By Catherine Duncan
\nAfter obtaining her first bachelor\u2019s degree in biology at The University of Texas at San Antonio, Cristina Cruz admits she began working on her\u00a0Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio with a very narrow view of research and nursing.\u00a0 \u201cI learned nursing is a much bigger and more complex world than I ever imagined,\u201d she said. \u201cI had no idea that my background as a biologist would be a great foundation\u00a0for conducting nursing research.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her current participation in the School of Nursing\u2019s SUNRISE program now has her setting her sights on a career in research by attaining her Ph.D. in nursing research.\u00a0 Frank Puga, Ph.D., and Lisa Cleveland, Ph.D., RN, CPNP, serve as Cruz\u2019s mentors for the SUNRISE program.
\nHer research topic is \u201cThe Relationship Between the Social Environment, Stress and Health Outcomes in Pregnant Opioid Using Women.\u201d
\n\u201cAlthough Cristina already had experience in lab-based research, she is now gaining more diverse research skills and incorporating more of a holistic view of how behavior affects health,\u201d Dr. Puga said. \u201cThe SUNRISE program ties into these nursing students\u2019 curriculum. This gives Cristina and the other undergraduate students the opportunity to take what they are learning in the classroom and bring it into their research.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cruz said she is excited about their research project studying how social support affects the mental health of pregnant women with opioid use disorders.
\nFor the project, they are interviewing women and administering surveys to characterize the types of stressors these women face.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of the women we work with experienced trauma in their lives. They have uncertainty about the pregnancy and maintaining custody of their child,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are measuring social support and stress experienced by these women and the effect this has on their mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Puga said that by looking at the stressors and the outcomes, they can determine how social support can help. \u201cWe can then determine what evidence-based practices should be implemented in communities to help these women. We can use research to develop interventions that can help women and their infants be healthier and happier.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By participating in the SUNRISE program, Cristina Cruz was introduced to the world of research and nursing. This unique experience has led her to setting her sights on attaining her Ph.D. in nursing research. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"magazine":[24],"issue-year":[20],"featured-story":[],"class_list":["post-484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","magazine-tribute","issue-year-20"],"yoast_head":"\n