Research is a cornerstone of education at Dominican University of California. Posters in this collection showcase student research presented at conferences.
Browse our research posters by department
Barowsky School of Business | Education | Global Public Health | Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Nursing | Occupational Therapy | Psychology
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The Feminine vs Masculine Nurse: The Effects of Gender Stereotypes in Nursing
Makrisel Lapitan
Nursing has been a predominantly female profession since the introduction of modern nursing by Florence Nightingale in 1860. While men are slowly beginning to enter the field, many stereotypes still surround the role of a nurse. For women, this may include qualities such as caring, and being empathetic and motherly. Conversely, there are assumptions that men are unable to bestow those same qualities and are therefore unworthy of working within the occupation.
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The Effects of Hospital-Mandated Nurse to Patient Ratios on Patient Care
Vince Latorre
Background Nurse to patient ratios or nurse staffing is a controversial topic that is often discussed and argued in the medical field for its pros and cons. Nonetheless, the nurse to patient ratio plays a vital role on how nurses’ deliver quality care and provide safety to patients in a hospital setting. In 1999, California’s legislation passed a mandated nurse to patient ratio (AB 394) that requires all hospitals in California to have a set amount of patients a nurse can have depending on the unit the nurse works for. In 2023, California is still the only state that has passed legislation on nurse to patient ratio. Objective The primary objective of this study is to examine the correlation between nurse-to-patient ratios and patient care in a hospital setting. This thesis will evaluate whether lower nurse-to-patient ratios improves quality and safety patient care or decrease patient mortality. Also, this study will compare California’s mandated nurse to patient ratio with other states that do not have an implemented nurse to patient ratio. Method (convenience sample)
This observational research study will consist of 30 med surg patients at Kaiser Terra Linda in Marin City. The med surg patients will be observed over a 30 day time period from the admission date. Patient mortality rates, negative safety factors (falls, HAI’s, pressure ulcers due to lack of positioning), and quality of care will all be measured and collected by reviewing the patient’s chart. The statistics collected from the observation will then be compared with previous statistics at Kaiser Terra Linda and other hospitals in California. Results
The results have not yet been collected for the study, but it is expected that overall quality care will be improved and that patient mortality rates will be decreased due to the nurse to patient ratio. Conclusion The literature review discussed later in this paper concluded that the nurse to patient ratio correlates with improved quality care and decreased mortality rates. The study presented in this thesis will hopefully enhance the primary purpose that nurse to patient ratios have.
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The Effects of Exercise on the Body’s Tolerance to Breast Cancer Treatments
Lindsay C. Lim
Background: Breast cancer is known as one of the most common types of cancer. Treatments for this cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. These treatments, however, can cause negative side effects such as extra pain and fatigue. Exercise is a common intervention that is used in order to keep the body strong while these treatments are occurring.
Objective: The objective of this thesis is to find a correlation between exercise and how it can decrease negative side effects in patients with breast cancer. This thesis includes a literature review which talks about what types of exercise are best, if a structured program is better, and if there is a positive correlation with a decrease in fatigue.
Methods: This study will be a longitudinal mixed method design utilizing surveys and observations. 90 participants who are either going through chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery will be taken from an oncology infusion center and an operating room. Participants will be randomly placed into two groups, group A who will be going through treatment normally and group B who will be participating in a 6 month weekly exercise program. The participants will then be asked to answer the brief pain inventory to assess their pain and the revised piper fatigue scale to assess their fatigue. Participants will complete the survey again in 6 months to evaluate the continued outcome of the exercise.
Results: Results have not yet been collected but exercise is expected to help decrease symptoms of pain and fatigue in breast cancer patients. Group B will state that they are experiencing less symptoms and more relief.
Conclusion: The literature and previous studies have shown that exercise does help to decrease negative symptoms. This project is hoping to prove that exercise will help to relieve symptoms of fatigue and pain in breast cancer patients.
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Effects of Nurse-Patient Relationship on Medication Adherence of Mental Health Patients
April Monica Magbual
Medication adherence among mentally ill patients (MIP) is a significant issue in healthcare which require extra support & guidance to encourage better recovery. Administering medication is a critical role of nurses that must be performed effectively and appropriately. Employing a nurse-patient relationship (NPR) and nursing presence has been shown to create a positive outcome and an essential characteristic to improve medication adherence. However, there is insufficient research exploring NPR and medication adherence specifically for MIPs. Participants’ cultural variations, age range, specific interventions & economic factors influencing medication compliance are missing.
