NURSING PROJECT SUMMARIES
SPRING 2027
Monika Pogorzelska-Maziarz
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Dementia affects not only the person living with the disease but also the broader family system. Although substantial research has examined the experiences of adult caregivers, much less is known about adolescents and young adults who live in families caring for a person with dementia. These young family members may provide direct or indirect caregiving, experience changes in family roles and relationships, and face emotional, social, and educational challenges associated with dementia caregiving. However, their experiences remain largely overlooked in dementia and caregiving research.
The goal of this study is to develop and pilot test complementary survey instruments to better understand the experiences of adolescents and young adults in dementia caregiving families and their parents or guardians. The surveys will assess caregiving roles and responsibilities, family relationships and dynamics, social and emotional experiences, and the broader impacts of living in a family affected by dementia. Collecting data from both adolescents/young adults and parents will provide a more complete picture of how dementia caregiving affects families and will allow us to examine areas in which their perspectives converge or differ.
The study will be conducted in two phases. First, survey instruments will be developed based on the existing literature and relevant conceptual frameworks and refined through expert review and cognitive interviews with adolescent-parent dyads. Second, the surveys will be pilot-tested with approximately 40–60 dyads to evaluate feasibility and generate preliminary psychometric data. Findings will inform further refinement of the instruments and provide preliminary data for a larger study examining the experiences and needs of adolescents and young adults in dementia caregiving families.
The Match student will work closely with the faculty mentor and research team and participate in weekly team meetings. Responsibilities will include conducting targeted literature searches and developing evidence tables to summarize relevant research; assisting with recruitment efforts, including identifying potential community and caregiver organizations, supporting outreach, and maintaining recruitment tracking materials; and assisting with organization and quality review of study data.
The student will also gain hands-on experience working with survey data. With mentorship, they will assist with data cleaning, develop descriptive summaries of participant characteristics and survey responses, and explore similarities and differences between responses from adolescent-parent dyads. The student will help develop tables and figures and participate in team discussions to interpret findings in the context of existing research.
As data become available, the student will have the opportunity to develop a focused research question that aligns with their interests and use study data to address that question. They will work with the faculty mentor to translate their findings into a research product, such as a poster or abstract. Throughout the experience, the student will receive mentorship in research ethics, literature synthesis, data management and analysis, interpretation of findings, and scientific communication.
- Literature searching and synthesis
- Participant recruitment and research study coordination
- Survey data management and cleaning
- Basic quantitative data analysis and interpretation
- Scientific writing and presentation of research findings
Sunny Gaye Hallowell
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Children facing poverty, rural isolation, and language barriers often have less access to timely healthcare, limiting their opportunity to thrive in school. School-based healthcare brings care to where children already spend their day, reducing barriers for families and creating opportunities for earlier identification, treatment, and follow-up. Yet we know little about how these systems operate to reduce inequality or why some models may achieve more equitable outcomes than others. Using statewide Pennsylvania data, this descriptive study will examine variation in school-based healthcare and its relationship to healthcare access, utilization, attendance, and chronic absenteeism. Findings will build evidence for designing youth-serving healthcare systems that more equitably support children’s health and educational opportunity.
Research Questions: How do school-based healthcare systems reach children facing the greatest barriers to care? Which features are associated with more equitable healthcare access? Is more equitable healthcare access associated with improved attendance and reduced chronic absenteeism?
Working under faculty supervision, the student will assist with the background literature review and organization of evidence related to school-based healthcare, healthcare access, health equity, school attendance, chronic absenteeism, and youth outcomes.
This position provides an opportunity to develop practical skills in research, evidence appraisal, scholarly writing, and health services research.
The Research Assistant will:
- Conduct structured searches of scholarly databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar.
- Locate research on school-based health centers and related youth-serving healthcare models.
- Identify literature addressing healthcare access and structural barriers affecting low-income, rural, immigrant-origin, and language-minority children.
- Review evidence linking children's health and healthcare access with school attendance, chronic absenteeism, and educational engagement.
- Identify literature describing school-based healthcare services such as behavioral health, school nurse integration, Community Health Workers, telehealth, care coordination, and language services.
- Screen article titles and abstracts for relevance using criteria established by the research team.
- Read selected articles and summarize their purpose, population, methods, findings, and limitations.
- Enter findings into a structured evidence table or literature matrix.
- Maintain an accurate reference library using Zotero, EndNote, or another reference-management system.
- Verify citations and source information.
- Participate in regular meetings with the research team and provide brief updates on findings.
- Assist with preparing background materials, evidence summaries, and references for grant proposals, presentations, and manuscripts.
