School of nursing news
We Dare to change health inequities
Feb 07, 2022How can nursing research help us achieve health equity?
One in three women in the U.S. have hypertension. For African American women, the rates are even higher, and they’re coupled with a greater risk for stroke, renal disease, diabetes and other health problems.
Before Lenette Jones became an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, she was a sophomore in U-M’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, where her first research assignment would set the course for her scholarly work as a behavioral nurse scientist.
The project focused... Read more
Community research to reshape health care for young Black men in Detroit
Feb 07, 2022Written by: Alex Bienkowski
Over the last year, Assistant Professor Jade Burns, Ph.D., RN, CPNP-PC, has been leading community-centered research in Detroit as part of a dynamic project to improve health education, access and outcomes for young Black men in urban communities.
Before COVID-19, her project, Young Men’s Health Matters, relied on in-person interaction to gain a deeper understanding of the community’s most pressing health care concerns. But in light of social distancing guidelines, Burns has drawn on her expertise at the intersection of technology and... Read more
Maternity health care workers expressed anguish, questioned roles early in pandemic
Feb 07, 2022In general, the challenges of being a health care provider and the risks for potential COVID-19 infection are acknowledged, but it’s less clear how COVID risk mitigation strategies in hospitals impact maternity health care workers.
To that end, researchers from the University of Michigan School of Nursing including Lisa Kane Low, Ph.D., CNM, FACNM, FAAN and the Obstetrics Initiative at Michigan Medicine asked nurses, physicians and midwives across Michigan, “How has COVID-19 impacted your work?”
The answers showed deeper levels of anguish and fear than was anticipated and... Read more
The Pandemic Has Made Many Seniors Less Active
Feb 07, 2022A University of Michigan team surveyed about 2,000 American adults aged 50 to 80 in early 2021, asking about their activity levels.
It found that almost 40 percent of those over 65 reported both reduced physical activity and less daily time spent on their feet since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. In this representative national sample, those factors were associated with worsened physical conditioning and mobility.
“It’s a cascade of effects,” said Geoffrey Hoffman, a health-services researcher at the university’s School of Nursing and the lead author of the... Read more
Lockdowns during early pandemic saved lives, but not a go-to strategy moving forward
Jan 24, 2022The U.S. pandemic lockdown in 2020 caused a $2.3 trillion economic downturn and split the nation politically, and now some European nations are locking down again as Omicron surges through the global population.
But do these drastic measures save lives? Are they worth massive job and income losses?
A new University of Michigan-led study shows the early lockdowns implemented in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic saved lives–but the decision to use lockdowns is much more nuanced and the research shouldn’t be used to justify lockdowns now or to retroactively endorse... Read more
Neonatal hospitalization leaves parents feeling isolated, separated during pandemic
Jan 21, 2022Emotional exhaustion, isolation and “nonsensical” visitor and other hospital policies contributed to parents of children hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units feeling less satisfied with care during the early days of COVID-19.
Research from the University of Michigan School of Nursing, Marquette University and University of Nebraska Medical Center examined the family impact and financial well-being of 178 parents whose infants were hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units between Feb. 1 and July 31, 2020, during the early period of COVID-19.
Parents reported... Read more
Vaccine mandate will likely have little impact on health care worker staffing shortage
Jan 12, 2022The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing challenges to a Biden administration vaccine mandate that requires eligible employees in Medicare or Medicaid-funded facilities to get vaccinated or receive an exemption.
The law takes effect Jan. 27 in 25 states including Michigan–the other 25 states have challenged the law in court. It will be phased in over several months.
Sheria Robinson-Lane, assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, is an expert in palliative and long-term care and nursing administration. Her research focuses on the care and support of older... Read more
Prescription drug misuse later in life greatly increases risk for substance use disorder
Jan 05, 2022Nearly half of people in a large U.S. study reported misusing prescription drugs between ages 18-50, which made them more likely to develop substance use disorder symptoms as adults––especially those whose misuse peaked later in life.
The new study from University of Michigan School of Nursing researchers recommends screening for prescription drug misuse and substance use disorder from adolescence through middle adulthood. Currently, the recommendation is to screen adults for unhealthy drug use in some instances, but not adolescents.
“The findings of the current study add to... Read more
New learning tool: Click a button and dive under the skin of chemotherapy patients
Dec 23, 2021A team of faculty from the University of Michigan Center of Academic Innovation, School of Nursing and College of Pharmacy designed an innovative way to teach nursing and pharmacy students about the intricacies of chemotherapy.
Led by Michelle Aebersold, clinical professor of nursing, the group created Under the Skin, a virtual reality experience that guides students on handling high-risk complications when giving chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer.
Their goal is to show how to safely administer anti-cancer drugs, handle urgent situations and get students to deeply understand... Read more
Preparing Nursing's Leaders and Best
Nov 23, 2021The University of Michigan School of Nursing’s graduate degrees prepare today’s nurses for impactful careers in advanced clinical practice, groundbreaking research and data-driven executive leadership. Our Master’s of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree programs are consistently ranked among the best in the United States, guided by expert faculty, supported by a vast network of clinical and global partners and backed by the excellence of the nation’s top public university.
Read more about the community of passionate clinicians and scholars you will join... Read more
