Plan and Implementation: In 2010, the MNRS President called for the establishment of a Student Task Force (STF). The primary aims of the STF were to increase student engagement within MNRS and review the use of technology to enhance student member involvement in MNRS. The STF queried leaders at other nursing regional research societies and interviewed past and current student members of MNRS and students from their respective colleges and universities. The STF developed a list of priority recommendations for the MNRS Board to consider: (1) Students should formally organize as a "student network", using that governing body to elect the Board student member and collectively advise the MNRS Board; (2) Design and implement a plan to bolster student membership using student member liaisons as a network; (3) Develop clear communication mechanisms to meet the needs and wishes of student members; (4) Function as a body to introduce new student members to senior MNRS members or MNRS members who have similar research interests. The STF recommendations were commissioned in an official report, which was received and subsequently endorsed by the MNRS Board of Directors (BOD). The group was renamed the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN) to include postdoctoral fellows and early career nurse scientists (within 3 years of terminal degree or training fellowship) and officially established as an MNRS standing committee in 2011.
Outcomes: From 2011 to 2018, the ESN successfully addressed the priority recommendations of the STF and rapidly developed into a highly valued, active membership subset of MNRS. Their significant contributions include the establishment of a 10 person Executive Committee, which is structured to strategically align with the MNRS Board of Directors and other MNRS standing committees. The ESN Executive Committee includes: 2 Co-Chairs, Secretary, Treasurer/Finance Committee Representative, Liaison Program Coordinator, MNRS BOD Representative, Foundation Representative, Communications/Engagement Representative, Program Planning Representative, and Membership Representative. All representatives have official voting rights on the committees they serve, including the Representative to the BOD. The ESN also created a Board-approved Operations Manual, which details benchmarks for mapping and evaluating the progress and in addition to official forms, documents, and records. The manual provides future ESN leaders with a sustainable model for enacting the long-term vision of the ESN to build a lasting infrastructure.
The Executive Committee launched the ESN Liaison Program in 2013 to foster communication and involvement and serve as a pipeline for emerging nurse leaders to get involved in the ESN Executive Committee. ESN Liaisons are introduced to leadership and mentorship at an institution-level, then nominated and elected to serve on the ESN Executive Committee in subsequent years.
The ESN Executive Committee has also organized and led annual events at the MNRS conference featuring opportunities for networking, leadership, and career development. The yearly sold-out ESN Student Lunch features panel discussions on topics from DNP/PhD research dyads, to post-degree completion career trajectories, and nurses on boards. In 2018, ESN hosted the first pre-conference session organized by and tailored to nursing scholars at all training levels; twenty-eight scholars attended. In addition, the ESN hosts an informational conference table that serves as a central hub for students to ask questions, gain information on MNRS and the ESN, sign-up for leadership and mentorship opportunities within the ESN, network with faculty, and connect with peers. With yearly budgetary support from the MNRS BOD, the ESN develops and distributes a variety of marketing materials such as brochures, ribbons for conference badges, and give-away items to increase visibility and signify involvement with the ESN. In partnership with the MNRS Foundation, the ESN leads various fundraising efforts including an online GoFundMe campaign and gift basket donations for the MNRS Foundation’s Annual Silent Auction.
The ESN also established an integrated social network platform and has continually served as technology leaders for the society. Lastly, they publish frequent updates and content in the Western Journal of Nursing Research (Arruda, Hetland, Lindroth, & Aaronson, 2016; Lindroth, Edmiston, Hetland, Hershberger, & Lach, 2017; Trotter, Djalilova, Romero, Herbell, & Herschberger, 2018). Arguably the most important outcome from the establishment of the ESN has been the development of an interconnected community of emerging nurse scholars. With the enhanced leadership and mentorship skills they have gained through their service on the Executive Committee and/or within the Liaison Program, these ESN alumni are continuing their contributions to MNRS as they transition to their faculty roles by serving as leaders of MNRS committees and representatives to the BOD.
Conclusion: The development and shared vision of ESN to engage and develop nurse scholar leaders has greatly benefited MNRS. By providing early immersion into the organization, the ESN members are socialized into the role, understand organizational structure, and have the potential to have a quicker transition to the responsibilities and functions of MNRS committees they will serve in the future. The ESN assists MNRS by providing an infrastructure to develop the leadership needed to advance MNRS in the future. In addition, the ESN can introduce members into the importance of engagement in nursing organizations and assist in membership retention. Providing emerging nurse scholars with leadership opportunities early on in their careers is vitally important to the growth and development of the nursing profession. The ESN serves as a premier example of how emerging nurse scholars can successfully integrate as active participants into larger nursing organizations while gaining leadership skills. Due to the success of ESN, the organizational structure and framework they operationalized has been adapted and employed by regional and national nursing organizations alike.