The 21st annual Nursing Research & Evidence Based Practice Conference was held Oct. 13 at Hartford Hospital’s ERC building. Sponsored by the Connecticut Nursing Research Alliance (CNRA), a consortium of academic and healthcare organizations, the conference featured a day of activities focused on this year’s theme: “The Nursing Role in Promoting a Culture of Health.”
Each year, the Alliance sponsors a conference run by volunteers. Hosted by and held at Hartford Hospital, this annual event has grown to be a cherished tradition in the history of Hartford Hospital nursing.
This year’s conference featured a keynote address by Lisa J. Sundean, PhD, RN, MSN, MHA, entitled “Building Healthier Communities in Connecticut.” The afternoon plenary speakers exemplified nursing-led, evidence-based practice programs and Wendy Martinson, MSN, RN, from the Hartford HealthCare Center for Healthy Aging, spoke on the transitional care nurse program in an address titled “Bridging the Gap.”
A competitive abstract submission process attracts submissions from nurses involved in research and quality improvement projects all across Connecticut. The abstracts are judged by a blinded review panel and accepted as oral and poster presentations. This year, the panel received over 60 abstracts and the conference featured 19 presentations from Hartford HealthCare nursing authors.
The third place poster award went to “Decreasing Door to Drug Time for Alteplase in the Emergency Department” by Leah Philipp, MS, RN, CEN; Dawn K. Beland, MSN, RN, CCRN, ACNS-BC, CNRN, SCRN; Danielle Loughrey, BSN, RN, GRN; Katelyn Kujawski, BSN, RN; and Danette Alexander, DNP, RN, NEA-BC.
CNRA is composed of representatives from academic and healthcare institutions across the state and is chaired by Lisa Corbett DNP, APRN, from Hartford Hospital, and Denise Bourassa, MSN, from the UCONN School of Nursing. The organization began in 1996 with a mission to promote and improve the health of individuals and communities by supporting evidence-based nursing practice through collaboration.
“In 2002, I attended this conference while working at another hospital and won first prize in the poster competition,” said Corbett. “I was so impressed with the culture of nursing and the spirit of inquiry and evidence-based-practice displayed at this conference that it became my career goal to work at Hartford Hospital. Today I am privileged to practice here and serve as co-chair of this conference.”
Organizers extended special recognition to Samantha Fickett for outstanding conference planning and Stew Maccluggage for his skilled poster making mentorship.