Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing faculty, staff, and students received exposure to the latest in nursing research and innovation at the 50th annual Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) conference on March 30-April 2. This year, the gathering of researchers, scientists, nurses, and academics was held in St. Louis, and Goldfarb School of Nursing served as a host sponsor.
“This endeavor was a lot of effort on our side,” says Masako Mayahara, PhD, RN, FAAN, FPCN, CHPN, assistant professor of medicine in the WashU Medicine Division of Palliative Medicine and Goldfarb School of Nursing faculty member. “But this was a great time for us to really show our dedication and commitment to research. And it was an opportunity to tell others about our school.”
As a host school and sponsor, Goldfarb School of Nursing staffed a booth throughout the conference for attendees to learn more about academic programs, faculty research, and graduate programs. Alongside Saint Louis University, Goldfarb co-hosted the “Unwind with STL Host Schools” reception crawl, a structured networking event for attendees with a photo booth, refreshments, and massage chairs.
Dr. Mayahara says that in addition to these visibility efforts, Goldfarb School of Nursing presentations at the MNRS conference increased significantly over the past few years. At the 2026 conference, Goldfarb had two bachelor of science in nursing student project posters, two doctor of nursing practice student project posters, and nine PhD student project posters, as well as four faculty poster presentations and three podium presentations.
“What is great about our student presentations is that there’s a focus on public health interests in the St. Louis region,” Dr. Mayahara says. “One of the PhD students talked about black mothers experiencing trauma or postpartum loneliness. Another did workplace violence. These are topics that are socially aligned and discuss how nurses can address these social issues and public health interests.”
Goldfarb School of Nursing faculty and staff have also held leadership positions within MNRS, contributing to the school’s visibility and reputation. Dr. Mayahara has served on the MNRS Board of Directors for three years, and Sarah Oerther, PhD, MEd, RN, FNP-BC, FNAP, ANEF, director of the student nurse program, is the incoming secretary for the board.
This year, Goldfarb was awarded the MNRS Distinguished Service Award for influential service and leadership.
“We’re doing great work at Goldfarb,” Dr. Mayahara says. “It’s been wonderful to get this additional exposure.”
During the conference, St. Louis mayor Cara Spencer presented an official proclamation naming March 30-April 2 in the City of St. Louis as Midwest Nursing Research Society 50th Anniversary Week.