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Unlocking VR Magic: Duration of Anxiety Relief for Pediatric Needle Procedures
Anna Angelica Mendoza
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Healthcare Access Among Low-Income Latinx Communities: A Culturally Sensitive and Intersectional Approach
Gabriela Meza
Various factors, including immigration status, language barriers, age, and socioeconomic status, influence healthcare service utilization among the Latinx population. This study seeks to assess whether culturally sensitive care addressing intersectional factors enhances health access and outcomes in low-income Latinx communities (Purpose). The research proposes a longitudinal quasi-experimental study involving 400 Latinx participants aged 18 and above in low-income urban Los Angeles neighborhoods. A control group of 200 participants and an intervention group of 200 will be established, with the latter receiving culturally sensitive interventions when seeking care during the study. A pre-study survey will collect demographic information, health history, healthcare utilization, patient satisfaction, barriers, challenges, and open-ended comments. After the survey, participants will continue their usual activities, possibly receiving care. After 12 months, a post-study survey will be conducted, covering pre-study elements and adding health outcomes, feedback, and overall satisfaction (Method). The study anticipates finding that intersectional factors, such as immigration status, impact healthcare utilization irrespective of health insurance status. The chi-squared test is expected to exceed the critical value, indicating a significant difference between control and intervention groups. Overall, the study anticipates demonstrating that culturally sensitive healthcare focusing on intersectional factors leads to better health outcomes and improved access (Results). This research underscores the imperative for healthcare equity in Latinx communities, emphasizing that culturally sensitive healthcare enhances health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and access—a fundamental human right (Conclusion).
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The Effects of Breastfeeding Education on Working Moms of Low Socioeconomic Status
Grace Ngo and Suzanne Manseau
Breastfeeding plays an important role in promoting immunity due to the high concentration of antibodies (Tangsuksan et al., 2020). Immunity is important for the infant the first year of their lives. Women of low socioeconomic status (LSES) are less likely to breastfeed due to a lack of resources (Kebede & Seifu, 2021). In addition LSES women living in Marin often lack the proper resources and education for breastfeeding (Heck et al., 2006). The purpose of this thesis proposal is to investigate if educating pregnant women of low socioeconomic status will increase breastfeeding rates.
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Improving Spiritual Care Competency Among Intensive Care Unit Nurses: Promoting Holistic Patient Care Towards End-of-Life
Joanne Nguyen and Dana Bagis
Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses play a crucial role in providing physiological stabilizing care in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, often marked by constant changes and variability in complex patients. Despite their specialization, the aspect of spiritual care tends to be overlooked, particularly in the context of end-of-life care. This is significant because previous studies have shown that a lack of spiritual care leads to poorer health outcomes, decreased coping, increased depression, and diminished quality of life for patients. This research proposal aims to investigate the spiritual care competency among ICU nurses who partake in spiritual care based training, with the overarching goal of promoting holistic patient care, especially for patients approaching the end of life. The literature review encompasses a threefold examination of spiritual care practice from diverse perspectives, including those of nurses, patients, and chaplains. The focus is on identifying barriers to spiritual care nursing practice, understanding the impacts of spiritual care on patients' well-being (or the lack thereof), exploring nurses' perceptions regarding their capacity to provide spiritual care, and evaluating the effectiveness of spiritual training sessions. Building upon these insights, a quasi-experimental study has been designed to assess the effects of spiritual care training on improving nurse competency and enhancing holistic patient care. The findings from this research have the potential to contribute to the development of targeted interventions and training programs that address the specific spiritual care needs of ICU nurses, ultimately enhancing the quality of care provided to patients, particularly those nearing the end of life.
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Maternal Postnatal Depressive Symptoms and Its Effects on Infant Bonding
Tammy Nguyen
The objective of this thesis is to gain insight on precipitating factors that increase postpartum mother’s depressive symptoms, including stress and anxiety, and how attachment is influenced. Maternal-infant bonding is defined as the emotional relationship and interaction between mother and infant. Postnatal depressive symptoms typically are under-diagnosed due to a lack of education and the stigma of believing that the effects are “normal” consequences of motherhood. Those affected may not seek professional help. Unrealistic expectations about bonding with their infants can have a negative mental health impact on mothers and influence infants’ behaviors. High expectations of needing to be a perfect mother or not meeting certain goals for their child’s care can make mothers feel unaccomplished, increase stress and frustration, lead to parental burnout, and in severe cases, resentment towards their infant. Many factors impact maternal experiences in the postpartum phase, including economic stressors and marital differences, but most importantly infant behaviors. Mothers who struggle to meet their infant’s needs, such as feeding, diaper changes, or sleeping arrangements may encounter negative infant reactivity emotions, which only deepens their depression.
