The Best Nursing Conferences to Attend in 2018
In our November Career Advancement blog, we discussed the tremendous value nurses can gain from attending at least one professional conference a year. Aside from the continuing education credits, which are required to maintain a nursing license in many states, some of those benefits included networking with other talented professionals and discovering new specialties you might be interested in pursuing for the next stage in your career. But, how do you determine which conference you should attend?
Here are four popular nursing conferences that are worth your consideration in 2018:
American Nurses Association Quality and Innovation Conference
For first-time nursing conference attendees, the ANA Quality and Innovation Conference is a great place to start. Conference goers continually have good things to say about the quality of the speakers and sessions. Plus, in 2018, it’s in sunny Florida just as the spring season gets underway, so you’ll have beautiful surroundings in between sessions.
Conference Dates: March 21-23, 2018
Conference Location: Orlando, FL
General Registration Fee: $699 (ANA members); $849 (non-ANA registrants)
Hot Conference Topics Include:
- Reducing Alarm Fatigue to Improve Patient Safety and Quality
- Innovative Approaches to Quality Pain Management
- Utilizing Data to Drive Patient Safety and Quality Decision-Making
AONE: American Organization of Nurse Executives
If you are a nurse leader or aspire to be one in the near future, this conference—although a little pricey—is the one for you. In addition to connecting with other nursing leaders, you’ll get to learn best practices and new strategies to help you lead successfully within your healthcare organizations.
Conference Dates: April 12-15, 2018
Conference Location: Indianapolis, IN
General Registration Fee: $1,120 (Member); $1,400 (Non-Member)
Hot Conference Topics Include:
- Creating a Transformative Nurse-Empowering Workforce
- Human Trafficking: Identifying and Responding to Victims in the Healthcare Setting
- Modernizing Clinical Communications for the Mobile Workforce
28th Annual SPN (Society of Pediatric Nurses) Conference
Specialty nursing conferences are great idea if you are looking to break into a new specialty or want to build your knowledge base in your current specialty. With 4 days of sessions, 500-plus pediatric nurses in attendance, and more than 22 hours of continuing education, this conference is a must for nurses who care for pediatric patients.
Conference Dates: April 5-8, 2018
Conference Location: Denver, CO
General Registration Fee: $550 (SPN Member); $665 (Non-Members)
Hot Conference Topics Include:
- Nurse-Led Home Visits for Children with Medical Complexity
- Childhood Bullying: Assessment Practices and Predictive Factors Associated with Assessing for Bullying by School Nurses
- Medication Transition for Transgender Youth
Global Nursing Care & Education Conference
If global medicine is of interest to you, this annual conference offers a global platform for exchanging ideas with medical professionals from around the world and keeping abreast of the latest innovations in nursing care and education.
Conference Dates: August 29-30, 2018
Conference Location: Boston, MA
General Registration Fee: $999
Conference Theme: Nursing Care-Caring Today for a Healthier Tomorrow
Of course, this 2018 conference list is only a small sampling of the numerous professional nursing conferences you can attend in the coming year. For more recommendations, ask your colleagues what professional conferences have benefitted them the most. You might be surprised to find one of their suggestions on this list.
Tell Us About Your Conference Experience
Do you regularly attend nursing conferences? Comment below to let us know which professional conferences you found most helpful.
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