Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Trauma And Resiliency, Madelyn Ferguson

Honors Projects

Life is a series of events, some overwhelmingly positive and others devastatingly negative. Because of the inevitability of adversity, one must learn to adapt to negative circumstances. However, people react to trauma in different ways with some seeking to take their own lives and others finding a healthy outlet. What causes such a difference in our reactions to trauma? Is it simply the power of thought or is there a genetic component? What can I do to build my own resilience and promote the resilience of others around me? The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between …

Engaging Caregivers To Use An Evidence‑Based Intervention For Medicaid Benefciaries With Alzheimer’S Disease: A Pilot Study, Sandra Lee Spoelstra, Alla Sikorskii, Monica Schueller, Viktoria Basso, Autumn Baldwin

Peer Reviewed Articles

Background This pilot study aimed to adapt an intervention, engaging informal caregivers to help clinicians with providing care to improve (or maintain) physical function of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias. To the best of our knowledge, for the frst time, we report on use of the intervention in those with Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementias.

Methods This was a 5-month mixed methods cohort study in a convenience sample of clinicians, caregivers, and benefciaries at 3-Medicaid Home and Community-based Service sites in Michigan. Two content experts and 5 caregivers modifed the intervention. We trained 116 clinicians to engage caregivers …

Results Of A Multi-Site Pragmatic Hybrid Type 3 Cluster Randomized Trial Comparing Level Of Facilitation While Implementing An Intervention In Community-Dwelling Disabled And Older Adults In A Medicaid Waiver, Sandra Spoelstra, Monica Schueller, Viktoria Basso, Alla Sikorskii

Peer Reviewed Articles

Background: Evidence-based interventions that optimize physical function for disabled and older adults living in the community who have difficulty with daily living tasks are available. However, uptake has been limited, particularly in resource-constrained (Medicaid) settings. Facilitation may be an effective implementation strategy. This study’s aim was to compare internal facilitation (IF) versus IF and external facilitation (EF) on adoption and sustainability of an intervention in a Medicaid home and community-based waiver.

Methods: In a hybrid type 3 trial, waiver sites (N = 18) were randomly assigned to implement the intervention using a bundle of strategies with either IF or IF …

Know The Signs Of An Allergic Reaction: Anaphylaxis, Sarah R. Remillard

Honors Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a food allergy informational poster for use in the classroom. The Center for Disease Control has estimated that an average of two children in each public school classroom in the United States struggled with a food allergy. Meanwhile, other researchers found that 25% of first-time anaphylaxis episodes occurred in classrooms. This Honors Project was developed to address the informational gap concerning anaphylaxis that occurs at schools. The methodology was literature review. The Honor Project's outcome was the informational poster, Know the Signs of an Allergic Reaction: Anaphylaxis, as well as the supplemental …

End The Stigma: Strategies To Improve Mental Health, Alexia M. Frantzeskakis

Honors Projects

The project discusses coping strategies that students can utilize to improve their mental health. A paper, along with five fliers that will be distributed to incoming freshmen were developed. Each flier discusses a different coping strategy on the following topics: physical activity, mindfulness, social media use, routines, and resources available to students in the community.

Nur 621: Clinical Pathophysiology Oer Curation, Chealsye Bowley

Curated OER Collections

This OER curation is an annotated bibliography of prospective OER for the GVSU course NUR 621: Clinical Pathophysiology, assembled by request from the instructor.

Nur 265: Introduction To Nursing Research And Evidence-Based Practice Oer Curation, Chealsye Bowley

Curated OER Collections

This OER curation is an annotated bibliography of prospective OER for the GVSU course NUR 265: Introduction to Nursing Research and Evidence-based Practice.

