Anne Marie Rafferty, the 2013-2014 Frances Bloomberg International Distinguished Visiting Professor shared her research with a small group of supporters and friends of Bloomberg Nursing on May 20, 2014. Gathered at the Gallery Grill at U of T’s picturesque Hart House, Rafferty presented on “The Nightingale Legacy: Relevance to Health Policy Today.”
The evening was an intimate affair, allowing supporters to mingle with Professor Rafferty and learn more about her work both in her role at Bloomberg Nursing, and abroad. The event also marked the beginning of the Partnership Campaign for Bloomberg Nursing. “Our association with the nine hospitals in the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network already enables us to be at the forefront of clinical knowledge and practice,” says Linda McGillis Hall, Interim Dean. “During this partnership campaign, we seek to strengthen our already-strong partnerships to enable strategic collaborations across a variety of research and practice areas.”
Gathered invitees were extremely engaged in the presentation, with the discussion going well into the evening. “Events like this are an important part of our outreach strategy,” states Audrey M. Johnson, Director of Advancement at Bloomberg Nursing. “The work that is facilitated at Bloomberg Nursing has wide-ranging benefits across populations. We are proud to be able to share our work and successes with our supporters.”
An internationally renowned leader in nursing policy and health services research, Dr. Rafferty is a Professor of Nursing Policy and former Dean of the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery and Director of Academic Outreach at King’s College London. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing, and in 2008 was made Commander of the British Empire for her outstanding service to healthcare. In 2011, she was inducted as an international fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. Professor Rafferty’s research interests cover health policy, health services research and the history of nursing. In her role at Bloomberg Nursing, Professor Rafferty is working with the Faculty to advance our expertise in the research and policy arena examining the contribution of nursing through the utilization of multiple data sources in long-term care settings. She is also exploring the potential of developing a collaborative research agenda between the Bloomberg Faculty and King’s College, London.