Publication and presentation roundup — Summer 2024
The latest scholarly work from the UNC School of Nursing
Carolina Nursing faculty, staff, and students are actively sharing their research findings on critical health care topics through publications in academic journals, presentations at national and international conferences, and features in various media outlets, including articles, podcasts, and more.
Take a look at the selection of publications, presentations, and media features below to learn more about how Carolina Nursing experts are advancing health for all by addressing the greatest health care challenges of our time.
Please note that the following list was compiled based on information submitted by our researchers and is categorized into presentations and publications.
Have a publication, presentation, or media feature to share to share? School of Nursing faculty, students and staff can submit information here to be included in the next roundup.
Publications
Dr. Paohwa Lin from Duke Medicine, along with PhD student Lily Chen and their research team, recently published an article in Ethnicity & Health on the mental health needs and barriers to service within the Chinese American community. The study involved 55 Chinese American participants who engaged in online focus groups conducted in both Chinese and English. Discussions centered on community perceptions of mental health, barriers to accessing care, and suggestions for improvement.
Key themes identified included a lack of knowledge and awareness, negative impressions of mental health, and a shortage of Chinese-speaking providers. The study’s findings highlight the importance of education and increased awareness as critical factors in improving access to care. The researchers emphasize the need for tailored interventions and barrier removal to address mental health disparities in the Chinese American community, aligning with previous research in this area.
Walking the Walk: Using a Virtual Escape Room to Teach Communication and Collaboration
In Nurse Educator’s Technology Department article “Walking the Walk: Using a Virtual Escape Room to Teach Communication and Collaboration,” Maureen J. Baker, PhD, CNL, CHSE, and Theresa Raphael-Grimm, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, discuss the implementation of a virtual escape room as an educational tool to enhance nursing students’ skills in communication and collaboration. The escape room, named Sloppy Mountain Medical Center, places students in a chaotic, simulated hospital environment where they must work together to solve puzzles and manage patient care. This immersive activity requires students to utilize critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork, mirroring the complexities of real clinical settings.
Dr. Myoungsuk Kim, a visiting international scholar and Associate Professor at Kangwon National University’s College of Nursing, collaborated with Lorinda Coombs, PhD, MSN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, and Dr. Kelly Tan, a UNC School of Nursing double alum and Hillman Scholar. Together, they published a significant systematic review and meta-analysis titled Efficacy of Web‐Based Interventions on Depression and Anxiety in Cancer Caregivers in Psycho-Oncology.
Their research evaluated the effectiveness of web-based interventions in alleviating depression and anxiety among informal caregivers of cancer patients. Analyzing data from twelve randomized controlled trials, they found these interventions to be notably effective in reducing depression.
AI and Social Determinants of Health in Health Care: A Personal Perspective
Becky Kitzmiller, PhD, MHR, MSN, RN, BC, and Jessica K. Zègre-Hemsey, PhD, RN, FAHA, alongside collaborators from Computer Science, co-authored an insightful paper titled AI and Social Determinants of Health in Health Care: A Personal Perspective. This work explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in enhancing clinical decision-making and addressing health disparities, particularly in areas like emergency cardiac care. The authors emphasize the dual nature of AI’s promise and caution, highlighting its capacity to revolutionize patient care while also noting the need for careful consideration of equity concerns. Their paper provides a thoughtful analysis of the intersection of AI and social determinants of health.
Lorinda Coombs, PhD, MSN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, alongside colleagues, delved into the equity of digital health interventions in cancer care. The study, titled Assessing Patient Perspectives and the Health Equity of a Digital Cancer Symptom Remote Monitoring and Management System, was published in ASCO Publications. It evaluated the effectiveness of Symptom Care at Home (SCH), an automated digital platform for remote symptom monitoring and management. The research highlighted the importance of ensuring that such digital interventions are accessible and beneficial across diverse patient populations, preventing the perpetuation of health inequities.
Dr. Donruedee Kamkhoad, a PhD alumna of UNC School of Nursing, recently published a chapter from her dissertation in Cancer Care Research Online. Her research sheds light on the nutritional and quality of life needs of Thai children undergoing chemotherapy. Dr. Kamkhoad’s work was supported by her dissertation chair, Dr. Sheila Santacroce, and highlights the school’s commitment to supporting students in conducting research in their home countries, such as her work in collaboration with Mahidol University.