Adverse Childhood Experiences: Effects Of Covid-19, Evan Guo

Honors Projects

The evaluation of an adult's health status consists of several entities. These factors can include physical, mental, and emotional health in an individual's history contributing to their overall health. When studying such factors, some researchers emphasize the importance of recognizing events experienced during a person's childhood that affect their development, and therefore, their adult health status. Today, as people continue adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in regulation of standards for socialization, it is becoming apparent to healthcare researchers how these new modifications are highly impactful to the development of children and adolescents. When studying the various factors that …

Registered Nurses’ Images Of Nursing During A Pandemic, Abigail Slaktowski

Honors Projects

The purpose of this research study was to discover any new or transformed images of nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The research question was “What are Registered Nurses’ images of nursing while working during a pandemic?” Registered nurses submitted an image and a brief narrative of the image through REDCap ©, a secure database, describing how the image and culture of nursing is impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Leininger’s Four Phases of Data Analysis (1991), the five submitted photos and narratives were analyzed. Data analysis revealed fourteen categories, then five patterns, then two final themes: …

Faces Of Aces For Nursing Education, Kelsey Bredeweg, Angela Raterink

Honors Projects

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur in childhood. They include children experiencing violence, abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence in the home. ACEs also incorporate environmental factors that threaten a child's stability and safety, such as having family members struggle with substance abuse, mental health, or instability due to parental separation or absent family members. There is significant evidence that ACEs are related to negative health outcomes in adulthood including chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse. ACEs are common and experienced by many. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 6 adults …

Compassion Fatigue In Nursing: How Can It Be Prevented?, Megan J. Vlahos

Honors Projects

A literature review paper that discusses the prevalence of compassion fatigue among acute care nurses and interventions that can be implemented to prevent it from occurring.

Advance Care Planning Barriers For Young Adults, Emily K. Songer

Honors Projects

According to the CDC, 40.6% of young adult deaths occur from unintentional injuries, which is the leading cause of death for this age group (Heron, 2019). When accidents occur, they sometimes result in a loss of the ability to make medical decisions, and young adults most likely have never had the opportunity state their wishes regarding their medical care. This is why advance care planning is important, because it allows the opportunity to express those desires before it is too late. Many people often confuse advance care planning as a process that is only needed for the elderly and those …

Insight Into Student Perceptions Of Lgbtqia+ Content Inclusion In Bsn Education, Kenny Sullivan, Jae Basiliere

Honors Projects

Previous research has indicated that LGBTQIA+ clients continue to receive discriminatory care from healthcare professionals. Undergraduate nursing students (n = 24) completed a survey inquiring about their perceptions of knowledge of this vulnerable population, their preparedness to provide care, and the education they received from their BSN program. Twenty-two students’ responses, 91.67%, indicate a need for further education on the provision of care to LGBTQIA+ patients. These students demonstrated discrepancies in their perceptions and the application of their knowledge. As such, nursing programs should begin to consider providing more thorough education on this vulnerable population to prepare student nurses with …

Psychological Distress In General Undergraduate Students And Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Kersten O'Brien

Student Scholars Day Posters

Background/Significance: Psychological distress in undergraduate college students is a significant concern in the U.S. Many stressors, such as academics and finances, are associated with high levels of reported stress, depression and anxiety. Nursing students face additional stressors, such as meeting program requirements, practicing in clinical environments and preparing for their licensure exam.

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to describe psychological distress levels in baccalaureate nursing students compared to general undergraduate students and what interventions help relieve student distress.

Methods: A literature review was conducted using CINAHL and PubMed databases.

Findings: While general undergraduate college students report high psychological …

Recruitment Strategies For Cognitively Impaired Older Adults In Assisted Living Communities, Paige Greer, Elizabeth Hill, Katelyn Ware

Student Scholars Day Posters

It is well documented that recruiting persons with dementia for research in long term care settings is challenging (Lam, et. al. 2018). The purpose of this study is to explore recruitment techniques suggested by the National Institute on Aging (2018), including the use of brochures, community contact introductions (CCI), presentations, event tables, 1:1 interactions and activity events. We examined the success of each method of recruitment in two recruitment waves based on the number recruited in relation to the number of hours spent on that recruitment method. Of the 119 people that were screened, 47% were enrolled in the study. …

The Impact Of Study Abroad On Cultural Competence, Megan Minix

Student Scholars Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Exploration Of The Effectiveness Of Naprotechnology In Women’S Healthcare, Cecilia Cerven

