ACAO and nursing instructor, Mike Evans publishes two research articles

Michael Evans, MSN, MSEd, RN, ACNS, CMSRN, CNE, and assistant chief academic officer and nursing faculty member at Penn State Worthington Scranton, recently had two articles published in MedSurg Matters, the official newsletter of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (vol. 22, no. 5).

"Bedside Reporting: Is it Enhancing Nursing Care?" is an article Mr. Evans developed for Dr. Judith Hupcey's Qualitative Methods in Health Research course. He also co-wrote "Peripheral IV Site Care: What the Evidence Shows" with Jacklyn S. DelPrete of Misericordia University.

Ms. DelPrete (nee Smith) developed the basis for the article during her undergraduate work while at Penn State Worthington Scrnaton, and then worked with Mr. Evans to make it a publishable piece of work.  Their article studied the current state of the science regarding peripheral IV's and the need to routinely replace them. Currently, most healthcare institutions have to routinely change IV catheters every 72 to 96 hours as per the Centers for Disease Control recommendation; however, current research shows that this may not be necessary.

This article is a key piece of research because if healthcare institutions institute the authors' recommendations, patient comfort can be enhanced by decreasing the number of intravenous (IV) sticks one has while in a hospital, while also saving the institution money.

The article on bedside reporting provides readers with an unbiased report on what the current literature shows on bedside reporting, which is a method of hand-off communication amongst nurses. The research shows that more evidence needs to be done on the topic and that nurses need to speak up and let their opinions be known about topics that impact them and their patients.

Board certified in medical surgical nursing and nursing education, Mr. Evans is published in the areas of nursing education and clinical practice. He also volunteers as an item writer for the Medical Surgical Nursing Certification Board and as a manuscript reviewer for the nursing newsletter, MedSurg Matters.

He is a member of many professional organizations including the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, National League for Nursing and the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, as well as the American Nurses Association and the American Diabetes Association.

Mr. Evans received an Associate of Science in nursing and his Bachelor of Science in nursing from Penn State University and a Master's of Science in nursing, with a specialization in adult health and a sub-specialization in nursing education from Misericordia University. In addition, he earned his Master of Science in education with a focus in professional studies from Capella University.

He is currently a doctoral student in the College of Nursing at Penn State University. He resides in Archbald with his wife, Stephanie.