Doctoral nursing students advance ECU’s research legacy, global impact
Three East Carolina University College of Nursing doctoral students will graduate in May, bringing a wealth of innovation and knowledge to the profession through their research and scholarship in an innovative BSN-to-Ph.D. program.
In April, ECU was announced as an R1 research institution, placing it among the most productive research institutions in the nation. Part of the R1 determination is an accounting of the number of doctoral-level degrees conferred each year. This year’s cohort of doctoral nursing students adds to the university’s total, a sign of the continuing importance of the college to the legacy of research at ECU.
From simulation training to pain management during birth and physical and mental health care for refugees, Kaitlin Banasiewicz, Brittany Baker Cherry and Marianne Choufani have embodied the Pirate spirit of service through their research-based education.
Kaitlin Banasiewicz
Kaitlin Banasiewicz is from Greenville but currently lives in Bowling Green, Ky., where she is focusing full time on starting a family and finishing her doctoral degree in nursing.
Kaitlin Banasiewicz will graduate in May with a Ph.D. from the College of Nursing.
A two-time Pirate, Banasiewicz graduated from ECU with a bachelor’s in nursing and a master’s in health systems leadership. Prior to starting the Ph.D. program, she worked as a labor and delivery nurse at ECU Health Medical Center.
Attending high school in Pitt County, Banasiewicz participated in the Health Sciences Academy, a selective program that exposes high school students to a range of health sciences professions so they can make an informed decision about their education future.
“I shadowed a labor nurse, who I later went on to work with, who was so passionate about supporting her patients through their labor experience, and fell in love with the profession,” Banasiewicz said.
Her dissertation, titled “A grounded theory study of birthing people’s decision-making on childbirth pain management,” explored how sociocultural factors influence decision making about pain management during childbirth for first-time mothers.
Banasiewicz said the leadership and research opportunities she was offered in the Ph.D. program solidified her choice to pursue a career that combines her dual interests in health care administration and nursing research.
“Working as a graduate research assistant for the CON afforded me many opportunities to work with faculty on their research where I gained additional research experience and made great connections,” Banasiewicz said.
The course of her future is already set — she recently accepted the position of director of patient safety and clinical research at Med Center Health in Bowling Green.
Brittany Baker Cherry
Brittany Baker Cherry, a two-time Pirate nurse from Tarboro who graduated with a BSN in 2013 and a Master of Science in nursing in 2020, will make it a hat trick when she graduates in May.
Brittany Baker Cherry will graduate in May with a Ph.D. from the College of Nursing.
Cherry worked at the bedside in surgical oncology for two years after graduation and then transferred to the surgical unit at ECU Edgecombe, where she worked in both medical-surgery and rehabilitation and as the assistant nurse manager. After completing her master’s degree, she started work as a nursing instructor at Edgecombe Community College, where she has taught for almost five years.
“I became a nurse because of my deep compassion for others and my desire to help those in need. I wanted to be there for people when they couldn’t care for themselves, offering comfort and reassurance during difficult times,” Cherry said. “Nursing allowed me not only to provide physical care but also to lift their spirits and show them they were not alone.”
Cherry said her parents and grandparents had a significant influence on her decision to pursue a career in nursing, teaching her the importance of kindness, empathy and caring for others.
“It’s a profession that allows me to make a real difference in people’s lives, and that’s what inspired me to follow this path,” Cherry said.
Cherry’s dissertation — titled “The impact of virtual simulation on clinical judgment development in undergraduate nursing students: A pilot study” — focused on providing opportunities for students to learn critical skills, especially clinical judgment, in a safe and controlled environment.
Nursing educators, Cherry said, seek innovative ways to enhance clinical judgment, which is essential to patient care. Working to improve clinical judgment led her to explore how virtual simulation could play a role in its development, using a clinical judgment rubric tool rather than focusing solely on student perceptions. Limited research on how virtual simulation impacts clinical judgment development, especially within the classroom context, has created a gap in the literature. Cherry said an opportunity to close that gap in missing research inspired her to conduct a pilot study to collect data and examine how virtual simulation could support the development of clinical judgment in nursing students.
“Two of my favorite experiences during the program were the months spent conducting my study with the students and collecting data. During that time, I truly realized how well my professors had prepared me for that moment,” Cherry said. “Another highlight was successfully defending my dissertation in the public defense, which was a rewarding accomplishment.”
Cherry said she plans to keep presenting her research and publishing her findings while continuing to teach and conduct research in nursing education, with a focus on using virtual simulation to enhance clinical judgment development.
Marianne R. Choufani
Marianne R. Choufani is decidedly from eastern North Carolina, having grown up in Wilmington, and she’ll be two-time Pirate nurse when she graduates in May. But her experiences with the refugees from the war in Ukraine have shaped the trajectory of her career.
Marianne Choufani will graduate in May with a Ph.D. from the College of Nursing.
She entered the nursing profession due to a desire to help others. She started her career as a mother/baby nurse and has transitioned to work as a public health nurse in an elementary school.
Choufani said a study abroad trip to Guatemala instilled her passion for public health, and subsequent research projects focusing on minority and underserved populations have fueled her motivation to assist with research on health care access for Ukrainian refugees.
“The most impactful experience during this program was my trip to Poland with Dr. Kim Larson where I assisted her with research on intercultural nursing care of refugees from Ukraine. We interviewed nurses in Poland about the care they provided for Ukrainian refugees, Choufani said.
Her dissertation, which resulted from her research experience in Poland, is titled “Perspectives of refugees from Ukraine on culture and healthcare experiences during U.S. resettlement.”
Her support of the Ukrainian diaspora continued after her return to North Carolina. She conducted a pilot ethnography with Ukrainian nurses in the U.S. and an interpretive description study with Ukrainian refugees in North Carolina. She plans to continue working in public health to benefit those in the state and beyond.