Undergraduate College of Nursing Student to Participate at Posters-at-the-Capitol
College of Nursing undergraduate student Anna Eastman’s project “Health Status of Kentucky’s Senior Farms” has been selected for participation in Posters-at-the-Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. on Feb. 25, 2016.
Representatives from Kentucky’s eight public universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System will host Posters-at-the-Capitol to ensure that members of the state’s legislature understand the importance of scholarly research to our students’ educations, our academic programs and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The competitive program gives students not only the opportunity to showcase their work, but to inform policymakers about important issues that affect the state.
“Being selected for this Posters-at-the-Capitol is an honor that I am lucky to have received,” said Eastman. “Through my work as a research intern, I have learned about the importance of my research in health care and I know that is something I can use throughout my career as a nurse.”
Eastman was first introduced to the research internship program her sophomore year by the associate dean of the College of Nursing, Dr. Patricia Burkhart. Eastman’s work with her research mentor, Dr. Deborah Reed, PhD, MSPH, RN, FAAOHN, FAAN, focuses on the hazardous agricultural industry and efforts to improve the health of this population. Eastman reviewed Dr. Reed’s study and drew conclusions about the health risks Kentucky’s aging farming population face.
“Serving Kentucky’s farm families includes understanding their health issues,” said Reed. “Anna’s work with our large dataset of Kentucky farm couples ages 50 and over provides insight nurses and other health professionals need to insure quality care for those persons who provide food for our tables and contribute to our economic base.”
Their research found that the leading health conditions of farmers age 50 and over were arthritis, hypertension, back problems, hearing problems, vision problems and heart conditions. Of these leading health conditions, arthritis was statistically significant for females.
Eastman, a 21 year-old from Cleveland, Oh., is currently a junior at the College of Nursing and will graduate in May of 2017. Eastman plans to pursue emergency room nursing before returning to school to complete her masters.
