SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Presentation By Bria Greenlee

The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused massive economic downfall on a global scale. One of the most severe economic downturns was in India. India’s economy declined 24% between April and June of 2020 (Daniyal, 2020). This was a massive loss for India after the major improvements the country has made over the last several decades which can be attributed to its economy reform in the early 1990s. India was working its way up to achieve great global influence but was drastically impacted by the effects of the Coronavirus. India now faces an economic emergency. It is imperative that India regains economic control so that the nation can continue to project its power throughout the world and grow to be a global influence. In this presentation I intend to examine India’s government to determine how poor planning policies implemented both during and after the outbreak of Covid-19 factor into India’s poor economic state. I will give insight into the state of India’s economy before the outbreak of Covid-19, during the peak of the virus, and how economic experts believe India will fare in the future in recovering from this economic crisis. Additionally, I will examine the political policies implemented in India before and during the pandemic to express how the poor political decisions may have created a larger impact on the economy in the long run.

Presentation By Alina Battaglia

There is a continuous need for society to develop, adapt and implement new policies and procedures in order to maintain growth. Healthcare is one aspect of society that is constantly being refined in new ways to accommodate this growth. With the spread of the coronavirus, reformation of society was global and healthcare was at the forefront of these substantial changes. Nurses were among the people who were directly affected by these changes and had to adapt new practices of care such as PPE procedures and caring for COVID patients. Nurses have a duty to take care of their own well-being as well as their families during these times. The stress and emotional exhaustion that nurses endured during the pandemic and continue to face is enormous. Nursing burnout is already prevalent even without the virus, and now the coronavirus has made burnout rates even more prevalent. The new policies and procedures also have an effect on the future of nursing care and the nursing students who are trying to learn the profession with limited resources and experience. Overall, nursing care has been changed forever and if there is one thing to take away, it is that nurses will always be there for those in need. This presentation will focus on how the standard of nursing care has changed through the coronavirus pandemic and examine the mental and emotional effects of the virus on nurses as well as look into what the future of nursing care will be moving forward.

Poster By Victoria Dower

Hemolysis is defined as the breakdown of red blood cells creating a red tinge to the serum or plasma. The red cell breakdown causes interference with the testing methodology for ABO tube and gel testing leading to inaccurate results. It was hypothesized that zinc acetate addition to hemolyzed plasma samples will remove free hemoglobin for better visualization of antigen-antibody agglutination. Forty-five specimens were reverse ABO typed. EDTA plasma samples were initially ABO typed, 1.4 g/dl of hemolysate was added to each plasma sample. Hemolysis was removed using 300 ul of 0.003 M zinc acetate. Pre- and post-zinc acetate ABO typing's were compared. Results between the initial ABO reverse typing's and the plasma treated with zinc acetate yielded the same results in 84% of the specimens tested; however, agglutination was weaker in the treated plasmas. The weaker reaction was attributed to a dilutional effect from the addition of reagents.

Poster By Colleen Collins

Validation of a new automated instrument must be compared to an in-use instrument of the same standard to ensure accurate patient testing. This correlational study was performed for validation of a new Helmer CWII Automated Cell Washing System by using the protocol provided by the manufacturer and determining that patient testing can reproduce the same results as the current cell washer. Twelve blood specimens were washed with both instruments followed by AHG and Coombs-control phase of testing. The protocol also requires testing of the new instrument for proper filling of the tubes with no hemolysis, a delineated cell button, and a clear supernatant. The results from this study confirmed that the new cell washer is comparable to the current cell washer. This affirms that patient testing can be performed using the new instrument and it follows American Association of Blood Bank (AABB) technical standards.

Poster By Gabrielle Morgan

A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) debilitates a person and often prevents the individual from being a functional member of society. This poster explores the importance of occupational therapists utilizing innovative techniques in order to help people with a TBI physically, cognitively, and emotionally. Interventions currently being used to help patients with TBI as well as newer techniques such as music and yoga therapies, will be discussed. Depending on the severity of the trauma, the effects can impact an individual's daily functioning across one’s lifespan. The overall need for interventions for the patients and their families to help improve mentality, motor movements, and a sense of independence as well as the role of the occupational therapist in providing these interventions are discussed in this poster.