Nursing Research Day 2026: Advancing Safer Care Through Collaboration

Nurses and healthcare workers throughout HCA Healthcare and Galen College of Nursing recently came together to participate in Nursing Research Day. The conference, held on Friday, April 24, focused on using evidence-based practice, interactive activities and presentations by nationally recognized leaders to identify effective practices and disseminating results within HCA Healthcare.

“The day includes internationally recognized nurse scholars, scientists and experts on safety, leadership, health equity for students, practicing healthcare providers, faculty, educators and leaders,” said Elizabeth Card, the director of nursing research for HCA Healthcare.

This year the theme was “Safer Together” focusing on safety for both healthcare workers and their patients. Following the theme the conference featured topics such as AI safety, new technologies helping victims of violence and how to keep yourself safe while working in healthcare.

“I am very proud of the collaboration between HCA Healthcare nurses, leaders and Galen College of Nursing students and faculty for this event. I am in awe of the work nurses do every day and so proud of the lineup for today’s event,” Card said.

One of the main features of the day included poster presentations from Galen students, each focusing on different aspects of safety.

One focus centered around enhancing student preparation and compassionate self-care with disaster day simulation. This addresses the need for disaster preparedness focusing on mental health and resiliency, while also creating a plan for Galen to address it within the curriculum.

Another poster focused on nurse leader rounds and the benefit of patient experience when there is a consistent leader presence. The winner of the boards went to Sarah Woodward and Rebekah Randall, who focused on the foundation of safety and empowering faculty to build a culture of safety. The poster addressed workplace violence with a solution to add a defined safety framework into clinical education at Galen.

Another main subject at research day included the integration of AI into clinical education and medical fields. Healthcare professionals discussed a variety of topics including how AI, despite lacking a formal framework for clinical use, can still be a valuable tool.

When used thoughtfully, it can support learning, inform care for high-risk patients and allow more time for human connection.

Dr. Katherine Scafide with George Mason University, the plenary session speaker, also presented her research on “illuminating violence,” which focused on bruises and victims of violence.

Scafide said every 26 seconds there is a victim of violence in the United States, and although bruises are the number one injury, there has never been a concise way to identify the color of a bruise or classify them. Scafide was able to use a chroma meter study to measure the color objectively by using borrowed technology from manufacturing and cosmetic companies.

Also included in her research was the alternate light study, allowing her to see bruising on different skin tones to detect signs of injury. This would not only help victims of violence, but also give medical workers a concise way to measure and document bruising for evidence in a court of law.

Through a strong partnership with HCA Healthcare, Galen College of Nursing continues to foster meaningful collaboration between students, faculty, and practicing healthcare professionals. Nursing Research Day highlights how this relationship bridges education and practice — creating space to share ideas and apply evidence-based solutions that improve safety for both caregivers and patients.