Scholarship Symposium

Presenter: Christina Davis
Faculty Advisors: Denise Thornton-Orr and Cynthia Powers

Retention in undergraduate nursing continues to be a concern. The TEAS exam is a useful tool in that it gives an overall score and then provides sub-category scores in the topics of reading, math, science, and English. Setting a benchmark on the TEAS exam for entrance into an undergraduate nursing program would likely improve retention. This project, through quantitative data analysis, sought to determine if there was a statistical relationship between low cumulative TEAS scores and decreased retention. The data analyzed consisted of student ID numbers, TEAS scores and retention information across undergraduate nursing. After analysis, the data has shown a correlation between low scores on the exam and lower attrition rates. This is evidential confirmation of the need for a target score as criteria for entrance. Further evaluation of the data could even necessitate a need to meet a certain standard in one of the sub-categories, particularly science or math.

Presenter: Kristina Michaud
Faculty Advisor: Cynthia Powers

Public health crises demonstrate the importance of professional nurses and their uninhibited movement to respond to the public needs. During disasters and public health emergencies, regulation on nursing licensure is inconsistent at best. Do the emergency changes to licensure indicate the need to change nursing licensure regulation? The purpose of this review is to examine the emergency actions over the last 20 years in response to natural disasters or public health crises such as the COVID-19 Pandemic; it is a precursory investigation into whether nursing licensure regulation hindered any emergency response. Themes identified during literature synthesis include barriers to interstate practice, healthcare worker liability concerns, licensing and occupational reform, and public health and safety. Future research should focus on emergency response barriers within healthcare and a deeper dive into the regulatory changes made during actual emergencies. Consistency should be sought in licensure as well as legal protections for healthcare providers.