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The Biannual Research Colloquium is a week-long event where scholars from Aspen University (AU) and external organizations come together to share their research passions with the rest of the academic community.
The Biannual Research Colloquium is a week-long event where scholars from Aspen University (AU) and external organizations come together to share their research passions with the rest of the academic community.
Day 1- Monday
October 7
Dr. Heidi Remy
Aspen University
School of Nursing & Health Sciences
9:00 am PST
"What are the Challenges for Hospital Nurses who are Assigned Prelicensure Nursing Students During their Clinical Rotations?"
The incivility experienced by student nurses at the hands of hospital nurses, instructors, and other hospital staff is well documented. We must keep nursing students from incivility due to the severe nursing shortage. Applying the attribution theory, which focuses on a person's perceptions about the cause of behaviors, research was conducted to understand the challenges of the hospital nurse assigned pre-licensure nursing students for clinical rotations. A diverse group of thirty-six hospital nurses from thirteen states completed a survey to identify the challenges the hospital nurses face while assigned prelicensure nursing students for clinical rotations. A twenty-six-question survey solicited answers to the research questions regarding the challenges, whether the type of hospital made a difference, and whether demographics made a difference. The questions ranged from whether the nurse felt capable of the task and if circumstances changed due to having a student. They ended with open-text questions asking what they wanted from the student, the instructor, and the administration when assigned nursing students for the clinical rotations. The results showed that the nurses want students off their phones and participating; they want instructors to increase communication and administration to show appreciation. Based on the results, interventions can be implemented to improve the experience of the hospital nurse-assigned prelicensure nursing students for clinical rotations.
Dr. Kamala L. Kloster
Aspen University
School of Nursing & Health Sciences
11:00 am PST
"Harmonizing Minds: A Music Approach to Reducing Agitation – A Quality Improvement Project"
Agitation is an issue for residents aged 30 – 60 in long-term care facilities due to underlying medical diagnoses. This project addressed agitation through a music intervention, enhancing outcomes, safety, and healthcare quality. Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory, the DMAIC Process, and the Practice Question, Evidence, and Translation (PET) guided the implementation. The Pittsburgh Agitation Scale and changes in psychotropic medication usage measured the intervention, which reduced agitation. There were decreases in aberrant vocalizations (66.66%), motor agitation (66%), and resisting care (80%), and a reduction of psychotropics (1.4%), antipsychotics (0.8%), anxiolytics (1.5%), antidepressants (2.1%), and anticonvulsants (4.2%). The music intervention reduced agitation and medications, contributed to evidence-based practice, enhanced resident-centered care, and aligned with CMS mandates for psychotropic stewardship.
Day 2- Tuesday
October 8
Dr. Park E. Johnson III
Aspen University
School of Education
9:00 am PST
"Drawing Attention to the Detrimental Side Effects of Toxic Leadership in Public Education"
Toxic leadership is a prevalent issue in public education, with toxic leaders showing harmful behaviors and inconsistent personalities. This leadership style can have lasting consequences on public education. This study aimed to examine the effects of toxic leadership in public education and identify strategies for addressing consequential issues such as education staff turnover, morale, and job performance. The general research question for this study will be: ‘How do educators and support staff describe toxic leadership practice and its impacts in the arena of public education?’ The researcher applied a qualitative phenomenological methodology to explore the effects of toxic leadership on education staff, using open-ended interviews. The interview procedure included six education staff members, comprised of two teacher's assistants and four licensed degreed instructors. The present study employed purposive convenience sampling, a nonrandom method, to select participants based on practical factors. The researcher used a semi-structured interview technique with open-ended questions to gather qualitative information. The findings can serve as a basis for future research and workable solutions. To combat toxic leadership, strategies include holding individuals accountable, fostering a culture of respect, empowering employees, and creating a pleasant atmosphere.
Dr. Barbara Njemanze
Aspen University
School of Nursing & Health Sciences
2:00 pm PST
"The implementation of an Evidence-Based Ergonomic Protocol to Decrease Patient Injuries in an Occupational Health Setting"
The project examined the effectiveness of evidence-based ergonomic injury prevention protocol in decreasing workplace ergonomic injuries, utilizing Pender's Health Promotion Model (PHPM) as a theoretical framework and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework for planning and implementation. An evidence-based workflow protocol was designed and used in training the patients at the project site to understand ergonomics, hazard and risk identification processes, notification, mitigation, and health-related benefits of injury prevention and wellness promotion. The protocol's effectiveness was evaluated using a pre- and post-data analysis of percentage calculation from September 2023 to December 2023. Pre-implementation data amounted to 40%, while the post-data was zero. The result implication validates Pender's Health Promotion Model (PHPM) and other literature, implying ergonomic injury prevention is achievable.
