FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A nurse leader from Texas will speak about evidence-based practice at a nursing research conference Monday sponsored by the University of Arkansas Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, which admitted its charter class of clinical nurse specialists in fall 2005.

Renee Manworren, MSN, RN-BC, CNS, will address how to generate clinical nursing research questions that lead to improved evidence-based practice in her keynote speech for the 16^th annual Nursing Excellence in Research and Practice conference, which begins at 8:10 a.m. Monday at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale. Manworren is director of Clinical Practice Development at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas. She is a pediatric clinical nurse specialist with expertise in pain management.

“The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing continues to address the need for highly qualified nursing personnel in the state by offering the master of science in nursing and to address continuing education needs of local nurses with this annual conference,” said Reed Greenwood, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions. “The conference also provides a vital opportunity for our students to be involved in research during their undergraduate years.”

Kathleen Barta is associate professor of nursing and past president of Pi Theta, the local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International nursing honor society that sponsors the conference each year.

“We are pleased to have Renee Manworren speak to the nursing community about the importance of clinical nursing research and evidence-based practices,” Barta said. “Nurses at the bedside are a source of rich and important research questions. Clinical nurse specialists provide leadership as change agents for improved clinical outcomes. They work with bedside nurses to design and test interventions and care processes that result in improved patient outcomes. Our graduates will help ensure that the public receives safe and effective care. Individuals and communities benefit from access to advanced nursing care provided by clinical nurse specialists who are clinical experts in managing responses to illness and promoting health outcomes.”

The nursing school will graduate its first cohort of master of science in nursing for clinical nurse specialists in adult nursing this May. The essence of the clinical nurse specialist’s practice is expertise in diagnosis and treatment in order to prevent, remediate or alleviate illness and promote health. Graduates from the nursing master’s program will be eligible for national certification as clinical nurse specialists in medical-surgical nursing and licensure as advance practice nurses in Arkansas. Employment opportunities for graduates include providing clinical leadership and consultation in health care settings; functioning as case managers in acute- and primary-care settings; conducting clinical research; and teaching in schools of nursing and other institutional settings.

Sheryl Davis, BSN, and Gina Wilson, BSN, current graduate students, will present their implementation and evaluation of rapid response teams. The use of rapid response teams is designed to save more lives through earlier identification and intervention of unstable patients. Rapid response teams are one of the major strategies for improving health-care outcomes promoted by Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Cathy Irwin, PhD, RN, will present findings on the Community Profile of the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. According to Irwin, “(this) profile is a community needs assessment for breast health, which can be used in community health care to determine the priority needs for breast health education and programs.”

Barta, EdD, RN, and Marianne Neighbors, EdD, RN, researchers from the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, along with Mollyanne Lloyd, BSN, nursing supervisor of the Fayetteville Public Schools, will present results of a survey of elementary school parents regarding their homelife behavior changes as a result of receiving body mass index information on their children. A majority of parents was aware of their children’s BMI and thought the screening process was positive, although only 43 percent reported that learning their child’s BMI was helpful to them as a parent. A majority also reported limiting snacks, sedentary activity and the amount of sugared beverages and encouraging more physical activity and drinking water since learning about their children’s BMI.

Additional presentations by faculty and honor students will focus on student learning strategies, pressure ulcer prevention and diversity. Judges will critique posters created by Mann School nursing students based on their research projects, and round table discussions at lunch will focus on topics such as student internships, preparing for senior year, preparing for the licensure exam and job interviewing.

More than 200 nurses and nursing students are registered to attend the conference.