Leadership

Undergraduate nursing students have low participation rate in research. At the University of South Carolina College of Nursing, there are currently around 2,100 students of all levels (undergraduate to PhD). While there are always multiple active research projects in the College of Nursing, it is unclear on paper how many undergraduate students are involved in these projects. However, nursing student participation in research projects is important for their future careers, whether they are bedside nurses, professors, or practitioners. Previous research has shown that nursing students who had information or training in evidence-based practice had a much higher implementation rate of research-backed clinical practices compared to those who did not have EBP training (Abu-Baker, 2021). This is significant as it has also been shown that consistent implementation of evidence-based practice in a clinical setting can improve patient care, safety, and overall clinical outcomes. Encouraging nursing students to have greater involvement in undergraduate research can help prepare future generations of nurses to continue to make improvements to clinical outcomes and have a greater understanding of the significance of evidence-based practice in their day-to-day careers.  Furthermore, as I have personally experienced (Key Insight 2), this can give nursing students a greater appreciation for seeing patients as more than just concept map topics during their clinical day, as they will have the experience of realizing that research participants transcend beyond just their role in a study.

While upper division (Junior and Senior year) nursing students often have a more intense class schedule and are unable to dedicate significant time to research projects, students in lower division (typically freshman or sophomore year students) may possess more time that they may be able to participate and learn about the research process. The solution for increasing involvement can cater more towards lower division students but can apply to all nursing students.  

To address this problem, I recommend creating additional resources and information catered to nursing students to give them more flexibility and access to get involved with research within the University of South Carolina College of Nursing. As mentioned in Key Insight 1, my personal experience has allowed me to learn so much about not only research as a field but how it can constantly apply to the nursing clinicals we attend every week during our education. Getting more students aware and involved in conducting and aiding in research can help them also develop evidence-based knowledge and appreciation, without feeling like they spent 90% of their time simply searching for a study to work on. As the former student nurses’ association president, I also have found that unless people have easy access to information and resources, many students are often busy enough with classes that they may not have a lot of time to spend searching for opportunities. As this organization is made up largely of lower division students, it shows that clinicals and upper division commitments aren't the only time-consuming years of college. Giving students QR codes, flyers, or even just mentioning opportunities during monthly meetings increased student involvement in various organizations such as local food banks or participants in research surveys.  

Creating a College of Nursing-specific database of currently active research projects that need student help. Professors willing to mentor students who wish to pursue their independent research interests should also be added to this database.  

1. I could begin the initial plan of the database, but each professor in the College of Nursing would create their own profile about their particular research focus, active projects, necessary skills and time commitment, and. contact information 

• In the future, one or more undergraduate students could be elected to aid in the upkeep of this database. The current undergraduate student, such as myself, could select a student that is interested in research to fulfill this role. If no student can be found or the student can no longer fulfill their role, the current director of communications and marketing could complete the tasks as well.  

2. There is a current page in the College of Nursing webpage centered on research. This addition could be housed in the same webpage, which could be done by contacting the current director of communications and marketing for the CON.  

The current undergraduate coordinator or associate dean of research could administer surveys to all undergraduate nursing students who are involved in research to determine the resources they used when finding their particular project, how many hours they spend a week on average, and if they feel that the workload was manageable with their school involvement. This should be given around the end of the school year or semester.  

Surveys could also be given to all nursing undergraduates with one to two questions: 1. if they have heard about a nursing research project and if yes, 2. Where did they hear about it? This can help determine where the most students received information to cater for more informational sessions in that area.  

Another simple method of evaluation would be to keep a record of the number of students who participate in undergraduate research. This could be done via self-reporting by the students or by faculty submitting the names of the students working underneath them in an assistant or independent study capacity.