Day 3- Wednesday
October 9
Dr. Candace L. Oliver
Aspen University
School of Education
9:00 am PST
"Implementing Social Media as a Formal Learning Tool to Increase Student Engagement"
Utilizing Social Media as a Formal Learning Tool to Increase Student Engagement. This qualitative case study's purpose was to investigate if social media could be positively integrated into the secondary learning environment as a learning tool. In doing so, it also sought to explore if the employment of social media as a learning tool would increase student engagement in secondary English classes. Thirty-five participants volunteered to be a part of this study, and all participants had to be enrolled in English III. The results of this study suggest that there are three overarching themes that addressed the research questions: (a) implementing social media in the learning environment was positive (b) social media pushed students to want to participate more, and (c) participants would like to see social media utilized in their other classes. This study's results suggested that social media can not only be useful as a relevant academic learning tool, but it can also be utilized to push engagement in the secondary education setting.
Dr. Leslie Catron
Aspen University
School of Nursing & Health Sciences
11:00 am PST
"A Process Improvement Project to Engage Patient Portal Enrollment in a Pediatric Hospital"
The technology tool of patient portals has become instrumental in managing many aspects of healthcare. As part of the electronic health record, they contribute to patients becoming a part of the decision team through in-the-moment communication, improved medication compliance, and appointment scheduling. With regulations mandating patient portal engagement, studies have shown increasing efforts by providers and medical organizations to engage individuals in using patient portals. Barriers exist for patients with low digital health literacy, socioeconomic status, and education, including those experiencing health disparities. A large regional pediatric hospital had put forth efforts to increase activation, including lowering the instructional materials to a fifth-grade reading level and adding a QR code. However, over five months, the hospital only increased by 8%; five departments exceeded 56% while others were less than 20%. A qualitative process improvement project was designed to find a standard of practice in high-activating departments to assist lower-performing departments in meeting organizational strategic goals for portal activation. Using Kotter’s Change Model, the project engaged front-line staff in eleven clinics during interviews and observation to determine what worked, where there could be improvement, and what barriers existed for parents. Five clinics exceeded the hospital’s goals and demonstrated a quality process that underperforming clinics could adopt. The standard of practice was shared with the portal initiative nursing task force, including suggestions for further improvement: early new staff training, investigation of government cell phone capability used by many underserved families, and consideration to move initial activation to centralized scheduling.
Day 4- Thursday
October 10
Dr. Albert G. Hernandez, Jr.
Aspen University
School of Education
9:00 am PST
"Reflections from High School Graduates on K-12 Special Education Experiences and Transition: An Exploratory Phenomenological Study"
The outcomes of special education learning and transition services for K-12 public school special education graduated students is less often investigated in the field of education. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to understand the perspectives of post-high school K-12 graduated students concerning their perceptions of the learning and transition services they experienced in the special education program prior to high school graduation. Using Vygotsky’s social learning theory as the theoretical foundation, this study sought to find the answers to the research question: How do high school graduates describe the influences of their K-12 special education programs in their transition to life post-high school? A purposive sample of 8 graduated former special education students from a small rural K-12 public school in a southern state in the United States, completed a demographic survey and participated in face-to-face interviews. Data collected was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Overall, results showed that participants perceived their high school special education experiences had supported their academic learning and transition to adult life. Surprisingly, those results also revealed that participants’ concepts of transition skills related mainly only to academics, exhibiting a lack of understanding about what constituted specific transition skills they had learned while participating in the special education program. Future investigations should focus on what transition skills are taught and what transition skills should be specifically taught within the special education program, as well as what is considered as a measure of success for special education students’ post-high school and who determines that success. Previously unknown information revealed in this study may help decision makers from K-12 public schools provide better special education services for students.
Dr. Karen Ofafa
Aspen University
School of Education
2:00 pm PST
"Understanding the Nursing School Admission Process from the Perspective of Minority Students and Administrators"
Significant health disparities persist among racial and ethnic minorities. To address these challenges and provide culturally competent care, a diverse nursing workforce is needed. Consequently, understanding the lack of diversity in nursing is imperative. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study is to explore the nursing school admission process from the perspective of minority nursing students, and their administrators. The study aimed to answer three research questions: What are the perceptions of minority nursing students in Southwest United States regarding their admission process? What are the perceived barriers to admitting minority nursing student applicants identified by nursing school administrators in Southwest United States? What actions have the nursing schools in the Southwest United States implemented to increase minorities in their nursing programs? The framework for this study was qualitative phenomenological design. The study had nine participants from a nursing institution in the Southwest United States. Phenomenological thematic analysis revealed six major themes. The themes were grouped into four categories representing the barriers faced. Those categories were diversity, personal needs, financial needs and cultural needs. A breakdown of the categories revealed several barriers faced by minority nursing students as they navigate the admission process. Understanding these challenges is critical to increasing the number of minorities in nursing.
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