Following a brief hiatus in 2020 when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the College of Nursing’s Research Summit and Malasanos Lectureship resumed this year for its 17th edition. During the event on April 16, faculty, students, clinicians and interdisciplinary professionals alike showcased cutting-edge research and changes to health care’s landscape.

Held as a six-hour online webinar in partnership with UF Health and the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center, attendees had the opportunity to hear from a distinguished speaker, earn up to three nursing contact hours and learn new information that could be used to help solve complex problems, such as addressing equity in health care.

“We are thrilled to have hosted this year’s research celebration,” said Raga Bjarnadottir, PhD, MPH, a College of Nursing assistant professor and the Research Summit committee chair. “It is my hope our college’s efforts to bring together clinicians, students and faculty to share the latest in nursing science will inspire new generations of nurse researchers for years to come.”

Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Anna D. Wolf Chair and a renowned academic nurse at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, delivered the keynote address at the event’s opening. Campbell shared several key insights with attendees, including decades’ worth of findings from her research and advocacy in the field of domestic violence.

According to Campbell, individuals who are exposed to domestic violence as children or during adulthood can develop mental illnesses like anxiety or become more likely to participate in high-risk behaviors, such as alcohol or substance abuse. This impact highlights the importance for nurses to create a safe space for their patients and keep a watchful eye for signs of abuse

“We need to make both women and men feel like the health care system is a place they can get support if they need it, as well as help them understand the connection between abuse and their health,” Campbell said.

Two interdisciplinary panels featuring scholars from the University of Florida, Columbia University and the Malcolm Randall VAMC also provided information on the latest developments in both gender and racial equity research. Both panels, “Promoting Gender Equity Through Nursing Research and Scholarship” and “Promoting Racial and Ethnic Equity Through Nursing Research and Scholarship” included an interactive question-and-answer session for attendees to take this knowledge forward into their academic and professional careers.

“I am proud of the work my colleagues are doing and the barriers they are working so hard to tear down,” said Anna McDaniel, PhD, RN, FAAN, College of Nursing dean and the Linda Harman Aiken Professor. “I believe that we are all lifelong learners, and it is events such as these that showcase the varied scholarly work across our profession and allow us to learn from one another.”

A virtual poster session allowed individuals to share unique research that serve as examples of the summit’s theme, “Promoting Equity and Social Justice Through Nursing Research and Scholarship.” The e-posters were judged by a committee made up of college researchers, and select students, faculty and professionals received awards for their posters and presentations.

First Place: Effect of Complementary Therapies in Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer: Systematic Review

Fatmah A. Alamoudi, BSN, MSN, PhD candidate, Zhiguang Huo, PhD; Saun-Joo Yoon, PhD, RN

Second Place: Effect of Skin-to-Skin Care on Mood States in Mothers of Very Low Birth Weight

Hussah Bubshait, MSN, RN & Leslie Parker, PhD, NNP-BC, FAAN

First Place: Increasing Evidence-Based Screening and Treatment for Patients Using Tobacco in Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Project

Rachael Joyner, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, NCTTP, DNP Student; Sandra Citty, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC; Jane Carrington, PhD, RN, FAAN; Tanya Gibbs, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC

Second Place: Evaluation of Parent Attitudes and Knowledge of Childhood Vaccines in a Rural vs Urban Clinic

Rebeca Siguenza BSN, RN-BC, Asley Zawolik BSN, RN-BC, Michael Maymi DNP, Stephanie Clifford DNP, Laurie Duckworth PhD

First Place: College Students’ Perceptions of an Online Suicide Awareness Video

Jenna Meyer, Kayla Elliott, Isidro Jimenez, Diana Wilkie RN, PhD, FAAN, Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini RN, PhD, FAAN

Second Place: Reflective Leadership: Journaling Towards Social Justice in Undergraduate Nursing Students

Tess Tumarkin, Carolina Morales, Angelica Artiaga, Kayla Elliott, Anne C. Dillard, DNP, RN, AGCNS, CNE, Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini RN, PhD, FAAN

First Place (Tie): Effect of Photobiomodulation (LLLT) On Diabetic Neuropathy (DN) In Patients with Diabetes Mellitus (DM)

Judy Lyles, RN, Sushma Kadiyala, MD, Julio Leey Casella, MD, Marti Stewart, BSN, RN

First Place (Tie): Development, Evaluation, and Dissemination of the English and Spanish-Language RESCUE Caregiver Websites

Caroline Sypniewski; Jennifer LeLaurin, MPH; Kristen Wing, MA; I. Magaly Freytes, PhD; Constance R. Uphold, PhD, ARNP, FAAN