{"id":194023,"date":"2023-01-11T11:02:03","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T18:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.boisestate.edu\/nursing\/?p=194023"},"modified":"2026-08-06T19:18:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T01:18:59","slug":"unexpected-opportunities-in-undergrad-nursing-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boisestate.edu\/nursing\/2023\/01\/11\/unexpected-opportunities-in-undergrad-nursing-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Unexpected opportunities in undergrad nursing research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known for a long time that I\u2019ve wanted to be a midwife,\u201d Margaret Quatraro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Margaret Quatraro stands with her husband at the School of Nursing Convocation ceremony in Dec. 2022.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Quatraro graduated this past December with her bachelor\u2019s in nursing. She now works at St. Luke\u2019s labor and delivery department with goals to further her education through midwifery school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when she started<\/a> at the School of Nursing in August 2020, she didn\u2019t think she\u2019d be getting into research projects or publishing scholarly articles. But at the encouragement of associate professor Cara Gallegos, Quatraro applied to work as an undergraduate research assistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is so glad she did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Playing a major role as a student<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe research that I’ve done here has been really cool, especially the weight bias research,\u201d Quatraro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weight-bias simulation and study was just one branch of the Patient Voice Project<\/a> in which Quatraro helped recruit and interview the patient participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBiases are a huge problem that hold us back,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was fun to find a voice who was willing to share her experiences and use that to create this study.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was also part of the team to analyze the effectiveness of the weight-bias simulation and publish<\/a> their findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, undergraduate research assistants at the School of Nursing pair with faculty and assist their research endeavors. But Quatraro\u2019s research autonomy increased with each project she worked on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Margaret
Quatraro and John Henry Dye, another undergraduate research assistant, both worked on the weight-bias research project.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During her final semester of the nursing program, Quatraro worked more independently on mindfulness research. Gallegos mentored her from an arm\u2019s length, encouraging her: \u201cYou write the paper, you make the Qualtrics<\/a>, you analyze the data,\u201d Quatraro said. \u201cThat\u2019s been really fun to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Quatraro, one of the \u201ccoolest things\u201d about doing research at Boise State was the opportunity to work side-by-side with doctorally-prepared nursing faculty and meet other scholars at conferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEspecially going to WIN<\/a> and realizing, \u2018Wow, there\u2019s literally no other undergraduate nursing students here who are [presenting],\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cThat’s freaking huge. You don’t find that anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discovering the door to limitless possibilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cResearch has shown me what you can learn is limitless, and who you can connect with is also limitless,\u201d Quatraro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t start nursing school with dreams of conducting studies or publishing articles, but her experiences sparked new interests that may impact her career down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love providing care,\u201d she said. \u201cMy path in research has only made my future path more confusing.\u201d Quatraro smiled as she said it, explaining how she was \u201cso sure\u201d of what she wanted when she started nursing school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now as she considers midwifery school, research and doctoral-level studies, she\u2019s a little less sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really enjoy research,\u201d she said. \u201cI just have big human-centered dreams and sometimes\u2026research feels so distant from that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight now, I think I just want to get really good at being a nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about School of Nursing research assistantships<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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