Students from The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing made an impressive display at the 7th Annual Interprofessional Health Showcase, hosted by the Center for Health Interprofessional Practice and Education. Held in April 2025, the event brought together students from across health disciplines to present innovative, collaborative projects aimed at improving patient care, health systems and community well-being.
This year, nursing students contributed to award-winning work across a range of categories, including quality improvement, community engagement, literature review and interprofessional projects.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student Dawn McElvain, APRN, notably earned first place in the Quality Improvement category and second place in the Interprofessional Project category for her capstone work. Her project “Sleep Disorder Screening in Children with Headache: A Quality Improvement Initiative” was a collaboration with colleagues in medicine and nursing faculty members Jennifer Flippo, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS, CNEcl, clinical assistant professor, and Stephanie Key, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, clinical assistant professor, reflected the real-world application of team-based health care.
Each team presentation was reviewed by a panel of interprofessional judges and evaluated based on impact, innovation and collaborative approach. Nursing students worked alongside peers from medicine, pharmacy, social work, public health and other disciplines, modeling the team-based care critical to modern health systems.
Other Featured Projects Involving Nursing Students:
Timi Ariyo, RN, T32 Fellow: Enhancing Resource Navigation of Individuals Living with Sickle Cell Disease in Central Texas (Multi-disciplinary team; primary affiliation outside Nursing)
Elizabeth Hotchkiss, BSN student, and Cara Young, PhD, RN, FNP-C, FAANP, FAAN, associate professor: Emotional Labor and Wellbeing in Undergraduate Nursing Students (18–24): A Descriptive Study
Janet Truong, BSN student, and Stephanie Key, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, clinical assistant professor: Impact of Chronic Skin Conditions on the Quality of Life in Children and Their Parents: A Literature Review
Matt Vitemb, RN, LCSW, MSN-PMHNP student: Literature Review of fMRI Observations of Untreated and SSRI-Treated Subjects with Major Depression Compared to Healthy Controls
Natalie Bogue, MSN, RN, PMHNP candidate, and Lila Tenenbown, MSN, RN and PMHNP candidate: Use of Methylated Folate as an Adjuvant Therapy in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in Adolescents
Gabrielle Gallardo, BSN, MSN-PMHNP student: New Frontiers in Depression Treatment: Comparing Ketamine with Established Options
Jeremy Martinelli, RN, AG-CNS/DNP student: HIV Screening Uptake in Non-Clinical Settings for U.S. MSM Populations