Nursing Commons^™

The Effects Of Dietary Interventions On Gut Microbial Balance In Healthy Adults: An Integrative Review, Miranda Demars

Senior Honors Theses

The goal of this review is to answer the question: What dietary changes are most effective in restoring gut dysbiosis in healthy adults? The gut microbiome (GM), a community of microorganisms that colonizes in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, can become imbalanced, a condition known as dysbiosis, which is associated with an increased risk of dysbiosis-induced disease. Dysbiosis-induced diseases include GI disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), and metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity (Shen et al., 2025). Pharmacologic interventions are often not …

Volume 17, Christian O’Neill, Kyara Greene, Savva Sidorov, Laura Bisaillon, Luke Clemmer, Hannah Gordon, Kitt Benson, Taylor Blount, Rachel Danzitz, Nicholas Duellman, Chase Gionis, Hima Fernando, Seth Franzyshen, Onyx Gonzalez, Bryan Lin, Samantha Start, Ysabel Wells, Maggie Duncan

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research

From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell

Cover Artist’s Statement Maggie Duncan

On Mentoring Dr. Yulia Uryadova

Ukrainian Resistance in the Face of Russification: Nestor Makhno and Anarchism

by Christian O’Neill

Life Vest by Kyara Greene

Isolation and 16S rRNA Identification of Bacteria from Fire Department Connection Pipe by Savva Sidorov

The Effectiveness of Planned Exercise in Reducing ADHD Symptoms in Children by Laura Bisaillon & Luke Clemmer

Linguistic Analysis on Confidence and Communication Strategies with Disparities Between Sign Fluency and Hearing Impairment by Hannah Gordon

Freedmen in Indian Territory by Kitt …

Navigating The Nicu Without Words: A Case Study Of A Spanish-Speaking Mother’S Healthcare Experience, Emma Norris

Poster Presentations

Research on NICU experiences largely focuses on majority-language families; non-English-speaking families are understudied (Cleveland, 2008). The Family Integrated Care model promotes parent-infant connection and shared decision-making to improve outcomes (Wreesmann et al., 2020). Language barriers impede parent-provider communication, increasing miscommunication and parental anxiety (Kynoe et al., 2020; Ardal et al., 2011). The purpose of this research is to explore communication experiences and barriers between English-speaking and bilingual NICU nurses and a Spanish-speaking NICU mother.

Exploring Student Feelings, Knowledge Related To Menstruation And Menstrual Education: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Ella A. Handel

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Menstrual, reproductive, and sexual health education in the United States remains inconsistent in both content and delivery. This inconsistency often leaves adolescents underprepared for developmental milestones such as menarche and contributes to ongoing stigma and discomfort surrounding menstruation. This study examined participants’ feelings and perceptions related to menstruation and menstrual education. Using a cross-sectional descriptive survey design, a mixed-methods approach was employed to collect data from 29 college students aged 18 to 19 years at a large public university in Arkansas. Quantitative data from Likert-scale items were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative open-ended responses were reviewed and organized into …

The Relationship Between Mc1r Gene Variants For Red Hair And Clinical Responses To Anesthesia, Analgesia, And Pain: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Mary Clark Allen

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Genetic variations of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) are commonly associated with red hair and pale skin. Research has linked MC1R variants with alterations in anesthetic response, pain perception, opioid sensitivity, and pain-related fear. Existing literature presents inconclusive findings, highlighting the need for further investigation.

Purpose: This review aims to synthesize current evidence concerning the role of MC1R variants in altering physiologic responses.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted by accessing CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PubMed through the University of Arkansas Libraries OneSearch platform. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 20 peer-reviewed articles were extracted for review. …

The Prevalence Of Stress Fractures In Relation To Red-S Syndrome Among Various Sports In Collegiate Female Athletes, Lilianna G. Couch, Marilou D. Shreve

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: RED-S is a risk factor for bone stress injuries in female athletes. Athletes that compete in sports that involve repetitive movements of impact are prone to stress injuries. The treatment of stress fractures requires addressing all potential causes of the injury to accelerate healing and prevent reinjury. Since RED-S is a well-established risk factor for stress injuries, early detection of RED-S is crucial to prevent long term negative health consequences in athletes including the development of stress fractures. It is also confirmed that certain sports have a higher prevalence of reported stress fractures in female athletes such as cross …

How Employment-Based Clinical Experience During Undergraduate Education Influences Transition To Practice: A Qualitative Systematic Review, Seung A. Park, Marion Eckert, Rebecca Sharp, Belinda Clark, Micah D.J. Peters

