Abstract
Conference Report
The MNRS 2015 Annual Research Conference in Indianapolis was a great success! In this month’s column, I highlight some of the excellent pre-conference workshops offered this year. These workshops are an added cost but provide an excellent opportunity for students, junior faculty, and even mid-career faculty to learn new skills. I asked some members attending these workshops to serve as “beat reporters” and share a bit about what they learned. Here are their reports.
Utilization of Publicly Available Data: An Opportunity to Advance National Research on Diverse Populations
Submitted by Dr. Jo-Ana Chase, University of Missouri
Participants at this workshop had the unique opportunity to learn about using publicly available data sets for nursing research. Presenters from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing provided information related to potential sources, benefits and challenges, and research examples of publicly available data sets. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was used as an exemplar for accessing and using these types of data. Dr. Kamal Eldeirawi began the workshop with a general overview. He described characteristics of publicly available data, and provided examples of data sources and methods to access these data sets. Research examples and publications using these data sets were also discussed. Doctoral candidate Natalya Rosenberg walked participants through the complexities of identifying variables, appending, and merging NHANES data sets. She demonstrated step-by-step processes for downloading, appending, and merging data files. Dr. Alana Steffen concluded the workshop with a description of analytic guidelines for NHANES data. Dr. Steffen explored the implications of complex sampling and statistical package options to manage analyses using sample weights. In addition, she provided an example of an analytic process working with NHANES data using STATA. This workshop provided excellent information for those interested in using publicly available data to address important research questions.
Workshop on Intervention Studies Offers Participants the Chance to Follow Their “Dreams”
Submitted by Dr. Karen Foli, Purdue University
There is a persuasive case to be made when a nurse researcher considers conducting an intervention study to determine whether “treatments” are efficacious and effective, thus affecting patient care. Designing studies with rigor, and understanding the drivers in funding as well as the adoption of findings were topics of discussion during the Nuts and Bolts of Intervention Research: A Primer, presented by faculty of The Ohio State University. Participants of the pre-conference workshop were able to understand, through insights offered by Dr. Bernadette Melnyk, the importance of pursuing a “dream,” a passion for what they are studying. Dr. Kimberly Arcoleo advised the audience on models of recruitment strategies based on several approaches in the literature. Multiple examples from her research added depth and a reminder of ethical considerations in conducting interventional studies. Last, Dr. Usha Menon described how designing and maintaining treatment fidelity was critical to both evaluation of findings and replication of studies. Again, cases from her own research provided insight and an appreciation of her expertise. The three speakers complemented each other’s messages seamlessly for a pre-conference workshop of sophistication, inspiration, and learning.
Adaptive Designs to Advance Nursing Science: Challenges, Opportunities, and Settings
Submitted by Dr. Susan Breitenstein, Rush University
I have attended several pre-conference workshops at the annual MNRS conference, and this one did not disappoint. Overall, the workshop and presentations were highly engaging and informative for nurse researchers. The presenters provided innovative and contemporary research methods and designs relevant to clinical-based and community-based research. Dr. Heather Tubbs Cooley presented on data mining and use of electronic health records to inform scaling up research efforts from single to multi-site settings. Dr. Usha Menon’s presentation was focused on dissemination and implementation research designs, with pointed focus on recognizing project readiness for dissemination and implementation (D&I) research and discussion of models informing D&I research with particular emphasis on the RE-AIM model (e.g., Reach, Efficacy/Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance). Finally, the workshop ended with Dr. Shirley Moore’s presentation of the use of Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) and Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) to build and evaluate interventions. The MOST is a method for constructing interventions as an alternative to the traditional models of intervention development for readiness for testing in a traditional trial. SMART trials are used as a method to test interventions with the understanding that not all individuals respond to interventions the same way and employing a SMART trial helps you create the adaptive intervention in a systematic way.
Thanks to my reporters—Look for more excellent workshops on research topics available at next year’s conference!
Helen W. Lach, PhD, RN, FGSA
Secretary, MNRS
Foundation News: To Every Thing There Is a Season
Each annual conference brings transition to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. After 3 years as a Trustee, a year as President-elect, and 2 as Foundation President, I will assume the role of Past President. The Foundation is lucky that Lauren S. Aaronson, PhD, RN, FAAN, a nurse sociologist and professor of Nursing and of Health Policy & Management in the School of Medicine at the University of Kansas has agreed to serve as Foundation President from 2015 to 2017. Lauren is a distinguished scholar, the first nurse principal investigator of a Clinical Translational Science Award and is the deputy director of Frontiers: The Heartland Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. She also directs the community engagement/patient participation core for the Greater Plains Collaborative, a 10-institution seven-state program that is 1 of 11 Clinical Data Research Networks funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Her past and current research, largely funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), focuses on promoting healthy behaviors in a variety of populations. Named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) in 1993, Dr. Aaronson received the Distinguished Contribution to Nursing Research from MNRS in 1995 and the Faculty Investigator Research Award from the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) in 2002. In 2014, she also received the Honorary Mentoring Award from the KUMC School of Medicine, awarded to someone from outside the school. She is a Past President of MNRS (2001-2003) and is currently Treasurer of the AAN, serving on the Board and as a member of the Executive Committee. With this outstanding record of service and leadership in the profession, the Foundation is in good hands!
The Foundation Board also bids farewell to Nola Pender, whose two distinguished terms as a Trustee have expired. Nola provided exemplary leadership to the Board, served on or led a variety of committees and task forces, and could always be counted on for wisdom and guidance. I feel blessed to have worked with Nola during my Presidential term.
But just as one good thing comes to an end, another begins. For the Foundation, this comes in the form of our newest Trustee, Carolyn Sampselle, the MNRS Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 2015. She is widely recognized for her well-funded research on pelvic floor musculature and self-care interventions to prevent or reduce urinary incontinence, a prevalent and distressing condition. Her research career has been on the cutting edge of nursing, women’s health, general nephrology, and obstetrical and gynecologic practice and research, and Carolyn also has been deeply committed to preparing the next generation of nurse scientists.
Prior to her very recent official retirement, Dr. Sampselle held the Carolyne K. Davis Collegiate Chair, an endowed professorship in the University of Michigan School of Nursing, with joint appointments in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the School of Medicine, and the department of Women’s Studies in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. And, while most slowly decrease their work as they transition toward retirement, Dr. Sampselle accepted an invitation to be a senior advisor to the director of National Institute of Nursing Research for her last year prior to officially retiring. In this year of work on the NIH campus, she contributed to and advanced nursing science on a national level.
Moreover, Carolyn has served with distinction on national panels and for professional associations. She has reviewed grants both as a colleague prior to submission and on service as a member of NIH and professional organizations’ study sections. She has been a reviewer for top research journals, both interdisciplinary and nursing journals. She also is a sought after reviewer for tenure and promotion reviews at other universities. We know that, similarly, she will serve with distinction on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
And on a final happy note, Elizabeth Madigan has agreed to continue to serve another year as secretary/treasurer for the Foundation Board. We are delighted she will continue to work with us in this important capacity!