The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) just held the annual convention in Baltimore Maryland from June 24-28, 2006. This year’s theme was Innovate, Lead, Care. As a proud member of this organization since 1987, I once again renewed my spirit as a leader in my specialty of practice, recharged my mind, and recommitted myself to caring. What a great way to revitalize ones nursing spirit amidst 3,177 attendees.

Opening Ceremony
The opening session was spectacular especially the presentation of flags with traditional Baltimore flare. Dr. Stephanie Ferguson, a Director of Leadership For Change ™ Programme for International Council of Nurses, was the keynote speaker. She is a well-known activist and she shared her story how she started as a bedside nurse and her journey to the White House and to the International Council of Nurses in Switzerland. She inspired me and her audience to acknowledge all that we accomplished throughout the nursing career and to continue to advocate for women and her newborn. Dr. Ferguson also captivated her audience with her entertaining nursing experiences as well as conveying a strong message the need to participate in legislative action and expand nursing vision globally. All other speakers were excellent, dynamic, and experts in their own field and they continued to stimulate our critical thinking, inspired us to promote best practices in clinical setting, and encouraged us to embrace challenges and risks to expand nursing worldwide.

Networking
During the course of the convention, I found my long lost friend for fifteen years and other colleagues that I had worked with in different facilities. In addition, I had the opportunity to meet leaders and experts from other states, like Lola Guillen,a nurse from La Crosse,Wisconsin is very friendly and fun to be with. Lola shared her experience using the new AWHONN perinatal orientation modules that their facility had purchased.

Specialty Sessions
The specialty sessions at the convention got the latest topics to improve and enhance clinical practice, such as the new guidelines in caring women of childbearing age and her newborn, writing educational handouts for patients, pharmacology issues, research, disaster nursing and emergency preparedness and many more. Some specialty sessions were also broken down in various nursing skills and experience levels, for example, expert level or interactive. Continuing education credits could be obtained for all sessions attended including the research posters presentation. The continuing nursing education (CNE) kiosk was excellent, user-friendly, and efficient. This computer station facilitated printing the certificate of attendance along with the continuing education credits transcript, which is a list of sessions or topics attended along with continuing education credits earned. The user can change any sessions added or deleted during the conference at their convenience.

Exhibit Hall
The exhibit hall was spacious and full of companies that had high technology or innovative products on display. Of course, part of the fun in addition to learning was collecting many gratuities: colorful pens, staff toys, samples and many more give-aways. At one of the exhibit booths, I had a bone density reading done with the latest technology using a foot to be scanned that in less than 10 minutes tells you if osteoporosis sets in. Then, I went through almost all (73 posters) research poster presentations. The research posters were very informative, educational, and motivating. The greatest reward in reading the research posters was earning the continuing education credits, 0.2 contact hour for every 30 minutes spent reading them with a maximum credits of 4.2 contact hours. The job fair was also very interesting with so many jobs openings in every area of specialty. The job openings and incentives were attractive-perfect timing to look for a greener pastures!

Closing Ceremony
Four days of learning and socializing and no better way to close the convention with a vibrant speech, colorful slides and jokes on the Power of Positive Insanity by Mark Therrien, a Social Worker extraordinaire who demonstrated how to restore life with joy and compassion through laughter. It was just a rejuvenating and uplifting way to end the convention.

Back to reality
Coming back to my reality in New York, I am now renewed, armed with innovative ideas and knowledge to deal with multigenerational staff, to reiterate and validate the economic value of the nurses that I work with, and continue to advocate for improve staffing, lower nurse-patient ratios, and improve staff / patient satisfaction in my work area. I look forward to learning more about global nursing and to get involved in political action that brings about change. Finally, I will continue to reincorporate into my daily teaching routine and by example the importance of laughter, instant empathy, and the value of simple smile to all the staff that I come across everyday. It is so important to work toward making the work environment a safe and fun place to work. Now is a perfect time to motivate other staff to join and be a member of any nursing association or organization and plan to attend similar educational events in the future. Although the event, the laughter, and the networking at the convention has become part of my memories, it opened up a new chapter that challenges me to innovate, lead and care for others.

I look forward to another year and another exciting convention in scenic Orlando, Florida.

For all staff nurses who are not yet a member of The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses, it is the time to get involve now and visit their website at http://awhonn.org