Emergency Nursing 2024 is finally here. More than 3,000 emergency nurses from around the globe have arrived in Las Vegas to learn, play and network at ENA’s biggest event of the year.
For the next three days, conference attendees will learn about the important issues and advancements in the specialty, connect with their peers, and celebrate the best and brightest in emergency nursing — all while reveling in the glitz and glam of Sin City.
“The conference offers that unique opportunity to really enhance clinical and leadership skills and always fosters an environment for networking, which is what I love,” said Emergency Nursing Conference Education Planning Committee Co-chair Renee Cecil, DNP, RN, CEN, TCRN, SANE, NREMT. “It allows you to reconnect with old friends, meet new friends, and really celebrate that remarkable emergency nursing community.”
“Who doesn’t want to go to Las Vegas?’ said Emergency Nursing Conference Education Planning Committee Co-chair Julia Ponder, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, CEN. “It’s a great opportunity to visit Las Vegas while gaining high-quality education and connecting with like-minded colleagues.”
As ENA’s premier event for emergency nurses gets underway, Cecil and Ponder shared their insights and tips on how attendees can capitalize on the various sessions and events at Emergency Nursing 2024.
What makes Emergency Nursing 2024 stand out this year?
Renee Cecil, DNP, RN, CEN, TCRN, SANE, NREMT
Ponder: Not to be trite, but we really are shining a light on igniting the passion of nurses. We’ve changed the conference a bit to showcase extraordinary emergency nurses, especially the Opening and Closing Sessions.
Cecil: The committee has done an outstanding job of creating a stellar lineup of expert speakers and thought leaders who will inspire us to shine in our practice and help us ignite some new ideas that will improve patient outcomes and staff experience.
What should attendees know about this year’s educational programming?
Cecil: The variety of the sessions. They cover the latest trends, innovative technology, research and best practices in emergency nursing. So, if you’re interested in boosting your clinical or leadership skills or learning about a specialty within emergency nursing like becoming a nurse practitioner, there really is a session for everyone. Just as important, there will be hands-on learning activities, where we can use what we know and what we’ve already learned and apply it.
Ponder: We’ll have a good mix of veteran and new presenters. We realized that we need to bring on our next generation of nurses, but we don’t want to leave behind our veteran members, who bring their valuable experiences to the educational sessions.
What advice do you have for attendees to help them make the most of their time at Emergency Nursing 2024?
Julia Ponder, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, CEN
Cecil: Use the ENA Events App. It’s the go-to tool for navigating the conference. It will help you plan your schedule, see where sessions are, and stay up to date if there are any changes or announcements. It’s also a great tool to connect with other attendees.
Take advantage of the many different networking opportunities, including the social events. We encourage you to attend the first-time attendee meet and greet and the regular attendee meet-and-greet. Be sure to introduce yourself to fellow attendees and engage in conversations, because building those connections with peers, mentors, leaders is going to provide one of the best benefits from attending the conference.
Ponder: I encourage people to stay connected with the contacts they made during the conference, whether it’s sharing contact information or networks like LinkedIn. That continued communication is going to lead to that valuable collaboration and support that we as emergency nurses need.
And remember to make time to have fun and relax, too. So, schedule those breaks, recharge and attend fun activities, like Jazzercise to relieve stress, and then really enjoy that shiny atmosphere of Las Vegas. Because when you return from a conference, you want to be refreshed and just ready to take on the world.