Margaret O’Connor ’25 BSN, a recent graduate of the Washington State University College of Nursing and the WSU Honors College, has published her thesis research in the peer-reviewed journal Explore alongside College of Nursing Dean Mary Koithan.
Their article, titled Integrative Pain Management in Orthopedic Postoperative Care, outlines an evidence-based, multimodal protocol that combines conventional treatment with nonpharmacologic therapies—music therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA)—to address postoperative orthopedic pain. The approach is designed to improve patient outcomes, reduce opioid use, and support whole-person healing.
O’Connor conducted a systematic review of 23 high-quality studies, identifying strong evidence that these three integrative therapies can significantly reduce pain, opioid consumption, and recovery complications. Inspired by Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, her proposed integrative pain management plan can be layered with traditional pharmacologic care and adapted to individual patient preferences, aiming to enhance recovery and promote patient autonomy.
This work was the culmination of O’Connor’s honors thesis and was presented at the 2025 Western Institute of Nursing Conference earlier this year. O’Connor began her nursing residency in Spokane, WA this July.
Dean Koithan, an expert in integrative nursing and symptom management, praised O’Connor’s research for “highlighting practical, patient-centered solutions that can move the needle in post-surgical care.”
The article is freely available online via Explore (Elsevier).
About the Nursing Honors Program
The Nursing Honors Program at WSU offers high-achieving freshmen the opportunity for early admission to the BSN program through the Honors College. Students spend two years in Pullman completing Honors and nursing prerequisites, then transition to Spokane for upper-division nursing courses and their Honors thesis. This pathway combines rigorous academics with personalized advising and culminates in earning a BSN with Honors.
