Our vision is to CONNECT a global community of nursing and *allied professional cardiac surgery (including cardiothoracic and aortovascular surgery) researchers. Through CONNECT we foster and support international cardiac surgery research to address global cardiac surgery challenges.

About

Globally, more than a million patients undergo cardiac surgery each year. Nursing and allied professional teams are constant in the patient experience. As a key component of the cardiac surgical workforce, we can reduce variability, disparity and inequity in patient access and outcomes.

Within nursing and the allied professions there is an overall international shortfall of academic and clinical academics specialising in cardiac surgery research. This undoubtedly affects the ability of the professions to advance and improve healthcare delivery, and patient outcomes and experience. To expand research opportunities and grow nursing and allied professional clinical academic and academic cardiac surgery researchers engaging in international collaborative research, we aim to provide a robust virtual research environment with appropriate mentorship and support. This is necessary to develop new interventions to prevent, identify, manage and reduce complications related to all stages of cardiac surgery.

CONNECT, established by Prof Julie Sanders (UK), Prof Suzanne Fredericks (Canada), Prof Rochelle Wynne (Australia) and Dr Geraldine Martorella (USA), is a network of nursing and allied professional researchers focused on strengthening collaborative cardiac surgery research through shared initiatives including supervision, mentorship, workplace exchange programs and multi-site clinical research.

Call for abstracts for inaugural CONNECT conference

On Friday 24 April 2026, CONNECT will hold its inaugural conference online.

Interested in presenting at the conference? There's an opportunity to submit an abstract to present at this conference.

Abstracts must be submitted under only one of the following presentation categories:

1. Oral presentation (completed research, quality improvement projects only)
2. Poster presentation (in progress or completed research)

A certificate will be awarded for best poster as voted on by conference participants.

Research abstract must include the following information:

1. Background or significance of the problem; purpose of the investigation; methods to collect and analyze the data; results of the study; conclusions, including implications for practice
2. 250 words maximum
3. Submission in English

*If study is in progress and results/conclusions are not available, it is necessary to include the potential implications for clinical practice.

If your project is quality improvement or research, protocol project abstracts must include:

• A statement of purpose
• Description of the issue/programme/technique that will be presented
• Summary of major conclusions
• Description of the significance and implications for practice

Send your abstracts to Sheila O’Keefe-McCarthy at sokeefemccarthy@brocku.ca or Suzanne Fredericks at sfrederi@torontomu.ca by February 28, 2026

Become a member

If you are a nurse or allied professional involved in cardiac surgery research and are interested in joining CONNECT please submit the attached CONNECT online membership form.