Student Scholars Day Posters

Many women today struggle with abnormal menstrual cycles and the painful symptoms of reproductive disorders. The standard approach to treatment of irregular menses, PCOS, endometriosis, hormonal abnormalities, PMS, and other conditions is the prescription of a pill for symptom management. A relatively new and innovative method to fertility care is drawing the attention of healthcare providers and prospective clients alike, which offers an alternative approach. NaProTechnology, or Natural Procreative Technology, works with Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FABMs) to detect and treat various reproductive disorders. This project will assist in bridging the gaps in education and overall awareness of treatment options available …

Safe Sleep, Jenna Czart

Student Scholars Day Posters

Many parents and healthcare providers are either unsure of safe sleep practices or fail to implement them. This presentation will display safe sleep guidelines that are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Healing Power Of Music, Kathleen Szczesny

Student Scholars Day Posters

The value of holistic and individualized care in honoring a patient’s story and promoting their quality of life is of the highest importance when providing nursing care. Nursing is more than just a profession, it is an art that is consistently changing and adapting, requiring critical and creative thinking to deliver high quality, safe care that is evidenced-based. Nurses must continuously seek innovative ways to enrich lives and enhance the healing process through interventions strongly supported by research. The purpose of this project was to explore music as an alternative form of medicine that can be utilized as a therapeutic …

The Significance Of Transient Elastography In The Prevention And Early Detection For Individuals With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld), Emmalee Peck

Student Scholars Day Posters

Early detection and intervention are key to reverse Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Newer imaging modalities such as the transient elastography (FibroScan) is a method in which healthcare providers can detect fibrosis and cirrhosis, as measured by the amount of liver stiffness, in individuals with NAFLD. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the literature comparing transient elastography to invasive and noninvasive diagnostic techniques for the detection of liver fibrosis in people with NAFLD. Thirty articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Overall, transient elastography was found to be a sufficient tool in conjunction and …

The Effect Of Frenectomy Procedure On Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy, Mary Chenge

Student Scholars Day Posters

Structural restrictions from tongue-tie are associated with altered sucking and decreased self-efficacy in breastfeeding mothers. Frenectomy is a procedure to correct tongue-tie by detaching the frenulum. There is a need to review the evidence regarding the effect of tongue-tie release on maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy. This review aims to examine the effect of frenectomy on a mother's confidence in breastfeeding using the BSES-SF tool. Database searches were conducted in PubMed and CINAHL. Keywords: "Frenectomy" AND "Breastfeeding self-efficacy." Exclusion criteria: non-English studies. Evidence suggests that frenectomy is associated with improvement in breastfeeding self-efficacy and nipple pain in the short-term. The BSES-SF tool …

The Impact Of Vaccination On Grand Rapids Public Schools' Students, Kayeleigh Eder, Jeremy Abreo, Jordyn Francis

Student Scholars Day Posters

Central Focus: The focus of this paper is to analyze the amount of children vaccinated in the Kent County School District. After determining the percentage of vaccinated children, we plan to implement an intervention to promote vaccination education to parents in the Grand Rapids area as well as increase awareness of the detrimental complications of refusing vaccinations. We are going to interview administrators in the school districts in Kent County, along with school nurses and Primary Care Providers to determine what they believe the issues surrounding the vaccination rates in this area are. After obtaining this information, we are going …

Exploration Of The Effectiveness Of Naprotechnology In Women’S Healthcare, Cecilia Cerven

Honors Projects

Many women today struggle with abnormal menstrual cycles and the painful symptoms of reproductive disorders. The standard approach to treatment of infertility, irregular menses, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, hormonal abnormalities, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and other pathophysiologic reproductive conditions is the prescription of a pill for symptom management or implementation of assisted reproductive technologies. However, many women may not feel comfortable with this treatment strategy due to ethical concerns or apprehension about potential side effects. The purpose of this paper is to assist in bridging the gaps in education to increase overall awareness of a new approach to women’s healthcare, …

The Impact Of Vaccination On Grand Rapids Public Schools’ Students, Jeremy Abreo, Kayeleigh Eder, Jordyn Francis

Honors Projects

The focus of our project was to analyze the amount of children vaccinated in Grand Rapids Public Schools. After determining the percentage of vaccinated children, we planned to implement an intervention to promote vaccination education to parents in the Grand Rapids area as well as increase awareness of the detrimental complications of refusing vaccinations.

