Nursing Department Hosts Conference

By Amanda Pinto
SC Contributing Writer

On Friday, October 31, the East Stroudsburg University Nursing Department held a nursing conference at ESU’s Innovation Center.

The Nursing Department invited healthcare professionals from all around the area, as well as ESU’s junior and senior classes of nursing students.

The conference was based on integrating evidence-based nursing practice into education and healthcare.

Various speakers and presenters had the opportunity to talk to several healthcare professionals, as well as students about the effects of their research on evidence-based practice in a real world healthcare setting.

Some of the speakers included Alberto Cardelle, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at East Stroudsburg University, and keynote speaker Dr. Bernadette Mazurek Melynk.

Dr. Melynk began the conference by presenting her study about improving the quality of healthcare and patient outcomes through evidence-based practice.

According to Dr. Melynk, it is statistically proven that 50 percent of patients don’t receive adequate evidence-based healthcare.

She spoke about the various aspects that come together to create an acceptable healthcare surrounding.

She incorporated strategies for enhancing engagement and energy, reducing stress, lifestyle changes, and research as factors that could both enhance or reduce the quality of care in the healthcare field.

She also integrated research evidence, evidence-based theories, clinical expertise, evidence from assessment of patients, and the patient’s preferences as a foundation of proper evidence-based care.

She ended her speech by highlighting the importance of having both strong and good quality evidence in order to act confidently in a healthcare setting.

Students also had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Mae Ann Pasquale and Dr. Tricia Bernecker discuss their study on enhancing nursing research capacity through a collaborative academic service partnership.

Lehigh Valley Hospital joined together with colleges such as Cedar Crest College and DeSales University to incorporate research studies within the educational aspect of teaching.

They conducted a research study on missed nursing care, in which they spoke to nurses directly on 21 medical surgical floors, for a total of 1000 RN’s. Based on the 1000 person sample size, there was a response rate of 70 percent.

Through this targeted population they came to a conclusion that the top 3 missed nursing care aspects included lack of ambulation, administration of medication, and turning patients.

By bringing these conditions to the surface, the nurses were able to act on these missed aspects of nursing care.

The conference also included Alberto Cardelle’s discussion entitled “Triple Aim and Public Health: A Critical Partnership,” Anthony Leisen’s “Pedagogical Considerations for Online Teaching” and “Technology in the Online Classroom,” and Dr. Joyce Victor Chimel’s presentation “Using Theory Based Simulation Design to Improve Clinical Judgment and Simulation Performance.”

Overall the conference was a great success and allowed students to see the importance of evidence-based practice in the nursing field.

It is necessary for us, as future nurses, to use adequate resources to support our choices as healthcare professionals.

Email Amanda at:
amp2442@live.esu.edu