Three BSN ’08 graduates, Nikela Harris, Sandy Talioaga, and Linda Pisa, have been accepted for publication by the Journal of Holistic Nursing. The article, titled “Hospitals Going Green: a Holistic View of the Issue and the Critical Role of the Nurse Leader,” will appear in the March 2009 issue.
Nikela Harris writes, “The healthcare industry produces millions of tons of waste each year and is one of the largest consumers of energy in the United States. The waste that hospitals produce affects not only the environment, but the health of the patients and staff within the hospital walls. Nightingale began the charge toward implementing environmental change, and nurses today are called to continue this integral mission. Nurses, having a holistic viewpoint, responsibility to serve the public, and strong desire to care, have a duty and, importantly, the opportunity to make the hospital an environmentally sustainable environment.”
Their research on this topic grew out of a project they began while taking a NURS 490 Senior Synthesis course. Dr. Toni Vezeau, who teaches Senior Synthesis, reports that they are the fourth group of undergraduates from this course to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. She goes on to add, “They had a great idea, accepted rigorous feedback, and really persisted. I am very proud of them. For me, it continues to reaffirm that holding the bar high and providing support is what we do well.”