Shot or Not? An Analysis of Parental Vaccine Hesitancy in the United States

Julianna Ficarra, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Nursing

For my capstone, I chose to complete a literature review about pediatric vaccine hesitancy among parents in the United States. I am particularly interested in this topic because I have worked for a pediatrician for several years and have been exposed to parents making decisions about their children's vaccines almost every day. Many parents would look to me for advice, and I realized that even though I would never push my personal opinion on them, I didn't even have any factual information to guide them with! The office provides printed supplemental information from the CDC website for parents about each vaccine, and gives them time to do other research as they see fit, and I wanted to do some research of my own.

I had a great experience writing my capstone paper with the tremendous help form Professor Brillhart, who also played a part in inspiring me to choose this topic. I also spoke to another wonderful Professor of mine, Professor Erichsen, about some ideas I was brainstorming, and she reinforced the idea to look into pediatric vaccines as well. I am very fortunate to have met these two professors through CSI's Nursing program and continue to learn from them even after completing their courses.

I expected that completing this capstone project would be time-consuming, challenging, and eye opening, and I was correct! It was easy to write about something I'm passionate about once I got started, and I was surprised by how much information is out there to support both points of view regarding pediatric and adolescent vaccine administration. I also looked into how the United States compared to other countries on this topic, such as Australia. I would further explore the personal fears and opinions of parents in my community regarding pediatric vaccine administration.

Through my research, I found that many of the driving factors that influence parental vaccine hesitancy are socioeconomic challenges, traditional and cultural beliefs, social media misinformation and overall lack of knowledge. Many parents were also influenced by a study published in 1998 that stated that the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine was connected to autism. This study was retracted several years later, after it had created fear in parents all over the world. Through completion of this paper, I will take with me key APA format corrections that Professor Brillhart taught me, along with all of the information I discovered regarding the reasons behind parental vaccine hesitancy.

 

 

Greenwashing Exposed

Ethan Shalem, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Political Science

My capstone project began with researching a topic related to natural science and political aspects, and I chose greenwashing and the consumer product industry, with Professor Diana Judd as my mentor. Greenwashing is when a large corporation uses terms like Green, Eco-Friendly, Sustainable, & Biodegradable to deceive a consumer into purchasing their product. At one point, there were no regulations on the types of false claims made on products, and policies are needed to regulate scientific ideas and discoveries. The government enacted congressional acts like The Textile Act of 1958 (which protected consumers from mis-advertisement in the textile industry) and federal programs like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC, protecting consumers from product mis-advertisement).The ultimate goal of my capstone was to research greenwashing and to assert that politics needs to influence and regulate natural science.

The case that I cover in my capstone project is about how Kohls and Walmart violated The Textile Act back in 2022. They advertised some textile products (clothing, bedsheets, pillow sheets, etc.) as bamboo products as being sustainable/environmentally friendly. A study showed that the so-called bamboo products were made from a chemically treated wood pulp called rayon. These products were being falsely advertised to consumers. Both retailers advertised these products with greenwashing wording, luring customers to purchase the products because of their assumed environmental sustainability.

My research found that the production of rayon has very negative effects on the environment and the factory workers producing it. The chemicals used to break down the wood pulp are usually released into waterways, contaminating different groups of species. Most importantly, the factory workers get exposed to these chemicals. The chemicals were found to be harmful to reproductive health, and many of the workers had no idea about this. The chemical process was banned from the United States due to how toxic it is, and we source the needed materials from third-world countries.

A philosopher that we covered in one of my classes was named Francis Bacon. He believed in the importance of transparency and scientific information being available to all. One of his most profound objectives was the clear goal of simply benefitting society. He never sought fame or profit for his research and findings. He was very much against the manipulation of science and false theories without substantial support backing the claims. Bacon introduced us to the Idols of the Mind, specifically the Idols of the Market Place. This is described as the troubles some of all the idols Bacon presents. This idol represents the false information communicated between people, such as a simple error in the information that is spread around. I had a great time reading and understanding what Bacon dedicated his life to. Professor Judd did a great job of teaching this course, and she was very knowledgeable on the philosophy topics. As she liked to say, “everything is better with Bacon,” and we were able to see Bacon’s ideas spread across to different philosophers over the years. He had a huge influence on natural science and politics, believing in the separation of natural sciences from the ideologies of the church.

Philosophers like Bacon have provided us with great knowledge. We can still apply this knowledge to modern-day occurrences, like greenwashing. As mentioned, unchecked industries like the rayon industry can lead to a whole list of issues. This included corporate greed, consumer deception, environmental destruction, and even worker exploitation. Politics can act as a safeguard, ensuring that science is developed and used responsibly. Global cooperation along with domestic cooperation will ensure that greenwashing is minimized or even removed.

We need to ensure that science is there for safe public usage. The fight against greenwashing is a human-wide issue. Although the cases mentioned took place in the United States, the issues begin when the products are being manufactured. When politics influence science, it can create the opportunity to establish regulations for corporations to follow. These regulations are in favor of consumer health and transparency, as evidenced by the FTC’s actions and The Textile Act of 1958. Politics has had a greater impact on natural science, ensuring corporate accountability, consumer transparency, and environmental protection.

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.