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Tara Altay, a PhD student in George Mason’s School of Nursing, noticed an unfortunate conference trend: a decrease in attendance and an increase in price. Disheartened but refusing to remain passive, Altay leveraged her role as treasurer of the ������ Graduate Nursing Organization (GNO) to combat this observation becoming the norm. Refusing to see knowledge and network become inaccessible to fellow students and nursing professionals, the GNO, in partnership with George Mason Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health (NSRH), organized a D.C.-area interdisciplinary student nursing research conference.  

“The main motivation was to create an affordable, in this case free, student research conference inclusive of all nursing degree programs (ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, PhD),” Altay said. "One of the most fun parts of professional conferences is the connections made and side conversations with peers. We wanted to create that opportunity for students here and all students around D.C., Maryland, and Virginia." 

Altay also added that they also wanted to provide doctoral students with a supportive space to practice presenting their research—one where peers fostered meaningful discussions that enriched and strengthened their work. 

The 67 student participants who registered for the conference came from the University of Maryland, Shenandoah University, University of Virginia, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. 

“This conference was a great networking opportunity, as well as a chance to learn what other doctoral students are doing during their final year project and what they plan to do with their degree afterwards,” said Kathryn Oliver, an attendee and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) student.  

As a self-described young, aspiring health care professional of color, Ka'Lise Benson, a direct-entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) student, was thrilled to engage with those with similar aspirations. “I left feeling so grateful and so encouraged. I felt that the conference, having placed me in a space full of like-minded individuals, confirmed the call I already felt so led to answer,” she said. 

The conference featured doctoral research in both poster and podium presentations, offering bachelor’s and master's-level students the opportunity to observe the trajectory of their future careers. Meghan Stough, another DNP-FNP student, was one of 18 student presenters. She utilized the conference to share her DNP project on evidence-based interventions to expand access to medications for opioid use disorder in the pre-hospital setting.  

“The conference allowed me to practice translating complex clinical work into a concise, accessible format—an essential skill in nursing leadership and advocacy. Presenting and receiving feedback enhanced my confidence in scholarly communication and solidified my role as a nurse leader committed to knowledge dissemination,” Stough said. 

Community practitioners were invited to share their field experiences and the innovative ways they apply their nursing degrees to serve diverse populations beyond hospital and primary care settings, including keynote speaker Terri-Ann Thompson from Ibis Reproductive Health, who spoke about her work on reproductive justice. Thompson was joined by four nurse practitioners as co-panelists in breakout sessions. Additionally, the adapted their Intersectionality 101 program into a nurse-specific presentation and discussion panel for attendees in support of the conference’s theme, “Equity.” 

“I'm so proud of our student chapter members for organizing this impressive event. It was inspiring to spend the day among such motivated students, and I hope this is just the start of an ongoing tradition at George Mason,” said Karen Trister-Grace, assistant professor in the School of Nursing and faculty advisor for NSRH.