By Laura Lesley
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students Katelyn Leake and Kadie Morris have been awarded third place at the UAB Undergraduate Research Expo in the Health Sciences category. Mentored by Connie White-Williams, PhD, RN, FAAN, their project was titled, “Restraints plus: Utilizing student nurses to reduce restraint use in neuro-intensive care unit at UAB Hospital.”
The goal of their research project was to examine if student-led observation could minimize restraint usage in the neurological intensive care unit (NICU) and lead to a reduction in pressure ulcers and falls. They found there were several barriers to reducing the use of restraints, including perceptions on restraint usage, and further study using a validated tool, Perception of Restraint Use Questionnaire, is necessary to better understand if a student-led observation could minimize restraint usage in the NICU.
The research expo was held April 12 and 13, 2018. The following month, Morris and Leake earned their BSN degrees and are now working as Registered Nurses in neurological intensive care units at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, Georgia and UAB Hospital, respectively. Both were members of the UAB School of Nursing Honors Program.