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Isabel Maitland Stewart Conference on Research in Nursing

The Stewart Conference on Research in Nursing was established in 1953 in honor of Isabel Maitland Stewart (1878-1963), Director of the Department of Nursing Education at Teachers College (TC) from 1925-1947. Prior to assuming this position, she served as the Assistant to the Director, M. Adelaide Nutting. Miss Stewart developed the first course dealing specifically with the teaching of nursing, a course that eventually was expanded to become an entire program for the preparation of teachers of nursing at TC. The Stewart Research Conference provides a forum for all nurses, including students, alumni and health care professionals to share their research with nursing's scholarly community and to learn about the latest trends and issues in research, education, and practice. Isabel Maitland Stewart 1878-1963Teachers College: 1925-1947Born in Fletcher, Ontario, Miss Stewart was a graduate of the Manitoba Normal School and of the Winnipeg Collegiate Institution. For a brief time, she taught kindergarten, first and second grades. In 1900, at the age of 22, she entered the Nurses Training School of Winnipeg General Hospital. She graduated in 1902.

Isabel Maitland Stewart

62nd Annual Isabel Maitland Stewart Research Conference Friday, May 1, 2026 Teachers College Columbia University

525 W 120th St, New York, NY 10027 Advancing Nursing Education and Practice Through Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies

We are pleased to announce the theme for the 62nd Annual Isabel Maitland Stewart Conference on Research in Nursing, Advancing Nursing Education and Practice Through Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies, which will be held on May 1, 2026. By popular request, this program expands upon the information presented at the 61st Annual Stewart Conference to take a deeper look at the integration of AI and educational technologies in nursing education. This focused event will explore applications for both academic and hospital-based educators, highlighting innovative strategies for classroom and clinical teaching. We invite educators, researchers, and practitioners to contribute their expertise and join us in shaping this important dialogue at the intersection of nursing, technology, and teaching excellence.

2026 Keynote Speaker

Kenya Beard, EdD, AGACNP-BC, ANEF, FAAN Dr. Kenya V. Beard is the Inaugural Dean and Chief Nursing Officer, Mercy University School of Nursing, and a national leader dedicated to advancing workforce diversity, health equity, and high-quality care for all communities. A driving force behind landmark initiatives—including the Future of Nursing 2020–2030 report, the nation’s first Nurse Faculty Fellows program, and the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing—she has spent more than three decades creating environments where professional values, equity, and excellence shape improved health outcomes. She has expanded public awareness of healthcare disparities through media, scholarship, and policy leadership, co-producing radio programming reaching over 400,000 listeners and guiding statewide and national efforts to improve healthcare outcomes. A fellow of multiple national academies and a recipient of prestigious leadership awards, Dr. Beard continues to inspire transformative change as an educator, innovator, and advocate for a more just and inclusive healthcare system.
About the NEAA Awards Luncheon All attendees are invited to come celebrate with us at the Stewart Conference Awards Luncheon. The following awards may be presented: The R. Louise McManus Medal and the Achievement Awards. Award winners are inducted into the NEAA Teachers College Nursing Hall of Fame.
Continuing Nursing Education Contact HoursContact Hours: TBA
Pre-Licensure RN Students
Registration Information Up to April 1 After April 1
NEAA members $75 $100
General Admission $100 $125
Prelicensure students $25 $25
Graduate students with ID $50* $50*
Luncheon for guests $50 $50
Registration includes continental breakfast and Awards luncheon. Guest luncheon tickets are available. *All graduate students including TC ONE EdD students
Register ONLINE for Stewart conference
Attention NEAA Members Annual Meeting of the NEAA MembershipThe Annual Meeting of the Membership will take place virtually on April 17, 2026 (time to be determined). Refer to announcement on the home page.
Video recording available for 2023 Conference The 59th Stewart Conference The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity, A Consensus Study from the National Academy of Medicine. The nursing profession has witnessed a revolution in education, realizing that traditional teaching strategies are quickly becoming obsolete, and being replaced by electronic substitutes. Moreover, we are faced with a profound teacher shortage which forces the use of part-time faculty and practicing nurses not as an exception, but more the rule. Institutions, including hospitals, serve the most compromised and critically-ill patients. The nursing skill set must adjust to this new level of acuity and realize that patients are full participants in decisions about their care. The professionmust address whether today’s nurse graduates are up to these challenges or is more sophistication needed than the current “entry-level” credential to serve complex health needs and broader population health. Closely linked to information technology are its counterparts of artificial intelligence and evidence-based practice. These issues represent many opportunities and determine what the RN will feel obligated to bring to the patient on their behalf. Further, information in all its forms, is already a key element in determining practice liability for the nurse. The profound nature of these challenges builds a case for serious investigation of the past as we envision the future. There are lessons to be learned through past experiences, and even more from the international community whereTeachers College nursing alumni and other US RNs are strategically present in large numbers.

Speakers 2023 Virtual Conference

Keynote Address: The Future of NursingFranklin A. Shaffer, EdD, Sc D, RN, FAAN, FFNMRCSI, President and Chief Executive Officer Emeritus, CGFNS International. Philadelphia, PA
The Future of Nursing EducationAnn Marie P. Mauro, PhD, RN, CNL, CNE, ANEF, FAHA, FAAN Director, Program in Nursing Education and Visiting Professor, Department of Health & Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY The Future of Nursing PracticeKathleen Gallo, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN, Dean and Professor, Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, Northwell Health, New York
Leadership in Information Technology Suzanne R. Bakken, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, The Alumni Professor of Nursing and Professor of Biomedical Informatics; Co-Director, Reducing Health Disparities Through Informatics; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association In SummaryAlicia Georges, EdD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Chair Emeritus, Department of Nursing, Lehman College, Bronx, NY

Teachers College Columbia University Nursing Education Alumni Association
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