To investigate, primary research articles about mother-infant attachment and bonding and causes of ineffective attachment were examined. A plan for future study will include the Maternal Role Attainment Theory by Ramona Mercer. The study will use a prospective longitudinal mixed methods design. Two hundred pregnant women will be followed until one-year postpartum. Quantitative data collection will include surveys asking about mother’s anxiety on a rating scale. Qualitative data will be gathered on infants’ emotional reactivity when stressed and interventions used by mothers to console them. This research may offer insights that aids nurses in providing effective care for mothers with postpartum depression and their newborns.
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The Effects of School-Based Art Therapy on Depressed Adolescents
Jasmine Nicolas
Depression in adolescents is associated with deficient behavioral and health outcomes (Fletcher, 2019). Art therapy has been shown to be effective in treating mental health condition such as depression. A student’s academic success heavily depends on treating their depression. Community health nurses can play a vital role in advocating for adequate mental health support to improve a student’s overall well-being and academic success. The literature review contains six articles on the prevalence and impact of depression among adolescents, art therapy as an intervention for improving psychological outcomes and resilience among adolescents, and experiences of adolescent clients in art therapy within school settings. In school settings, depressive symptoms are often linked to lower test scores and poor relationships among peers. Art therapy in schools offers a wide range of support for the youth. The environment of a school has a direct impact on a student’s personal, emotional, and behavioral aspect of themselves (Fisher & Brown, 2018). Schools are important environments for identifying risk in certain students. Therefore, schools can be an appropriate setting for providing treatment (Dunne et al., 2017).
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Nurse-Led Education for Postpartum Depression in Primiparous Asian-American Mothers
Colleen Peralta
The postpartum period is a critical point when women remain a vulnerable in the hospital setting. This stems from various physical, emotional and psychological changes that women face after childbirth, when patient support and attention is vital. For instance, the postpartum stage poses risk to women for complications, such as postpartum depression (PPD). When left untreated and misdiagnosed, PPD can lead to adverse maternal outcomes, such as: problems with mother-infant bonding, difficulty breastfeeding, and an increased risk for suicide (Mayo Clinic, 2022).
Asian-American mothers with postpartum depression face unique challenges, including the stigma surrounding mental health, which remains prevalent within the this community. This can make it challenging for mothers to open up and seek mental health care for postpartum depression. As a result, it is important to investigate the Asian-American population of mothers in order to provide quality maternal healthcare for all patients.
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Kangaroo Care Education for Low Socioeconomic Status Families in The Neonatal Care Unit
Joara Peterson
The early contact between mother and baby is known as skin-to-skin, also referred to as “kangaroo care” (KC). It involves placing the baby on the mother’s chest as soon as it is appropriate (Thompson, 1979). This interaction was primarily for bonding but many researchers have discovered additional benefits. There is significant correlation between kangaroo care and weight gain (especially for low birth weight infants), as well as body temperature and heart rate regulation, which reduces the risk of medical complications. It also decreases levels of stress in mothers and babies by lowering the release of cortisol hormone (Mohammadi et al. 2021). The purpose of this study is to investigate the disparities in access and utilization of KC for newborns. The study will also assess the impact of these disparities on maternal and infant outcomes such as weight gain, temperature regulation, neurocognitive enhancement, particularly among families of low-socioeconomic status. A literature review investigated research on topics such as benefits of kangaroo care, challenges and disparities for implementation of kangaroo care for families with low socioeconomic status, and prenatal teaching as an intervention. Pregnant women will be randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group receiving the intervention. We will use descriptive statistics to compare the means of the two groups of women. The inferential statistics will be used to determine the p-value and predict statistical significance . If the p-value is lower than 0.05 there will be a higher probability that the results are statistically significant and not by random chance that prenatal education will increase kangaroo care as an intervention, therefore we can reject the null hypothesis.
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The Impact Of Social Media On Adolescents
Victoria Phung
Social media is constantly developing and changing with unique features and apps being introduced on a day-to-day basis. Numerous individuals utilize social media to post about their life online, create connections with others, and create content. Adolescents, ages 11 to 18, are going through a substantial period of development and growth and are easily influenced by the things and people surrounding them. Because of this, adolescents can have both negative and positive experiences and feelings toward social media. It can cause adolescents to frequently compare themselves to the individuals they follow online; however, it can also be used for self-expression. The purpose of this paper is to discover how social media can influence adolescents both negatively and positively. After reviewing six primary articles, the negative effects heavily outweigh the positive; moreover, a future study using a prospective, mixed-method design is proposed to find interventions that can be implemented to make using social media a more positive experience for everybody.
