CARING members enjoy NI2003 in Rio de Janeiro.

Fifty five CARING members met in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil in June for the 8th International Congress on Nursing Informatics also known as NI2003. I was delighted to be a speaker and an attendee after having served on a previous Organizing Committee in 1991 in Melbourne, Australia.

There were many events at NI2003 from which to choose. There were pre-conference tutorials, main conference simultaneous tracks, and an invitational post conference. Papers and posters were presented along with keynote speeches with the theme of "e-Health for all: Designing A Nursing Agenda for the Future." Some theater style demonstrations were conducted along with tutorials.

Nearly 400 attendees came from far and near from 34 countries. Some of the longer journeys were taken by Japanese and Korean attendees who may have spent 35 hours traveling to Rio.

Attendees enjoyed a high energy show featuring Brasilian dancers and entertainers at the opening reception on Sunday evening. Some were brave enough to take Samba lessons offered on two nights. The gala dinner was hosted at the Yacht Club at the foot of Sugar Loaf Mountain. Dinner and dancing competed the special evening.

Winter in Rio was warm and lovely. My room overlooked Copacabana Beach which was resplendent with sunshine, joggers, walkers, swimmers, kids, vendors, and dogs. Food was inexpensive, abundant, and wonderful. A popular eating spot for many attendees was a restaurant that offered all-you-can-eat seafood in one place and all-you-can-eat meat next door. Although some attendees had safety concerns prior to the event, I heard of no situations where people had problems.

I coordinated a CARING get-together which drew 35 members and attracted a few new members. Many attendees enjoyed "caiparinha," which was the national refreshing (and potent) alcoholic drink.

Many CARING members spoke at NI2003. Some of the sessions are highlighted. I presented Twenty Years of CARING: An International Group for Informatics Nurses plus three additional presentations. Ms. Sharon Coleman presented a theatre style demonstration of the information system at the VA Medical Center. Dr. Virginia Saba demonstrated A 3Care Tracking System. Dr. Peter Murray and Mr. Graham Wright offered a tutorial on Open Source and its implications for nursing practice. A panel consisting of Dr. Marion Ball, Ms. Susan K. Newbold, Dr. Theresa Panniers, Dr. Carol J. Bickford, and Ms. M. Kathleen Smith discussed a research study surrounding a Weekend Immersion in Nursing Informatics. Ms. Marina Douglas and colleague offered a workshop on system implementation. Dr. Charlotte Weaver spoke several times including Enhancing Nursing Practice through Information Technology. Ms. Kathleen Williams conducted two posters--Clinical Systems Implementation: Is Your Nursing Staff Ready? and Community Based Telehealth: A Future Vision for South Carolina.

Proceedings of most events are available on either a CD-ROM or in hardcopy. Copies of both can still be ordered from www.ni2003.com.

This conference, sponsored by the International Medical Informatics Association Nursing Informatics Special Interest Group, is held every three years. Dr. Heimar Marin, CARING member from Sao Paolo, Brazil was Chair of the Organizing Committee for NI2003. Dr. Jeongeun Kim, CARING member from Korea, is on the NI2006 committee. Plan to attend the next event Jun 2006 in Seoul, Korea. For information see: www.ni2006.org.

Obrigada (thank you) to the Organizing committee, the International Scientific Committee, and the Editorial Committee who spent countless hours in the production of this event over the last five years. Obrigada to the Sponsors and co-hosts for NI2003. It was a most educational and enjoyable experience.

By Susan K Newbold, MS RNBC FAAN