WSU College of Nursing senior Jacquelyn Deichman won a top award at the university’s undergraduate research showcase last week with her work on treatment of adolescent concussions.
The Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) was held on March 25 in Pullman.
Deichman took home a Crimson Award in the Social Sciences category for her poster, “Return-to-play Legislation and Concussions: Are More Youth Leaving the Emergency Department Without Being Seen?”
Her mentor was Janessa Graves, PhD, an assistant professor in the College of Nursing.
Deichman conducted the research for her WSU Honors College thesis. She used data to gauge whether a decade-old law in Washington was effective in making sure young athletes were evaluated by a healthcare provider after a concussion. Washington was the first state in the nation to pass such a law, with all other states passing similar laws in subsequent years.
By one measurement, the law has not been effective, Deichman found.
So-called “leave without being seen” rates kept rising even after the law was enacted. Deichman used data collected by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and diagnosis and disposition codes in her research.
She was one of 206 students from five WSU campuses who were chosen to present their research at SURCA. At the end of the scoring, 46 students were honored with either a Crimson Award or a Grey Award.
Shelley Pressley, director of WSU’s Office of Undergraduate Research, said SURCA has become a WSU tradition. “It is rewarding to see that this event, which our office launched in 2012, is one that brings together several segments of the community—the undergraduates, faculty, staff, and guests.”
–Addy Hatch, WSU College of Nursing
