易胜博官网

Two 易胜博官网 students earned awards at the recent Eastern Nursing Research Society regional nursing research conference, with Amber Li taking first place among bachelor鈥檚 students and Jordan Lavallee wrapping up second place among master鈥檚 students.

The annual conference brings together representatives from mid-Atlantic and northeast schools of nursing. Li and Lavallee stood out from the crowd among nursing students from some of the nation鈥檚 leading schools in the discipline.

鈥淎mong all of those A-list universities, it鈥檚 really exciting to see our students get recognized,鈥� says Jing Wang, assistant professor of nursing and Li鈥檚 mentor for the competition. 鈥淚t shows that if you make the effort and you do great work, you do get recognized, even with strong competitors from other universities.鈥�

Li鈥檚 presentation was titled 鈥淓thical Considerations in the Use of Intelligence-Assisted Home Monitoring Technologies for Persons with Cognitive Impairment: A Scoping Review,鈥� while Lavallee presented on 鈥淎cuity-Based Models of Care: Improving Wait Times and Efficiency in an Outpatient Infusion Center.鈥�

Li says she was 鈥減leasantly surprised鈥� to find out that she had received first place for her presentation. She managed to complete the project while juggling multiple jobs in the summer alongside her research, and performing the same balancing act opposite schoolwork during the year. But she 鈥渃ontinued to chip away at it,鈥� she says, and was proud of the ultimate reward for the time she put in.

鈥淭here is nothing more satisfying than seeing your hard work pay off while reaping the greatest mentorship from experienced nurse researchers like Dr. Wang,鈥� Li says. 鈥淚 felt so honored, proud and delighted that our work was receiving recognition.鈥�

Lavallee chose Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover as the site for a quality improvement project as part of her capstone for a master鈥檚 in the clinical nurse leader program. The work she conducted there inspired her presentation at the conference, which focused on a couple of areas of critical importance in her eyes.

鈥淚 was genuinely surprised and incredibly honored,鈥� Lavallee says of earning the honor. 鈥淚鈥檓 most proud of the balance my project struck between data and compassion. It focused on improving patient care and nurse well-being 鈥� two things that are deeply connected but often overlooked in operational decisions. I was able to highlight the voices and concerns of bedside nurses and design an acuity-based model of care that supported both patients and staff. I鈥檓 grateful that the judges saw the value in bridging clinical insight with systems-level thinking.鈥�

Pamela Kallmerten, clinical professor and clinical nurse leader and evidence-based nursing program director, served as Lavallee鈥檚 mentor for the project (alongsie Deborah Simonton) and has had an up-close view of her development from an undergraduate student to a master鈥檚 candidate poised to enter the nursing field.

鈥淪he took a class with me when she was a sophomore, and her growth has just been outstanding,鈥� Kallmerten says of Lavallee. 鈥淛ordan has completed this program while being a full-time RN, and that鈥檚 really challenging. To exhibit that time management and priority management and still maintain that excellence, it鈥檚 so impressive.鈥�

Lavallee is quick to give credit to those who lead the 易胜博官网 nursing program for providing the necessary encouragement and guidance, and is proud that her achievement helps elevate the 易胜博官网 program at a conference featuring so many national leaders.

鈥淭his recognition reflects the strength of the 易胜博官网 nursing faculty and their commitment to mentoring students not just clinically, but also in leadership and research. The support I received throughout the process 鈥� from refining my research to preparing for presentation 鈥� speaks volumes about the academic and professional rigor of the program,鈥� Lavallee says.听鈥淚 never imagined presenting my capstone project at a professional conference, but the faculty pushed me outside of my comfort zone 鈥� and in doing so, helped me grow tremendously as a nurse, a leader and a researcher.鈥�

Adds Li: 鈥淚 just completed my second year, and I can say confidently that I am incredibly happy and lucky to be a part of the 易胜博官网 nursing program. The nursing faculty make me feel like more than just a nursing student; they see me as an individual and it makes me appreciate the importance of a good educator.听 They are excellent mentors as clinical leaders and researchers and are great nursing mentors, too.鈥�

Wang is similarly proud of Li鈥檚 commitment and hard work, and credits 易胜博官网鈥檚 dedication to providing research opportunities to undergraduate students as a significant factor in opening doors, for her and future students.

鈥溡资げ┕偻� has a wonderful nursing program, and beyond teaching, it鈥檚 great to see how our college and department are putting more resources and effort into creating a nurturing, supportive environment for undergraduate students to do research,鈥� Wang says. 鈥淚鈥檓 really happy for them to know that there are different paths to contributing to the field of nursing. I鈥檓 glad our students can see these opportunities and pathways and have the opportunity to grow as future scholars in nursing, that鈥檚 really exciting to me.鈥