Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
Creighton fostered a sense of curiosity and encouraged me to ask questions—something that is essential in critical care.
Olivia Manning, BSN’25, isn't interested in checking boxes or scratching the surface.
It’s in her nature to dig deeper and ask big questions. Not for the sake of knowing the answers, but for applying it to patient care.
This was true even as a student at Creighton.
SPARKing Change
When we first met Manning, she was in her senior year, having been chosen for the College of Nursing’s SPARK! (Students as Professionals Acquiring Research Knowledge) program.
She was excited about the opportunity. “When they came to talk to our class junior year about the SPARK! program that was specifically for nursing students to get involved in research, I jumped at the chance because it was something I had always wanted to pursue,” she said.
At the time, Manning was well into the process of conducting research with faculty-mentor Tamara Oliver, PhD, RN, on Health Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPIs), formerly known as bedsores or pressure ulcers.
“HAPIs are highly preventable but still prevalent,” Oliver explains, “affecting more than 2.5 million Americans annually, resulting in 60,000 deaths and a financial impact of 11 million dollars, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Manning and Oliver worked on this quality improvement project in tandem with nursing practice coordinators at CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center – Bergan Mercy to reduce HAPIs in the inpatient setting.
As part of the project, Manning did a meticulous literature review, collected data and helped the Bergan Mercy HAPI team choose an evidence-based intervention to boost prevention, including a quarterly point-prevalence audit.
“This included assisting with chart reviews as well as helping check the skin of every single patient in the hospital,” Manning said at the time. Additionally, they worked with staff on adherence and reported back during process improvement meetings.
This type of work came naturally and was exactly what she wanted out of her college experience.
“Not only have I learned in depth about a nursing-sensitive issue,” Manning said in our 2024 interview, “but I have also learned what it takes to bring about changes in hospital policies ... to make a positive impact on a unit or even the entire hospital.”
Coincidentally, that is exactly what Manning is doing today as a HAPI Champion at Bergan Mercy, having the unique opportunity to continue the work she began as a student.
Serving Patients
“My research experience at Creighton made the transition into HAPI prevention work at Bergan very seamless,” she says. “That early exposure gave me both the knowledge base and confidence to step into a HAPI Champion role right away.”
As a HAPI Champion, Manning plays a key role in advancing pressure injury prevention efforts in the ICU, where she serves patients with rapidly changing and highly complex medical needs. She leads by example, modeling best practices on the unit while also contributing to quarterly audits and committee meetings that analyze data, identify trends and drive continuous improvement in patient care.
Work that Matters
The road to progress is measured in small wins, like seeing a decrease in medical device–related HAPIs—a meaningful improvement when collaborating with other experts to create alignment across multiple, large teams.
“Moments like that reinforce that the work we’re doing matters,” she says. “We keep showing up, keep educating and keep pushing forward because, ultimately, it makes a difference for our patients.”
It’s the same mentality that got her to this point—the grit, consistency and perseverance for the sake of something greater than any one person, department or hospital.
“Creighton fostered a sense of curiosity and encouraged me to ask questions—something that is essential in critical care,” she explains. “My research experience reinforced the importance of continuously seeking answers and never settling for surface-level understanding.”
Earlier this year, the research she began her junior year with Oliver and Bergan Mercy was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Nursing Care Quality. The path to publication was rigorous, but you guessed it; Manning was up for the challenge.
