The NERC Observer

Monumental moments

By Norma Krumwiede, EdD, RN, associate professor of nursing, Minnesota State University Mankato, Mankato, Minnesota, USA

The meeting of nurse educators began at the airport as we made our way to Bethesda, Maryland for the 2016 Nursing Education Research Conference. The excitement of attending the sold-out conference was similar to waiting for a sold-out concert to begin. Even though nurse educators are rock stars, who knew that an academic-focused conference could be sold out?

One measure of a meaningful conference is information provided by presenters, and NERC 2016 is scoring high in that category. For example, Kelly Krumwiede, PhD, RN, appreciated the overview of Robert DeVellis’ eight steps to instrument development that Darrell Spurlock, Jr., PhD, RN, NEA-BC, ANEF, and Amy Wonder, PhD, RN, provided in their preconference workshop titled “Demystifying instrument development.”

Kelly Krumwiede starts her conference
day with a delightful French breakfast.

Stressing the importance of frequently revising research instruments and reestablishing their reliability and validity, Spurlock and Wonder challenged attendees to look outside of nursing literature to help advance nursing science.

Enthusiasm and inspiration are also essential dynamics of a successful nursing conference, and Sandra Eggenberger, PhD, RN, was so energized following the conclusion of a session she attended that it led to a 20-minute dinner conversation about use of nursing theory to guide student learning. Titled “Where does good research start?” the session focused on encouraging colleagues and students to take time to explore theory that guides research, education, and practice. Presented by Barbara Patterson, PhD, RN, ANEF, and Lisa Day, PhD, RN, CNE, it brought novice and experienced educators together from academic and practice settings to discuss the need to cultivate theoretical thinking to advance the discipline. One statement that resonated with Eggenberger was, “Sometimes we are so quick to find evidence that we forget to consider the theory needed to generate the question, explain the connections, and investigate prior theoretical foundations that would guide the direction.”

Sandra Eggenberger, Tricia Young, and Kristen
Abbott-Anderson the rainy streets of Bethesda, Maryland.

A session that Patricia “Tricia” Young, PhD, RN, attended also included an inspirational quote: “True leaders don’t create followers. They create more leaders.” Even though she had never heard this quote before, she found it interesting that it reflects the way she leads new faculty members to become teaching scholars and how nursing students become nurse leaders.

Another measure of whether or not a conference is successful is how well it advances an attendee’s ability to integrate or incorporate the information it provides—in this case, teaching-learning strategy—into one’s own setting. Young shared: “I am considering shifting a 10-page written paper assignment into a two-minute TED talk. Think of how much time it would save teachers in terms of grading, not to mention how much more fun it would be to listen to this assignment! The talks could easily be shared with many students, so all could benefit from an individual’s work.”

Kristen Abbott-Anderson, PhD, RN, attended a session titled “Launching and Sustaining a Career as a Teacher-scholar, presented by Pamela Ironside, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF.

“One gem I took away [from that session],” said Abbott-Anderson, “was the idea of having seven rocks on your desk, and for every hour of writing you do, you move a rock to the other side of the desk, so that by the end of the week, you have seven hours of writing in. This way, you are sure to get the writing in that you need to do each week.”

She plans to adopt this writing strategy when she returns home and will encourage other nurse educators to do the same. Whether you use rocks, stones, seashells or buttons, do whatever it takes to make the process of writing fun and visual.

What monumental moments are you experiencing while attending the Nursing Education Research Conference?


Nursing education research still evolving

By Mary Lou Bond, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, professor emerita and adjunct professor, The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing

The 2016 Nursing Education Research Conference, the theme of which is “Research as a Catalyst for Transformative Practice,” is most appropriately co-sponsored by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) and the National League for Nursing (NLN). As two of the nation’s early nursing organizations, STTI, founded in 1922, and the National League for Nursing, founded in 1912, have joined together to support nurse researchers in advancing the science of nursing education in today’s increasingly global society and complex environments.

Although I have not been around to see all of this history, it has been my good fortune during my 48 years as a faculty member to report to two NLN presidents (Dr. Virginia Jarratt, and Anne Bavier, PhD, RN), be mentored by Billye J. Brown, EdD, RN, FAAN, past president of STTI, host Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN (CEO of NLN) at one of International Crossing Borders Conferences, sponsored by The University of Texas at Arlington’s Center for Hispanic Studies in Nursing and Health, and have Patricia Thompson, EdD, RN, FAAN (CEO of STTI) as a colleague and friend. This network of dedicated individuals from both organizations, together with opportunities I’ve had to study and work internationally in selected health and educational systems, have enriched my professional life. Fast forward to 2016!

Mary Lou Bond with Pamela Ironside
and Penny Huddleston.

Today’s nursing education system might be unrecognizable to some of our founders, but similarities are pervasive: patient safety (“do no harm”), caring, compassion, and commitment. Innovative teaching strategies, such as online courses, use of simulation, Twitter, and other social media demand evidence of desired outcomes, which has led to increased collaboration in interprofessional education, practice and research. NLN’s 2016-19 Research Priorities in Nursing Education address scholars who aim to provide a scientific and theoretical base for nursing education, research methodology, and education-practice links. The STTI/Chamberlain College of Nursing’s Center for Excellence in Nursing Education (CENE) supports efforts of nurse educators internationally as they join hands to promote excellence in education, research, and practice.

If you were unable to attend the NERC conference this year, I encourage you to keep the next one on your radar screen. As a lifelong learner, I am convinced that nursing education research has the capacity to validate and reform the way we prepare tomorrow’s nurse workforce.

Mary Lou Bond and President Cathy Catrambone.