Nurse scientists meet each other, national program director

April 19, 2022

Dora Clayton-Jones, Heather M. Young and Luz Huntington-Moskos of the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship. (c) All rights reserved. Betty Irene Moore Fellows Dora Clayton-Jones, left, and Luz Huntington-Moskos, right, with National Program Director Heather M. Young, center, at the Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference.

Spring is a season of rejuvenation and the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators National Program Office celebrates with a return to in-person events. For the first time in two years, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, fellows and program leaders meet face-to-face at regional nursing conferences.

Betty Irene Moore Fellows first gathered March 30-April 2 at the 46th Annual Research Conference led by the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) in Schaumburg, Illinois. Heather M. Young, national program director for the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators, gave the opening keynote presentation. She discussed building leadership in health care and highlighted the fellows who are members of the organization.

“It was thrilling to meet our fellows in person and see them outside of our monthly Zoom meetings,” Young said. “We have built strong relationships within the fellowship program since welcoming the first cohort of fellows in 2020 and it was a joy to strengthen those connections in person.”

Cohort 2021 fellows Dora Clayton-Jones, assistant professor at Marquette University College of Nursing, and Luz Huntington-Moskos, assistant professor at University of Louisville School of Nursing, presented at the MNRS conference.

It was wonderful meeting in person. I came away with a greater sense of pride as a Betty Irene Moore Fellow,” Clayton-Jones said. “Dr. Heather M. Young set us all on fire with her keynote address and she is even more inspiring in person. After meeting Dr. Luz Huntington-Moskos in person, I am beyond excited to meet my other cohort members, program leaders and Fellowship National Advisory Council members during our convocation this summer.”

Betty Irene Moore Fellows Rachel DiFazio, Melissa O'Connor and Lisa Duffy (c) All rights reserved. From left to right, Betty Irene Moore Fellows Rachel DiFazio, Melissa O'Connor and Lisa Duffy at the Eastern Nursing Research Society Conference.

Fellows next gathered March 31-April 1 at the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) 34th Annual Scientific Sessions in Providence, Rhode Island.

Cohort 2021 fellow Rachel DiFazio, nurse scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital, presented at the ENRS conference and met Cohort 2020 fellows Melissa O’Connor and Lisa Duffy, who serve on the society’s organizational committee.  

“It was exciting to meet with my colleagues from the fellowship in person at the ENRS conference after the long COVID-19 lockdown,” DiFazio said. “We were able to share updates about our projects and discus personal development opportunities. We also discussed looking forward to seeing each other again in person at convocation.”

That conference was followed by the 55th Annual Communicating Nursing Research Conference led by the Western Institute of Nursing (WIN) April 6-9 in Portland, Oregon.

Cohort 2020 fellow M. Rebecca O’Connor, associate professor at University of Washington School of Nursing, presented at the conference and discussed what it means to demonstrate anti-racism and bias-interrupting actions in clinical settings.

Betty Irene Moore Fellow M. Rebecca O’Connor. (c) All rights reserved.Betty Irene Moore Fellow M. Rebecca O’Connor at the Western Institute of Nursing Conference.

“It was deeply impactful for me to have the opportunity to connect in person with many of my colleagues and Dr. Heather M. Young for the first time. Being together in person allows for rich connections and informal conversations that help strengthen relationships in a way that virtual environments cannot,” O’Connor said. “Since the beginning of our fellowship, we have faced so many competing demands and challenges related to the pandemic, the ongoing public health crisis of racism, in terms of persistent health inequities and police brutality, and the backlash against addressing these issues. Plus, family caregiving obligations through it all over the last two years. The opportunity to be in conversation with colleagues about how we can collaborate to move our work forward with minimal distraction for just a few days was truly rejuvenating and much needed.”

The fellowship national program office continues to monitor public health and safety guidelines and anticipates conducting the fellowship annual convocation in person this July in Sacramento, California.

“This will be the first time we are able to move our convocation beyond a digital platform and bring all of our fellows, program faculty and Fellowship National Advisory Council members physically together,” Young said. “I simply cannot wait to have our whole fellowship community under one roof.”