Dr. Suzanne Feetham is an outstanding family nursing scholar and leader who received a Distinguished Contribution to Family Nursing Research Award from the Journal of Family Nursing. She is also the recipient of a Living Legend Award from the American Academy of Nursing which represents the Academy’s highest recognition, reserved for honoring extraordinary accomplishment and lifetime achievements. Dr. Feetham and her husband, Terry Feetham, created and funded the “Suzanne Bellinger Feetham Professorship” at the University of Michigan. MinKyoung Song, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, was installed as the inaugural Suzanne Bellinger Feetham Professor at University of Michigan School of Nursing on April 5, 2013. Dr. Song’s research focuses on physical activity associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention and management.
Minnesota State University, Mankato Launches Undergraduate Curriculum with Focus on Family Nursing Practice
School of Nursing faculty at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota, USA recently launched an undergraduate curriculum with a focus on preparing nurses who possess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to advance family nursing practice. Since 2007 this community of teaching scholars has committed their efforts to creating nursing curricula at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level that support health and healing of families and evidence-based family nursing practice. The curriculum transformation began with the University, School, the Glen Taylor Nursing Institute for Family and Society, and individual faculty intentionally forming a scholarly community focused on family nursing. Individual and teams of faculty developed curriculum and course outcomes, as well as competencies related to family nursing science and praxis. Each course integrates family theory, research, and practice within an experiential, simulation or service learning component. Teaching learning practices guide students in applying current family nursing evidence, developing attitudes that nursing practice impacts family health, and gaining confidence in their family nursing care. The curriculum includes a series of four courses that address family constructs, family competencies and family nursing actions. A rigorous evaluation process is underway. This team of faculty believes that teaching family nursing throughout an undergraduate nursing education is appropriate, feasible, and crucial. Additional information about curricula and learning experiences is available at http://ahn.mnsu.edu/nursing/institute/ and http://ahn.mnsu.edu/nursing/. For more information, contact IFNA member Sandra Eggenberger: [email protected]
2013 Family Nursing Externship Held in Denmark
Dr. Lorraine Wright and Dr. Janice M. Bell offered a 4-day Family Nursing Externship in Odense, Denmark, September 23-26, 2013 sponsored by the University of Southern Denmark and Lillebaet University. Thirty-three nurses from 6 countries participated in the workshop which focused on the Illness Beliefs Model and the Trinity Model for advanced nursing practice with families experiencing illness. The highlight of the workshop was a live therapeutic conversation conducted by Dr. Lorraine Wright with a Danish family experiencing cancer. A reflecting team conversation was also offered to the family led by Dr. Janice Bell and a clinical team of participants. A therapeutic letter was sent to the family following the therapeutic conversation.
New Co-Chairs and Board Liaisons for the IFNA Research Committee Announced
Announcing New Co-Chairs and Board Liaisons for IFNA Research Committee: Dr. Helene Moriarty has been appointed as the new Chair of the IFNA Research Committee and Dr. June Horowitz as Co-Chair of the IFNA Research Committee. Helene Moriarty, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, is Professor and the Diane and Robert Moritz, Jr. Endowed Chair in Nursing Research at Villanova University College of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She is also a nurse researcher at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center whose research has focused on promoting the health and quality of life of veterans and their families. June Horowitz, PhD, RN, CNS, FAAN, is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the Thomas Jefferson University School of Nursing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Her research focuses on family mental health research, particularly related to childbearing and childrearing families. Previous IFNA Research Co-Chairs Dr. Ann Garwick and Dr. Janet A. Deatrick have assumed new roles in IFNA. Ann Garwick, PhD, RN, LP, LMFT, FAAN, was elected to the Board of Directors of IFNA and is a Board Liaison to the IFNA Research Committee along with Dr. Birte Østergaard from Denmark. Janet Deatrick, PhD, RN, FAAN, is co-chair of the 2015 IFNA Conference Planning committee along with Kathy A. Knafl, PhD, FAAN.
Dr. Nancyruth Leibold Uses WebQuest to Enhance Family Nursing Education
Dr. Nancyruth Leibold, Minnesota State University, Mankato, USA, is using WebQuest as a teaching/learning strategy for family nursing education that combines higher order thinking skills and technology. See IFNA Education Resources.WebQuest is versatile and can be tailor-made to emphasize any family nursing topic, e.g., Nursing WebQuest: Patients and Families with Chronic Illness. Dr. Leibold will lead a “How To” session on creating WebQuests at a 3-day workshop: Teaching Family Nursing Institute, to be held June 2-4, 2014 in Mankato, Minnesota, USA. For more information about using WebQuest, contact INFA member Nancyruth Leibold: [email protected]
