The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS) Abstract Symposium, themed “Nursing Science: Informing Policy, Advancing Health,” will be held on October 15, 2025, from 8:00AM - 4:40PM at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.
As a signature initiative of the American Academy of Nursing, CANS integrates nursing science into health, well-being, and policy decisions.
As the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science celebrates 25 years of Better Health Through Nursing Science, this event showcases a breadth of transformational nursing research impacting policy to improve health equity. Attendees will learn from their colleagues through poster and podium presentations. Additionally, attendees will hear from scientists whose work is transforming the health and wellness of populations as well as those who are working to prepare nurse scientists to impact the future of health through policy.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of participating in this event, attendees will:
Examine various research areas that demonstrate how nursing science informs and impacts policy change.
Increase their knowledge of how nursing science transforms population health and how nurse scientists can impact policy.
Speakers
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Opening Keynote:
The Public, Policy, and Proof: Grounding Science in Trust
In an era when information is disseminated at unparalleled rates, concerns over misinformation, credible sources, and intent can shroud valid evidence and good intentions. The scientific community, including nurse scientists, can work collectively to overcome challenges such as mistrust and misinformation – a particularly poignant issue today. In this opening keynote session, participants will learn how to effectively communicate the impact and application of their work to policymakers and the public, find common ground for creating connection and trust, and understand the value of unified advocacy for the scientific enterprise.
Closing Keynote:
Preparing Nurse Scientists to Create Policy Change
Nursing science is transformational. Whether it is improving standards of care, advancing new technologies and innovation, or empowering patients and their families to make more informed decisions, nursing science is lies at the core. In order for discoveries stemming from nursing research to be integrated into health systems and communities, nurse scientists need to be effective stewards of their work in the policy arena. This closing keynote session will explore why nurse scientists, including doctoral research nursing students and early investigators, ought to be thinking more boldly about the larger impact of their research, how they can influence policy through their work, and how faculty and mentors can guide them to do so.
CANS National Advisory Council
Victoria Vaughan Dickson, PhD, RN, FAHA, FHFSA, FAAN (Chair)
Hudson Santos, PhD, RN, FABMR, FAAN (Chair Elect)
Ann Marie McCarthy, PhD, RN, PNP, FAAN (Councilor of Science)
Nancy Dias, PhD, RN, FPCN (Councilor of Membership)
Marie Ann Marino, EdD, RN, FAAN (Eastern Nursing Research Society)
Charleen C. McNeill, PhD, MSN, RN (Southern Nursing Research Society)
Jennifer Doering, PhD, RN, FAAN (Midwestern Nursing Research Society)
Lauren Clark, PhD, RN, FAAN (Western Institute of Nursing)
Diana Baptiste, DNP, RN, CNE, FPCNA, FAAN (Sigma Representative)
Phyllis Sharps, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN (American Nursing Foundation Representative)
Ansley Grimes Stanfill, PhD, RN, FAAN (Councilor at Large)
Annette Bourgault, PhD, RN, CNL, FAAN (Councilor at Large)
Ronald Hickman, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNAP, FADLN, FAAN (Board Liaison)
Nursing Outlook Representatives
Joachim Voss, PhD, RN, ACRN, FAAN
Gail Melkus, EdD, ANP, FAAN
CANS Program Committee Members
Hudson Santos, PhD, RN, FABMR, FAAN (Chair Elect)
Sarah Abboud, PhD, RN
Jada Brooks, PhD, MSPH, RN, FAAN
Chen Xiao Chen, PhD, RN, MBSS, FAAN
Kristen Choi, PhD, PMHNP-BC, FAAN
Dalmacio Dennis Flores, PhD, ACRN, FAAN
Nicholas Metheny, PhD, MPH, RN, FNE
Diane M. Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, RN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FSAHM, FAAN
Event Partners
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support of the 2025 CANS Symposium
