Rugira Regis Marie Modeste, PhD, RN, NE, RM, joined Sigma in 2005 as part of the Alpha Beta Beta Chapter. In June 2022, she was awarded a small research grant in June of 2022 to continue her work studying the impact of a pandemic on nursing students, particularly those in a clinical learning environment where patients with COVID-19 were being treated. She is conducting her research at Stellenbosch University, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, in South Africa.

“Understanding their distress, support, coping, and resilience will be beneficial for nurse educators and nursing institutions; as such, information may be used to put in place programs and processes to [help] students move towards successful completion of the program while developing constructive coping mechanisms and resilience.”

Rugira’s study is also being conducted at neighboring universities to ensure additional support mechanisms for student nurses in training are being provided. She plans to produce at least two publications and develop further intervention program based on information from the study.

Small research grants for Sigma members are fully funded by donations made to the Sigma Foundation for Nursing. Donate today.