UNC School of Nursing Alumnus Beth Mann, RN/BSN (’22) and Associate Professor Rhonda Lanning, DNP, CNM, LCCE, IBCLC, RN, recently authored an article entitled, “Improving Knowledge and Competency in Gender Affirming Patient Care Among New Nurses in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care,” which will be published in the August 2024 issue of Nursing for Women’s Health. Based on undergraduate research conducted by Ms. Mann, which was awarded a distinction of Highest Honors through blinded faculty review, the publication discusses the role of nurses in caring for transgender and nonbinary patients in the reproductive health care setting, and the current gaps in education to prepare future nurses to meet the needs of this growing patient population. The work advocates for nursing schools and new nurse orientation programs to expand curricula to address the specific needs of transgender patients.
North Carolina Medical Journal Vol. 85, Issue 3, 2024
Meg Zomorodi, PHD, RN, CNL, FAAN, Lori Byrd, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE, and Mary Lynn, PhD contributed to articles featured in a recent issue of the North Carolina Medical Journal.
Zomorodi’s articles discuss the Rural Interprofessional Health Initiative, fostering psychological safety by building team-based care communication skills, updates to the state of interprofessional education and practice in North Carolina, and developing IPEC Competencies for an evolving professional landscape. Byrd’s article considers efforts to build an interprofessional health workforce through pathways, training, and retention. Lynn’s article addresses the assessment of interprofessional collaboration at clinical learning sites.
This issue of the NCMJ was guest edited by Meg Zomorodi, PHD, RN, CNL, FAAN, who serves as the UNC-CH Associate Provost Interprofessional Health Initiatives and Jill Forcina, PHD, RN who serves as the Director of Education & Nursing for NC AHEC. The issue explored the ways that innovations in interprofessional team-based care infrastructure have addressed health equity, promoted population-based care, reduced costs, and increased care quality in North Carolina.
Invisible in Your Midst: Uniformed and Veteran Patients in the Civilian Health Care Sector
Peggy Wilmoth, PhD, MSS, RN, FAAN; Erica Gigas, MHA, MBA, BSN; and Saif Khairat, PhD, MPH, authored a commentary in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice titled “Invisible in Your Midst: Uniformed and Veteran Patients in the Civilian Health Care Sector.” Their work highlights the significant but often unnoticed presence of military-affiliated patients in civilian healthcare, numbering over 30 million. Despite this, these individuals, including reservists, veterans, and their families, are typically not identified as a distinct population within healthcare policy and programming efforts. The authors emphasize the critical gaps in electronic health records (EHRs) which fail to systematically collect military-related information crucial for understanding and addressing their unique healthcare needs, including potential exposure to environmental hazards during military service. They advocate for the adoption of a standardized Minimal Data Set to enhance the documentation of military service-related data in EHRs, aiming to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes for this overlooked population.
In her June publication in Implementation Science Communications, Jennifer Leeman, DrPH, MPH, MDIV, and her multidisciplinary team addressed the challenges in speeding up the translation of effective interventions into practice by proposing a streamlined approach for classifying and tailoring implementation strategies. The team categorized the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) strategies into three classes: implementation processes, capacity-building strategies, and integration strategies. They then developed a pragmatic, five-step approach that leverages existing practices and infrastructure before tailoring specific strategies to overcome barriers. This approach aims to reduce the preparatory time and enhance the efficiency of implementing evidence-based interventions, illustrated through a case study involving transitional care in skilled nursing facilities.
As a board-certified practicing nurse practitioner and expert in caring for adults with chronic cardiovascular conditions, Leslie Davis, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FACC, FAHA, FPCNA, served as a coauthor for the recently published 2024 American College of Cardiology Expert Consensus Decision Pathway for Treatment of Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction. As the sole nurse on the group of experts Dr. Davis led the writing of sections related to how to optimize care coordination, patient adherence to the treatment regimen, and managing patient cost and access to needed therapies. Expert consensus decision pathways provide real-world clinicians easy with a framework to guide decisions required in the management of patients with chronic heart failure. These documents include checklists and algorithms to guide clinicians into providing the latest evidence-based care.
