UMSN Hillman Scholars Attend AcademyHealth’s 2013 Annual Research Meeting

 

“Our Hillman Scholars were engaged and energized at AcademyHealth’s 2013 Annual Research Meeting (ARM), says University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN) Associate Dean Susan J. Pressler, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FAHA. “I believe it was a very good immersion experience for the scholars.”

 

More than 2,400 researchers, clinicians, students, and analysts recently attended the ARM in Baltimore, Maryland. It was an opportunity for Kristen Choi, Jordan Harrison, Joslyn Jackson, Emily Neff, and Daphne Sy, part of UMSN’s first cohort of Hillman Scholars, to connect with peers and senior-level professionals.

 

The Hillman Scholars Program in Nursing Innovation is a rigorous, research-intensive program for selected students. In 2012, UMSN became the third school in the country to participate in the prestigious program. Each year, six students are selected. The program is funded by the Rita & Alex Hillman Foundation, and at the ARM the Hillman Scholars had the opportunity to meet with Executive Director Ahrin Mishan.

 

In addition to attending ARM presentations, discussions, and exhibits, UMSN’s Hillman Scholars became acquainted with fellow scholars from the other two universities, University of Pennsylvania and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, that are part of the program. Kristen Choi also presented her research on “Caring for Women with Post-Traumatic Stress During Pregnancy: What Do Providers Need to Learn?” to the full group of Hillman Scholars and advisors.

 

“I was excited to share the findings with other Hillman Scholars because I think it has important implications for nursing, and it generated some good discussion about the challenges of providing trauma-informed nursing care in perinatal settings,” says Choi.  Her faculty advisor is UMSN Associate Professor Julia Seng, Ph.D., CNM, FAAN.

 

“I felt honored to represent the University of Michigan among such an elite group of nursing researchers and students,” Choi said. “The AcademyHealth research meeting was an informative and thought-provoking experience. Learning about health services research and health policy inspired me to consider what a nursing research career outside of academia could look like. I felt privileged to be able to hear from leaders in health services research and left the meeting with a much better understanding of how research influences policy.”