Two Niagara University nursing seniors were among a select few—and the first from NU—to be chosen to present their research at the 73rd annual National Student Nurses Conference, April 9-13 in Seattle, Wash. Only 25 student and faculty posters were chosen to be presented during the conference, which is attended by more than 3,000 nursing students.
Honors program student Keith Elgar gave a poster presentation on “Improving the Hospitalization Experience of Developmentally Disabled Patients,” and accelerated degree student Lance Lustig presented his findings on “Decreasing Fall Incidence in the Geriatric Patient.”
Elgar was inspired to learn more about his topic after meeting a patient with Down syndrome during one of his clinical rotations.
“I saw how he was treated, and it made me question how we, as nurses, can ensure that patients with developmental disabilities receive fair and equitable care while respecting their differences,” he said.
Elgar conducted a literary review and drew on his own personal experience to conclude that healthcare professionals can minimize the number of negative experiences people with developmental disabilities may face through empathy; by using tools such as simulation; by integrating the family into the care process; and by having professional conversations and post-shift debriefs.
Lustig researched different fall prevention methods for his project. He focused on biometric technology, he said, because his grandmother lives in an assisted living facility that uses it.
He found that “various methods of fall prevention work, ranging from informational videos to different policies and procedures. Additionally, the use of biometric technology has been shown to reduce falls by over 50%,” he said. He added that, as a paramedic, he sees “fall victims day in and day out, and would love there to be less of these patients.”
