December News-at-a-Glance: Student Takes on New Challenge and Faculty Impact through Research, Shaping Simulation Standards
Student Achievement
Hillman Scholar Alex Fauer has been selected for a poster presentation at the Oncology Nursing Society’s Annual Congress. Fauer’s abstract is entitled “Evaluating oncology nurses safety following antineoplastic drug spills: Case report analysis from a multi-site study.” The work is the result from a research collaboration with UMSN Professor Christopher Friese, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN. Fauer took first place in the student category at UMSN’s 2016 Research Day for another collaboration with Dr. Friese, but this will be his first time presenting at a national conference. More than 3,000 oncology nurses and researchers are expected to attend the conference in May 2017.
Hazardous Drug Exposure
Employers should do more to protect nurses and other employees who handle hazardous materials, such as chemotherapy drugs, suggests Dr. Friese and colleagues after analyzing ambulatory oncology practices in Michigan, California and Georgia. Using a sample of more than 250 nurses who administer hazardous drugs, the researchers found 26% of the nurses reported a recent drug spill. They also found concerning data in regards to the lack of personal protection equipment (PPE) used by the nurses. Ninety percent of them report wearing only one pair of chemotherapy-tested gloves despite recommendations to double glove, and 22-44% report never using other protection, such as gowns or a closed-system transfer device for the drugs. The researchers also found higher workloads were associated with lower PPE use and more spills. The findings are published in Oncology Nursing Forum’s January issue.
Campus Sexual Assault Prevention
Sexual assault prevention efforts by UMSN Assistant Professor Michelle Munro-Kramer, PhD, CNM, FNP-BC, will be supported by new funding from the State of Michigan. Dr. Munro-Kramer is developing a web-based application for U-M students that provides information and resources focused on healthy relationships and prevention of sexual violence. Her work will be used to reinforce other U-M messaging provided to new students during their first weeks on campus. Projects at nearly 20 Michigan schools, including U-M’s Flint and Dearborn campuses, received the grants to focus on empowering students and reducing sexual assaults.
National AIDS Day Coverage
UMSN Professor Rob Stephenson, MSC, PhD, authored an article for The Conversation which was picked up by dozens of media outlets including CNN. “Why male couples should think about HIV in their relationships” was released in support of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. Dr. Stephenson serves as director of U-M’s Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities. The center has more than 30 faculty, staff and student researchers collaborating on 40 innovative projects in 12 countries. Together they are working to prevent HIV/AIDS, encourage testing, support people with the disease, and fight stigma. Learn more about the center’s work.
Shaping Simulation Standards
New best practice standards for simulations have been released by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation & Learning (INACSL). UMSN’s Director of Simulation and Educational Innovation Michelle Aebersold, PhD, RN, CHSE, FAAN, serves as Vice President of the INACSL Board of Directors and was a member of the Standards Committee and was actively involved in updating the standards. They’re designed to advance the science of simulation, share best practices, and provide evidence based guidelines for implementation and training. INACSL is considered a global leader in advancing healthcare simulations to transform practice and improve patient safety. “It was an honor and a privilege to work on the 3rd edition of the Simulation Standards,” said Dr. Aebersold. “The standards have been endorsed by several simulation groups nationally and internationally.”