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim: To synthesize qualitative evidence on the experiences of undergraduate nursing students and new graduate nurses engaged in formal paid employment models or health-related work during their undergraduate studies, to examine how these employment-based clinical experiences influence their transition to nursing practice, and to identify elements that facilitate or hinder this transition. Design: Qualitative systematic review. Methods: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare (Ovid), CINAHL Complete (EBSCOhost), ERIC (ProQuest), and gray literature sources, including ProQuest Dissertations and Theses and Google Scholar. No date or country limits were applied, although only English-language studies were included. The review followed JBI methodology …

The Prevalence Of Amenorrhea In Relation To Red-S Syndrome Among Various Sports In Collegiate Female Athletes, Ruby S. Holland, Marilou D. Shreve

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: RED-S is a common risk factor for amenorrhea in female athletes. Athletes that compete in high-intensity sports or without adequate caloric intake, are at risk for low energy expenditure which may disrupt hormonal balance. As development of RED-S is a well-established risk factor for amenorrhea, early detection and correction is crucial to prevent long term health consequences.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore if there is a correlation between RED-S score and amenorrhea in female athletes.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to approximately 220 female athletes at the University of Arkansas using Qualtrics. The 69-question …

Tiny Tusks Internship: Factors That Affect Breastfeeding In Public, Caroline E. Bene

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this review was to explore factors that impact women’s decision to breastfeed in public or not. The PICOT question used was: ‘What Factors Affect Women’s Decision to Breastfeed in Public or Not?’ Two platforms, EBSCOhost and The National Library of Medicine, were used to identify 15 peer-reviewed journal articles on factors affecting women’s decision to breastfeed in public or not. The factors that impact a women’s decision on whether it is acceptable to breastfeed in public stems from the media stigmatizing that breastfeeding should be a private action. Research done yielded results of both positive and negative …

Exploring Perceived Structural Barriers And Access Related To Menstruation And Menstruation Education, Rylie Sisengrath

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Menstrual health is an important component of women’s health. However, many adolescents in the United States report feeling unprepared for menarche due to limited menstruation education. Menstruation education is limited, exclusively taught in schools with sex education courses, limiting the scope of female developmental education. Period poverty, limited access to menstrual education and hygiene products, continues to affect a large group of women. This study aimed to understand adolescents’ experiences with menstrual education, identify gaps in menstruation education, and explore structural and policy barriers affecting access to menstrual health resources. Using a cross-sectional survey with Likert-scale and open-response questions, quantitative …

Barriers To Climate Change And Sustainability Action: Nursing Education And Practice, Dawn Marie Smith

Dissertations

Climate change is one of the most pressing public health emergencies of our time and nurses can have a great impact in their current practice and in the education of future nurses (The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, n.d.; American Nurses Association, 2023; Health Care without Harm, 2025). Deaths due to rising temperatures, vector-borne illness, and food insecurity related to drought and extreme weather are on the rise (WHO, 2024). It has been estimated that globally over 250,000 additional deaths will be attributed to climate related effects between 2030 and 2050 (Watts et al., 2020; WHO, 2023).

A primary …

Tiny Tusk Internship: Gut Instincts: A Review Of Literature On The Impact Of Breastfeeding On The Infant Gut Microbiome, Rayla Payne

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate both the short- and long-term benefits that breastfeeding has on the infant gut microbiome. The PICOT question was: In full-term infants, how does exclusive breastfeeding compared to mixed or formula feeding influence the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome throughout the first 12 months of life? For this research, EBSCOhost, CINAHL, and the National Library of Medicine databases were searched to find relevant studies and systematic reviews. Terms such as “breastfeeding and infant gut microbiome” were used to conduct the search. Other terms used included “breastfeeding OR formula feeding”, “human …

Total Intravenous Anesthesia Versus Inhalation Anesthesia For The Prevention Of Post Operative Nausea And Vomiting: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Francesca A. Diflorio

Nursing Undergraduate

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication defined as the occurrence of nausea and/or vomiting within the first 24–48 hours following surgery. While nausea represents the subjective urge to vomit, vomiting involves the physical expulsion of gastric contents; both remain among the most distressing postoperative complications, strongly associated with the type of anesthesia administered. According to Timerga and Befkadu (2024), the incidence of PONV ranges from 25% to 30% in the general surgical population and may increase to as high as 80% among high-risk patients. Complications resulting from PONV can further prolong recovery and negatively impact patient outcomes, …

Navigating The Nicu Without Words: A Case Study Of A Spanish-Speaking Mother’S Healthcare Experience, Emma Norris

Honors Theses

Background: Few studies examine language barriers in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Miscommunication and lack of understanding between the healthcare team and a NICU infant’s parents may easily occur when the relationship is inhibited by a language barrier. Previous studies show that a lack of parent-provider communication creates additional anxiety for parents. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the experiences and barriers in communication between an English-speaking nurse, an English-Spanish bilingual nurse, and a Spanish-speaking mother of a NICU infant.

