The WVU School of Nursing was recently represented at the Annual Nursing Theory Conference. Nursing faculty and PhD students shared their work, along with participating in panels and poster presentations.
The conference, with a theme of “Honoring our Past and Moving Forward: Decolonizing Nursing Knowledge,” was held March 19-23. The theme aimed to embrace history while forging a path toward a progressive and inclusive future in nursing.
On March 22, WVU School of Nursing representatives Dr. Suzy Walter, Dr. Heather-Carter Templeton, and PhD students Emelia Botchway, Emmerita Morris and Robin Elkins served on an invited panel presentation for student/early career scholars titled, “Using the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence as a Guide for Practice and Research.”
“Grounded in the framework of the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence, the focus of this plenary group was to illustrate the model as a theoretical foundation for practice and research,” Walter said. “The importance of cultural competence through clinical application of specific minority groups was discussed.”
Walter and Carter-Templeton introduced and described the model and then the students applied the domains and concepts of the model to their practice.
Elkins discussed the importance of culturally competent care when working with the Appalachian population; Morris described multi-cultural differences when working with women in menopause; and Botchway described the importance of culturally competent care when working with African-born immigrants with end stage renal disease facing end of life decision making.
In addition to the panel, PhD student Parker Rohrbaugh presented his poster, “Searching for Comfort in Life: Building a Concept for Research.” Rohrbaugh described the process of building a concept that stemmed from his practice as an Advanced Practice Nurse caring for parents searching for comfort in everyday life while having a hospitalized child and well-child at home. The concept building process provided a model that can serve as a starting point for his research.
“This gave the students an opportunity to present their scholarly work on this international stage,” Walter said. “They are each presenting in their area of practice and research, so the conference gives them a stage to begin disseminating their work.”
“I am so glad these students could participate,” Carter-Templeton said. “The PhD students represented the SON with distinction at the theory conference. They were able to showcase their depth of understanding and professionalism—a testament to the ongoing guidance and support provided by our dedicated PhD faculty as well as the PhD Program Director, Dr. Roger Carpenter.”
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MEDIA CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu