Inquiry, Equity, and Action: Harnessing Nursing Science for a Collective Impact on Health
The University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing will be hosting the 2026 Nursing Research Day conference on Friday, April 17. This year's theme is Inquiry, Equity, and Action: Harnessing Nursing Science for a Collective Impact on Health. The event is free; Minnesota Board of Nursing continuing education credits will be offered. Throughout the day, faculty, community partners and students will lead concurrent podium and poster presentation sessions that showcase findings from innovative research and evidence-based projects that improve health and quality care.
Dr. Katie Boston-Leary will be our keynote speaker. She is the Senior Vice President of Equity and Engagement at the American Nurses Association addressing DEIAB and workforce challenges within the profession. She is a 2024 ICN Global Nurse Leaders Institute Scholar and was previously identified in Health Leaders Media as “One of Five Chief Nursing Officers Changing Healthcare”. She also won the ICABA TD Bank 2023 Woman of Impact award, the 2024 Spectrum Circle Award for Innovation in Health and won the 2025 National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) President’s Trailblazer Award. She was inducted as a Distinguished Fellow at the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing with the NBNA, is a Fellow with American Organization of Nursing Leadership (AONL), the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Dr. Boston-Leary has conducted research on care delivery models, time allocation, nurses’ well-being, racism and civilized oppression in nursing. She completed her PhD at Walden University in Health Services, obtained a dual degree MBA and MHA from the University of Maryland Global Campus and her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Bowie State University in Maryland. She is a board-certified Nurse Executive and obtained a nurse executive leadership certificate from Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Registration and check-in opens
Minnesota Room
8:45 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Memorial Hall
Fang Lei, PhD, MSN, MPH, RN
Research Day Co-Chair and Assistant Professor
Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP
Professor and Dean, University of Minnesota School of Nursing
9:00 a.m.
Keynote Presentation followed by Q&A
Collective Power: Shaping Nursing’s Equitable Future
Katie Boston-Leary, PhD, MBA, RN, FADLN, FAONL, FAAN
10:15 a.m.
Break
10:30 a.m.
Concurrent Morning Oral Presentation Breakout Sessions
12:00 p.m.
Lunch (on your own)
Concurrent Afternoon Oral Presentation Breakout Sessions
2:30 pm
Break
2:45 p.m.
In-Person Poster Presentation Session - Vote for your favorite poster
Swain Room and The Commons
3:30 p.m.
People’s Choice Poster Awards and Closing Remarks
Memorial Hall
Charles Osingada, PhD, MPH, RN
Research Day Co-Chair and Assistant Professor
3:45 p.m.
Adjourn
FAQs
Looking for Zoom links or a confirmation email?
Your Research Day registration should trigger a confirmation email within 24 hours of registering. The Research Day event Google page will have the individual session Zoom links for those sessions that will be streamed (note, not all 2026 Research Day sessions will be streamed). If you are not seeing a confirmation email, be sure to check your spam folder as some organizations' email systems flag our emails as spam. If you don’t see an email confirmation, re-register and be sure to type your email carefully. If you still don’t receive a confirmatory email, contact us at [email protected]
How does Research Day work?
Nursing Research Day is an in-person event with only select sessions available via Zoom. Activities occurring in the main hall of McNamara (i.e., Memorial Hall) will be streamed via Zoom in 2026. This includes the Keynote presentation and the morning Data Sparks: Lightning Ideas at the Speed of Informatics breakout session and the afternoon Living with Complexity: Aging, Chronic Conditions, and Symptom Experiences Across the Lifespan: Person-centered insights into management, adaptation, and quality of life breakout session. In order to attend in-person or online you MUST pre-register for Research Day. Same day or “walk-in” registration on April 17 cannot be accommodated.
Is there a cost to attend Research Day?
No. It is free.
Are CEUs available?
Yes. MN Board of Nursing contact hours will be offered to those who indicated MN Board of Nursing contact hours in their registration.
Is there a schedule for Research Day?
Yes there is. At-a-glance schedule.
Is breakfast and/or lunch provided as part of Research Day?
No. We are able to offer Research Day free of charge by not providing food as part of the conference, although coffee and tea will be available during the morning hours. Please plan accordingly. A Google search of nearby restaurants can be found here (📌Insider Tip: pre-order your lunch at Sweetgreen for pick-up at noon. Favorite Stadium Village area restaurants include: Afro Deli & Grill, Kimchi Tofu House and Kinzo Udon
Help! I am having trouble accessing the Research Day event page and/or a Zoom
If you are having Zoom issues, we suggest making sure that you have the most current version of Zoom (guidance here). If issues persist with the Zoom or event page, email [email protected] and someone may be able to assist.
I missed a breakout session. Can I access the recorded presentations after Research Day?
The recorded keynote presentation will be posted on the School of Nursing web page by mid-May. No other oral presentations will be available/streamed outside of the actual, live, presentation on Research Day.
I am only interested in attending a poster session. Do I still need to register?
Yes. Please register before April 17. We are happy to have you join us just for the poster session.
I registered for Research Day but want to change my breakout session registration. How do I do that?
Don’t worry. You can attend any breakout session that you want. We don’t require you to update your breakout registration. However, if you no longer plan to attend Research Day in-person, we would appreciate receiving notification (email [email protected]) as McNamara does have a seating capacity and Research Day typically has a waiting list for in-person attendance.
Can I share the Research Day Zoom link with my friend who forgot to register?
No. Unfortunately that isn't an option. Research Day is a closed/private event. Access is limited to people who have pre-registered.
Is a lactation space available at McNamara?
Yes there is. Room 211 (searchable here)