SON: Connections - Fall 2003

Headlines | Briefly | From the Deans Desk

Barnard Honored for Contributions to Infant
and Child Development

Kathryn Barnard, the nurse researcher who pioneered infant and child development studies, will receive the 2003 Episteme Award from Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing.

The prestigious award, considered by many to be the "Nobel Prize of nursing," recognizes Barnard's lifelong contributions to nursing science and the health of infants and their families.

For more than 30 years, Barnard, the Charles and Gerda Spence Endowed Professor in Nursing at the University of Washington, has devoted her career to research, education, practice improvements and political activism on behalf of vulnerable infants and their families.

Barnard's findings changed the way that health care providers evaluate children and helped care providers understand the key role that early intervention plays in preventing problems in behavior, thinking and emotional development. Her research forms the basis for an internationally recognized education program that teaches nurses and other health care professionals how to identify at-risk infants. Through her Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training (NCAST) program, these methods have reached 17,000 health care professionals in 20 countries.

In 2001, she founded the multidisciplinary Center on Infant Mental Health and Development at the UW, a privately funded center that develops, tests and applies therapies that foster the socio-emotional health of infants at risk, and trains interdisciplinary providers in their use.

"The Episteme Award from Sigma Theta Tau International is the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for nursing," says Nancy Woods, dean of the School of Nursing. "It is reserved for people whose research has truly made a difference in the delivery of health services. Kathryn Barnard's record is an exceptional example and illustrates well why she is deserving of this award."

Barnard has truly created opportunities for infants around the world to thrive in a safe and nurturing environment, says Kristen Swanson, professor and chair of the Department of Family and Child Nursing. "By teaching mothers, nurses, community workers and ultimately, politicians about the importance of care that is delivered contingent upon infants' cues, Dr. Barnard has had a major influence on the care of infants worldwide," Swanson says.

The society will present the award to Barnard at the Episteme Laureate Presentation on Nov. 3 during Sigma Theta Tau International's 37th Biennial Convention in Toronto, Canada. As Episteme Laureate, Barnard, who received her Ph.D. from the UW in 1972, will deliver the keynote speech on Scientific Sessions Day at the convention.

The Episteme Award acknowledges a major breakthrough in nursing knowledge development that has resulted in a significant and recognizable benefit to the public. The Baxter International Foundation provides a $15,000 research award to the winner.

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