Columbia Nursing Launches Three New Centers Focused on Health Equity and Social Justice

 Columbia Nursing has long been at the forefront of innovative, interdisciplinary research
 on the disparities in health faced by racial and sexual minorities and underrepresented groups,
and how to reduce these inequities.

 In 2021, the school launched three centers demonstrating its commitment to social justice and high-quality health care for all, as well as to prepare the next generation of nurse-scientists to continue this mission: the Center for Research on People of Color (CRPC), the Center for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research (CSGMHR), and the Center for Healthcare Delivery Research and Innovations (CHDRI). 

On September 23, AACN joined the 2021 Rally for Medical Research Virtual Hill Day where they emphasized the need for sustained and increased funding for NINR. Along with AACN, more than 400 organizations and individuals joined this year’s event to advocate for continued congressional funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). You can find more information of the rally here.

Laura J. Wood, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Boston Children's Hospital

What advice would you give your younger self?
I would offer the Zen precept, “Leap and the net will appear.” Courage is a necessity to create a life of meaning.

Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. It’s a wonderful mix of spectacular beaches, nature, and many venues where our beloved golden retriever family member is also welcome!

Dr. Shannon Zenk posted a new Director's Message reflecting on her first year as the Director NINR. You can read her full statement here.

Applications are now open for the FY22 Smart Health and Biomedical Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Data Science (SCH) Program. The proposal deadline is November 10, 2021 at 5:00 pm (submitter's local time). To read more about the program and proposal instructions, click here.

NINR is still in the process of developing their Strategic Plan for 2022-2026. The new strategic plan will build on NINR’s past accomplishments and present a bold, new research agenda to advance nursing science.

NINR worked with the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research (NACNR) to identify strengths, limitations, challenges, and opportunities in nursing science while developing the new Strategic Plan. NINR is collecting input from multiple other sources inside and outside the nursing science community, including NINR staff, NIH colleagues, and external stakeholder groups. 

NINR's next Director's Lecture: “Addressing One of the Most Enduring Challenges in Health Care: End-of-Life Decision Making” will be held on September 14 at 10:00 am ET.

Dr. Mi-Kyung Song will present her intervention research to develop and test an end-of-life communication intervention targeting patients with chronic illness and their family caregivers, spanning all stages of the NIH Stage Model of behavioral intervention development research.

Joyce Sensmeier, RN-BC, MS, CPHIMS, FHIMSS, FAAN
HIMSS

 

What advice would you give your younger self?
Have faith in yourself! Your education and experience have helped you develop valuable expertise to enable you to carve out a successful career. Don't be afraid of new opportunities, even if you're being asked to do something you haven't done before. Also, stretch yourself beyond your 'day' job and volunteer for activities that you are interested in. Seek out a mentor, and take time to listen to others' experience.

NIH is providing a three-day virtual workshop called Food Insecurity, Neighborhood Food Environment, and Nutrition Health Disparities: State of the Science. It will review the state of the science related to food insecurity and the neighborhood food environment, then identify research gaps and opportunities.

This event will include panel discussions, networking opportunities, and poster sessions. Registration closes on September 7, 2021. You can read more information on this workshop here.

AACN recently posted a forum with their Board Chair, Susan Bakewell-Sachs and President/CEO, Deborah Trautman. In this forum, they discuss the recently released report: Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. They also discuss the impact of this report in relation to AACN's strategic goals and priorities. You can read the full forum here.

Adey Nyamathi, PhD, ANP, FAAN
University of California, Irvine

 

 

The 2021 Boot Camp will explore the impact that Artificial Intelligence has in the evolving healthcare environment to improve the care of all patients and families in an equitable way. The goal is to showcase how AI can improve outcomes and how to avoid unintended consequences that increase disparities.

Registration will be opening in mid-July. You can read more about the content and session dates here.

NINR is in the developing stages of the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan will outline future research goals, objectives, and vision for nursing science. 

NINR established a working group under the NACNR to identify strengths, limitations, challenges and opportunities in nursing science and provided a report at the May NACNR meeting. You can watch the recording of the meeting here. 

Teri Murray, Ph.D., PHNA-BC, RN, FAAN
Saint Louis University, Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing

 

What advice would you give your younger self?
Find an area of clinical interest in nursing that you are both passionate and curious about, further your education and experiential learning in the area. Become curious. Explore unanswered questions that you have or develop in that clinical area, join professional specialty organizations related to that area of focus, and pursue professional networks –all to enable you to become a subject matter expert.

The video of the May 2021 public session of the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research is now available to view. You can view the video here.

During the last week of May, President Biden released the Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Budget, which includes a $199,755,000 budget for NINR. This is a 12.41% increase from the FY2021 budget. Read more here.

NINR Director, Dr. Shannon Zenk, posted a Director’s Message about the development of NINR's Strategic Plan for 2022-2026. She also addresses the list of recommendations for potential NINR research areas that developed from the NACNR working group. 

Dr. Zenk also discusses the report from the National Academy of Medicine: The Future of Nursing 2020–2030: Charting a Path to Health Equity

"This report makes a compelling case for nurses assuming a leading role in overcoming and eliminating the persistent health inequities in our society, and I encourage you to review the report’s recommendations. It is clear from the report that nursing science is an important part of this effort, and as a leader in the field of nursing science, NINR is integral to funding research that will contribute to the evidence base needed to achieve The Future of Nursing’s goals relating to health equity."

In the last year, the public has focused on scientific research more than ever, and at the 2020 NightinGala, we heard stories directly from nurse scientists on the frontlines of COVID-19 research. FNINR wants to continue honoring nurse scientists fighting for better health outcomes by presenting stories of NINR-funded research during the 2021 NightinGala.

If you are a nurse scientist working on an NINR-funded project and would like to share the story of your research, please fill out this brief form. Several of the submissions will be showcased during the 2021 NightinGala.

Colleen Leners, D.N.P., APRN, FNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP
American Association of Colleges of Nursing