Following a two-year interval that saw a cancelation and a virtual event, the University of Florida College of Nursing’s Research Summit and Malasanos Lectureship returned to an in-person format for its 18th edition in 2022. This event marked the first face-to-face event at the college since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Produced as a result of a partnership between the College of Nursing, UF Health, Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center and the Alpha Theta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, the event allowed attendees to hear a keynote address, showcase nursing research through poster presentations and connect with other nurse scientists to advance knowledge within the field.
“We are so excited to once again join in person for a day of research and scholarship after such a long absence,” said Raga Bjarnadottir, PhD, MPH, RN College of Nursing assistant professor and the Research Summit Planning Committee chair. “I am especially grateful for the amazing expert insights and rich dialogue we were able to have about a very important topic at this year’s event.”
Lucia Wocial, PhD, RN, FAAN, a national research leader in moral distress and nursing ethics and senior ethicist at the John J. Lynch, MD Center for Ethics, served as the event’s keynote speaker. Wocial delivered a poignant address on moral distress, encouraging nurses to factor in ethical considerations during their daily work routines while remaining confident to advocate for their wellness.
According to Wocial, clinicians are often faced with difficult ethical questions regarding patients that may negatively impact their wellness. A nurse that finds their “inner voice” to speak up, ask questions and seek advice when weighing ethical considerations will be able to reduce their levels of distress to the benefit of their well-being.
“Moral distress has become a rallying cry due to the pandemic, but resilience is not enough,” Wocial said. “Robust ethical resources are needed for the fabric of everyday practice.”
Two panels featuring researchers and clinicians discussed two distinct areas of wellness, Scholars from both panels, “Sparking Research and Scholarship to Address Moral Distress” and “Promoting Clinician Wellness and Resilience” addressed questions posed by a live audience to broaden attendee understanding of how to manage personal well-being.
“I am sincerely thankful to my colleagues for their expertise in promoting wellness and resiliency and addressing the moral distress that affects our profession,” said Anna M. McDaniel, PhD, RN, FAAN, College of Nursing dean and the Linda Harman Aiken Chair. “It is events such as these that showcase the varied scholarly work across our profession that allows us to learn from one another, and I look forward to furthering this collaboration through future events.”
Participating researchers had the opportunity to present their research encapsulating the summit’s theme of “Promoting Wellness and Overcoming Moral Distress” in a trifold poster or virtual e-poster format to attendees. The e-posters were judged by a committee made up of college researchers, and select students, faculty and professionals received awards for their posters and presentations.
This year’s poster award recipients include:
BSN
First Place: The Symptom Experience of Postpartum Pain After Scheduled Cesarean Birth
Grace Kuenzli, ABSN Student; Diana Wilkie, PhD, RN, FAAN
Second Place: Diversity, Inclusivity, and Disparity Education Through Student Nursing Organizations
Rylee Harfouche; Guillen, H.; Mesa, J.; Anne Dillard, DNP, RN, AGCNS, CNE
DNP
First place: Feasibility of an Automated Alert System in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Megan Ross, RN, BSN, PNP-AC DNP Student; Jennifer Dungan, PhD, MSN, RN; Clinical Partners: Josh Campbell, RN, BSN, CCRN; Laurel Barwick, RN, MSN, CCRN; James Quinlan; Mark Bleiweis, MD
Second Place: Probiotics in the NICU
Julie Holmer, APRN-C, MSN, DNP Candidate; Leslie Parker, PhD, APRN, NNP-BC, FAAN
PhD
First Place: Association of Metformin Dosage and Overall Survival of SEER-Medicare Patients with Stage IV Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Tarah Nelson, MSN, NP-C; Jo, A., PhD; Xie, Z., PhD; O’Neal, L. J. PhD; Munoz Pena, J. M. MD; George, T. J. MD; Bian, J., PhD; Lisa Scarton, PhD, RN
Second Place: Time to Onset of Secretory Activation in Mothers Delivering Infants with Congenital Heart Disease
Larissa Iapicca, BSN, RN-BC, IBCLC, PhD Candidate; Leslie Parker, PhD, APRN, FAAN
Professional
First Place: Stroke caregiver advice: A thematic study of data from the shared experiences of caregivers
Avah Monteith; Nathaniel Eliazar-Macke, RN; I. Magaly Freytes, PhD; Jennifer LeLaurin, MPH; Constance Uphold, PhD, ARNP, FAAN
Second Place: A Pilot Study Investigating a Nurse-Led approach to Type 2 Diabetes in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Cancer
Anatolia Legaspi; Mariah McClaren; Tarah Nelson, MSN, APRN; Joan Burgos; Jake Cabassa; Shavondra Huggins, DNP; LaToya J. O’Neal, PhD; Ara Jo, PhD; Thomas J. George, MD; Juan M. Munoz-Pena, MD; Merry-Jennifer Markham, MD; Martina C. Murphy, MD; Jonathan A. Chatzkel, MD, Yingwei Yao, PhD; Sherise Rogers, MD; Lisa Scarton, PhD, RN; UF College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, UF College of Medicine