Vital Views

Nursing Education and Advocacy with Sofia Aragon

Dr. Jacqueline Killian interviews Sofia Aragon, Executive Director of the Washington Center for Nursing, about her journey. Sofia discusses her mother's influence, her multidisciplinary education in economics, nursing, and law, and her focus on health policy. She emphasizes the importance of advocacy in nursing leadership and the need to address social determinants of health in nursing education. Sofia also highlights the need for better data-informed policies and concerns about potential policy reversals under new federal leadership. This episode features: Dr. Jacqueline Killian, Associate Professor of the UNLV School of Nursing Sofia Aragon, Executive Director of the Washington Center for Nursing

Nursing Informatics

Dr. Emily Boyce and Justin LeMay, a UNLV School of Nursing double-alumnus, discuss the importance of data metrics and guidelines in patient care. They highlight the need for optimizing workflows without disrupting them. LeMay notes the impact of technology, such as Epic, on nursing workflows and the adaptability of younger nurses to new technologies. Finally, he advises nurses interested in process improvement to identify quality improvement departments and analyze their own workflows for potential improvements.

Palliative Care with Dr. Lissi Hansen

Dr. Henna Lee and Dr. Lissi Hansen, the 2025 Yucha Lecture Speaker, discuss palliative and end-of-life care in nursing. Dr. shares her career journey from Denmark to the U.S., her transition to palliative and end-of-life care research, and her focus on caregiver burden and treatment decision-making. She emphasizes the need for early palliative care integration, advocating for nurses to be trained in basic palliative care elements like pain management and spiritual support.

Exploring Virtual Reality in Nursing

Carissa Hernandez, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student at UNLV, shares her journey from a professional flamenco dancer to a nurse. Her DNP project focuses on using virtual reality (VR) to enhance med-surg nurses' confidence and skills in responding to cardiac arrests. Based on her findings, the training was practical for both first-time and experienced users, and it aims to expand to other specialties and rural clinics.

The Importance of Early Education in Cardiovascular Health with Dr. Dieu-My Tran

For American Heart Health Month, Dr. Dieu-My Tran, an associate professor at UNLV School of Nursing, discusses cardiovascular health, particularly heart disease. She highlights that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, especially post-menopausal, due to the loss of estrogen's protective effects. Dr. Tran emphasizes the importance of early education on heart health, especially for young adults and college students, as lifestyle choices formed during these years can impact long-term heart health.