Poster Presentation

Sunday, November 4, 2007
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Sunday, November 4, 2007
1:30 PM - 2:45 PM
This presentation is part of : Clinical Posters
The Perinatal Nursing List: A Virtual Community to Promote Practice Worldwide
Patricia Robin McCartney, PhD, RN, FAAN, School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
Learning Objective #1: describe how the Perinatal Nursing List has promoted practice internationally.
Learning Objective #2: discuss current and future roles of the Perinatal Nursing List in advancing evidence-based practice.

Background: The Perinatal Nursing Internet Discussion List was founded in 1995 to promote nursing practice worldwide. The list is managed voluntarily as a scholarship endeavor, on a university computer server, with no fee for members. The list is unmoderated, so all members can post directly to the full list without waiting for approval. All posts are archived on a public web site accessible to nonmembers. As nurses became more comfortable with technology, the list grew and currently, there are over 1500 members representing approximately 12 countries.  In 2006, the Perinatal List was accepted to the International Council of Nurses Innovations Database, a free web-based collection of nursing innovations.

Significance: The Internet provides unparalleled opportunities for nurses to network globally. Although most Perinatal List members are nurses, members do represent diverse areas of perinatal practice and each contributes a unique perspective (staff nurses, managers, educators, researchers, vendors, students, physicians, attorneys). Useful practice information is exchanged, educational resources are shared, research evidence is cited, and research participants are recruited. Members mentor each other in informatics knowledge and skills. A caring virtual community has developed and longtime members have enjoyed meeting face-to-face at specialty conventions. Members have connected and collaborated on many professional projects; including presentations, publications, research, and policy change. The list inspired the formation of a new nursing informatics organization and an informatics column in a perinatal journal. Plan: This poster presentation is intended to share the accomplishments of the list, recruit new international members and provide a forum for discussing future potential of the list in advancing evidence-based practice. The poster will also inform participants about the ICN Innovations Database. The display will include specific case examples of practice, education, and research activity (including publications that cite the list) and focused questions to stimulate viewer participation.