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History of the International Family Nursing Conferences

History of the International Family Nursing Conferences
First International Family Nursing Conference Participants with Dr. Lorraine Wright and Dr. Maureen Leahey (1988)
First International Family Nursing Conference Participants with Dr. Lorraine Wright and Dr. Maureen Leahey (1988)

The First International Family Nursing Conference was hosted in May 1988 by the University of Calgary, Faculty of Nursing and chaired by Dr. Lorraine M. Wright (450 participants from 15 countries attended this first conference). In 2021 the 15th International Family Nursing Conference hosted by the International Family Nursing Association was a virtual conference due to COVID-19.  Copies of Conference Final Program and Book of Abstracts for fourteen International Family Nursing Conferences are available for free public access through the institutional repository, University of Calgary Library, Family Nursing Unit Collection. For the links to all archived conference programs, see below. Here is a brief description of the past and future International Family Nursing Conferences, including sponsors, conference chairs, number of participants, and related publications. Updated September 2022.


1988 – 1st International Family Nursing Conference – Calgary, Alberta, Canada, May 24-27, 1988

Hosted by Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary; Chairperson: Lorraine M. Wright, RN, PhD. 450 participants from 15 countries. Conference program: http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/45216

A book of selected papers was published from the 1st International Family Nursing Conference: Bell, J.M., Watson, W.L., & Wright, L.M. (Eds.). (1990). The cutting edge of family nursing. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Family Nursing Unit Publications. Free download available from PRISM, University of Calgary Institutional Repository: https://dspace.ucalgary.ca/bitstream/1880/45100/3/FNU_CuttingEdge.pdf

Bell, J. M. (2013). Highlights from the 1st International Family Nursing Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, May 24-27, 1988.  Journal of Family Nursing, 19(4), 509-510. doi:10.1177/1074840713507527

1991 – 2nd International Family Nursing Conference – Portland, Oregon, USA, May 21-24, 1991

Hosted by a consortium of universities including Oregon Health Sciences University, University of Washington, University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Montana. Conference program: http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/47447

A book of selected papers was published from the 2nd International Family Nursing Conference: Feetham, S. L., Meister, S. B., Bell, J. M., & Gilliss, C. L. (Eds.). (1993). The nursing of families: Theory/research/education/practice. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

1994 – 3rd International Family Nursing Conference – Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 25-28, 1994

Hosted by McGill University, School of Nursing and the University of Montreal, Faculte des sciences infirmieres; Co-chairpersons: Laurie Gottlieb, RN, PhD and Fabie Duhamel, RN, PhD. 600 participants from 12 countries. Conference program: http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/47448

Gottlieb, L., & Rowat, K. (1995). Conference Report. Third International Family Nursing Conference, May 25-28, 1994, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Journal of Family Nursing, 1(1), 113-115. doi: 10.1177/107484079500100109

1997 – 4th International Family Nursing Conference – Valdivia, Chile, November 11-14, 1997

Hosted by Universidad Austral de Chile; Chairperson: Dr. Luz Angelica Munoz. 400 participants from 20 countries.  Conference program: http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/47449

Bell, J.M. (1998). Postcard from Valdivia [Editorial]. Journal of Family Nursing, 4(1), 3-7. doi:10.1177/107484079800400101

2000 – 5th International Family Nursing Conference, “Family Nursing for the 21st Century”, Chicago, Illinois, USA, June 19-22, 2000

Hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago; Co-chairpersons: Kathleen Knafl, PhD and Suzanne Feetham, RN, PhD. 550 participants from 20 countries. Conference program: http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/47258

Bell, J.M. (2000).  Reflections on the 5th International Family Nursing Conference, Chicago [Editorial].  Journal of Family Nursing, 6(4), 317-319. doi:10.1177/107484070000600401

2003 – 6th International Family Nursing Conference, Gaborone, Botswana, Africa

Hosted by the University of Botswana; Secretariat: Dintle Mogobe, RN, PhD and Sheila Shaibu, RN, PhD. (CANCELLED because of war in the Middle East and the SARS epidemic)

2005 – 7th International Family Nursing Conference, “Opening Spaces: Inviting Dialogue in Family Nursing”, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, June 1-4, 2005

Hosted by School of Nursing, University of Victoria and School of Nursing, University of British Columbia; Chairperson: Virginia E. Hayes, RN, PhD. 340 participants from 21 countries. Conference program: http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/46332

See Photo Gallery from the 7th International Family Nursing Conference

Bell, J. M. (2005).  Editor’s Note: Highlights from the 7th International Family Nursing Conference.  Journal of Family Nursing, 11(4), 324-326. doi:10.1177/1074840705282339

2007 – 8th International Family Nursing Conference, “Healing Families, Healing Communities: New Innovations in Practice, Education, and Research”, Bangkok, Thailand, June 4-7, 2007

Hosted by Faculty of Nursing, Burapha University; Chairperson: Suntharawadee Theinpichet, RN, PhD; Wannee Deoisres, RN, PhD; Secretariat, Chintana Wacharasin, RN, PhD. 398 participants from 17 countries. Conference program:  http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/46331

See Photo Gallery from the 8th International Family Nursing Conference

Bell, J. M. (2008). Highlights of the 8th International Family Nursing Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, June 4-7, 2008 [Editorial]. Journal of Family Nursing, 14(4), 391-393. doi:10.1177/1074840708327975

Bell, J.M. (2007).  Innovative Contribution to Family Nursing Award 2007: Recognizing Family Nursing leaders in Thailand. Journal of Family Nursing, 13(4), 503-508. doi:10.1177/1074840707309614

