After nine months of attending classes, working with mentors and creating research projects, 10 nurses graduated from Texas Health Resources’ first Health Science Fellowship. An innovative program developed by Texas Health’s nurse scientists, the fellowship is designed to prepare clinical nurses to serve as leaders in research initiatives to improve patient outcomes and add to nursing knowledge.
Participants gained skills and confidence for pursuing clinical research.
“Being part of the fellowship opened up a world to which I, as a staff nurse, never had access to before,” said Bobby Winters, B.S.N., R.N., CEN, Central Staffing Office. “We all hear about evidence-based practice and research, and this fellowship gives us a chance to actually participate in it from the ground level.”
Jill Meyer, B.S.N., RNC-EFM, CLC, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth,
said she has considered eventually pursuing a Ph.D. so she could work in nursing research, and the fellowship has helped her advance that goal.
“This fellowship provided me with the knowledge, resources, support and professional networks to pursue my goals that I could not have achieved in my regular job as a labor and delivery staff nurse,” she said.
Having nurse scientist mentors was a key to the success of the fellowship.
“I gained confidence in performing research, and my mentors made me feel it was do-able by taking one step at a time,” said Susan Chummar, B.S.N., R.N., PCCN, CVRN-BC, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano.
Virginia Horn, M.S.N., R.N., CCRN, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen, said she too appreciated the leadership of the nurse scientists.
“All of the nurse scientists are very knowledgeable, and good at teaching and coaching,” she said.
Patty Newcomb, Ph.D., R.N., CPNPret, nurse scientist, Texas Health, led the innovative fellowship.
“I was so impressed by the commitment of our fellows to dig deep and develop research proposals that could truly make a difference at the bedside,” she said.
The fellows presented their research proposals at the graduation celebration. The fellows and their research proposals include:
- Mojgan Alinejad, B.S.N., R.N., Texas Health Plano – What are nurses’ perceptions of video monitoring in acute care hospital isolation units?
- Joni Belz, B.S.N., R.N., CEN, TCRN, Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital – What is the effect on time to surgery and thrombotic events of using thromboelastography to evaluate the coagulation status of patients taking anticoagulants who are admitted with hip fractures?
- Susan Chummar, B.S.N., R.N., PCCN, CVRN-BC, Texas Health Plano – Will a structured cuing program regarding the inpatient call bell system reduce fall incidence among acute care med-surg patients?
- Christine Elling, M.S.N., RNC-OB, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton – What is the effect of COVID-19 visitor restrictions on perinatal outcomes and perceptions of women and nurses?
- Virginia Horn, M.S.N., R.N., CCRN, Texas Health Allen – How do critical care nurses perceive team functioning after implementing the “team of two” teamwork approach?
- Wen Li, R.N., MSCRN, Texas Health Arlington Memorial – Do two different intraoperative anesthetic injections during knee surgery have different post-operative outcomes?
- Jill Meyer, B.S.N., RNC-EFM, CLC, Texas Health Southwest – What is the effect of closed knee pushing during labor on the rate of cesarean sections performed among women without previous cesarean sections?
- Kathleen Stewart, R.N., Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford – Effect of Mepilex dressing to prevent facial wounds for at risk patients with endotracheal tubes
- Joell Tadlock, B.S.N., CCRN, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville – Which personal and institutional factors predict specialty certification among urban and rural registered nurses?
- Bobby Winters, B.S.N., R.N., CEN, Central Staffing Office – Among registered nurses and other care staff in emergency departments, what is the effect of COVID-related visiting restrictions?
“The fellowship was a great journey, and I enjoyed every minute,” Elling said. “It provided me more skills and knowledge to continue with further research.”
By Laura Johnson • Posted June 8, 2021
