Like millions of tourists who arrive on this beautiful isle, I am excited to be in the land of my ancestors. Although you may be misled by my married name, I, too, have Irish roots—the surnames of my grandmothers were Lynch and McGuinness.
This is no more surprising, however, than the discovery my family and I made as we drove across Ireland—from the east coast to the west coast—to view the Cliffs of Moher. Along the way, we stopped to rest at a service station named in honor of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. In 2011, he and his family visited Moneygall, his great-great-great grandfather’s birthplace, “to find the apostrophe that got lost along the way.” President Obama’s words, not mine! It seems that everyone is proud to claim a little bit of Irish.
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| Michelle Beauchesne and Patrice Farquharson. |
This visit to Ireland is particularly special for me because I am accompanied by my husband Alan and sons Mark and Ryan. In addition, Patrice Farquharson, EdD, my sister and research co-investigator, has joined us together with her partner Mike and daughters Julia and Elena. It’s a true family affair. We have spent the past few days experiencing the tastes, sounds, and picturesque scenes of beautiful Dublin.
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| The Cliffs of Moher. |
Everyone we meet is friendly and hospitable. Even the skies have been friendly. On our trip to Ireland’s west coast, we left Dublin in rain but approached the coast accompanied by a spectacular rainbow, followed by sunshine that allowed us to view the magnificent Cliffs of Moher. All that was needed was a leprechaun and his pot o’ gold. Here in Ireland, the connections go both ways. Every taxi driver seems to have a relative back home in Boston where we live.
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| Bernadette Melynk (right) with colleagues from The Ohio State University. |
Making connections could be the theme of this 28th International Nursing Research Congress. It seems that everyone I meet knows someone I know. This is truly a melting pot of global nursing scholars who hail from different corners of the world but share many common bonds. At this conference, credentials and experience are less emphasized than the excitement of scholarly discovery. What an invigorating experience to be in a venue where seasoned researchers mingle with young “Rising Stars” who are entering a new phase of their careers.
Today’s opening session illustrated that nicely when recipients of the 2017 Emerging Nurse Researcher Award were honored—Parveen Azam Ali, Lydia Aziato, and Ryan J. Shaw. This was followed by an enlightening overview of the contributions of nursing and midwifery in Ireland, given by seasoned researcher Tanya McCance, DPhil, MSc, RN.
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| Beauchesne with her students. |
Later in the day, Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, FAAN, together with colleagues from The Ohio State University in the United States, reflected on their vision for the future of nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. Melnyk enthusiastically urged us to partner with each other—PhD- and DNP-prepared scholars together—in synergistic ways to achieve greater impact as we strive to improve healthcare outcomes. As a pediatric nurse practitioner with a research doctorate, I have always embraced the words of nurse philosopher Ernestine Weidenbach (1963), who observed, “Nursing is a helping art—a deliberate blending of thoughts, feelings, and overt actions.” Today’s sessions illustrated this message: Our goal is to advance both the science and practice of nursing through discovery and translational research. The poster session was rich in examples of such efforts.
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| With Debra Burke. |
A significant aspect of my professional career has been mentoring students and other nursing colleagues. I am privileged to have several alumna and students here from Northeastern University: 2017 Rising Stars Jennifer Clair, DNP; Paul Ethan Schuler, DNP; and Lauryn LeGacy, DNP; as well as Bertha Lee, a current PhD student. Deborah Burke of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a 2016 DNP alumna, is also a presenter. We are all honored to witness a premier mentor well known in the Boston area, our own Diane L. Carroll, PhD, RN, FAAN, of MGH, who will be inducted tomorrow into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. A great presence for Boston!
The young scholars and experienced researchers attending today’s meeting all share a common bond. The words of George Bernard Shaw, the great Irish playwright, best captures their spirit: “You see things; you say, ‘’Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?’”
To access information about Beauchesne’s presentation, click here.
To access information about Beauchesne’s presentation, click here.
