Professors’ research published
WAYNESBURG – The research of Dr. Kimberly Stephens, assistant professor of nursing at Waynesburg and co-director of the Doctorate of Nursing Practice Program, and Dr. Nancy Mosser, chairman and director of the Waynesburg University Department of Nursing, was recently published in Clinical Simulation in Nursing, a prestigious peer-reviewed journal.
Stephens served as the primary writer and presenter of their manuscript titled, “Simulation to Improve Pediatric Patient Outcomes: University and Hospital Collaborative,” which served as part of her capstone project and one of the criteria to graduate from Waynesburg University’s DNP Program.
She and Mosser presented the research at multiple national and regional conferences and earned an Emerging Learning & Integrated Technologies Education National Dissemination Symposium Poster Presentation Quality Award for using simulation as a teaching strategy.
The manuscript detailed Stephens’ instruction and implementation of best practices for intravenous insertion, particularly in pediatric health. The DNP capstone project requires students to identify an issue in the healthcare field and develop the research and educational techniques to help solve the issue.
“This study resulted in an improvement in practice at the institutional level and provides an example of how collaboration between academic and practice institutions can result in successful outcomes for patients,” Mosser said.
According to the paper’s abstract, “Through the use of simulation technology and debriefing techniques at the pediatric PIV insertion program, pediatric PIV insertion skills improved.”
As a graduate of Waynesburg University’s DNP Program, and a practicing nursing professional, Stephens said that continued professional development, such as submitting her paper to the journal, is important.
“You have to be constantly involved,” Stephens said. “We want to bring the best practices, guidelines and technology to our classrooms and patients.”