On Aug. 4, the Dr. Susan L. Davis, RN, & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing, in partnership with Nuvance Health, hosted the second annual P.I.E.R. Conference at the Center for Healthcare Education. The event gathered students, faculty, educators, innovators and nursing professionals to connect academic learning with real-world practice and explore today’s challenges in the profession.
Source: Daniel Passapera, Sacred Heart University
P.I.E.R. (Partnership, Innovation, Education and Research) is a conference designed to strengthen the future of nursing by uniting academic and clinical communities. The mission is to spark collaboration, encourage new ideas, and connect students with professionals and resources to help them develop as healthcare leaders.
“The conference is a unique opportunity to bring together many different kinds of nurses, faculty from many universities, and practicing nurses all in one place,” said Dr. Karen Daley, Dean of the College of Nursing. “It gives [students] a glimpse of what their future could be and shows them the inspiring work people are doing in nursing.”
Nuvance Health, an integrated, non-profit healthcare system that recently joined Northwell Health, operates seven hospitals across Connecticut and New York. Through its partnership with Sacred Heart University, the system bridges academia with hands-on experience in healthcare settings.
The keynote speaker of the event was Dr. Marilynn Malerba, the 18th chief of the Mohegan Tribe, who served as the 45th treasurer of the United States from 2022 to 2024. She shared her experiences leading in nursing, federal policy, and tribal health, offering insight into her multifaceted career.
“Her perspective illustrated an unusual and impactful path to leadership for a nurse,” said Daley.
Building on its success in last year’s inaugural event, one of the main components of the conference was the nursing hackathon. During this, participants worked together to brainstorm creative solutions to complex healthcare challenges. The interactive activity aimed to encourage teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving beyond the classroom.
“We want these students to be active participants in finding solutions to their problems. They should not wait until they become nurses to find solutions,” said Dr. Jasper Tolarba, Endowed Chair for Nursing Practice, Education, Research & Innovation at Nuvance Health and Sacred Heart. “It’s always important that while they are still students, they’re already talking about these issues.”
This year’s conference also introduced a panel discussion. The panel united nursing professionals from competing hospitals, highlighting that, at their core, they face similar difficulties and share a common dedication to improving patient care.
“Those are big institutions that normally would not talk to each other, because they are market competitors,” said Tolarba. “But in that space, at that moment, we were able to put those
nursing leaders in one room and came to find out, we share the same issues, the same values, and the same goals to really help patients in the state.”
The conference also allowed students to engage directly with these professionals, building connections that could support future networking and career opportunities. By speaking with nurses from different hospitals, students gained insight into various work environments, helping them consider where to start their careers.
“It gives me a chance to see what a day-to-day would be like instead of just learning textbook things in a classroom,” said junior Jamie Peragallo. “Having that opportunity to see and hear about how different things are out of school gives me a better idea of what to expect when I start working.”
“Experiences like this compare to traditional classroom or clinical learning, in terms of preparing you for your future career, because it is a direct look into what you may have to do,” said sophomore Madison Campbell.
With the positive feedback from this year’s attendees, plans are already underway to continue P.I.E.R. as an annual event. By bringing together students, faculty, and healthcare professionals, the conference has established itself as a meaningful platform for learning, collaboration, and professional growth.
“So many students have their heads down, focusing on the next test and next class. I think this event helps them see the possibilities of future career paths and the variety of places you can go with a nursing degree,” said Daley.
