19th International Nursing Research Congress in Singapore
More than 1,000 nurse leaders representing 40 countries gather at Suntec to discuss best evidence-based practices

5 May 2008, Singapore – Over 1,000 nurse leaders from all over the world will gather 7-11 July 2008 for the 19th International Nursing Research Congress at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre. This event, hosted by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), an organization that exists to create a global community of nurses who lead in using knowledge, scholarship, service and learning to improve the health of the world’s people, focuses on the globalization of research through technology.

There are more than 130,000 members worldwide and this is the first time that the organization is holding such a conference in Singapore. “Singapore will be a great host nation and we are very pleased to bring our reach to this location. It provides a central location through which we can communicate with our network of nurses. The goal of the conference is to share best practices, further enrich nurses’ knowledge and exchange experiences,” said Carol Huston, RN, MSN, DPA, FAAN, honor society president.

The event will cover topics such as using technology to analyze and educate, strategies to improve the health of the aging, and strategies to improve patient outcomes in primary care. Nurses from all across the globe, including South East Asia, will benefit from the sharing of best practices in clinical, scientific and leadership areas. The conference will provide nurses the platform for resource sharing as well as opportunities for career development. A special two-day, interactive educational workshop focusing on simulation and emerging technologies will be conducted for the nurses. Congress keynoter and world-renown simulation expert Dr. Anthony Gallagher, Royal College of Nursing, Ireland, will open the workshop with a presentation on where simulation is today and where it is likely to go in the future. The workshop will include tours of two “centers of excellence in simulation” facilities.

To meet demand in Singapore, educational institutions have increased their intake for people pursuing nursing courses from 1,600 to 2,000 per year (in 2005). Training opportunities for foreign nurses looking to be employed as registered nurses in Singapore also abound; as are opportunities for those wishing to switch careers (the Workforce Development Agency offers a Professionals Conversion Programme which provides opportunities for people to be trained as health care professionals). Even older workers are not left out - currently, seven in ten health care workers who reach the retirement age are re-employed by the public hospitals and polyclinics they work in. These older workers are valued for their experience in handling difficult cases and patients and are highly valuable resources in a tight labour market.

All conference participants will receive the inspirational book titled NURSE: A World of Care, which documents and celebrates the vital and often invisible work of nurses throughout the globe, captured in compelling detail by photographer Karen Kasmauski, whose work has graced the pages of National Geographic, and writer Peter Jaret, an award-winning health reporter whose work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Newsweek, among others.

The Singapore chapter of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is Upsilon Eta at the National University of Singapore. It began just last year and has 138 members. 

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About Sigma Theta Tau International
The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of people worldwide through leadership and scholarship in practice, education and research. Founded in 1922, the Honor Society of Nursing has inducted more than 400,000 members in 114 countries. Members include practicing nurses, instructors, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs and others. The honor society's 463 chapters are located at 571 institutions of higher education throughout Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Swaziland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, the United States and Wales. More information about the honor society can be found online at www.nursingsociety.org.