Kenneth Borick, a recent BSN graduate from the UF College of Nursing, has successfully published his undergraduate honors research in the Journal of Holistic Nursing. His study explored nurses’ attitudes toward incorporating music in patient care.
Although it’s not uncommon for undergraduate students to engage in research, having their work published is not as common. Borick, who graduated in May and now works as a nurse at UF Health Shands, demonstrated determination and dedication throughout the project, according to Assistant Professor Ellen Terry, PhD, who mentored him.
“He worked incredibly hard, which inspired me to put in the same effort to help bring his vision to life,” Terry said.
The research began as a questionnaire focused on quantitative responses, asking nurses about their use of music in patient care and their perceptions of its effectiveness. Initial reviews suggested that continuing the study might be unnecessary, as the majority of nurses already favored using music when working with patients.
In fact, nearly 92% of nurses believed music moderately improved patients’ moods, and 93% felt it helped reduce anxiety during treatment. Additionally, 89% of those surveyed had used music with patients, and almost 77% regularly recommended it.
“Most people would have stopped there,” Terry noted. “But with support from other faculty members, Kenneth expanded the study to include more qualitative questions. That’s when things got interesting.”
By probing deeper into the barriers to implementing music therapy in patient care, the study uncovered a variety of challenges. These included limited access to streaming services and patients’ unfamiliarity with technology, which hindered nurses from maximizing the potential benefits of music within the clinical setting.
Despite these obstacles, nurses consistently tried to use music to comfort patients. Borick’s research offers data-driven recommendations that could help healthcare facilities overcome these barriers and improve the integration of music into patient care.
“The findings in this study can be applied to reduce the obstacles preventing broader use of music in clinical settings,” Terry said.