Leslie Davis, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FACC, FAHA, FPCNA, served as a coauthor for the recently published American Heart Association scientific statement on data interoperability for wearable devices in patients with cardiovascular disease. As wearable devices designed to detect and track the progress of cardiovascular conditions become more mainstream it is important to optimize how patients and the health care system receive and use this information for improving care outcomes. This scientific statement reviews the current landscape and gaps in technology, including recommendations for what is needed to optimize interoperability among systems of care.
Multilevel Intervention Stepped Wedge Designs (MLI-SWDs)
Shawn Kneipp, PhD, RN, ANP, APHN-BC, and her research team were invited by NIH to contribute to a special issue on multilevel designs in Prevention Science. Published in the May 2024 issue, the article addresses randomization and employer enrollment challenges in the NC Works4Health study that Dr. Kneipp serves as PI on.
Presentations
AcademyHealth’s Annual Research Meeting
Faculty and students from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing showcased their research at AcademyHealth’s Annual Research Meeting in Baltimore, MD, from June 29 to July 2. Lorinda Coombs, PhD, MSN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, presented findings from her CIPHR New Investigator Project on “Identifying Clinical Pathways to a Metastatic Lung Cancer Diagnosis Using Statewide Cancer Registry and Claims Data.”
Lisa Mansfield, PhD, RN, discussed her work on “Understanding Healthcare Systems Readiness to Implement HPV Vaccine Standing Orders.” Additionally, undergraduate nursing student Hannah Delgado, along with Grace Wu, PhD, RN, presented a systematic review titled “Mental Health Interventions for Law Enforcement Officers.”
Quality Improvement: A Transformative Approach to Community Public Health Assessment
Stephanie Fisher, DNP, MSN, RN, recently attended the 2024 Annual Institute for the Association of Community Health Nursing Educators in Chicago, IL, where her abstract, “Quality Improvement: A Community Health Nursing Assessment Strategy,” was selected for a podium presentation. This national event gathers leaders committed to excellence in community, public, and population health, research, and practice. The presentation aligned perfectly with the conference theme of “Meeting at the Crossroads of Healthcare.” By integrating quality improvement methodologies into assessment practices, Dr. Fisher demonstrated how educators can foster deeper student engagement and drive impactful, collaborative outcomes using quality improvement strategies in public health didactic and clinical settings.
From Pressure to Problems: Navigating the Impact of Hypertension on Cardiovascular Disease
Leslie Davis, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FACC, FAHA, FPCNA, recently served as chair of a Heart House Roundtable entitled: From Pressure to Problems: Navigating the Impact of Hypertension on Cardiovascular Disease. Heart House Roundtables convene groups of experts from around the world to discuss gaps in care for patients at risk or with cardiovascular disease in order to develop actionable solutions.
Breaking the Silence in Mental Health
The 2024 Royster Global Conference was held from June 4-7 on the campus of King’s College London, focusing on the theme “Beyond the Research: Communities and Knowledge Equity.” Jian (Lily) Chen, a second-year PhD student and Royster Fellow, attended the conference. She presented her work titled “Breaking the Silence in Mental Health.”
In May 2024, the National Academy of Medicine hosted a pivotal workshop on strengthening federal, state, and local responses to public health emergencies. Peggy Wilmoth, PhD, MSS, RN, FAAN, attended as a Committee member, joining experts to analyze the challenges and legal frameworks that influence public health responses, particularly those encountered during COVID-19. This deep dive identified best practices and potential improvements to enhance preparedness for future pandemics.
The workshop emphasized both barriers and supportive measures within the public health infrastructure, fostering insights into creating a more coordinated and resilient response system.
Media Features
Reimagining Care: How Virtual Nurses Are Transforming Hospitals
In this podcast, Saif Khairat, PhD, MPH, discusses his research focus on the impact of virtual nursing on access to care, providing insights for healthcare leaders to advance their virtual care strategies. The podcast highlights how virtual nursing is a growing trend impacting hospital capacity, efficiency, and access to care.
The History of American Nursing Education
Patrick McMurray, MSN, RN, is featured in a NursingColleges.com article titled “The History of American Nursing Education.” In this piece, Patrick provides valuable insights into the evolution of nursing education, tracing its roots from ancient times to modern-day practices. His expertise highlights the significant milestones and challenges that have shaped the nursing profession, offering a comprehensive look at how nursing education has developed over the centuries.