UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, in partnership with Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, convened its ninth annual Translating Research into Innovations in Practice Symposium on March 4-5 at the Hilton Harrisburg Hotel. The symposium drew its highest attendance on record, with 177 participants from Pennsylvania, Maryland, D.C., Virginia and Massachusetts engaging with cutting-edge nursing research and its applications to practice.
Kickoff keynote speaker Katie Boston-Leary, senior vice president of equity and engagement at the American Nurses Association, opened the symposium with a talk titled, “From Breakthroughs to What Breaks Through Next: Science Bridging History to the Future.”
The robust speaker lineup also featured:
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Sheldon Fields, associate dean for equity and inclusion and research professor at Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, presenting “The Intersection Among Technology Advancements and Nursing (Practice, Research, and Policy)”
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Susan Corbridge, chief education innovation officer at AACN, presenting “Academic-Practice Partnerships: Advancing Outcomes Through Strategic Alignment”
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Kellie Bryant, director of the Center for Innovation in Education Excellence at the National League for Nursing, presenting “From Education to Practice: Leading Responsible AI Use in Nursing”
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Susan J. Loeb, director of the doctoral program and professor at Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, presenting “How to Turn Your Presentation/Poster into a Manuscript”
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Steven Fetrow-Keihl, positive psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist and retired U.S. Army major, presenting “The Wellness Continuum”
A series of flash presentations covered topics including ethical institutional care, patient safety and harm prevention, patient experience and communication, workforce training and competency, equity, and protocol optimization.
A panel discussion, “Penn State Health Autism Task Force,” drew on the expertise of Penn State Health nursing leaders Jeanne Logan, Susan Pazuchanics, Maria Radwanski, Tracy Sinopoli and Monica Werner.
More than 50 students, researchers and faculty also shared their work through a research poster session. Awards were given to student and general attendee posters, and participants voted for a new People’s Choice Poster Award, presented to Thola Gale for “Breaking Out of Boring: Reimagining Nursing Competency with Immersive Simulation.”
Student poster winners included:
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First Place: Braedon Joyce, “Recognition and Management of Early Mild Cognitive Impairment in Younger Adults”
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Second Place: Jessica Bevans, “Improving Appropriateness of Clostridioides difficile Testing Through Admission Screening and Algorithm Adherence”
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Third Place: Alessia Tozzi, “Communication and Escalation in a Women’s Health Unit”
General attendee poster awards included:
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First Place: Megan Hovermale, from Penn State Health, HMC, “Standardized Pediatric Hypoglycemia Treatment Pathways to Enhance Patient Outcomes”
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Second Place: Rose Marchitelli, from Penn State Health, HMC, “Staff Break Facilitation Pilot”
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Third Place: Aziza Lakhani, from Penn State Health, HMC, “Improving the Safety of Outpatient to Emergency Department Transfers: A Quality Improvement Study in a Tertiary Hospital in Pakistan”
“Incorporating the latest research into evidence-based practice is critical to the continued advancement of the field of nursing,” said Kelly A. Wolgast, associate teaching professor and assistant dean for outreach and professional development. “The growth of this year’s symposium, with over 50 posters and an expanded keynote lineup highlighting AI, wellness, academic-practice partnerships and more, reflects the rigorous work happening across our profession and its impact at the bedside.”
This year’s symposium was made possible through the generous support of sponsors including AMN Healthcare, DISA Healthcare Technology, ATI, Axon, Elsevier, National Nurse-Led Care Consortium/Pennsylvania Nursing Workforce Coalition, Mount Nittany Health, Activate Your Influence and Teva.
To view photos of the symposium, visit the college's Flickr site.
Details about the tenth annual symposium will be announced in the coming months. Stay up to date by visiting the Nese College of Nursing’s website, or contact nursece@psu.edu or 814-863-2239 for more information.