In Spring of 2024 I started working as a research assistant in the body composition lab in a study named the “Comparison of fitness measures and physical activity levels in NJCAA female athletes between their competitive season and their off-season.” This study involved recruiting thirteen NJCAA female athletes from a commuter-based campus and taking their body composition measurements like height, weight, and scans that measure their fat and muscle mass. Specifically, my research question focused on the associations among moderate to vigorous physical activity, handgrip strength, and fat free mass index within these athletes. While working as a research assistant, we often have to deal with sensitive topics and subjects. Things that most people would not feel comfortable disclosing to even their closest friends, let alone strangers, may be a part of research and the healthcare field. This is why it is necessary that we create a judge-free environment for our athletes and ensure that the information they disclose is confidential and will not be shared with others. Similarly, when working as a nurse there are many times when you have to ask a patient questions to properly diagnose and treat them. These questions may be invasive, and many times healthcare professionals must have uncomfortable discussions with patients that are necessary to properly care for a patient. However, in these cases we have to get uncomfortable in order to get results.

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In my Pathophysiology class (Nursing 216) we learned a concept known as health history. Pathology is the study of disease so in this class we learned about how diseases develop, symptoms that patients with these diseases may experience, how to properly diagnose and treat patients, and ways to prevent the manifestations from these diseases. Health history is the concept of asking patients a series of questions to find out when their symptoms developed, what they were doing before they were symptomatic, how they feel, and who they may have come into contact with. In figure 3, you can see an example of notes that I had taken in my Pathophysiology class where I explained the importance of obtaining a health history of a patient that may be suffering from a Sexually Transmitted Infection. These questions help us to determine a proper diagnosis and treatment for a patient. Often, obtaining a patient’s health history is one of the first things you do once they are admitted into the hospital. These questions may seem weird, or even invasive but one simple answer can totally change the trajectory of care and diagnosis for a patient. Many diseases have very similar symptoms so knowing the background knowledge behind what may have led to a patient getting sick can help healthcare providers distinguish between different ailments. Sometimes patients do not need surgery or medication to improve their health so by asking questions healthcare providers may decide that the best treatment for a patient is lifestyle changes. In asking those uncomfortable questions about a person’s sexual health history we can obtain information that allows the healthcare provider to obtain necessary information to give them a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

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In our research study one of the first tasks we are required to complete before confirming that an athlete can join as a research participant in our study, is to ensure that they do not fall under any of the exclusion criteria. These exclusions include pregnancy, drinking alcohol 24 hours before coming to the lab, engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity 12 hours before coming to the lab, or wearing a pacemaker. Anyone who falls in this category is ineligible for participation in our study so it’s vital that we ask these questions as soon as possible for the safety of the research participants. While some of these questions may not seem uncomfortable, a lot of times people can feel uneasy when disclosing this information. After we ensure that an athlete is cleared to be a participant in our study, one of the first measurements we take is their weight and this is something that can be a sensitive topic for many people. In general, women do not readily disclose their weight, and it can even be a triggering topic for some. However, measuring an athlete’s height and weight are some of the most important variables we deal with when determining body composition. While participants may be uncomfortable with exposing their weight, as a research assistant I am human and therefore can also become uncomfortable when I can tell the participant is uneasy. However, it’s important for me to push aside my feelings and instill confidence in the participant because this data is necessary to obtain proper results for our research.

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When taking measurements, research assistants must get up close and personal with research participants. Since research participants and assistants are unfamiliar to one another, it may become uncomfortable when assistants must enter the participants' personal space. During the process of taking measurements, the participant may feel uncomfortable when they must lift up their shirt and reveal their bare skin while we take circumferences of their waist and hip. Again, this is an opportunity as a research assistant where I must put away my own feelings to make the participant feel comfortable so we can properly obtain data. For example, as you can see in figure 4, I am putting stickers from a Tetrapolar Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis device on a participant’s hand. There is another set of stickers that we also put on the athlete’s foot when using this device so athletes must take off their shoes and socks. This can be uncomfortable as some people may feel self-conscious and even embarrassed when revealing their bare skin. For example, in my LANU course that taught us how to become certified as nurse assistants we learned how to give patient’s bed baths, brush their teeth, help them get dressed, and assist them with ambulation. Many of these tasks involve physical touch and assisting patients in their most vulnerable moments. However, these residents are physically unable to do these tasks by themselves so it’s important that we help them to do daily living activities so they can continue to live a long and healthy life. I am aware that many residents may feel uncomfortable when we are assisting them so it’s important that I maintain professionalism, provide reassurance, and build trust with the residents so they will feel less embarrassed when receiving care.

 

Many aspects of research and nursing can be uncomfortable not only for the patient/participant but also for the healthcare provider or research personnel. One of the biggest reasons why our research study involves NJCAA female athletes is because female athletes are disproportionately represented in research when compared to men. A lot of times, this is because researchers feel uncomfortable with dealing with the many different aspects that pertain to having women in research studies like menstrual cycles. This is yet another reason why it’s so important to do things even if they make you uncomfortable. Without proper research on women, there could be a negative impact on effective treatments due to an imbalance of studies for the female population. If people embrace the idea that being uncomfortable will help them get results, it’s likely that more research could be conducted on women. This would help give healthcare providers and many others more information on how to properly treat the female population.