Pelham resident, Abigail Crane, receivesa nursing research grant at Saint Anselm College

MANCHESTER, NH (12/20/2013)(readMedia)-- Saint Anselm College junior Abigail Crane of Pelham, N.H., has received a research grant to continue her study of maternity nursing. Through the New Hampshire Idea Networking of Biomedical Research Excellence (NH-INBRE) grant, the nursing major conducts research at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester. She recruits volunteers to see if a nurse-administered educational intervention will reduce symptoms of postpartum depression in new mothers.

After initially gathering information from hospital patients, Crane follows-up with them after six weeks, three months, and six months via mail or phone. She has worked closely during the semester with Saint Anselm nursing professor Dr. Deborah McCarter-Spaulding.

"Dr. McCarter-Spaulding is so knowledgeable and so passionate about the subject. It has been an absolute honor working with her," says Crane.

"I can also see how Dr. McCarter-Spaulding's study could greatly impact the nursing care that labor and delivery nurses provide to new mothers in the postpartum period. It is very exciting to see the real-world impact that research can have."

During the summer break, Crane attended two conferences on breast feeding. The first conference was with the New Hampshire Breastfeeding Task Force, the second conference was with the Inequity in Breastfeeding Support Summit in Seattle, Wash.

"Recruiting patients for my study and attending conferences has helped me grow; I have gained better communication and research skills. Also, I have definitely come to appreciate the hard work that it takes to run a study with human subjects!"

The INBRE grant is intended to strengthen biomedical research experiences for students at undergraduate colleges by partnering them with faculty who specialize in the field of the student's interest. Crane was one of 11 Saint Anselm students who received an INBRE grant.

Saint Anselm College is a Catholic, Benedictine liberal arts college located in Manchester, N.H.