UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing students Myra DeLuca, Brandon Smith and Jessica Wellington earned recognition for work presented at the Eastern Nursing Research Society’s 38th Annual Scientific Sessions, held March 25-27.
The three students were among a larger cohort of Penn State nursing researchers who traveled to Massachusetts for the conference, which focused on the theme “Strength in Nursing Science: Advancing Health Across Dynamic and Diverse Settings.” The award-winning work reflected that scope, addressing a range of nursing challenges, from autism caregiving to clinician well-being to maternal and infant health.
DeLuca, a certified nurse midwife and doctoral student at the college, won first place in the PhD Poster category for “State-Level Associations Between Poverty, Rurality, Midwifery Care, and Birth Outcomes: A Secondary Data Analysis.”
DeLuca explained that her research examines how birth outcomes differ across the United States and how those differences are linked to geography, poverty and access to nurse-midwives. She said the findings are especially relevant for families in rural and underserved communities, where limited access to maternity care is associated with higher risks for mothers and babies.
DeLuca said one of the central findings is that states with greater access to nurse-midwives tend to have better birth outcomes, particularly in rural areas.
This suggests a potential opportunity, DeLuca explained in an email: “Increasing access to nurse-midwives in rural areas could be a way to improve the health of mothers and babies in those communities.”
Smith, a DNP student in the leadership track, earned second place in the DNP Student Poster category for “Addressing Burnout Among Perianesthesia Nurses Through a Mindfulness-Based Self-Help Application.” His quality improvement project addresses nurse burnout, an intensifying challenge since the COVID-19 pandemic and a contributor to workforce attrition. Smith examined whether a smartphone-based mindfulness app could help reduce burnout among nurses. He found that the convenient approach still yields meaningful benefits.
“What makes smartphone-based mindfulness applications unique,” Smith explained in an email, “is that a smartphone app can let you practice mindfulness in small snippets throughout the day. The research (and the results of this project) show that even in this format, mindful practice leads to reductions in burnout.”
Wellington, also a doctoral student at the college, earned first place in the Peer-Reviewed Doctoral Paper category alongside co-authors Cara Exten, Marie Boltz, Diane Williams and Joclyn Anderson for “Parental Caregiving for Adults with Profound Autism: Examining Caregiver Burden and Quality of Life.” Her research focuses on parents caring for adult children with profound autism. Many of these parents provide round-the-clock support and face limited social and healthcare services. Wellington explained that when caregivers lack adequate support, the effects extend beyond their own health and quality of life to the well-being of the individuals they care for.
Wellington said the findings point to an urgent need for systems of care and a health care workforce that better serve adults with profound autism.
“Investing in these supports isn’t optional,” Wellington wrote in an email. “It’s essential to improving quality of life for both caregivers and the individuals they support.”
Photos from the conference can be viewed here.
Established in 1988 as the research arm of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Nursing Association and the New England Organization for Nursing, the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) recognizes the valuable contributions and excellence in nursing research as demonstrated by their members each year.
Learn more about the organization and event at the ENRS website.