35th Annual National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) Conference
The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) held its 35th Annual Institute and Conference in historic Atlanta, GA., July 25 – 29, 2007.
The conference theme, “Nursing Practice: Influencing the Continuum of Health Policy,” offered two state-of-the art Plenary Sessions on “Quality Care and Patient Safety” and “Models of Health Care”. An all day certification course was offered on “End of Life Care” as well as the first Dr. Doris Mosley HIV Symposium, in memory of a nurse who was an advocate for preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Keynote speakers included two of the Nation’s foremost academicians and researchers, Dr. Beverly Malone, CEO, National League for Nursing and MFP Alumni, delivered the Opening Ceremony Keynote Address, setting the tone for the Conference. Dr. Loretta Sweet Jemmott, Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and researcher on adolescent HIV/AIDS was the Closing Ceremony Keynote speaker.
Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a book signing and meet up close and in person the nurse leaders who are featured in the book, “The Soul of Leadership,” written by Hattie Bessent, EdD, RN, FAAN. Dr. Bessent was the Director of the Minority Fellowship Program from 1977 – 1992 and has received many accolades for being a driving force in her dedicated service to ethnic minority nurses.
Other program highlights included the Children’s Health Institute which included a presentation by Faye A. Gary, EdD, RN, FAAN, Professor, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH on “Suicide: Detection and Intervention for African-American Children and Adolescents.” Dr. Gary is the current Executive Program Consultant/Director of the Minority Fellowship Program.
The Healthcare Disparities Workshop included presentations by MFP Alumni, Vicki Hines Martin, PhD, RN, University of Louisville, School of Nursing, Louisville, KY, who spoke on “Partnering with Diverse Communities Using Web Based Health Technology” and Doris Campbell, PhD, ARNP, FAAN, Co-Investigator and Consultant/Mentor Caribbean Export Center’s Core, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands spoke on “The Caribbean Export Center: A Model for Eliminating Health Disparities in the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
The “Nurse Educator of the Year Award” was presented to MFP Alumni Ruth Caggins, PhD, RN, Associate Professor of Nursing at Prairie View A&M University, Houston, TX.
The MFP recruitment/retention display was among the 172 exhibitors showcased during the conference. The exhibit was staffed by MFP Program Manager, Janet Jackson, and MFP Alumni, Ezra C. Holston, PhD, RN, Vice President of Research & Development, Hythiam, Inc., Los Angeles, CA and Lois Bolden, PhD, RN, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
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