2009 – 9th International Family Nursing Conference, “From Insights to Intervention: The Cutting Edge of Family Nursing”, Reykjavik, Iceland, June 2-5, 2009

Hosted by Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland; Chairperson: Erla Kolbrun Svavarsdottir, RN, PhD. 471 participants from 32 countries. Conference program: http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/48558

See Photo Gallery from the 9th International Family Nursing Conference

Bell, J. M. (2009).  Highlights from the 9th International Family Nursing Conference [Editorial]. Journal of Family Nursing, 15(4), 407-411.doi:10.1177/1074840709351670

2011 – 10th International Family Nursing Conference, “Making Family Nursing Visible: From Knowledge Building to Knowledge Translation”, Kyoto, Japan, June 24-28, 2011

Website: http://www.ifnc2011.org  Hosted by the Japanese Association for Research in Family Nursing; Chairperson, Michiko Moriyama, RN, PhD) 1,007 participants from 34 countries.   Conference program: http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/49461

See Photo Gallery from the 10th International Family Nursing Conference

Bell, J. M. (2013). Highlights from the 10th International Family Nursing Conference, Kyoto, Japan, June 24-28, 2010 [Editorial].  Journal of Family Nursing, 19(2), 135-139. doi: 10.1177/1074840713486859

2013 – 11th International Family Nursing Conference, “Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Future”, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, June 19-22, 2013

This was the first “official meeting” of the International Family Nursing Association (IFNA) and the first conference sponsored by IFNA . 433 participants from 27 countries. (IFNA Conference Committee: Kathleen Knafl, PhD, FAAN (Chair); Kit Chesla, RN, PhD, FAAN, (co-chair); Marcia Van Riper, PhD, RN, FAAN (IFNA Board Liaison); Janet Deatrick, PhD, FAAN, Sandra Eggenberger, PhD, RN; Ann Garwick, PhD, RN, LMFT, LP, FAAN; Catherine Gilliss, PhD, RN, FAAN; Wendy Looman, PhD, RN, PNP).  For more details about the conference on the IFNA website see: http://internationalfamilynursing.org/2013/08/01/2013-conference/ Conference program: http://hdl.handle.net/1880/50210

See Photo Gallery from the 11th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC11)

Bell, J. M. (2013). Highlights from the 11th International Family Nursing Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, June 19-22, 2013 [Editorial].  Journal of Family Nursing, 19(3), 291-294. doi:10.1177/107484071350022

2015 – 12th International Family Nursing Conference “Improving Family Health Globally through Research, Education, and Practice”, Odense, Denmark, August 18-21, 2015

This was the second official meeting of the International Family Nursing Association who organized and sponsored this conference 458 participants from 31 countries. (IFNA Conference Committee: Kathleen Knafl, PhD, FAAN, co-chair; Janet Deatrick, PhD, RN, FAAN, co-chair; Marcia Van Ripers, PhD, RN, [IFNA Board Liaison]; Regina Szylit Bousso, PhD, June Horowitz, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN, Hanne Konradsen, PhD, Jane Lasseter, PhD, RN, Helene Moriarty, PhD, RN, PMH, CNS-BC, Birte Østergaard, PhD, Veronica Swallow, PhD, MMedSCi, BSc (Hons), RGN). For more details about the conference on the IFNA website see:  http://internationalfamilynursing.org/2013/07/11/2015-conference/.  Conference Brochure: http://internationalfamilynursing.org/2015/04/22/brochure/.

See Photo Gallery from the 12th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC12)

Brodsgaard, K. B., Konradsen, H., Lund, A., Sorknaes, A. D., Voltelen, B., & Østergaard, B. (2016). Report of the 12th International Family Nursing Conference. Improving Family Health Globally Through Research, Education, and Practice, Odense, Denmark, 2015. Journal of Family Nursing, 22, 139-147. doi: 10.1177/1074840716646311

2017 – 13th International Family Nursing Conference, Pamplona, Spain, June 14-17, 2017

This conference was the third official meeting of the International Family Nursing Association (IFNA Conference co-chairs, Dr. June Horowitz and Dr. Jane Lassetter);  For more details, see IFNA website.

There were 329 participants from 29 countries.

Lassetter, J. H., & Horowitz, J. A. (2017). Report of the 13th International Family Nursing Conference: The Art and Science of Family Nursing: Transforming Health for Families, Pamplona, Spain, 2017. Journal of Family Nursing, 23(4), 562572https://doi.org/10.1177/1074840717738770

2019 – 14th International Family Nursing Conference, Washington, DC (USA)  August 13-16 2019

This conference was the fourth official meeting of the International Family Nursing Association (IFNA Conference co-chairs, Dr. June Horowitz and Dr. Sonja Meiers);  For more details, see IFNA website.

There were 377 participants from 25 countries.

Horowitz, J., & Meiers, S. J. (2020). Family Nursing Network: Report of the 14th International Family Nursing Conference. Journal of Family Nursing, 26(2), 179-183. https://doi.org/10.1177/1074840720916351

Conference hashtag: #IFNC14

2021 – 15th International Family Nursing Conference (IFNC15) June and July 2021 Virtual conference: Due to COVID-19, this conference was held virtually.

This was the fifth official meeting of the International Family Nursing Association (IFNA Conference c0-chairs: Dr. June Horowitz and Dr. Veronica Swallow).

For more details, see IFNA website.

There were 350 participants from 29 countries.

Horowitz, J., & Swallow, V. (2022). Family Nursing Network: Report of the 15th International Family Nursing Conference (In Virtual Format): Family Nursing Throughout the Life-Course June 23–July 2, 2021. Journal of Family Nursing, 28(1), https://doi.org/10.1177/10748407211070185.

Conference Hashtag: #IFNC15