U of M Faculty Selected to Participate in Prestigious International Conference

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (July 10, 2008) — University of Minnesota School of Nursing Professor Donna Bliss, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., was appointed to two committees of the Fourth International Consultation on Incontinence (ICI): the Conservative Management of Fecal Incontinence and Technical Aspects of Continence Devices.

“I am greatly honored to be invited to participate in this consultation and appreciate the recognition of the value of the research that my team has been conducting,” Bliss said. “I am looking forward to the rich discussion with leaders from around the world.”

The primary goal of the ICI is for multidisciplinary leaders in science and practice from around the globe to evaluate the different areas of incontinence and to set standards and new strategies for education and research. Participation is by invitation only, through a nomination process, and is dependent on international recognition of leadership in the field and global representation.

The conference, held in Paris, met from July 5-8. This is a time of increasing awareness of problems faced by sufferers of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing is ranked among the nation’s top nursing schools. It is a leader in nursing research and has a combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment of approximately 850 students. The school produces 55 percent of the faculty in Minnesota’s public and private nursing schools, advanced practice nurses and nurses who can assume leadership positions. It is the oldest continuously-operated, university-based school of nursing. The School of Nursing is one of six schools and colleges in the Academic Health Center, one of the most comprehensive facilities for health professionals in the nation, fostering interdisciplinary study, research and education. For more information, visit www.nursing.umn.edu.