In an era where healthcare organizations are challenged like never before, the role of nurses鈥攁s frontline providers, patient advocates, and evidence-based practitioners鈥攈as never been more vital. The 2025 Midwest Nursing Research Conference, held in March 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana reaffirmed that research is not only the backbone of nursing practice but also the driving force for future innovations in patient care.
The conference brought together nurse researchers, educators, clinical practitioners, and students from the Midwest to share groundbreaking work, collaborate on new ideas, and inspire the next generation of nursing scientists. Faculty and students from 91传媒在线 attended and presented a range of topics鈥攁 reflection of 91传媒在线 College of Nursing鈥檚 wide scope of scholarly work and its responsiveness to emerging health needs.
Dr. Reed (pictured below, left) presented her interdisciplinary research with Drs. Dodson and Petrinec in a podium presentation titled 鈥淓valuation of the HARMONEE Project in Long Term Care (Harnessing Artificial Intelligence Resources for Mental Wellbeing for Older Adults and Nurturing Empathy in Education)鈥. She also served as a mentor to Shawna Cripple (pictured below, center), a BSN student who presented a poster 鈥淗ealing the Healers: A Mental Health Retreat for Nurses to Reduce Burnout and Support Job Retention鈥. Dr. Reed also worked collaboratively with Drs. Wang and Motter to present 鈥淎dvancing AI in Nursing: Training, Research, and Practice Implications.鈥 Haley Adams (pictured below right), a BSN student presented a poster 鈥淧erceived Resiliency: The Need for Scale Development鈥. Mentors included Drs. Cleveland, Hansen, Petrinec, and Anita Slack.
Kristine Jacobson (pictured below left) represented the DNP program by displaying a poster titled 鈥淎 Quality Improvement Measure Bundle to Deliver Memory Care in a Community-Based Neurology Clinic鈥. Mentors included Drs. Onesko, Cleveland, Knox, and Petrinec. Dr. Aller (pictured below center) displayed a poster, 鈥淓xploring the Psychological Capital of Freshmen BSN Students: Reflective Photo Voice鈥. Dr. Miner (pictured below right) provided a presentation on her interdisciplinary work titled 鈥淟everaging Machine Learning for the Comprehensive Diagnosis and Improved Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder鈥.
Drs. Anthony and Hansen (pictured below left) displayed a poster 鈥淒esign Thinking Meets Science: Paving the Way for Emerging Scientists鈥, a collaborative project with Athichai Pankam, Kobkul Madican (PhD students). Andrea Nelson, a PhD student and mentor Dr. Hansen (pictured below middle) presented 鈥淐hallenges and Opportunities Utilizing Social Media Recruitment of Adolescents鈥. Dr. Wang (pictured below left) presented her interdisciplinary work, 鈥淧sychometric Properties of the Brief Resilience Scale Among Undergraduate Nursing Students鈥.
Dr. Edmondson (pictured below right) displayed her research focused on ADHD titled 鈥淓ffects of Low, Moderate, and High-Intensity Exercise on Executive Function, Functional Impairment, and Symptom Severity in ADHD鈥. Dr. Petrinec and Wang (pictured below center) presented their collaborative work in a poster, 鈥淧ost-Intensive Care Syndrome-Family: Psychometric Properties of the PCL-5. Doctoral student Tamara Howell and mentor, Dr. Petrinec (pictured below left), presented a poster titled 鈥淭ranslation and Content Validation of the Total Pain Questionnaire鈥.
Doctoral student, Kim Haag mentored by Dr. Petrinec (pictured below left) displayed her research 鈥淐ognitive Interviews: Assessing ICU Nurses Willingness to Teach Family Caregiving Activities鈥. The below center picture displays the congregation of past and current faculty at the designated KSU MNRS table. Last but not least - Dr. Miner, students, and colleagues demonstrated research is fun! (pictured below left).
What stood out the most was the steadfast commitment to transforming bedside challenges into research questions 鈥 and then into practice-changing answers. Equally inspiring were the voices of early-career nurses and students who presented with confidence and rigor, signaling a bright and strong future for nursing scholarship. Their enthusiasm, paired with the guidance of experienced researchers, demonstrated the power of intergenerational collaboration within the nursing profession.
As we move forward, continued institutional support for nursing research is essential to ensure that nurses are inspired and empowered to ask bold questions and lead meaningful change.
In closing, the 2025 Midwest Nursing Research Conference did more than celebrate research; it reignited a shared purpose: to use evidence as a catalyst for compassionate, effective and equitable care.
And that, more than anything, is what nursing is all about!