MFP Fellow Attends ENRS Conference (5/11/06)
MFP Fellow Bridgette M. Carter had the pleasure of attending the 18th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS), "New Momentum for Nursing Research: Multidisciplinary Alliances" in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
As the ENRS is an organization committed to providing a forum for nurses in the Northeastern United States to promote and support regional nursing research, the three informative, action-provoking days were graced by the presence of hundreds of the region’s nurse leaders with distinguished achievements in the areas of research, theory, clinical practice, public policy, and global activism.
The purpose of the conference was to describe the state of multidisciplinary research, identify methods that promote the development and maintenance of multidisciplinary research teams, and to promote networking and dissemination of research findings. Each day was filled with a diverse array of oral presentations, poster sessions, symposia, special invited speakers, and networking opportunities. This year was the society’s first time fully planning and implementing a conference, and they did a magnificent job!
Sister Callista Roy, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor and nurse theorist at Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing, delivered the session’s opening plenary entitled, "21st Century Demands for Knowledge Development and the Voice of Nursing". Sister Roy highlighted the nature and context of current challenges facing the profession including creating interdisciplinary science, and the paradox between growth of knowledge and the needs of clinical practice. She concluded proposing the "Tipping Point" strategy as a means to combat these challenges by creating a trend where nurses are leaders of knowledge for integrated health.
Afaf I. Meleis, PhD, DrPS(hon), FAAN, Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, provided a keynote presentation on "Expanding Nursing Scholarship Globally: Partnership, Policy, and Peace". Dr. Meleis spoke from a futuristic perspective as though attendees were in the year 2011 looking back on trends in nursing and society at large leading to occurrences in 2006. Her empowering and action-oriented talk encouraged participants to expand their horizons to incorporate global perspectives and action into their programs of research.
Meleis purported that if nursing does not begin working with international teams now, other countries will begin to form regional alliances to address their respective concerns, and U.S. nurses will be left to "scramble for a place at the table".
On the last day of the conference, a federal panel with representatives from NINR and ANF gave an overview of recent organizational changes, and highlighted research priorities and areas of funding and research activities. The event concluded with a Nurse Scholar Panel with representatives from longstanding multidisciplinary research programs who shared examples from their current work, and offered strategies for building and maintaining productive and professionally satisfying interdisciplinary alliances.
This event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with past, present, and future nursing leaders, and the information shared will contribute toward the advancement of nursing science.
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