About

Mission

The purpose of the Annual Nursing Theory Conference is to provide a global forum where all nurses can gather to nurture and critique nursing theory thereby expanding nursing’s unique disciplinary knowledge for practice, research, education, and policy. Recognizing that the ultimate purpose of nursing is the improvement of the health and wellbeing of all people, situated in the wholeness of their system context, we commit to supporting a place for active and equitable theoretical discourse. We value, support, and encourage the diversity of theoretical perspectives in nursing to enhance our unique knowledge base. Grounding us firmly in these tenets, we acknowledge the powerful link between philosophy, theory, research, and social change.

History / About the 2019 Nursing theory conference

“Over 120 attendees engaged in two days of inspiring and thought-provoking discussion focused on possibilities for the future of nursing grounded in the lasting values of the past.  Approximately half of the attendees were doctoral students – many of whom presented their scholarship in the many breakout sessions.  In the closing general session there was a strong consensus to build a structure for continuing this kind of event, and to reach out to key nursing organizational leaders to more fully bring nursing insights and values into the healthcare system.” (from https://nursology.net/history/past-nursology-events/a-50-year-perspective-cleveland-oh-march-21-22-2019/)

About our Logo

Our logo was designed by Christian Tedjasukmana, a nurse, artist, and designer who is married to our management team member, Brandon Brown. Christian researched a number of symbolic meanings associated with the process of development of nursing knowledge and shared that his final design was inspired by a combination of meanings embedded within ancient spiritual imagery, Roman mythology, and color symbolism.

The logo reflects the Roman god Janus, who had two faces – one looking to the past and the other looking to the future.  The two heads not only represent the honoring of past knowledge and progress toward future enlightenment, but it also represents the unity of like-minds working together to advance our discipline. The red flame arising from the two heads represents the ever-evolving insights that arise from the unity of minds – the life, knowledge, energy, and emotion that illuminates and informs both the insights and understandings that are expressed in nursing knowledge.

The two heads are set upon a golden spiral background with the deep yellow signifying both knowledge and inspiration — with the two spirals going both in and out — symbolizing the continual giving and receiving of knowledge. Spirals are among the most ancient and universal symbols representing evolution, progress, learning, and growing. Spirals also represent the cycle of life, cycles of both time and nature, cosmic forces, and the dynamic aspect of life

Thank you to Christian – your thoughtful approach to the development of our logo is an inspiring model for all of us in developing our ideas for the future!

Management Team 

Each year we form a planning group consisting of nurse scholars from the geographic focus areas for the upcoming conferences.  The team each year is coordinated and led by Leslie Nicoll and Peggy Chinn. Jacqui Fawcett is the theory conference representative from the Nursology.net management team.

Leslie H. Nicoll, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN

Dr. Nicoll is our conference manager for the Nursing Theory Conference project.  She is president and owner of Maine Desk LLC, prolific author of  resources for writing and publishing in nursing, Editor-in-Chief of CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing and Nurse Author & Editor and “Chief Executive Volunteer” for the International Academy of Nursing Editors. She is the founding editor of the widely-used text Perspectives on Nursing Theory, now edited by Pamela Reed

Peggy L Chinn, RN, PhD, DSc(Hon), FAAN

Principal web manager of the Nursing Theory Conference website, the Nursology.net website, and NurseManifest.com.  She is the founding Editor of Advances in Nursing Science and author, with Maeona Kramer, of Knowledge Development in Nursing, now in its 10th edition. Although retired from the University of Connecticut, Peggy continues to teach and mentor doctoral students wherever they are located, and connects with amazing colleagues through nursing organizations and independent projects devoted to nurturing the future of nursology.

Jacqueline Fawcett, RN: PhD; ScD (hon); FAAN; ANEF 

Dr. Fawcett is the Facilitator for the Nursology.net management team and Professor, Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Boston. She is author of many books and journal articles about nursing theory, reports of theory-guided research, and presenting her own conceptual models. Dr. Fawcett teaches undergraduate nursing research courses emphasizing conceptual-theoretical-empirical structures, and a PhD program nursing course addressing contemporary disciplinary knowledge. She provides consultation about use of nursing conceptual models