Academy Of Medical-Surgical Nurses' National Convention Breaks Attendance Records

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 04 Dec 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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Leaders of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) are celebrating the best-ever attendance at their recent 2007 annual convention and enjoying the booming interest in the specialty.

Over 1,100 nurses traveled to the Las Vegas Hilton October 24-29, 2007, to hear from leading experts about the latest practice advances, network and attend special events. Attendance numbers broke previous records and AMSN's leaders and their nurse colleagues celebrated this milestone in AMSN's history.

"Attendance jumped by more than 37% from last year, and we thought the 2006 numbers were great!" said AMSN President Kathleen Reeves. "We've certified over 6,000 nurses in the last 4 years, and we're thrilled beyond words with the attention and enthusiasm the specialty is getting."

Woven throughout the convention was a focus on nurses' image and public perceptions. During a session "Painting a Portrait: How Can You Shape Nursing's Image" on Friday, October 26, Cheryl Mee, MSN, RN, BC, CMSRN, Vice President, U.S. Nursing & Health Professions Journals, discussed the destructive stereotypes such as naughty nurse, often portrayed in the media; the lack of public awareness about nurses' high level of skills and knowledge; and how nurses must act to turn this around.

"Do [physicians and lawyers] have the image problem we have?" Mee asked the audience. "Are they thought of as knowledgeable and critical thinkers? I think they are. They don't have the hurdles we have."

A broad spectrum of health care professionals attended the meeting including clinical nurse specialists, educators, managers, students, and researchers. They heard the latest information on such topics as post-operative care, patient safety, end-of-life issues, community-acquired diseases and pain management. The attendees also earned Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits, networked and visited an exhibit hall packed with over 100 vendors. Special events included an energy-charged act by an Elvis impersonator during the Opening Ceremony and a fashion show featuring nursing uniform dos and don'ts.

Awards

AMSN awards individuals each year who are outstanding examples of the association's CORE values (Commitment, Opportunity, Responsibility and Education). Winners this year are as follows:

Clinical Practice Leadership Award (for outstanding professional achievement and leadership in the medical-surgical clinical setting): Cheryl Mahoney, MSN, RN, CMSRN, Clinical Education Specialist, Iowa Health, Des Moines, IA

Clinical Practice Award (for outstanding professional achievement and contributions as a medical-surgical registered nurse; award is sponsored by the Nursing Economic$ Foundation): Karen DeLoach, BSN, RN, CMSRN, Registered Nurse, Palmetto Baptist Medical Center, Columbia, SC

2008 Convention

AMSN's 17th Annual Convention will be held October 1-6, 2008, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville, TN. For more information about AMSN and its conferences, visit http://www.medsurgnurse.org, or contact the AMSN National Office, East Holly Avenue, Box 56, Pitman, NJ 08071; phone: 866-877-AMSN (2676); fax: 856-218-0557; e-mail: amsn@ajj.com.

AMSN is a professional organization formed to promote high standards of nursing practice, facilitate the implementation of practice guidelines, provide educational programs for its members, foster scholarly activity, and disseminate new ideas for all areas of adult health nursing. AMSN collaborates with other national specialty and nursing organizations, medical associations, hospitals, universities, research organizations, and governmental agencies in matters affecting adult health nursing practice.

http://www.medsurgnurse.org