News 2014: UMass Dartmouth Nursing Student Receives 2014 Bachelor of Science Poster Award

News 2014: UMass Dartmouth Nursing Student Receives 2014 Bachelor of Science Poster Award
UMass Dartmouth Nursing Student Receives 2014 Bachelor of Science Poster Award

Nicole Tremblay Recognized by Eastern Nursing Research Society for Heart Failure Education Presentation

UMass Dartmouth College of Nursing student Nicole Tremblay '14, of Lancaster MA, earned first place in the 2014 Bachelor of Science Poster competition at the Eastern Nursing Research Society's (ENRS) 26th Annual Scientific Session, April 9-11, 2014 in Philadelphia, PA. Nicole received the award for her poster on the "Comparison of Knowledge of Heart Failure Education Principles between Nursing Students and Practicing Nurses".

The ENRS 26th Annual Scientific Session focused on the research of "Promoting Health Across the Lifespan: The Art and Science of Person-Centered Care". Presentations, workshops and consultation with the National Institute of Nursing Research were held during the three-day event. Nicole's submission to the poster competition was based on research done as part of her honors thesis for the University. Her poster presentation was funded by a grant from UMass Dartmouth's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). She also received a travel grant from OUR to represent the College of Nursing at the event. Associate Professor of Nursing Dr. Kristen Sethares served as Nicole's Faculty Supervisor.

Heart failure is a major and increasing health concern within the United States. More than 5.1 million Americans suffer from heart failure and up to 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Nicole's research on comparison of knowledge of heart failure raises concern about the lack of understanding in managing heart failure as a disease. Nicole compared the knowledge of the University's junior level nursing students to those who are registered nurses in surrounding communities.

UMass Dartmouth's College of Nursing enrolls more than 650 students in its DNP program, BS, RN-to-BS Online, RN Refresher, MS, and PhD programs of study. Since 1969, the college's programs have prepared professional nurses for leadership and innovation in health care in Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond. The College of Nursing was ranked 79th nationwide by U.S. News & World Report in its 2015 edition of the "Best Graduate Schools" issue. The University's College of Nursing was among nearly 1,000 programs surveyed by U.S. News. This past Fall, UMass Dartmouth opened the Elisabeth A. Pennington Simulation Laboratory (SimLab), which offers students an experiential learning environment with innovative equipment necessary for them to practice basic and advanced nursing skills.