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Sexual Education In Adolescence: Contraception Education For Adolescents Leads To Improved Sexual Practices
Marie Poellinger and Erica Jade Fong
Adolescents of low socioeconomic status from 13-18 years of age face many challenges when it comes to maintaining safe sexual health practices, leading to unwanted pregnancies and exposure to sexually transmitted diseases (STI’s). Challenges include:
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economic barriers → limited access to health care or lack of health insurance
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lack of proper sex education and therefore limited knowledge around contraceptive
Addressing these challenges is crucial for better sexual health outcomes. The nurse’s role is essential in providing education about contraceptive options, access to local resources, and guidance pertaining to safe sexual health practices (Dixon, 2014)
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The Effects of Prolonged Exposure Therapy on the Symptoms of Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Hannah Belle Pontillas
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-5 defines post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD as persistent psychophysiological reactions including intrusive memories of trauma, negative feelings towards such memories, and avoidance of related stimuli—all of which are a direct result of experiencing a traumatic event. The first line of treatment for this particular mental disorder is considered to be prolonged exposure therapy or PE therapy due to its high success rate in treating the symptoms of moderate to severe PTSD as it encourages patients to directly confront and overcome their trauma. However, PE therapy has garnered concern as it has caused patients to drop out before the completion of treatment as a result of symptom exacerbation after repeatedly being reminded of their trauma. Considering this contraindication, this thesis will compare the effectiveness of prolonged exposure therapy to that of psychopharmacotherapy and psychotherapy or combination therapy as alternative treatments for PTSD. A literature review was performed. Six studies that are divided into two categories: prolonged exposure therapy exclusively and combination therapy, were found. The studies of both categories demonstrate how prolonged exposure therapy and combination therapy affect the severity of PTSD symptoms, which ranges from a stagnant change to a moderate decrease in severity. Considering the need for further research on the effectiveness of alternative treatments for PTSD to prevent cases of symptom exacerbation, a research proposal that follows a longitudinal mixed method—qualitative and quantitative—is proposed.
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Benefits of Rooming-in on Infants with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
Emma Ricioli
Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) is a significant public health concern, affecting infants born to mothers who use opioids during pregnancy. Those exposed in-utero exhibit numerous signs of withdrawal after delivery including tremors, gastrointestinal distress, inconsolability, and poor feeding. Typical treatment for infants suffering from NOWS included direct admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for close observation and pharmacological interventions. However, NICU stays can interfere with bonding and breastfeeding. They can also lead to increased lengths of stay, higher costs, and more invasive pharmacological treatments. These infants typically do not have any other concerning health issues besides NOWS and therefore should not be immediately transferred to the NICU. Rather, they should be able to room-in with their parents. Rooming-in is associated with improved neonatal outcomes, shorter length of stay, and a decrease in cost. The literature review identified limited data regarding the effectiveness of non-separation techniques when implemented in small hospitals with fewer resources. A research proposal will be discussed as well that focuses on implementing rooming-in techniques in rural hospitals located in Northern California. Infants with NOWS born at these hospitals between August 2023-December 2024 will be admitted directly to the NICU. Infants born between January 2025-May 2026 will room-in with their parents. The will be a quantitative study that utilizes a retrospective cohort design. Descriptive statistics will be used to determine if implementing non-separation techniques improves outcomes for infants suffering from neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.
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Fatherhood and the Influence of Spouses Postpartum Depression on Relationship Satisfaction
Emma Salinas
Postpartum depression and the effects it has on women have long been well studied and documented, however, little research has been done on how this illness affects these women’s partners. Considering the significant amount of research conducted on postpartum depression (PPD) from the perspective of women and the increasing trend towards family-oriented approaches, it is vital to further undertake studies concentrating on the male perspective of coping with a partner who has PPD. This in turn opens a new and important area of research for the clinical psychology community. This research proposal aims to focus on fathers’ coping styles when living with a partner suffering from postpartum depression as well as how it may influence/alter relationship satisfaction. This research proposal would include a mixed-method research design using both semi-structured, face-to-face interviews conducted individually and surveys. The sample size would include 20 couples, 10 fathers, and 10 mothers currently experiencing postpartum depression. Couples would be voluntarily recruited through a flier at their pediatricians’ offices. Inclusion criteria would include all participants being over the age of 18, having a partner with clinically diagnosed postpartum depression, living together with said partner, and being at least 2 months postpartum. The results from this study have not yet been collected but are presumed to reveal multiple themes describing the fathers’ journey through their partners’ postpartum depression. These findings would not only highlight a need for pre-emptive education on maternal PPD and more accessible resources but also assessing fathers’ emotional responses to parenthood and their partners’ depression.
