On February 9, 2019, IFNA Research Committee co-chair, Dr. Kim Mooney-Doyle (University of Maryland), gave an invited keynote, “Innovation in Family Nursing Research: Moving Everyday Research Processes Toward Extraordinary Heights” at the Annual Research Promotion Seminar of Japanese Association for Research in Family Nursing (JARFN)/ Research Promotion Committee (chair Dr. Kiyoko Kamibeppu). Drs. Akiko Araki, Mari Ikeda, Kyoko Kobayashi, and Sachiko Kita (members of the Research Promotion Committee and members of IFNA) also presented their research topics. This exchange between IFNA members deepened the discussion about innovation in family nursing research.
Dr. Kathleen Knafl Leads Knowledge Development in Synthesis Research
Kathleen (Kathy) Knafl, PhD, FAAN, Professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA, is completing a research synthesis of studies addressing the intersection of family life and childhood chronic conditions. Dr. Knafl welcomes questions from anyone interested in synthesis research and would be happy to share resources developed while completing the study. Currently, she is a member of research teams addressing parenting a seriously ill child, decision making related to cancer clinical trial participation, and family adaptation to Down syndrome. The latter is led by fellow IFNA member Marcia Van Riper and includes a team of international researchers, many of whom are IFNA members.
Dr. Knafl was recently honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois at Chicago for her contributions to family research and the knowledge base for supporting families who are facing the challenges of childhood chronic illness.
Dr. Knafl served as co-chair of the 12th International Family Nursing Conference in Odense, Denmark in 2013 and is currently serving a third term on the IFNA Board of Directors as Treasurer. For more information contact IFNA member, Kathleen Knafl.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-knafl-a57a5441/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kknafl
Pamela Farthing Improves the Health Experiences and Outcomes for Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes
Pamela Farthing RN, BA, MSc, is a faculty member at Saskatchewan Polytechnic School of Nursing (Canada) in the undergraduate nursing degree program and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Regina. She is currently a PhD candidate in the College of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan and has a special interest family nursing education. Pamela is a member of the IFNA Student Engagement Group. Her doctoral research is focused on exploring and expanding the current understanding of the processes and experiences of interdependence in diabetes management in adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) with their parents. She hopes to advance family health nursing practice and inform diabetes nurse educators, undergraduate family nursing education, pediatric nurses, and the pediatric diabetes health care team to potentially improve health experiences and outcomes for adolescents with T1D. For more information contact IFNA member, Pamela Farthing.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-farthing-3108b1174/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pamelafarthing
Ann Price Focuses on Care of Families in Critical Care in the UK
Ann Price, MA, MSc, BSc (hons), RN, is a Principal Lecturer, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, Canterbury Christ Church University, United Kingdom. She is a member of the IFNA Acute Care Research Cluster which is exploring family engagement in intensive care units at sites around the world. In this collaboration, information is collected from nurses who work within the intensive care environment on practices of engaging families in care. Data is being collected using the Questionnaire on the Factors That Influence Family Engagement (QFIFE), demographic information and semi-structured interviews. The aim is to understand the perceptions of intensive care nurses and their family engagement practices to inform current practice and future research.
In 2017, Ann Price received the honor of being recognized as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is also the editor of Ward Based Critical Care: A guide for health professionals, a book now in its second edition.
To learn more about Ann Price’s important work in educational innovation or learn more about Ann’s own educational pursuits on her doctoral student profile page. For more information contact IFNA member, Ann Price.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ann-price-170b18b7
Twitter: @AnnPriceCCCU
Dr. Vico Chiang Focuses on Psychosocial Support and Mental Health of Families in Hong Kong
Vico Chiang, PhD, MHA, BN, RN, is an Associate Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Nursing. He is also a fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Nursing for his contributions to critical care, and nursing education.
The focus of Dr. Chiang’s research is on psychosocial support and mental health of families across the life course. He explores topics such as mental health of families living in the community; home-dwelling couples where one spouse experienced a stroke; coping and stress management among family members of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit; recovery experiences and family processes of survivors after disasters; and informal care of older family members.
The goals of Dr. Chiang’s body of research are to: 1) generate evidence for the practice of family focused health care, and 2) develop a model of caring practice for families coping and living with the adversities of illnesses and traumatic events. He uses a variety of psychosocial and family health measurement instruments in his work including the Stability of Activities in the Family Environment Scale (SAFE-23).
For more information, contact IFNA member Vico Chiang, or learn more about his work here.