Recovery in Motion: 2017 Fall Nursing Conference

On September 29, McLean held its 2017 Fall Nursing Conference in Pierce Hall on the Belmont campus. This year’s conference, titled “Recovery in Motion,” focused on bridging the connection between mental health and physical health. McLean Nursing was honored to host Dixie L. Thompson, PhD, and Lora Humphrey Beebe, PhD, PMHNP-BC, FAAN, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as guest speakers for the event.

Thompson is vice provost and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Thompson’s research centers on the health impact of regular physical activity, particularly in women. Her work has contributed to the knowledge that important health changes can result when inactive women add walking to their daily routine. Thompson’s work has shown favorable results in decreasing blood pressure, improving glucose control, and promoting weight loss in her participants. She is currently part of a federally funded research group aimed at training teams of students from various disciplines to assist patients with multiple chronic conditions, including schizophrenia, to develop health and wellness plans. These interdisciplinary teams include representatives from exercise physiology, nutrition, psychiatric nursing, and pharmacy. Beebe is a professor at the College of Nursing and coordinator of the graduate concentration in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research focuses on adherence and motivation and their relationships to the physical and mental health of persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Beebe is currently the principal investigator on a federally funded education research project titled “Recovery-Based Interprofessional Distance Education.”

At the September 29 event, Beebe and Thompson presented topics such as “Barriers to Health on the Schizophrenia Spectrum” and “Educational Strategies to Provide Interdisciplinary Holistic Care.” Additional presentations focused on improving physical health and adherence and assisting individuals to “stay the course.” The full day of lectures was attended by 64 nurses from McLean as well as social work, psychology, and psychical therapy representatives.

McLean Nursing proudly hosts a spring conference and a fall conference each year. These events feature current, evidence-based education that supports and advances nursing care at McLean Hospital.