The strongest candidate does not need extensive previous research experience. We are seeking a student who is curious, dependable, detail-oriented, comfortable reading scientific literature, and interested in understanding how healthcare systems can improve opportunities for children. Training and faculty mentorship will be provided.
- Strong reading comprehension.
- Clear written communication.
- Attention to detail.
- Ability to summarize complex information accurately and concisely.
- Strong organization and time-management skills.
- Ability to follow a structured research protocol.
- Comfort working independently while seeking guidance when needed.
- Basic proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, or Google Workspace.
Carol Weingarten
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Since Spring 2018, our team of advisors and nursing students has built a thriving partnership with Villanova University’s radio station (WXVU, 89.1, The Roar) and the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing in collaboration with the Office of Health Promotion. This academic-co-curricular partnership has been so successful that in January 2023, WXV&U Health debuted as the first nurse-led health department on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - Licensed College Radio. The WXV&U Health Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are broadcast in all programming, i.e., 17,472 times/year and accessed internationally.
Building on our research evaluating FCC-licensed college radio stations listed with the search engine, Radio Locator, this position addresses nursing’s roles in health promotion through broadcast and streaming. The chance to learn how to create broadcast-ready programming, such as podcasts, PSAs, and shows related to health and wellbeing, includes selecting topics for the station’s audience and working with the students and staff at WXVU/WXV&U Health. Through this placement, our First-Year Match student will also learn about research and innovation related to the radio station. This scholarly, fun position brings networks and friendships, plus learning strategies like interviewing and communication through radio, use of music and voice, and technology for recording, editing, etc.
With WXV&U Health well established, this is a great time to be at the station.
Responsibilities include:
- working with Dr. Weingarten and the WXV&U Health/WXVU team and
- attending weekly meetings related to the project and programs identified. Meetings may be at the station or virtual. Scheduling is flexible.
- assisting with a literature review
- helping map the schedule for health promotion programming
- assisting with production, recording and editing for health promotion programming, for example, with the InNOVAtion series, spotlighting innovations of nursing faculty, students, and others, or The Alumni Series, podcasts and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) featuring outstanding nursing alumni in non-traditional and traditional careers. HOWEVER, you may choose to create/host/co-host a show, podcast, or Public Service Announcement(s). Actual activities to be determined.
- through your activities, fostering nursing’s professional identity in radio and the image of nursing as a profession
Time Commitment: 10 hours/week as per the Match Program.
Location: Villanova University’s radio station, second floor Dougherty Hall (across from the Connelly Center and about a 5-minute walk from Driscoll Hall). However, meetings and activities may also take place virtually and off-site according to schedules.
Previous radio, media, or research experience is desirable but not required.
"This “match” brings real-world involvement in a scholarly health promotion project in the non-traditional setting of radio. The Match student will gain skills in:
- Communication, education and technology through the medium of radio, which reaches audiences from Villanova to countries across the world.
- Development of podcasts and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) related to health and well-being
- Strategies and techniques for bringing nursing's voice and expertise to radio broadcast and streaming.
- Inter-professional collaboration through work at the station, which includes people from diverse backgrounds, including staff and faculty, students from across the university and guests who are interviewed.
- Understanding academic and co-curricular partnerships
- Presentation of their work through opportunities for poster and podium conferences at Villanova, state and national levels.
Along with building skills in nearly all aspects of radio, this project is fun and holds potential for future involvement and leadership at WXV&U Health and WXVU. The impact of the experience and the skills developed will continue into a nursing career and possibly a nursing career related to media.
Miranda McPhillips and Michelle McKay
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
The purpose of this research project is to conduct a systematic literature review related to sleep and falls in older adults. Specifically, we are seeking to understand the relationship between objectively measured sleep architecture metrics and the risk, frequency and type of falls in older adults. Existing research suggests that poor sleep correlates with falls in older adults, but we are interested in exploring more nuanced relationships. This systematic literature review will guide the team in determining the best research question for a subsequent research study.
The Match student's responsibilities will include participating in a research team (preparing meeting agendas, attending meetings, documenting minutes, etc.) and conducting a systematic literature review via scholarly databases. The student will search multiple scholarly databases, screen articles for inclusion/exclusion criteria, compile a table of evidence, begin preliminary synthesis, and prepare a poster related to the literature review.
- The student will gain experience searching multiple scholarly databases
- Screening articles for inclusion/exclusion criteria
- Compiling a table of evidence
- Beginning to synthesize literature and create a poster related to the literature review.
