6500 Reasons to be proud to be a Critical Care Nurse!

Just finished up a week in Orlando with 6500 Critical Care Nurses at the AACN NTI conference. What a fantastic time! I met so many wonderful people with so much passion and devotion to nursing excellence. It was so envigorating. I want to thank all of those nurses who took a moment to stop and talk with me about their work environments, good and bad. I heard so many wonderful stories where nurses are using their bold voice to ensure optimal outcomes for our patients. I also heard about some challenges that many are facing due to a variety of reasons. I had an opportunity to visit and renew my friendships with my AACN buddies, some of whom I only see once a year at this conference. There was one obvious missing face and that was the physical presence of Denise Thornby. I know Denise was with us in spirit and celebrating our fun from her home, but her absence was felt by many. We are all sending huge positive thoughts her way for a painless future. We love you Denise! Mary Stahl, our current AACN President gave a wonderful presidential address and highlighted stories of people and teams who lived out her theme of Together Stronger Bolder. And then Kathryn Roberts introduced her theme for the upcoming year. DARE TO __________! Wow! Everyone connected with this theme. What a wonderful experience. Every nurse should come to NTI. There just isn’t a better opportunity to get recharged about our profession. There is something for everyone. We are in Boston next year. I certainly hope you will try to find your way there. And if you do, please take a moment to say hello. I really love the connections I have made with total strangers at this conference. Many of us are still exchanging emails. Mary