SPARK! Undergraduate Research Program
Learn more about the Students as Professionals Acquiring Research Knowledge (SPARK!) program, which is a platform for undergraduate nursing and paramedicine students to cultivate clinical research skills.
College of Nursing Research
Improving Care Through Research
At Creighton University’s College of Nursing, we’re moving big ideas forward. As part of our Jesuit, Catholic mission, we teach students to strive for magis, or “more,” and nursing and paramedicine research is essential to providing that “more” in healthcare. It’s how we find better treatment options, discover new approaches to care and champion safety. Our faculty are contributing to innovations in healthcare practice and advancing teaching techniques, while also being engaged in discovery and receiving support at the institutional level.
Center for Faculty, Innovation, Research and Education (FIRE)
FIRE is at the heart of the College of Nursing’s culture of scholarship. The donor-funded center was established to elevate research within the college and help pay for research time and secure seed funding. In addition to supporting innovative research, the center promotes scholarly lectures and addresses critical healthcare issues.
FIRE echoes the charge of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius of Loyola to “set the world on fire” and spark change—enabling faculty to devote time to solely focus on research and mentor students in scholarship.
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Research Focus Areas
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Educational Innovations
Creighton is leading the way in interprofessional education, competency-based assessment, simulation, virtual reality and artificial intelligence to enhance nursing education and practice. Our scholars create methods to evaluate student competency in simulated scenarios and clinical learning environments, including the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument® (C-CEI 2.0) and the Creighton Interprofessional Collaborative Evaluation (C-ICE©) Tool.
Scholarly Work
- Exploring the Development of an Interprofessional Situational Judgment Test
- Utilizing the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument (C-CEI) as a Real-time Method of Online Peer-Evaluation in the Simulation Setting
- Assessing Competency: An Integrative Review of The Creighton Simulation Evaluation Instrument (C-SEI) and Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument (C-CEI)
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Palliative Care
Our faculty are regionally and nationally recognized for advancing interprofessional primary palliative care competency, preparing healthcare professionals for difficult conversations, and supporting end-of-life decision making. Palliative care resources developed by Creighton scholars include the Pediatric Go Wish Together tool and ELNEC Resources for Nursing Faculty.
Scholarly Work
- Palliative care knowledge and self-awareness in active and observing undergraduate nursing students after end-of-life simulation
- Providing clarity: communicating the benefits of palliative care beyond end-of-life support
- Interprofessional primary palliative care: Do the AACN Essentials prepare nurses for collaborative practice?
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Leadership
College of Nursing scholars are exploring best practices in nursing leadership to enhance healthcare systems and patient outcomes. Students benefit from opportunities to engage as leaders in advocacy, research, and service and justice.
Scholarly Work
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Population Health
Our researchers are focusing on vulnerable populations, including school health, maternal/newborn care, refugee health, and age-friendly, culturally sensitive care.
Scholarly Work
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- Nursing students educate on population health, engage elementary students
- Nursing students plan impactful programs at Phoenix community organizations
- Creighton Nursing & CommonSpirit to Pilot AI Prototype to Enhance Patient Care
- Four Proposals Receive President’s Fund in Population Health Grants (AI-Enhanced Refugee Health: Smarter Solutions for Wellness)
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Precision Health and Genomics
Our scholars are advancing the integration of genetic and genomic knowledge into nursing practice, with a focus on pharmacogenomic testing and personalized medicine.
Scholarly Work
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Behavioral and Psychiatric Mental Health
College of Nursing scholars are addressing workforce development, self-care and first aid for stress to support mental well-being in nursing and healthcare professionals. For example, the College of Nursing has developed a Stress First Aid course, aimed to help participants identify and mitigate the negative impacts of stress before they impair health and well-being. Explore our Stress First Aid course.
Scholarly Work
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Rural Health and Workforce Development
Creighton’s College of Nursing is enhancing access to quality healthcare in rural communities and other critical shortage areas through workforce expansion and innovative care models.
Scholarly Work
- Development of a Diabetes Rural Stakeholder Research Team and Patient-Centered Research Agenda
- Changes in Dietary Inflammatory Index Score over Time and Cancer Development in Rural Post-Menopausal Women
- Telehealth Occupation-Based Coaching for Rural Parents of Children With Type 1 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
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Emotional Wellbeing
The Department of Paramedicine is partnering with soundBrilliance on an innovative study exploring how digital audio technology can support emotional wellbeing among paramedicine and nursing students. The research examines whether calm measurement systems and audio prototypes can help students manage stress and process the emotional impact of their clinical experiences. This early-phase project aims to inform future tools that help healthcare students build resilience and approach patient care with greater empathy and composure.
The College of Nursing focuses on fostering resilience among students and faculty, and faculty are also contributing to research related to self-care strategies.
Scholarly Works
Areas to Explore
Scholar Awards
Take a look at the awards the College of Nursing has established for faculty and other leaders who advance nursing practice through research, education and leadership.