As one of the focuses of our project, we decided to create a set of pamphlets. We focused on two main vaccines: the MMR vaccine and the Influenza Vaccine. After we gathered information about the two different vaccines, we compiled this information into an organized manner …

The Healing Power Of Music, Kathleen Szczesny

Honors Projects

The value of holistic and individualized care in honoring a patient’s story and promoting their quality of life is of the highest importance when providing nursing care. Nursing is more than just a profession, it is an art that is consistently changing and adapting, requiring critical and creative thinking to deliver high quality, safe care that is evidenced-based. Nurses must continuously seek innovative ways to enrich lives and enhance the healing process through interventions strongly supported by research. The purpose of this project was to explore music as an alternative form of medicine that can be utilized as a therapeutic …

A Simulation To Improve Nursing Students’ Understanding Of The Experience Of Middle Eastern Refugees, Ibtisam Matta

Honors Projects

A simulation was constructed with the aim of improving nursing students’ understanding of the needs of Middle Eastern refugees.

The research questions were: what are student nurses’ perceptions on the unique culture of the Middle Eastern refugee population after participating in a simulation of this populations’ experiences, and how will these influence the students’ interactions with this population in their nursing career?

Approval was granted from the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Internal Review Board (IRB) to conduct the research. Student nurses were recruited through GVSU Kirkhoff College of Nursing (KCON) Student Nursing Association (SNA); the event was one of …

Examining Pediatric Tourette Syndrome, Alyssa Orlando

Honors Projects

Pediatric Tourette Syndrome is a complex neurological disorder. Many people associate it with swearing, however in reality it is very rarely associated with that. This paper entails my own personal experiene with Tourette Syndrome and examines potential treatment options in the pediatric population.

Exploration Of Naturopathic Medicine For Pregnant And Laboring Women, Megan Latreille

Honors Projects

Exploration of natural medicine has become increasingly common among individuals. With proper use, natural medicine can help treat many common ailments experienced during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. This paper serves to shed light on naturopathic medicinal techniques for expectant mothers and families, so that they may implement such in their own lives throughout pregnancy, during labor, and after birth. Yoga can be adapted and utilized during antenatal and postpartum periods to help with stress levels, depression, and physical health. Hypnosis, meditation, and hypnobirthing provide similar effects such as decreased stress and increased contentment; promoting a smoother and more effective labor …

A Review Of The Association Between Vitamin D And Postpartum Depression, Christa Fernando

Other Undergraduate Research

Vitamin D (specifically vitamin D3) is a lipid soluble essential nutrient. It is found in few foods naturally but can be synthesized upon skin exposure to sunlight. Its intermediate structure in the blood is serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, also called calcidiol, and is formed in the liver. Vitamin D receptors have been found in numerous areas of the brain that are involved in mood-related hormone production. It has also been found to be protective against the brain degradation of Alzheimer’s. Numerous studies have found a significant relationship between vitamin D and major depressive disorder. This review summarizes research on the connection …

An Interdisciplinary Framework For Impacting Older Adults Health And Physical Activity, Christopher J. Dondzila, Elaine Vandoren

Funded Articles

The exploration of feasible and cost-effective strategies is warranted to mitigate rising healthcare costs and lessen the impact of chronic diseases, functional decline, and disability in older adults. The overwhelming sedentariness of older adults is accompanied by a lack of expertise by healthcare professionals in exercise programming that acknowledge factors influencing physical activity (PA) patterns. We present a framework for a nursing/exercise science interdisciplinary effort to increase PA and improve health in older adults via the delivery of individually tailored exercise programming for an 8-week intervention. Results from this study will be integral in translating effective interdisciplinary efforts across diverse …