The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) announces the recipients of its annual research grants.
This year, the association awarded three AACN Impact Research Grants up to $50,000 each and the AACN-Sigma Critical Care Grant with up to $10,000 in funding. Since launching the grants program in 2011, AACN has awarded more than $1.5 million in funding and 36 Impact Research Grants to help ensure a pipeline for evidence-based resources in support of a wide range of priorities.
AACN Impact Research Grants support clinical inquiry that drives change in acute and critical care nursing practice. The grants are designed to help ensure a vital source of clinically relevant research for creating evidence-based resources. Five priority areas guide AACN’s support of research:
- Effective and appropriate use of technology to achieve optimal patient assessment, treatment and/or outcomes
- Creation of healing, humane environments
- Processes and systems that foster the optimal contributions of acute and critical care nurses
- Effective approaches to symptom management
- Prevention and management of complications
This year’s funded projects and grant recipients:
- Examining the Impact of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Diary Programs on Critical Care Nurses (Impact Research Grant)
The use of ICU diaries is one of the few interventions that positively impacts recovery from post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) in ICU survivors and their families. Nurses also identified positive personal impact when utilizing diaries. This mixed methods study will evaluate the effect of ICU diary programs in mitigating the burnout and moral distress experienced by critical care nurses by helping them identify value in their teams, themselves and their work through reflection and writing. Principal investigator Abbygale Hackenberger, DNP, RN, CCRN, CNE, is an assistant teaching professor, Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey.
- Using Music Therapy to Support Family Members With Complex Decisions in the Intensive Care Unit (Impact Research Grant)
The stress of serving as a surrogate decision maker (SDM) for a critically ill patient can interfere with the SDM’s ability to make value-concordant decisions on behalf of the patient. Most research related to the impact of music therapy in the ICU focuses on patients, not their SDMs. This study will evaluate a music therapy intervention for SDMs for critically ill patients with stroke who are facing goals of care discussions. The principal investigator is Grant Pignatiello, PhD, RN, assistant professor, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland.
- Gamified Learning for Pressure Injury Prevention: A Randomized Controlled Trial to Enhance Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes Among Nurses (Impact Research Grant)
Pressure injuries are a persistent problem for hospitalized patients, and nursing plays an important role in preventing these injuries. This study will develop and pilot a mobile application with gamification elements to provide nurses with innovative, technology-driven pressure injury assessment education. The researchers will compare the outcomes of using a gamified learning experience with those of a control group using written educational materials. The principal investigator is Semiha Asli Bozkurt, PhD, RN, CHSE, clinical assistant professor, University of Massachusetts Boston.
- Identifying Risk Factors for Anastomotic Leak for Pediatric Patients Status Post Esophageal Repair (AACN-Sigma Grant)
Considered a gold standard in postoperative care, an esophagram is routinely performed to rule out an anastomotic leak following esophageal atresia repair in pediatric patients, but the procedure carries many risks. This study will examine patient and procedural characteristics and postoperative esophagram practices for patients who underwent esophageal repair. Findings will inform development of a Pediatric Esophagram Risk Stratification Tool that can be used to guide clinical decision-making. The principal investigator is Rebecca Leslie, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, nurse practitioner, Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center, Boston Children’s Hospital.
AACN will award up to three $50,000 Impact Research Grants in 2025. AACN continues to partner with the Sigma Foundation for Nursing to cosponsor the AACN-Sigma Critical Care Grant, with up to $10,000 in funding.
Principal investigators must be current AACN members with either an earned master’s degree or completed candidacy requirements for a doctoral degree. Sigma members are also eligible to apply for the AACN-Sigma grant.
About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with about 130,000 members and nearly 200 chapters in the United States.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 27071 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; x.com/aacnme
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