Conducting research safely from home

My name is Margo Leavitt. I am a senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing student in the College of Education and Health Professions Eleanor Mann School of Nursing (EMSON). I have worked on my thesis with my fantastic mentor, Kelsey Gilmet of EMSON, from spring 2020 to present. I plan to finish my final semester of nursing school, complete and present my thesis, and hopefully (safely) attend my graduation in May. Following graduation, I plan to work in the NWA area while I prepare for grad school, where I plan to study public health.

Pursuing a career in a health profession is not for the faint of heart; to be a student of nursing one must be prepared for long shifts, unpleasant odors, and the stress of supporting patients through their most difficult moments. Research indicates that, due to their immersion in the nursing education environment and being at a critical age for habit formation, nursing students are at risk for poorly managed stress. This in turn, puts them at risk for poor health attitudes and behaviors, which increase risk of poor health for the rest of their lives. My research collected information on U of A BSN students’ health-promoting attitudes and behaviors, such as nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and substance use. This data can be used to understand the unique experiences of nursing students and enable educational institutions to support their students more holistically.

I chose to work with my mentor, Kelsey, because of her experience in community healthcare. She has aided me in developing my topic, creating a survey, and analyzing my data, while allowing me to work independently and develop research skills. With much more experience in technical writing than I have, she has provided me with guidance in that arena, in addition to helping me to interpret potentially important results. I chose my research topic because I was curious to learn about the healthy lifestyle behaviors of my fellow nursing students who have conflicting influences on their health. Does a significant knowledge of healthy behaviors and their critical role in one’s wellbeing improve healthy behaviors, or do the unique stresses of nursing education make a healthy lifestyle uncommon?

This past semester I spent time analyzing the data I collected, something I have not done outside of the classroom setting before. I have enjoyed the challenge and I am grateful to be so well supported by the University and Honors College in carrying out an undergraduate research project. While my survey has not revealed any breathtaking results, it has been a fantastic learning experience and is preparing me for my future studies. I learned a new software program and improved my technical writing skills.

Despite the limited results within my data on the healthy lifestyles of nursing students, the survey provides an interesting snapshot into the wellbeing and demographics of nursing students in April and May of 2020, in the middle of a health crisis. I feel fortunate to report that my survey had 166 responses, approximately 41% of BSN students enrolled at the time. What I found most interesting in my results was that despite having very little variation in age, GPA, and other demographics, participants’ scores related to healthy attitudes and behaviors were quite broadly distributed. The vast majority of those who responded to the survey were female which would be a flaw in most surveys but in this case represents the population of students enrolled in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing.

The experience of working on my honors thesis has given a whole new dimension of learning to my university education. The support of the Honors College, through my grant, has made process truly exciting, rather than wholly daunting. Conducting research as an undergraduate student is one of the many reasons I feel fortunate to be a member of the University of Arkansas Honors College. With the support of my mentor, I look forward to finishing my thesis and defending it in the upcoming spring semester.