The 2025 Rita Kobb Nursing & Health Informatics Symposium was a resounding success!
The bi-yearly lectureship series brought together experts and innovators to explore the vital intersection of nursing, data science, implementation science and clinical practice.
Thanks to the generous gift made by Bill and Patti Alcorn in honor of UF College of Nursing alumna and informatics expert Rita Kobb, attendees engaged in thought-provoking lectures, podium discussions and poster presentations that highlighted the future of nursing informatics.
UF College of Nursing Dean Shakira Henderson opened the event and spoke about the opportunities ahead for nursing. Mollie Cummins, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, a professor of nursing and adjunct professor of biomedical informatics at the University of Utah, delivered the keynote speech and discussed how far informatics has come.
The symposium continues to be an invaluable platform for advancing knowledge and driving innovation in health care.
Thank you to this year’s sponsors: UF Health, UF Health Jacksonville, RN Enterprises and Sigma Theta Tau, Alpha Theta Chapter.
Other topics presented during the event included:
Harnessing Data Science for Personalized and Predictive Care Across Diverse Populations
Presentations:
- Development of an Electronic Health Record-Based HIV Risk Prediction Model for Women, Incorporating Social Determinants of Health – presenter: Yiyang Liu
- Exploring the Relationship Between Nutrition and Survival in Pancreatic Cancer: The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index at Diagnosis and Influence of Additional Patient Factors – presenter: Christina Grinstead
- A Theoretical Data Science Framework for Neonatal Care: Enhancing Data-Driven Decision Making in the NICU – Janet Northcote
Advancing Nursing-Centric EHR Innovations: Overcoming Challenges and Unlocking Opportunities for Better Patient Care and Data Use
Presentations:
- Improving EHRs for Nurses: Insights to Inform AI-Driven Solutions – presenter: Lisa G. Johnson
- Characterizing the Types of Electronic Health Workarounds Used by Acute and Critical Care Nurses and Their Contributors: A Mixed-Methods Analysis – presenter: Oliver T. Nguyen
- Expanding Pediatric Data Availability in a Multi-State Clinical Data Research Network: A Call for Action – presenter: Jeanette Green
Integrating Data, Technology and Care Practices to Elevate Patient Safety and Quality of Care
Presentations:
- Enteral Nutrition: An Under-Appreciated Source of Hospital Safety Events – presenter: Sandra Citty
- Vacuum Power: Boosting Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Cannula Healing with Negative Pressure Therapy – presenter: Sandra Citty
- Newborn Rewarming Practices on a Mother-Baby Unit: Quality Improvement – presenter: Elizabeth de Paula Fonseca
Innovating Together: Bridging Disciplines to Drive Data-Driven Nursing and Transform Healthcare Practices
This panel discussion explored how nurse scientists, engineers, and physicians can synergize their expertise to develop technologies, such as AI and machine learning, to translate research into impactful nursing practices, along with implementing data-driven evidence-based practices in nursing and healthcare.
Panelists:
- Dr. Karen Dunn Lopez (University of Iowa)
- Dr. Ashfaq Khokar (Iowa State University)
- Dr. Toni Phillips (Deputy Chief Nursing Informatics Officer, Department of Veteran Affairs/Office of Nursing Informatics)
The symposium continues to be an invaluable platform for advancing knowledge and driving innovation in healthcare.
Thank you to this year’s sponsors UF Health, UF Health Jacksonville, RN Enterprises and Sigma Theta Tau, Alpha Theta Chapter.
