Greetings MNRS Colleagues,

I am honored and excited to assume the role of President of MNRS– occurring at this past conference. I learned much from serving as a Member-at-Large and two terms as Treasurer under the leadership of four outstanding Presidents: Drs. Buckwalter, Anderson, Holden, and Rawl. They role-modeled what it means to be President of the premier MNRS society and to put forward a legacy for impact during one’s presidency.

During my two years as President, I promise to help further shape the future of MNRS and nursing research. This will occur through collaboration and working together with our highly talented Board of Directors, Foundation Board of Trustees, Parthenon Management Company, and Research & Implementation Interest Groups (RIIGs).

I am pleased to share that we just completed the creation of our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan through a thoughtful process that involved a group of MNRS members representing diverse experiences, ages, geographic regions, students, post-docs, committees, and underrepresented groups. We revised our mission and vision slightly and developed four important goals with objectives and strategies. 

Important work for the coming year and reflected in our goals is to advance partnerships with other groups to expand our membership pool and scientific reach in meaningful ways. We have a strong goal for improving the uptake of our research in clinical settings through implementation efforts which we believe DNP-PhD collaborations can facilitate. The MNRS Committees were restructured to fulfill this commitment, and an External Relations/Dissemination Committee was formed to focus on advance partnerships.

Our DEI efforts must be intentional and visible and lead to change in our membership, leadership, and science. I am highly inspired by our Leadership Academy, established by Dr. Cindy Anderson and nurtured by leadership from Dr. Kitty Buckwalter. Now in our third cohort, we are reaping the program's benefits as fellows assume leadership roles across our society.

I look forward to working with the MNRS Foundation and collaborating on new initiatives that cross our two missions. This includes exploring new fundraising ideas and strategies. I will partner with Dr. Helen Lach, Foundation President, to ensure the success of both the society and the foundation.

Dr. Buckwalter and I have enjoyed meeting regularly with the other regional society board presidents to network, share ideas, and brainstorm issues as they emerge. This has been highly meaningful for sharing our excellent work as well as learning how we might adapt other programs and strategies. This was the case for the Leadership Academy, which has been successful. Additionally, representation on the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science Advisory Council allows connections and networking between MNRS, CANS, and the NINR.

In closing, I want to congratulate the University of Iowa for hosting a highly successful 2023 Annual Conference this year in Des Moines, IA. Our keynote speakers, Drs. Marita Titler and Angela McBride shared their expertise and inspired all of us to reflect on the well-being of nurses from a scientific lens, as well as on leadership roles as nurse scientists in the future. We had many creative and important events, including a presentation from the Leadership Academy fellows, an imposter syndrome talk over lunch sponsored by members of Emerging Scholars Network, a director and deans meeting, an alumni (retirees) formed group, and a new Walk-A-Thon fundraising event. I sincerely thank Dr. Kimberly Dillon-Bleich and the entire Program Planning Committee for their excellent conference outcomes.

I am uber excited for our 2024 Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN. It is a bit earlier this year, but as a native of Minnesota, I know you will enjoy the city and conference even in March.  Please submit your abstracts to share your great science.

Sharon Tucker, PhD, APRN-CNS, PMHCNS-BC, NC-BC, EBP-C, FNAP, FAAN

President, MNRS Board of Directors