Inaugural Davis Scholars launch nursing research projects
Liz Long (left) and Teresa Yang are the inaugural Davis scholars, conducting summer research projects.
This summer, research is being conducted by the College of Nursing鈥檚 inaugural Davis Undergraduate Summer Nursing Scholars. Seniors Elizabeth (Liz) Long and Teresa Yang, working with Professor Elizabeth Dowdell, PhD, RN, FAAN, are targeting their scholarly interests through the generosity of Hugh M. Davis 鈥�83 MS, 鈥�85 PhD; his wife, Pamela S. Davis; and their daughter, Olivia M. Davis 鈥�13 BSN, who have pledged to establish an endowed fund for undergraduate participation in research as well as a newly created active fund for the same purpose, both of which bear their names. The purpose of the funds is to support undergraduate participation in faculty guided research.
Liz鈥檚 qualitative study 鈥淧olicies and Perceptions of Human Trafficking: Examining Nurses鈥� Views on Human Trafficking Victims in the Emergency Department鈥� addresses a gap in the literature regarding nurses鈥� perceptions of human trafficking, how an institution鈥檚 policies can affect the views of these nurses, and whether there are differences between Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and registered nurses鈥� perceptions. Human trafficking victims are a unique patient population who have specific physical, sexual, and psychological health problems related to their captivity. Liz is an extern in the ED at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania this summer.
Teresa, also in the midst of an externship in the PICU at The Children鈥檚 Hospital of Philadelphia this summer, designed a quantitative pilot study 鈥淯sing Technology to Increase the Safety of College Students鈥濃�攁n issue of growing concern from The White House. The primary goal of her project is to examine the relationships between the use of a smart phone accessible safety application, Circle of 6, and safety behaviors. By better understanding the use and integration of technology by a college age population, nurses can develop better screening, assessment, intervention, and education for safety with this generation.