Photo By Keisha Frith | Registered nurse1st Lt. Hannah Melkun who is in her final year in the United States...... read more read more
FORT LIBERTY, NC --The passion for learning, growth, and excellence propelled registered nurse 1st Lt. Hannah Melkun, who is in her final year of the United States Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing (USAGPAN, to become involved in research. She was then selected by the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) to represent Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC) at the 2023 Annual Congress in August.
“The faculty and staff are strong advocates of us becoming involved in research,” said Melkun. “Their support and guidance are what propelled me to volunteer for a research project during my first year in graduate school.”
Clinical Site Director for the program, Lt. Col. Kevin Worth said, “the importance of research for learners is to pursue the truth and factual evidence to answer clinical questions. The answers to these questions will guide their clinical practice with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes.”
Melkun presented research on the topic Sternal Intraosseous Epinephrine Administration in a Hypovolemic Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Model.
“This topic focused on the utilization of a small device that is inserted into the sternum to deliver life-saving medications such as epinephrine during a trauma case that suffers cardiac arrest. Specifically, we analyzed the use of this device in pediatric patients suffering from hemorrhagic shock,” said Melkun.
“Melkun's presentation showcased the USAGPAN and the United States Military's commitment to research in damage control surgery and resuscitation to the attendees of the AANA annual congress, including, military and civilian leaders, clinicians. faculty from healthcare systems and educational institutions throughout the United States,” said Worth.
AANA draws anesthesia providers from all over the country.
“You're surrounded by thousands of motivated, inspirational registered nurse anesthetists and student nurse anesthetists from all across the country while learning up-to-date information in our profession and how that can apply to us back here at WAMC,” said Melkun. “To be selected for something like that is a substantial honor.”
Attending these conferences provides valuable opportunities to learn about new developments such as medications, guidelines, and technology, allowing residents like Melkun to stay current in her field and avoid falling behind in her career.
“By myself going there, I was able to show people that this is a device that's been on the market for a while, but maybe this has some utility in a different setting, and I think that's really why we go to these conferences, just to see what is out there that we are just not exposed to yet,” said Melkun.
Attending the conference was somewhat of a challenge for Melkun along with other learners because they have a lot of other responsibilities. However, for her this was still a priority. She is grateful to her faculty and staff for encouraging and supporting her throughout the process. Melkun said they played a significant role in completing the necessary paperwork and ensuring her participation in the conference.
“I think it's incredibly important for us to represent our program at this level, to show the nation how the army prepares its student nurse anesthetists,” said Melkun. “Our program director, faculty, and staff teach us the importance of being able to provide anesthesia in austere conditions with little resources, a unique attribute of our program.”
Melkun is looking forward to participating in other conferences, to stay abreast of the changes within her profession and share that information with her classmates.
Melkun said, “This knowledge is paramount in my education and directly impacts my current practice as a student nurse anesthetist and my future practice as a deployable nurse anesthetist.”
| Date Taken: | 11.29.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.29.2023 16:48 |
| Story ID: | 458731 |
| Location: | FORT LIBERTY, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 182 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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