Methods: This project was a case study using an exploratory mixed methods qualitative design. Qualitative …

Community Perceptions Of A Hospital-Based Doula Program In Mobile, Alabama, Sarah Laney

Honors Theses

Background: The maternal mortality ratio in the United States is much higher than the mortality rate for women who live in other countries with similar Human Development Index scores. Black women are more likely to die than their white counterparts. Most of these deaths are preventable. Patients feel like they are being ignored, or that they are not being seen. Doula care is a possible solution to these problems.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess patient understanding and perception of doulas as well as comparing desire for doulas to demographics and past experiences to search for relationships. …

Ai Literacy In The Nursing Informatics Community: A Needs Assessment, Jerri Westphal

Doctoral Projects

Nursing informatics professionals are required to lead AI integration in healthcare, yet their baseline AI literacy, competency, and educational needs have not been formally assessed. This descriptive needs assessment examined AI literacy, competency, adoption readiness, and engagement among nursing informatics professionals, concurrently identifying educational priorities and preferred learning modalities. A cross-sectional survey was administered to members of the American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA) and the broader community (N = 194). The N.U.R.S.E.S. framework (Hoelscher & Pugh, 2025) informed the survey instrument's domain structure. Five composite indices were developed: AI Familiarity, Knowledge, Attitude, Competency, and Use. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation …

Fingernail Enhancement Microbiomes Study, Kendall E. Bare

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Policies in healthcare regarding fingernail enhancements have not been supported by current science. This study examined bacterial colony growth on gel nail enhancements, regular nail polish, and bare natural nails to evaluate which condition harbors the least bacterial microbiota. The hypothesis proposed that gel enhancements would demonstrate the lowest bacterial counts compared to regular polish and unpolished nails. This investigation was conducted in the context of a local healthcare system dress code policy permitting only regular nail polish in clinical settings. Six participants volunteered and underwent nail swabbing in a microbiology laboratory using sterile cotton applicators and a neutral solution. …

The Lived Experience Of Nursing Students Sitting With Patients: A Phenomenological Study, Emma L. Dalton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In an inpatient healthcare setting, patient sitters play a key role in maintaining the safety of patients who are exhibiting acute psychiatric or behavioral issues. These sitters are often nursing students working as nurse technicians. There is a gap in the literature surrounding sitting with patients, also known as specialling, concerning the lived experiences of nursing students assigned to be patient sitters as part of their job. The aim of this phenomenological study is to elucidate their experiences. The research question guiding this study is: what is the lived experience of nursing students working as patient sitters? Student nurses …

Healthy Living For Unhoused Women, Aliya K. Jatoi

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This capstone thesis details the importance of healthcare for unhoused women. Unhoused women do not have the ability to receive women’s healthcare nor receive proper education surrounding the topic of women’s healthcare. After participating in several events with unhoused women throughout Johnson City, a lack of attention to improving the quality of women’s healthcare was noticed. To address this issue, I began by surveying unhoused women, talking with unhoused women, and collecting online data and statistics regarding homelessness, prevelant diseases, and infection rates among unhoused women. After collecting data, educational materials, such as flyers with information about local resources and …

Improving The Quality Of Bone Marrow Specimen Collection Through Powered Bone Marrow Device Simulation And Supervised Procedures, Ethel C. Estrada

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Improving the Quality of Bone Marrow Specimen Collection Through Powered Bone Marrow Device Simulation and Supervised Procedures

Purpose

This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to implement powered bone marrow simulation training and supervised procedures for the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) proceduralists to increase proceduralists' use of powered bone marrow devices and reduce poor bone marrow sampling.

Background

This project was implemented within the Bone Marrow Aspiration Clinic (BMAC) of an academic cancer center in Houston, Texas.

Methodology

Five APP proceduralists completed powered bone marrow device simulation training on the Bone Marrow (BM) Skills Simulator, followed by supervised procedures. Data were …