NINR director Dr. Patricia Grady (l) joins former First Lady Rosalynn Carter at the FNINR NightinGala.

Nearly 1,000 nurse scientists and faculty, deans of nursing schools, presidents of medical schools, directors of health-related associations, corporate and community leaders and members of Congress gathered recently for a lively evening of dinner and conversation at the annual NightinGala in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research, the event celebrated nursing science and NINR.

FNINR seeks to support research-based practice by educating all health care professionals, Congress and other appointed and elected officials and the public about advances made through nursing research and its benefits to patients, families, the community and the delivery of quality health care. It also provides resources to support nursing research and advance the mission of NINR.

Under the event’s theme of “Discovery & Recovery: Celebrating Mental Health and Nursing Research,” keynote speaker and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter spoke of her family’s strong connection to mental health. Through the Carter Center in Atlanta, she created a mental health task force, an advisory body of experts, consumers and advocates promoting positive change in the mental health field. In addition, she hosts the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy, bringing together leaders of the nation’s mental health organizations to address critical issues. She also described her family’s strong connection to nursing—Lillian Carter, the mother of former President Jimmy Carter, served as a community health nurse in Plains, Ga., and later with the Peace Corps in India.

In her remarks, NINR director Dr. Patricia Grady stated, “This evening of celebration is a unique opportunity to showcase nursing research and the exciting progress being made by a growing number of accomplished nurse scientists… Currently, NINR-supported researchers are investigating a broad range of mental health-related issues including depression among patients and caregivers, patient stress and coping strategies and access to mental health care services.”

Also attending was Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. As Grady noted, “Collectively, our institutes develop new and better approaches to address the diverse needs of people with mental health challenges.”

In conclusion, Grady said, “NINR has had a very successful year in large part because of the expertise of the scientists represented in this room and their persistent commitment to advancing science through research. I am proud of how research funded by NINR is reducing the impact of illness, improving quality of life, reducing health care costs and changing practice.”