What advice would you give your younger self?
Learn to say "no" to those things that aren't important to you.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Coronado Island, San Diego, CA
What advice would you give your younger self?
Balance your desire for important work and commitment with a focus on family and relationships; one cannot live without the other.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Any place that includes a beach, sand and palm trees.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Follow your passion, seek first to understand, and balance action with patience.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Hawaii! I had the great fortune to live in Hawaii for 22 years and love returning to the islands to visit friends and my favorite places.
What made you want to pursue a career in nursing?
From the time I can remember, I wanted to be a nurse. I think this decisive career pathway was developed through the role models in my life. My grandfather was a surgeon, my mom a physical therapist and my aunt was a pediatric nurse. In the 1950’s my aunt left Babies Hospital in New York City to become a nurse in Alaska. She travel throughout the state, lived in rural villages, and started her own business to help people do a better job of parenting children. She lived a life of personal and professional adventure; her stories and experiences inspired me to want that kind of career and life for myself. Early in my career, I came to realize the impact nurses can have on children and families. And I loved the tremendous resilience that children have managing and coping with illness. When I became a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, I knew that I could influence the health and well-being of children and families through my wellness teaching and guidance. What could be more gratifying than setting a child on the right path to a life of health and wellness? Throughout out my entire career opportunities to take amazing roles presented themselves to me, like becoming a nurse educator. After I completed my Master’s degree and pediatric nurse practitioner program (PNP), I traveled across the country and ended up in Hawaii. Initially, I was seeking a position as a PNP, but no positions were open (at that time, only 2 PNP were employed on the islands). I happened to see an ad in the newspaper for a nursing faculty at the University of Hawaii, I interviewed and was hired on the spot! After my first semester teaching eager nursing students, I realized that I really enjoyed the privilege of influencing the next generation of nurses. The autonomy of the position, the ability to be creative, and the variety of the work day also were very appealing to me. Within 6 months of starting to teach nursing, I was hired as a part-time PNP and continued to practice as a PNP and have a faculty appointment throughout my career.
NINR's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is accepting applications for the position of Director, Division of Extramural Science Programs (DESP). This division develops proposals for new research initiatives and manages the funding programs that support nursing research to attain program objectives.
The Director would work closely with the NINR Director in shaping the vision and direction of the Institute through strategic planning, priority setting, and coordinating resources to implement these plans and priorities.
Program Director Positions
September 2020
The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) is now accepting applications for its 2021 Graduate Partnerships Program. The NINR GPP is an Institutional Partnership that combines the academic environment of a university with the comprehensive research resources available at the NIH.
To be eligible for the GPP, applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and have completed all doctoral coursework before joining the NINR GPP. Applicants must also submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
On August 18, fifty-eight members of the Nursing Community Coalition reiterated in a letter to House and Senate Leadership and key Congressional Committees outlining their shared priorities for any COVID-19 legislative package working its way through Congress. These requests include bolstering efforts to protect all nurses on the front lines, increasing funding for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs, supporting nursing education infrastructure and research, strengthening investments in public health, and promoting access to telehealth.
Dr. Shannon Zenk posted a new Director’s Message on beginning her tenure as director of the National Institute of Nursing Research. She highlights the role of nursing science in promoting and improving the health of the Nation as well as her thoughts on the future of nursing research.
On September 14, 2020, Shannon N. Zenk, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, joined NIH as the director of the National Institute of Nursing Research. Dr. Zenk will oversee the institute’s research and training programs. She is a registered nurse and leading nurse researcher, whose research focuses on social inequities and health with a goal of identifying effective, multilevel approaches to improve health and eliminate racial/ethnic and socioeconomic health disparities.
You can read the full announcement here.
NINR’s 2020 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Boot Camp was held virtually on August 3-6, 2020. Recordings of the event are now available. The Boot Camp consisted of four sessions:
On August 31, members of the Nursing Community Coalition sent a letter welcoming the new National Institute of Nursing Research’s (NINR) Director, Dr. Shannon Zenk. The NCC works with NINR by promoting the work of nurse scientists, advocating for investments in research and future researchers, and sharing the Institute’s foundational work to improve healthcare delivery across the care continuum.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don't be so quick to have your life figured out. Opportunities & experiences happen when you least expect it. Have the courage to embrace them.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Big Sky, Montana - My family has vacationed there since I was young. A tradition that continues with my 5 brothers and our families.
The next NACNR will be broadcast live to provide recommendations on the direction and support of the nursing, biomedical, social, and behavioral research that forms the evidence base for nursing practice. View the full agenda here.
Research!America 2020 Virtual National Health Research Forum
Straight Talk: Securing A Science-Strong Future
When: September 8-10
Topics include leading experts on the COVID-19 response, as well as special sessions looking at crucial topics such as COVID-19 vaccine development and vaccine confidence challenges, patient-centered research, health equity, clinical trials diversity, and the path to progress for diseases other than COVID-19. You can view the full agenda here.
The workshop will explore how nurses, midwives, and birth companions can improve maternal and infant health, specifically for women in U.S. communities affected by structural and health inequalities. Registration not required. Learn more about this workshop here.
The Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research is soliciting Ambassador applications for the 2021 cohort. This unique advocacy program began in 2014 and has grown to include over 30 Ambassadors.
FNINR Ambassadors will focus specifically on educating Congressional leaders as to the high-impact and cost-effective treatments and quality-of-life enhancements that emanate from nursing science. Ultimately, the goal is to increase research funding to ensure the training of scientists at a time of major scientific breakthroughs and to promote the NINR mission and strategy.
NINR goals include improving the health of individuals, families, and communities through developing nurse scientists of the 21st century, and conducting research on health and illness, symptom management, wellness, chronic conditions, end-of life and palliative care, and innovation.
You can find more information about the organization and the commitments of the FNINR Ambassadors here.
Applications can be found here and are due on October 25, 2020.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Start the research doctorate as soon as you complete the masters degree and start your research as early as possible.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
