Next Generation Nurses at the University of Kentucky
Cynthia Morris, senior BSN student.
The University of Kentucky College of Nursing is producing graduates with exceptional research experience—and the accolades to show for it.
At both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the College’s faculty members are committed to ensuring that students are instilled with a strong understanding of the importance of nursing research and its role in evidence-based practice.
“Students are able to see that our faculty members are making discoveries to help individuals manage symptoms and live more productive, healthy lives,” says Dean Janie Heath, PhD, APRN-BC, FAAN. “When they see this and are a part of it, they become very excited—and they become part of our future for advancing nursing science.”
In the ever-changing world of health care, the role of nurse scientists is increasingly vital. The Institute of Medicine’s 2011 report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health called for doubling the number of doctorally prepared nurses by 2020 and stated, “Nurse scientists are a critical link in the discovery and translation of knowledge that can be generated by nurses and other health scientists.”
Thomas Kelly, PhD, associate dean for research, explains, “Nurses are in ideal positions to help identify priorities, conduct clinical research, contribute to leadership and partner with other health care professionals. A nurse research scientist is important to medical research, but currently there is a gap.”
The College has several strategies for closing this gap. On the undergraduate level, it’s all about exposing students to research as early as possible. Undergraduates are given the opportunity to participate in the College’s Undergraduate Nursing Research Internship Program. Students in the program are paired with a faculty member with similar research interests and get hands-on research involvement.
On the graduate level, the PhD Program provides cutting-edge research experience for nurses interested in devoting a significant portion of their careers to research. (The College’s DNP is a practice doctoral degree.)
“Part of the education mission of the College of Nursing is to make sure our undergraduate and graduate programs are teaching the best and most up-to-date practices on how to conduct research and apply it in practice,” says Patricia B. Howard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, executive associate dean for academic operations.
Undergrads Get a Jumpstart in Research
To advance the research mission of the College and the nursing field, preparation has to start with undergraduates. “Introducing undergraduates to research early on gives them a sense that it’s relevant, exciting and meaningful,” says Dr. Heath.
The College’s Undergraduate Research Internship Program gives students a chance to experience research firsthand. The program was founded by Patricia Burkhart, PhD, RN, professor and associate dean of undergraduate faculty affairs (then associate dean of undergraduate studies) in 2002 as part of a research grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). Dr. Burkhart saw that undergraduates should have more research opportunities, so she hired an undergraduate research intern and encouraged other faculty to do the same. The program grew from there, and it now involves 15 to 20 students each semester.
In 2009, the program received the Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. One of the first of its kind in the country, it has become a model for other colleges and has been replicated at the University of Louisville and University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Burkhart says the program provides a jumpstart for undergraduates interested in research careers. In the program, students learn about the research process as they write grant proposals and collect data. They gain an understanding of what goes into publishing and presenting research, and they see how research teams collaborate. Most importantly, they develop an understanding of how evidence is applied in nursing practice.
“What undergraduates tell me is that being engaged in research makes evidence-based practice come alive for them. When they are plugged into teams of researchers, undergraduates make very creative and seminal contributions to the advancement of the research we’re doing,” says Dr. Burkhart.
The research intern program has taught BSN graduate Corinna Hughes (May 2015) to always ask questions and dig deeper. In 2015, Hughes, who worked with Kristin Ashford, PhD, RN, APRN, associate professor and assistant dean of research, was awarded top Minority Health Student Poster Presentation at the Southern Nursing Research Society (SNRS) conference for her study, “Exploring Racial Differences in Biomarkers, Stress, and Anxiety throughout Pregnancy.”
“Working with Dr. Ashford has opened my eyes to nursing science,” says Hughes. “Doing research has taught me to be curious and investigate more.”
Participating in the program has helped BSN graduate Christina Thompson (May 2015) realize that she wants to continue to pursue research. “Doing research is the best decision I’ve made in my nursing career thus far,” says Thompson. “ Working with the first class faculty here has helped me understand how essential nursing research is to developing better health care.”
Undergraduate research at the College has had remarkable outcomes.The students have presented research, published co-authored papers and won awards. Faculty researchers benefit from the involvement of undergraduate students, as they bring fresh perspective to the research. “It’s a win win. The students don’t just learn from us we also learn from them,” says Dr. Burkhart.
Each year, undergraduate researchers have the opportunity to present their research at the annual SNRS (Southern Nursing Research Society) conference. At the 2015 conference, the College’s undergraduate researchers excelled. In addition to Hughes’ award, Allie Milam, senior BSN student, won third place in the student poster session for her poster “Tooth Loss Is Associated with Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease,” and senior BSN student Cynthia Morris was named a top student presenter for her poster “Providers’ Perceptions of Meaningful Use Mandates.”
As Dr. Burkhart explains, the conference’s poster session used to include just PhD students. “We petitioned SNRS to do a student poster session that includes undergraduates,” she says. “Our outstanding undergraduate students need to be stretched and challenged, and they rise to the occasion.”
PhD Students Advance Evidence-Based Care
Performing research alongside faculty who are leaders in their fields puts graduate students in the College at an advantage. “Some PhD programs out there are housed in institutions where there is not an active research program,” says Terry Lennie, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, professor and associate dean for graduate faculty affairs.
“To learn how to do research, students need to be working with faculty members who have active research programs. Participating in the mentor’s research provides them with a foundation to move forward,” Dr. Lennie says.
According to doctoral candidate Linda Clements, MSN, APRN, CCNS, the College provides graduate students with a superior research experience. “The nursing program here is unique,” she says. “You are able to work with award-winning, seasoned research professionals eager to pass along their skills and help you succeed.”
Developing PhD students into first-rate researchers and educators is central to addressing the nursing field’s current needs. In order to educate new nurses, the field needs more doctorally prepared nurses. Likewise, to produce the best health outcomes in evidence-based practice, the field needs more nurse scientists who are qualified to investigate problems and explore innovative solutions.
“We’ve been in the business of preparing exceptional nurse scientists for 28 years now,” says Dr. Lennie. “There’s a big need for nurses to conduct research that will develop sound evidence to support and improve practice. We prepare our PhD students for this, and we also teach them to prepare the next generation of nurse scholars. As graduates, mentoring is part of their responsibility.”
Many nurses who return to school to earn a PhD do so out of a desire to improve the nursing care that patients receive.
“During my practice with cardiovascular patients, I saw some major issues,” says doctoral candidate Jennifer Miller, Ed, MSN, RN. “To improve patient outcomes, we need research done by nurses, for nurses, to inform nursing practice.”
PhD candidate Abdullah Alhurani, MSN, RN, had a similar experience working as a nurse in Jordan, his native country. He saw that many of the nursing practices in place could be improved. Because he had an interest in heart failure research, he chose the College of Nursing to study under the mentorship of Professor Debra Moser, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN.
“Dr. Moser has been an amazing mentor for me,” says Alhurani. “She gives a lot of encouragement. Even when I don’t believe in myself, she believes in me.”
Under Dr. Moser’s mentorship, Alhurani has decided to continue his career as a nurse scientist. Of his experience in the College, he says, “I’ve been amazed at the opportunities I’ve had. If I’ve done this much as a PhD student, imagine what I can accomplish after graduation.”
“Nurses are at the core of patient care delivery and there is no better time for us individually and collectively to to strengthen our skills and stretch our intellectual capacity so that we not only conduct meaningful and purposeful nursing research but learn from one another as well,” says Dr. Heath.
