Welcome to the 2021 Senior Legacy Symposium!
The purpose of our IRB approved research study is to determine if connecting with discharged COPD patients via Zoom, FaceTime or phone call twice per week for 30 days, will reduce all-cause 30 day readmission vs. standard discharge education. Reducing readmission is important because COPD is one of the major disabling diseases, and hospitalizations for acute exacerbation of COPD account for two-thirds of the healthcare costs that are associated with the disease. In addition, quality of life is severely impacted by hospital admission. Before conducting telehealth sessions, students worked with the physicians in the COPD clinic at SLU Hospital to gain knowledge about COPD. Additionally, the researchers use the Brief Health Literacy Screen, BHLS, on the day of discharge or during the initial phone call to determine if health literacy level increases the risk for readmission to the hospital. Most physicians rely on instinct to determine a patient’s education level instead of assessing it. The researchers also assess the patient's CAT score with the COPD Assessment Tool to look for symptoms of an exacerbation. Telehealth sessions serve as a reminder to patients to refill their COPD medications, exercise, and be in control of lifestyle factors that could influence a COPD exacerbation. Participants are also asked about any Covid-19 history or exposure since COPD individuals are at high risk for Covid-19 complications. So far, with the intervention of telehealth, study participants have reported feeling more in control of their COPD, have not returned to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, and feel more supported after discharge.
Tara Wilkes is a senior nursing student from Lake Zurich, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago. She will be working in the Medical ICU at Northwestern Memorial Hospital downtown Chicago after graduation. In her free time, she loves to explore new places and restaurants and spend time with family and friends. She is very passionate about mental health so hopes to fuel that passion either on a Psych floor one day and/or with her patients in the ICU.
Samantha Bojko is a senior in the nursing program at Saint Louis University. After graduation, she will be working in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. She can’t wait to begin her career as a nurse and is excited for what the future holds!
Zoe Okon is a senior nursing student at St. Louis University. She is originally from Westmont, IL and will be returning to Chicago, IL to a post-surgical oncology unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after graduation.
Rachel Farrell was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. She is about to graduate with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Saint Louis University. When she’s not studying, she loves to spend time with her family and friends outdoors or watching movies. She is passionate about spending quality time with patients. She plans to remain in St. Louis following graduation, working at St. Luke’s Hospital as a graduate nurse in the cardiopulmonary step-down division
Grace Demas is originally from Indianapolis, IN and came to SLU for the wonderful nursing program. She plans to work in an ICU post graduation and eventually go back to graduate school to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. In her free time, she enjoys riding horses and competing in Half and Full Ironman Triathlons.
Adrienne Squier is a senior student on the TBSN path within the School of Nursing. She was born and raised in Champaign, Illinois. She will begin her nursing career next year by serving her hometown community as a Labor and Delivery nurse at Carle Foundation Hospital. In her free time, she enjoys running and outdoor adventures!
Brittany Leong is a senior nursing student from Fremont, California. Following graduation, she will be moving to Baltimore to begin working as a nurse in the Surgical ICU at John Hopkins Hospital.
The students would like to thank their faculty sponsor Shelley Von Der Lancken for their support of the project along with the personnel involved in the study at SLU Hospital. Dr. Von Der Lancken was very influential in the development of this project. She helped the team work through the challenges of recruiting patients and dealing with the IRB approval process. She walked the team through how to conduct a PDSA research cycle and supported our team as we worked with health care professionals at SLU Hospital.