Nurse researchers, educators, specialists and students from across the South participated in three days of networking, research education and professional development during the Southern Nursing Research Society (SNRS) 36th Annual Conference, hosted by the LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing in February. The conference provided participants an opportunity to review outstanding research conducted by Society members and launch collaborations with colleagues across the Southern region.
The conference, Leveraging Health Equity through Nursing Partnerships in Research, Education and Practice, featured sessions including Health Promotion in Community-Based Vulnerable Populations; Health Equity Across the Lifespan; and Social Inequalities in Vulnerable Populations in Nursing and Public Health: Building and Sustaining a Program of Research.
SNRS and the School of Nursing
Several School of Nursing faculty and doctoral student researchers are members of the SNRS organization. Their membership allows them to participate in research collaborations with the goal of improving various areas of health care. SNRS also includes active student members who participate fully in all parts of the organization and have opportunities to present and publish research as well as work with mentors.
“The SNRS organization and annual conferences allow current and future nurse researchers to participate in the advancement of nursing research in the Southern region of the United States to improve the health of our population through careful investigation and excellent application of nursing research in practice.”
Marie Adorno, PhD, APRN, CNS, RNC-MNN, CNE
Nursing research can have a significant impact on the health of individuals, families, communities, organizations and the general population. Society members are often instrumental in helping to identify changes needed to improve care delivery that lead to positive solutions for the health problems affecting our region, nation and world.
“SNRS nurses come from all specialties, clinical foci and levels of the inquiry spectrum, ranging from exploratory research to clinical trials to applications in practice,” says Marie Adorno, PhD, APRN, CNS, RNC-MNN, CNE, Director of the DNS Program, Interim Director of the PhD in Nursing Program and Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing.
In addition to hosting the conference, the School of Nursing sponsored the attendance of several faculty members, including:
- Dr. Adorno
- Deborah Garbee, PhD, APRN, ACNS-BC, FCNS, Associate Dean for Professional Practice, Community Service and Advanced Nursing Practice, Program Director of the Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Concentration and Professor of Clinical Nursing
- Benita Chatmon, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, Assistant Dean for Clinical Nursing Education and Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing
- Jennifer Manning, DNS, ACNS-BC, CNE, Associate Dean for the Undergraduate Nursing Program, Program Director for the Baccalaureate Articulation Program and Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing
- Alison Davis, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE, Director of the Nursing Skills and Technology Center, Director of the Nurse Educator Concentration and Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing
- Paula Kensler, DNP, MBA, RN, Program Director for the Clinical Nurse Leader and Executive Nurse Leader Programs and Instructor of Clinical Nursing
- Todd Tartavoulle DNS, APRN, CNS-BC, Assistant Dean of Student Services and Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing
Doctoral students Katie Bass, Michelle Patterson, Billy Rachal Jr. and Harlee Kutzen were also sponsored to attend the event.
The Society’s Origins and Purpose
SNRS was founded in 1986 when 60 nurses met in Atlanta and discussed the possibility of creating an organization for nursing researchers in the Southern region. In 1987, SNRS was declared an independent organization. Its region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
The mission of SNRS is to advance nursing research by:
- Disseminating and utilizing research findings
- Facilitating the career development of nurses and nursing students as researchers
- Promoting nursing science
- Enhancing communication among members
“The SNRS organization and annual conferences allow current and future nurse researchers to participate in the advancement of nursing research in the Southern region of the United States to improve the health of our population through careful investigation and excellent application of nursing research in practice,” Dr. Adorno says. “The annual conferences highlight the outstanding research conducted by SNRS members.”
School of Nursing faculty play various roles within the Society. Dean Demetrius Porche, DNS, PhD, ANEF, FACHE, FAANP, FAAN, is a past president of the SNRS organization and continues to support awareness of Society resources among faculty and DNS and PhD students. Dr. Adorno has been a member of the SNRS Conference Planning Committee since 2019, and she now serves as a member of the SNRS Nominations and Succession Planning Committee. Dr. Tartavoulle serves as the editor for Southern Connections: The SNRS Newsletter, which spotlights current members and their research plans and is distributed electronically to members.
The Society’s Student Network (SNS) encourages and promotes the advancement of nursing research among SNS student members. It promotes the dissemination of student research findings, facilitates career development of SNRS student members, enhances communications among student members and facilitates their mentorship with experienced nurse researchers.
SNRS also currently offers the following opportunities for research funding:
- SNRS Research Grant
- STTI/SNRS Grant
- SNRS Dissertation Research Grant
- CANS/SNRS Dissertation Research Grant
- NLN/SNRS Doctoral Dissertation Award
Learn more about the SNRS, research funding opportunities and membership.
