Felicia Lamb
Felicia Lamb is a nursing student at North Dakota State University. She is working toward finishing her BSN degree, after which she will go on to become a nurse practitioner. Her primary focus after completion of her degree(s) will be in brain injury rehabilitation.
Introduction to my portfolio
Methocillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus is a new strain of bacteria that has evolved in the last 50 years as a result of improper antibiotic use in humans and in livestock. Resistances have become the new topic of interest because some antibiotics are proving to no longer be as effective as they once were. In the 1980s MRSA was discovered in The Netherlands, and more specifically the strain ST398 was appearing in humans. The people who were diagnosed with MRSA ST398 all had one thing is common, they all had contact with swine farms. The portfolio contains support items used to develop the final paper Methicillin-resistant Staphlococus aureus strain ST398.
The portfolio for this project contains a research proposal, annotated bibliography, literature review, and the final paper. The proposal defines the purpose of the main document which is to compile several research papers on MRSA into one for a quick reference on the various areas of current MRSA study. These areas include the development of MRSA, transmission, and treatment(s). The annotated bibliography has 10 sources relevant to MRSA with a short summary on each source. After further review some of these sources were not used due to a lack of direct relevance to MRSA ST398. The most important piece of the portfolio is the final research report where all the knowledge collected during literature review is synthesized into a final research review covering MRSA ST398 and its effects on pigs and humans, treatment, and final conclusions. The final conclusions highlight the growing need for stronger antibiotics to combat evolving bacteria.
After receiving information on the research assignment, I was giving a recommendation to read the article “From Pigs to People: The Emergence of a New Superbug” (Ferber, 2010) written on MRSA ST398. I became instantly interested in the topic. At that point I decided to form my research in a literature review format and began collecting data on MRSA ST398. I found this was somewhat difficult, since ST398 is a fairly new strain and little has been published on it. After receiving professional assistance from the NDSU librarians, I was able to uncover ample material. An initial search produced a large volume of papers from which to draw information on MRSA. Upon reading a significant number of papers it became clear that I needed to further evaluate my topic. Therefore instead of MRSA at large, I focused the paper on the strain ST398 and its effects on pigs and humans. Data synthesizing began after I made this adjustment in the scope of the paper.
The sequential assignments in English 324 that contributed to the final paper were an excellent way of preparing me for the task of completing the major project. Also, it opened a new door of writing for me. I have participated in research for years on various things, from growth hormone in rainbow trout to pre-eclampsia in pregnant women. However, I had never been directly involved in analyzing and compiling the data into a paper. When my paper was reviewed by my peers, I noticed a continuing theme that I needed to account for my audience’s knowledge, who will be reading the document. This was great source of constructive criticism which I later incorporated into the final draft. APA was used for citation. One stipulation of the assignment was to follow APA style and format in this paper. I did so correctly throughout the paper with assistance from the NDSU writing center. I believe this project has given me a new perspective on writing in the science community that will be valuable throughout my career.
Documents in my portfolio
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