News At-A-Glance: (Nov. 2016) Achievements, Diversity, and the Fight against Opioids

Student Award

Hillman Scholar Clare Donohoe earned an award from St. Jude Children’s Hospital for her work in the Pediatric Oncology Education (POE) program. Donohoe was the sole nursing student in the summer internship which included nearly 70 students from across the country. Donohue’s project was a retrospective review of patients who underwent a bone marrow transplant and determined how many of them developed mucositis (a debilitating side effect causing open sores and inflammation in the mouth) which leads to increased pain and incidence of infections. Each student submitted a research paper for their project and Donohue earned a second place award for her work. She says the internship was a very positive experience and she was pleased to be a part of promoting nursing and the vital role of nursing researchers.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

UMSN is holding an ongoing series of events to support the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts at U-M. The university and individual schools established collaborative plans to foster a campus-wide environment that is more inclusive for all students, faculty and staff. UMSN DEI events in November included a staff forum and faculty development sessions. UMSN also hosted a panel discussion focused on Arab Americans and Muslim Americans in health care. The open conversation covered topics from why some Muslim women wear hijabs (headscarves) to considering religious practices and beliefs when determining best health practices. For example, many Muslims fast during daylight hours for the month-long observance of Ramadan, and health providers may need to manage care in different ways when medications need to be taken with food.

The Opioid Epidemic

“There were enough prescriptions written in the past year to supply every single adult in the United States with a bottle of opioid medication,” Stephen Strobbe, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, CARN-AP, FIAAN, told the crowd at a community forum focused on the growing opioid epidemic. The event was hosted by the U-M Depression Center as part of the Bright Nights series. Dr. Strobbe, a clinical associate professor at UMSN and U-M’s Department of Psychiatry, was joined by other community leaders and people in recovery working to raise awareness and combat the growing opioid epidemic. Panelists included UMSN Clinical Assistant Professor Gina Dahlem, PhD, RN, NP-C, FAANP, who explained her work training Washtenaw County first responders and community members how to use intranasal naloxone to reverse an overdose. Read the Michigan Daily report for more details on the event.

Faculty Accolades

Assistant Professor Deena Kelly Costa, PhD, RN, was selected for the 2017 Star Research Achievement award from the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM). Dr. Costa’s award is for her research abstract, “How Team Structure in ABCDE Delivery Influences Implementation in a Michigan Quality Collaborative.” Dr. Costa and colleagues focused on how the Awakening and Breathing Coordination, Delirium, and Early Mobility bundle is implemented across different health care team structures in intensive care units. They found significant variation in how teams were structured, with particular clinicians more involved in some parts of the bundle than others. The variation in team structure had implications for the team's ability to effectively implement the ABCDE bundle. Dr. Costa will receive the award at an SCCM ceremony in Hawaii in January 2017. Dr. Costa was also recently selected for a National Institutes of Health Clinical Loan Repayment Program award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The awards are highly competitive and help to ease the financial burden of educational loans for early-career scientists.

Clinical Assistant Professor Deborah Price, DNP, MS, RN, was selected for the American Association of Critical Care Nursing (AACN) Research Abstract Award. Dr. Price’s award is for her work “Self-perceived Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors about Palliative and End-of-life Care amongst Interdisciplinary Health Care Professionals.” The study focused on a comprehensive assessment to identify deficits in providing palliative and end-of-life care to hospitalized patients. Dr. Price found educational needs may be different depending on factors such as experience of staff, and she recommended interventions be focused on improving communication, collaboration and decision-making behaviors between the disciplines, with earlier palliative care consultation. Dr. Price will receive her award and is invited to present her findings at the National Teaching Institute in Houston, TX, in May, 2017.