Bing-Bing Qi and Jaclyn Parkinson
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
Moral distress (MD) is acute among nursing students and new graduates transitioning to clinical practice, where speaking up in ethically and clinically challenging situations remains difficult and stressful. Simulation-based training strengthens advocacy and communication skills, but traditional models are resource-intensive and limited in scalability. Current digital platforms improve communication but rely on one-way, single-agent interactions, failing to capture the complexity of interdisciplinary dynamics.
To address this gap, we propose Simulation Training for Ethical Practice and Speaking Up for Patient Safety (STEP-UP), an AI-driven online simulation platform leveraging large language models (LLMs) and context engineering to support dynamic, multi-agent role-play. STEP-UP will enable learners to practice high-stakes conversations with multiple autonomous team members, receiving immediate feedback to build confidence, resilience, and ethical competence.
The purposes of the study are: (1) platform development, designing an LLM-based framework for requirement analysis, role-play development, and multi-agent interaction, culminating in a web application; and (2) pilot testing and refinement, evaluating usability, feasibility, and interactivity with nursing faculty and pre-licensure students.
The long-term goal is to expand STEP-UP beyond nursing, creating a scalable, interprofessional training framework. By reducing MD and fostering communication, STEP-UP aims to improve patient safety, enhance resilience, and transform scenario-based education.
- Extremely interested in AI and LLM
- Proficient in Excel
- Proficient or Willing to Learn SPSS/Qualtrics/NVivo
- Literature Review
- Unidentified Data Management
- Complete CITI training
- Good Communication Skills
- Send out email reminders
- Available for fall 2026 and spring 2027 semesters
- Willing to assist in simulation implementation
- Keep payment log and distribute payment to research participants
- Manuscript development
- Receive training in the skills that are listed in the above sessions and may have the opportunity to continue working on the same research project during the sophomore year.
- Present research through poster or podium presentations at Student Scholars’ Day, ENRS, or other relevant conferences.
- Contribute to manuscript development and have opportunities for co-authorship on publications submitted to peer-reviewed journals.
Christina Reilly and Michelle McKay
Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
This community-engaged initiative focuses on promoting healthy aging and expanding access to preventive health services for older adults throughout the five-county southeastern Pennsylvania region. The project brings together a network of community organizations, senior centers, healthcare providers, faith-based organizations, and aging services agencies to address factors that influence the health and well-being of older adults.
As the population ages, many older adults face barriers to preventive care, including transportation challenges, limited access to health resources, financial constraints, and social isolation. This project seeks to address these barriers by providing community-based health screenings and education in locations that are trusted, accessible, and convenient for older adults. Screening services include blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, body mass index, and fall risk assessments, all of which support early identification of health concerns and opportunities for intervention.
In addition to screenings, participants receive individualized health education, referrals to healthcare and community resources, and support for healthy lifestyle behaviors that promote independence and quality of life. The initiative emphasizes prevention, early detection, and health promotion as key strategies for supporting healthy aging and reducing health disparities.
A distinguishing feature of the project is its focus on building and sustaining community partnerships. Through collaboration with organizations that serve older adults across the region, the initiative can tailor programming to local needs, reach underserved populations, and leverage existing community strengths. A Community Advisory Board provides ongoing guidance regarding outreach, program development, and community priorities.
The project also provides experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate students, allowing them to develop skills in community health, health promotion, and aging services. By fostering partnerships across the region, the initiative aims to create sustainable approaches to preventive care that improve health outcomes, support healthy aging, and strengthen community well-being.
The Match Student Research Assistant will play an integral role in supporting the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of the Advancing Health Through Community Partnerships initiative. Under the supervision of faculty mentors, the student will assist with coordinating community-based health screening events and healthy aging programs across the five-county southeastern Pennsylvania region.
Specific responsibilities include recruiting participants, assisting with event logistics, collecting and managing project data, and maintaining accurate records of screening outcomes and program activities. The student will support the development of educational materials focused on preventive health, healthy aging, and community resources. They will also assist with outreach efforts, helping to strengthen partnerships with senior centers, community organizations, faith-based groups, and healthcare providers.
The student will contribute to research and evaluation activities by conducting literature reviews, entering and analyzing data, and assisting with the preparation of reports, presentations, abstracts, and manuscripts. They will participate in Community Advisory Board meetings and help document community feedback to inform program improvement and future initiatives.
The position provides opportunities to develop skills in research methods, data management, communication, community partnership development, and dissemination of findings while contributing to efforts that support healthy aging and preventive healthcare.
- Community-engaged research methods
- Participant recruitment and retention
- Research data collection and management
- Survey administration and screening documentation
- Data analysis and outcome evaluation
- Preventive health screening skills
- Health education and healthy aging promotion
- Community partnership and stakeholder engagement
- Professional communication and presentation skills
- Scholarly dissemination (abstracts, posters, and manuscripts)