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Nephrology nurses will find evidence-based practice and research at annual ANNA meeting
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Evidence and research are the linchpins that fuel best practices. Knowing this, the American Nephrology Nurses’s Association (ANNA) has focused on putting a steady stream of new knowledge into nephrology nurses’ hands.
"We place a priority on evidence-based practice (EBP) because it provides the foundation to assist nephrology nurses in achieving the best possible outcomes,” ANNA president Sharon Longton, BSN, RN, CNN, CCTC, said. “ANNA’s annual symposium spotlights EBP this year, as well as new research studies and learning tools.”
One such tool will debut at the symposium, slated for April 19-22, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
A new CKD module set, “Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): What Every Nurse Caring for the CKD Patient Should Know,”is designed to educate nurses who care for nephrology patients in alternative settings.
Symposium presentations
The symposium keynote address also focuses on EBP. Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/PMHNP, FNAP, FAAN,associate vice president for Health Promotion and Dean at the College of Nursing, Ohio State University, will speak on Sunday, April 19 on “Improving health care quality, patient outcomes, and costs with evidence-based practice and the ARCC model: Key strategies for success.” Melnyk is an internationally recognized expert in EBP, wellness, and intervention research.
On the research side, Beth Ulrich, EdD, RN, FACHE, FAAN, and Tamara Kear, PhD, RN, CNS, CNN, will present the results of their landmark patient safety studypublished recently in Nephrology Nursing Journal. The research project was the first national study on patient safety culture in nephrology nurse practice settings. The session, which will be presented Monday, April 20, is entitled “Patient safety culture in nephrology nursing practice settings: Current status and implications.”
In an example of research leading to innovation, Victor Gura, MD, FASN, a physician at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, will describe his pioneering role in developing a wearable artificial kidney (WAK). The device is attached to the patient via a hemodialysis access and worn around the waist. U.S. trials are underway. Gura will present his session, “The wearable artificial kidney: Present and future,” on Wednesday, April 22.
New core curriculum
ANNA will also debut the sixth edition of the Core Curriculum for Nephrology Nursing at the meeting. The text is written by the leading experts in the field and has been revised and expanded.
As in previous years, attendees will enjoy special events, networking, and an interactive exhibit hall in addition to the education offerings. ANNA also inducts new officers and announces the winners of scholarships, grants, and awards at the symposium.