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Attendees browse posters at the 2019 Annual Arkansas Nursing Research Conference.

Teamwork is Focus of Nursing Research Conference

April 25, 2019 | Dozens of research projects were on display April 12 at the UAMS Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neuroscience Institute as part of the 2019 Annual Arkansas Nursing Research Conference: Building Collaborative Teams in Research and Practice.

The day-long conference brought together 170 participating nurses in clinical practice, as well as professors, instructors and students, for both poster and podium presentations of different research endeavors.

“Just as nurses are an integral part of providing care to patients and instruction to our students, they are also part of research and, in that way, are fundamental to all parts of the mission of UAMS,” said Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, dean of the UAMS College of Nursing.

While education was the key goal, the event also offered an opportunity for nurses from across the state to meet and network, potentially forming future collaborations, said Patricia Wright, Ph.D., M.P.H., RN, an assistant professor in the College of Nursing and co-chair of the event since 2015.

“Learning and sharing was our primary goal. This conference is one of the few opportunities we get to come together, share and learn from one another,” Wright said. “The conference also provides networking possibilities for students and faculty from numerous programs across the state.”

The conference kicked off with a keynote address from Beth A. Collins Sharp, Ph.D., RN, director of the Division of Program Innovation in the Office of Women’s Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She spoke on the elements of successful collaboration.

“You want to focus on the outcomes, in this case the actual nursing impact,” said Collins Sharp of building successful collaborations, which she noted involves three key components: defining success, understanding the team and evaluating.

Between podium and poster presentations, attendees had the opportunity to visit vendor booths.

“I would rate the 2019 Arkansas Nursing Research conference a smashing success,” said event co-chair Wright. “The quality of posters and podium presentations was the best I have ever seen at this annual conference due to rigorous peer review process for all submitted abstracts.”

Wright said she was impressed by the variety and depth of the posters and presentations and said their rigor was rewarded by the highest number of sponsored awards ever presented at this conference.

 

2019 Arkansas Nursing Research Conference Award Winners

Gamma Xi Best Poster

• BSN–Cassey Gay-Relationship Between Shift Work and Prostatic Carcinoma
• MSN– Victoria Every, Daniel Smith, Morgan Wilkerson-Opioids: An Aging Epidemic!
• DNP–Laura Mayfield-Cervical Cancer Screening in The Transgender Population An Evaluation of Practice
• PhD–Dannis Armikarina-Pediatric Palliative Care: Evidence Based Paper

 

Alice An-Loh-Sun Endowed Professor Award

• Nikki Killingworth-Influence of Marital Status on Prescription Opioid Use, Misuse, and Abuse Among Older Adults

 

Outstanding Psychiatric Mental Health Poster or Podium Presentation

Student

• Katherine Simkins (Agud)-Burdening The Family With Traumas of The Job: A Barrier To Help-Seeking For First Responders

Non-Student

• Sandra Meredith-Neve-Non Student-Providing Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy For Patients Without Insurance Coverage May Save Health Care Dollars.

 

Outstanding Patient Safety Award Podium/Poster Presentation

• Amber Ward-The Need For Service Recovery Training in Frontline Healthcare Staff.

 

Outstanding Pediatric Poster or Presentation

• Codi Anthony-Implementation of Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal (Pandas) Screening Tool

 

Outstanding Oncology Poster/Presentation Award

• Student-Laura Mayfield-Cervical Cancer Screening in The Transgender Population An Evaluation of Practice

 

Outstanding Health Disparities Poster/Podium Presentation Award

• Cheryl Wells-Hispanics Perceptions and Solutions for Increasing Their Research Participation.

 

Top 10-best poster/presentation distinction

• Jennifer Gernat-Fear Of Cancer Recurrence Among Multiple Myeloma Survivors: Feasibility Of An Ehealth Intervention.
• Amber Ward-The Need For Service Recovery Training In Frontline Healthcare Staff
• Nikki Killingsworth-Influence Of Marital Status On Prescription Opioid Use, Misuse, And Abuse Among Older Adults
• Austin Brown-Exploring The Efficacy Of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation On Three Common Bowel Diseases
• Julia K. Dunham-Thornton-The Effectiveness Of Music Therapy (Mt) On Elders Residing In Long Term Care Facilities With Insomnia
• Victoria Every, Daniel Smith, Morgan Wilkerson-Opioids: An Aging Epidemic!

 

2019 Arkansas Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence Awards

Undergraduate

• Nikki Killingworth–Influence of Marital Status on Prescription Opioid Use, Misuse, and Abuse Among Older Adults​

Graduate

• Julia Dunham Thornton-The Effectiveness Of Music Therapy On Elders With Insomnia Residing In Long Term Care Facilities
• Victoria Every, Daniel Smith, Morgan Wilkerson–Opioids: An Aging Epidemic!

 

Winners from the Top 10 Student Posters:

1^st place: Austin Brown-Exploring the Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Three Common Bowel Diseases.

2^nd place: Nikki Killingsworth-Influence of Martial Status on Prescription Opioid Use, Misuse, and Abuse Among Older Adults

3^rd place: Dannis Armikarina-Pediatric Palliative Care; Evidence Based Paper