BY SHAWN PROCTOR

Welcome to the final installment of a 7-part series featuring the 2021 Falvey Scholars. Read more about them in Falvey’s blog archives and in the upcoming issue of Mosaic: the Library’s bi-annual publication.

Falvey Memorial Library is honored to announce the 2021 Falvey Scholar award winners. We will showcase the research of our eight young alumni on the blog and in the fall issue of Mosaic.

Sponsored by the Library and the Center for Research and Fellowships, the Falvey Scholars program recognizes outstanding undergraduate research at Villanova University. Award winners are selected from a pool of candidates generated by applications submitted by a senior Villanova University student or a group of students working on a senior project together with the recommendation of the advisor to the senior thesis or capstone project completed for academic credit.

View the 2021 Falvey Scholars Awards virtual booklet.

Researchers Brief

Falvey Scholar: Tara Reddy

Hometown: Bridgewater, N.J.

Other Honors: Fitzpatrick College of Nursing Nominee for the Meyer Innovation and Creative Excellence (ICE) Award; Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society

Falvey Scholar: Danielle Markey

Hometown: Larchmont, N.Y.

Other Honors: Rose Woytowich O’Driscoll Student Service Award, Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society

Project Title: “Interprofessional Collaboration Promotes Parkinson’s Medication Safety”

Faculty Mentor: Diane M. Ellis, MSN, RN, CCRN

Learn about Tara’s and Danielle’s research in his own words:

Tell me about your Falvey Scholar Award-winning research project.

Tara Reddy:

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, and among patients with PD admitted to the hospital, only 33% return home. The hospitalization of patients with PD can be dangerous due to the unique and variable medication regimen that patients with PD require. Often their their medication is administered inappropriately, late, or omitted within the acute care setting, which can cause a complication such as aspiration leading to a respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, or death.

Our mock code study was conducted in five steps: participants read and signed an informed consent; a pre-test questionnaire was administered; students participated in the simulated unfolding case-study; students participated in emotional and psychological debriefing sessions and Debriefing for Meaningful Learning (DML) following the simulation; and participants completed a post-test questionnaire.

Danielle Markey:

Tara and I are a dynamic duo! We completed all of the same tasks and were able to pick up one another when one of us had trouble. We do a great job delegating tasks to each other and collaborating with to achieve success. She helped me collect data, analyze data, write literature reviews, hold discussions, create the poster for presentations, and run the skills lab.

How did Falvey Memorial Library support your research?

DM:

Falvey particularly enhanced our project in the paper portion. This study represents our first professional publication, so I knew it had to be perfect. Thankfully, we spent a whole class freshman year in the Library with an expert to show us how to use the databases like PubMed, so I felt comfortable navigating and citing these sources.

I also had a refresher course this year in my senior nursing seminar on evidence-based practice. These resources helped me gain confidence when it comes to finding reliable evidence and citing it. As a result, the paper was published in the Nursing Education Perspective journal and presented at the Villanova Research Symposium and the Collaborative Family Health Care Association Conference.

What impact did this project have on you?

DM:

I learned how to work in a team from my research experience, as well as how to speak up when working in a large group. I loved working with so many different disciplines, and I got to learn more about their scopes and how they influence the nurse’s work. This experience certainly pushed me academically. It influenced my academic goals in such a positive light because I am now aware of all of the learning that can be done outside of the classroom if you look around and try to get involved in something else.

TR:

I didn’t really know what what kind of nursing I wanted to go into after graduation. This study takes place in the intensive care unit, so two years of work I realized I could definitely see myself working in ICU…I actually have a job working in ICU after I graduate!

And what’s next for you?

TR:

I am working in the cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.

DM:

I am currently applying to nursing positions in New York City.

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is Communications and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Memorial Library.