Sarah Strand ’13:
My poster was entitled “Exploration of High School Students’ Perceptions Regarding Mental Health and Mental Health Nursing.” I surveyed 20 high school-aged participants at the Gustavus Summer Institute of Nursing, with each question addressing either participants’ perceptions of psychiatric patients or their perceptions of working in a mental healthcare setting. Upon analysis of participants’ responses, I found that students had a more positive view of working in a mental healthcare setting than they did of psychiatric patients. Additionally, their area of residence (urban, suburban, or rural), as well as any experience working in a healthcare setting did not impact their responses, while any experience with psychiatric disorders did significantly impact their responses to the questionnaire.
It was exciting to have the opportunity to speak with a number of mental health nurses interested in my findings, as well as gaining insight into a number of different areas of nursing during the other sessions at the conference. It was inspiring to simply be in the presence of so many nurses who are passionate about pursuing nursing research to better serve their patients. I hope to continue to attend conferences such as these throughout my career and to complete more nursing research in the future!