Journal of Undergraduate Research

Braidee Adams and Katreena Merrill, College of Nursing Introduction Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs) are the most common healthcare acquired infection. One quarter of all hospitalized adults will have an indwelling catheter at some point during their stay and half of all catheterized patients test positive for bacteria in their urine within one week. […]

Adelynn Schafer and Janelle Macintosh, College of Nursing Introduction College students typically live immunologically vulnerable lifestyles, which often includes sleep deprivation and malnutrition (Buckworth & Nigg, 2004; Nieman, 2003). Additionally, they live in an environment that is densely populated and where infections spread quickly (Yang, 2012). Due to these risk factors, college students are at […]

McKenna Hughes and Karen Whitt, College of Nursing Introduction Previous research has correlated electronic health record (EHR) use with adverse patient events. While EHRs can improve patient safety due to enhanced legibility of patient records, reduced duplication, expanded access, and availability of clinical decision support reminders, if they are not configured and utilized correctly, errors […]

Emma Robinson and Karen Delacruz, College of Nursing Introduction The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to understand the coping strategies used by hospice nurses to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. Hospice Registered Nurses (RNs) provide the primary care throughout the dying process for patients and their families with a goal to relieve suffering […]

Kelsie Pead and Julie Valentine, College of Nursing Introduction Unfortunately, sexual assault (SA) is a highly prevalent problem. In Utah, rape is the only Violent Crime Index offense higher than the national average (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2013). One in six women report being raped, and one in three women report being sexually assaulted throughout […]

Jamie Cassinat and Renea Beckstrand, College of Nursing Results Identified Obstacles End of life care is an extremely sensitive time. Understanding variables, factors, and conditions that contribute to negative experiences makes it possible for interventions to be developed and implemented to ease an already stressful time. In addition to identifying obstacles, frequency of these obstacles […]

Kristen Hamblin and Gaye Ray, College of Nursing Introduction Empathy is an essential characteristic in nursing. In fact, the skill of empathy, the ability to understand the feelings or situation of another, is of paramount importance to the nurse-patient relationship. Additionally, empathetic interactions often lead to increased patient satisfaction, compliance, and overall quality of life. […]

Katie Hillary, Renea Beckstrand, PhD, Ann Rogerson, RN, Beth Luthy, DNP, and Janelle Macintosh, PhD Introduction Neonatal end-of-life (EOL) care supports a peaceful and dignified death for the infant as well as provision of loving support to the family (National Association of Neonatal Nurses, 2010). Infant mortality in the U.S. is 6.05 infant deaths per […]

Katie Holiday and Debra Wing, Nursing As a nursing student I have been involved in countless simulations throughout my time in the BYU nursing program. All have been different, challenging, and enlightening, helping me to learn the art of nursing. However, I noticed, as I became a facilitator of these simulations that very often students […]

Sarah Jones and Beth Luthy, Nursing Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease that has plagued our nation for many years. Since the vaccine’s creation in 1945, rates of pertussis thankfully decreased overall. However, in recent years, due to the decrease in the number of vaccinated individuals, especially adults, pertussis cases have drastically increased, rising by 500% […]