. This work explores addresses food deserts, educational disparities, economic hardship, and healthcare access

The Connection Between Poverty, Social Empathy, And Experiential Learning, Juniper Taulbee, Rebecca Davison

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

In the original research of Dr. Davison, she explored the question of how experiential learning influences the social empathy levels and educational practice of public-school educators. While the research showed an increase in social empathy, it also showed interesting trends that were not accounted for in the original hypothesis, such as a decrease in social empathy scoring for male participants and differences in scoring based on lived experience with poverty. Our purpose now is to analyze these differences in empathy scoring and theorize what it may imply about life circumstances, empathy, and the limits of learning.

The Dawn Of A New Lappin: The Revision And Reorganization Of The Morehead State Archives, Ava Fluharty, June Lennex-Stone, Shelby Turner, Jennifer O'Keefe

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The Geology Program has formal book, fossil, journal, map, mineral, and rock collections dating to the 1950’s. These specimens were donated by biological and physical sciences faculty prior to the 1960 hire of Dr. John Philley and greatly expanded upon by Drs. Philley, James Chaplin, Jules DuBar, and H.W. Straley III through the 1990’s. Prior to construction of the “C-wing” of Lappin Hall, the collections previously housed in laboratory classrooms in the path of the new corridor connecting the “B-wing” and “Cwing”, as well as those housed in the “A-wing” were boxed and stored in multiple temporary locations until new …

Paleoclimate Reconstruction: Using Crest In R Studio, Marianna Ritchie, Hannah Sprinkle, Jennifer O'Keefe

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

CREST (Climate Reconstruction Software) is a package developed by paleoclimatologist Manuel Chevalier and applied in the R Studio Programming Environment that permits linkage of massive taxonomic distribution and climate tolerance datasets derived from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) with fossil occurrence data, producing robust paleoclimate reconstructions of up to up to 14 bioclimatic variables, which at a minimum include mean annual temperature and mean annual rainfall.

Kentucky's Flying Leader: John Thomas Daugherty, Christina Lambert, Bryce Tackett, Adrian Mandzy

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

This Public History research project was completed in the fall of 2024 as part of Junior Seminar (History 380.502). The class explored how World War II impacted the lives of individuals living in Eastern Kentucky and our research focused on Bath County native and Flying Cross recipient John Thomas Daugherty. Completed by Bryce Tackett and Christina Lambert, the project included a physical poster and a digital PowerPoint presentation, both of which can be viewed on Morehead State University's ScholarWorks website. Like the other individuals researched during the course of this class, our focus on the life of John "Big Dog" …

Paul "Raymond" Griffith Soldier From Eastern Kentucky, Isabella Anderson-Huseman, Allison Ferguson, Adrian Mandzy

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The Poster of Paul "Raymond" Griffith was a public history project Allison, and I completed in our Fall of 2024 Junior Seminar class. Paul was an Eastern Kentucky native who served in World War II. The project was to highlight those soldiers from eastern Kentucky who served during World War II. Griffith was a great uncle to Allison which allowed us to highlight his sacrifice and show how he was impacted by the war. The poster highlights the sacrifice Paul Griffith made for his country

Evaluation Of Cutting Sizes And Sticking Cutting Times On Propagation Of Rosemary, Emma R. Miller, Emily B. Cobb, Alyssa F. Covell, Mary H. Jackson, Mollie K. Mayabb, Ace B. Shelby, Leo Shelby, Seaanna G. Skinner, Madeline Walsh, Ricky C. Young, Amy S. Collick, Alireza Rahemi

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a well-known culinary and medicinal herb in the Lamiaceae family, which is native to the Mediterranean area. It is a source of antioxidants and has several benefits for the body's health, such as antiinflammatory, anti-fungal activity, anti-aging, and support of the digestive system. Rosemary has several habit types: trailing, creeping, and upright; its flowers can be blue, violet, pink, or white. It could be propagated by seeds or by vegetative methods. Seedlings can show a high level of genetic diversity; therefore, vegetative propagation is used to keep the mother traits of the cultivars. One of the …

Continuity Of Attachment Strategy From Preschool To Adolescence, Annabelle Mcneal, Abby Chaney, Gabby Blackburn, Shari L. Kidwell

2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Attachment Theory recognizes that humans naturally form protective, enduring relationships with their primary caregivers which first develop in infancy.

• Attachment strategies become refined across development to best adapt to the caregiving environment (Crittenden, Landini, & Speiker, 2021).

• Crittenden’s Dynamic Maturational Model organizes attachment strategies by pecific patterns of affect and cognition (2011).

A (avoidant): dismissing own negative affect, distorting cognition

B (secure): balanced integration of affect & cognition

C (ambivalent): involving others in own affect, omitted cognition

Continuity in attachment across development was originally predicted. However, both DMM and non- DMM research has found some degree of discontinuity …