Health Disparities in Colon Cancer Among African Americans

Aneena Panicker, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Nursing 

My capstone discusses health disparities that impact colorectal cancer screening among African Americans. Colon cancer is one the top leading cancers in the United States, yet it is one of the most treatable types of cancer when discovered and detected in early stages of the disease. Despite advanced technology and medical advancements, many marginalized populations such as African Americans are still suffering with the highest rates of late stage CRC diagnosis and succumbing to the disease compared to other racial/ethnic groups. This issue tends to raise the question of how to improve preventative healthcare measures such as screenings to address this gap and further reduce mortality rates. It is important to analyze these barriers that prevent or inhibit this population from receiving adequate care and seek solutions to combat it. Nurses are forefront leaders in creating change and can drastically improve the well-being of individuals who are neglected and underserved by the healthcare system. Further research and analysis led to the conclusion that socioeconomic barriers, perceived mindsets regarding screenings, and access to care all played a major role in reduced colon cancer screenings among African Americans, especially for men. However, there are many ways to further improve this initiative as nurses can increase education, enhance community engagement, and empower individuals to take health seeking behaviors.

The disparity difference in this population sparked my interest in researching this topic, in addition to learning more about the increase of colon cancer diagnoses among young individuals. This concerned me and I wanted to learn more about which populations may be most impacted. I expected the capstone to be a straightforward research process but in reality, it required the ability to navigate complex journal articles to draw conclusions and formulate an organized structure. The capstone encouraged critical thinking and enabled me to deep dive into complex ideas and concepts that further enhanced my understanding compared to my previous baseline comprehension of the topic. It was challenging trying to uncover the various issues that led to screening disparities, and interconnecting the issues was difficult, however statistical data was able to provide straightforward results which made it easier to synthesize into main ideas. What surprised me most about the literature reviews was how deep medical mistrust is among the African American community, which remains to this day. To further expand this research, I would conduct personalized interviews among individuals from this population to further understand their experiences which can further support statistical data and design culturally sensitive interventions.

I learned to comprehensively analyze patients and understand that there are multifactorial components that can impact a person's well-being and quality of life. From this research experience, I'm motivated and committed to utilizing this knowledge into the clinical setting and nursing practice. I hope to advocate for policies and programs that help bring equitable care to vulnerable patient populations and dismantle systemic bias that is present in the healthcare system.

Understanding Relationship Dynamics of Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder

Victoria Wallace, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Psychology

My research objective was to examine individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder and how they act and maintain familial, friendship, romantic, and occupational relationships. In essence, family relationships would often face high amounts of stress and emotional pain due to the individual with BPD's symptoms. Friendships are likely to be unstable, with periodic conflict and problems setting and respecting one's boundaries. Romantic relationships are rooted with insecurity, recurring arguments, and attachment problems. In the workplace, people with BPD may struggle with facing stigma, handling tasks, meeting performance expectations, and managing tense relationships with coworkers and bosses. Effective treatment requires understanding these relational struggles and using encompassing support systems, like family education and workplace interventions, to improve emotional regulation and communication.

What motivated me the most in writing and exploring BPD and its relational dynamics is mainly because of my family. One of my closest cousins, who is like another sister to me, had been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder about ten years back. Growing up, I always wondered why my cousin would bicker, argue, and yell so much with almost every person she met, as well as witness the impulsive behaviors and instability within her friendships, relationships, and interactions with public acquaintances like cashiers. After researching this field, I now see and empathize with my cousin on a different level of understanding.

I personally thought that the capstone project would be simple, as if it were any 12-page paper that had to be written for a course, but the more I sat down to work on my project, the more difficult it became. It was challenging to articulate my words into what I wanted my paper to say, but upon reflection, I feel that I put my best foot forward and dedicated much time into creating and perfecting my paper.

Throughout this capstone experience, not only have I learned how to compose a graduate-level paper, but I also learned the value of time, effort and dedication. Some days I would come home from work and go right on to school whether online or in person, and get to work on my capstone, because I felt a sense of urgency to complete it in a timely manner, as well as dedication to seeing the project through to the end. Being able to balance working full time, attending class and completing classwork and assignments, and the requirements of this capstone required strong time management and perseverance. The experience taught me the importance of pushing through and staying committed to my end goal, even on the most difficult days.

The most important takeaway from this research project in my opinion is to never judge a person, because behind the scenes, you do not know what is going on in that person's life. That person may be an individual with BPD, or a loved one to that individual, and you never know what obstacles they face on a day to day basis. Always treat others with kindness and respect.