Nursing Students Present Diverse Research Projects

Nursing Students Present Diverse Research Projects

Nursing Research

Students from various degree programs within USD’s Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science presented their year-long research in poster form during the school's annual Graduate Research Day April 29 in the UC Forums.

Projects showcased included the use of text messaging clinical reminders to increase compliance rates for a vaccination that especially affects active duty military women; identifying factors that influence effective diabetes self-management among the Filipino community; and assessing the impact of universal disinfectant cap implementation on Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI) in the pediatric population.

Alisha Keating, set to graduate later this month from USD's Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, looked at the impact of text alerts to help improve Human Papillomavirus vaccination compliance rates among active duty military women ages 18-26. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection among active duty military women. The incidence of high risk sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infection rates, Keating found, was seven times higher for active duty military women than the general public. Since 2011, research at the Naval Medical Center San Diego found that the HPV vaccine series completion rate in active duty military members was only 16 percent. But the use of texting clinical reminders produced above the national average percentage rate improvements. Text messages increased vaccination rates for women receiving both their second and third dosage.

Diannah Didulo, a second-year PhD student, said her research, “Correlates of Diabetes Self-Management Among Filipinos,” is not only a chance to do the work, but "it really makes me feel good to contribute and bring more awareness to the community about what needs to be done."

The Filipino population, the fourth largest immigrant group in the U.S., is projected to triple by year 2030. They have the second-highest rate of diabetes among Asian Americans (11.3 percent), Didulo's poster stated. Didulo's research focus is aiming to examine relationships between health literacy, self-efficacy, acculturation, depression, demographic variables and diabetes self-management practices for a sample of Filipinos with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Her study findings seek to contribute to the development of early secondary prevention or intervention programs to enhance patient care and to teach it to their fellow man.

A trio of May graduating students in the Master Entry Program for Nursing (MEPN), Diana Appleby, Jenna McKnight and Hara Terzian, teamed to examine a process that affects pediatric patients. Their question was for pediatric patients with central lines, does using alcohol-impregnated caps (Curos caps) on central line ports reduce central line infections compared to scrubbing the central line ports with alcohol swabs alone?

Among their findings was that the protection cap for needleless injection devices decreased microbial transfer; the alcohol-impregnated disinfection caps lowered the risk of catheter-related bloodstream infections; Using the Curos caps eliminated 30 second scrub-hub time and eliminated problems with variations in scrubbing technique. Disinfection caps also increased hospital admission power and saved money.

— Ryan T. Blystone