Nursing and Dental Hygiene Research/Scholarship Shines at Annual Poster Festival
From tackling health literacy through role-playing games to drawing connections between gum disease and heart health, the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene’s (UH Manoa SONDH) nurses and dental hygiene students are doing more than studying—they’re making a difference.
At this year’s annual Research and Scholarship Poster Festival, hosted by SONDH, 48 student and community partner’s presentations (posters) lined the UH Manoa Campus Center ballroom. Each poster showcased a research or scholarly project seeking to address health challenges facing Hawaii’s communities.
Students across all levels (bachelor’s to doctoral), and nursing professionals shared their research and scholarship, bringing energy, insight and local perspective to topics that matter. Attendees included students, peers, faculty, and nursing professionals from The Queen’s Health Systems and Tripler Army Medical Center, creating a rich space for learning and collaboration.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for students and local nursing professionals to network. We have created a safe space to learn and we hope that participants will now feel comfortable and confident to submit abstracts and present their work at local or national professional conferences,” says Holly Fontenot, PhD, WHNP-BC, FAAN, FNAP, Professor, and Associate Dean for Research at SONDH. “I was very impressed by the creativity and rigor of each project; there is a real opportunity to expand the work showcased to improve the health outcomes of our community.”
The posters spanned a wide range of subjects. One standout was “Caught Up in the Plaque,” a pair of projects by dental hygiene students Larissa Lee and Isaiah Castro, that explored how oral health may be linked to cardiovascular disease.
Then there was Aaron Ramirez’s eye-catching contribution: a tabletop role-playing game called Kaona, designed to boost health literacy in Hawaii’s youth in a post-COVID world.
Also spotted was Joan Christel Simms’s presentation on a game-based strategy to help prospective students feel more connected to advanced nursing education with the poster, “Improving Communication and Collaboration in a DNP Program through Technology.”
For many of the 117 attendees, especially students preparing to enter the workforce, the festival wasn’t just a chance to show off their hard work, it was their first opportunity to talk story with professionals already in the field.
“What I love most is how the students’ work uses evidence-based practices and innovation to solve real world problems,” says Donna-Marie Palakiko, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor at SONDH. “The event is a learning opportunity for all.”
A panel of judges evaluated each abstract submitted for acceptance to the poster festival. ‘Best Abstract Awards’ were given for presentations in each category:
Dental Hygiene: Kaysha Mokulehua, “Autism Spectrum Disorder and Oral Health”
Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing: Namie Sato, “Diabetes Group Education and Support Leads to Improved Patient Outcomes”
Master’s of Science in Nursing: Mika Endo, “Aligning health education with the ethical implications of emerging health technologies: A systematic review”
Doctor of Nursing Practice: Nami Watanabe, “Development of School-Based Referral System for Sexual Health Services”
Community Partners: Michelle Palmer, “Screening for Newborn Hypoglycemia in Term Normal Birth Weight Newborns; Why it Matters”