With high energy and humor, Michelle Rozen delivered a research‑driven message about how nurses can maintain momentum to achieve their goals amid a chaotic environment.
Emergency Nursing 2026 kicked off with unmistakable energy as attendees filled the hall, greeting colleagues and settling in for a morning that blended service, celebration and a powerful challenge to “Lock In,” the theme for the conference. The session called on emergency nurses to focus on learning, strengthen their connections and recommit to the purpose that drives their work.
Representatives from Navajo Nation Sage Memorial Hospital in Ganado, Arizona, described supporting Native American communities, grounding the session in emergency nursing’s broad and personal reach across cultures and geographies.
ENA President Dustin Bass, DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, NEA-BC, built on that foundation with a message about belonging, a defining strength of the conference and a bond shared among emergency nurses everywhere.
“What I love so much about this conference is how we are surrounded by thousands of people who get it,” he said, describing ENA as a place where nurses belong without explanation.
The morning then shifted into a celebration of excellence, honoring nurses whose careers reflect the best of emergency nursing. Judith C. Kelleher Award recipient Nycole Oliver, DNP, MBA, MSN, APRN, RN, FNP-C, ACNPC-AG, ENP-C, CEN, FAEN, credited her colleagues for the collective effort behind her achievements.
“We don’t do this for accolades. … This is a collective effort of everyone I’ve ever worked with,” she said.
Together, Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Beth Ann Manganaro, RN, CEN, TCRN, and Valerie Carter Brumfield, MSN, RN, CNS, CCRN, CEN, embodied the specialty’s commitment to growth and service, underscored by Brumfield’s message to “always ask questions, always support your fellow nurses, and never stop learning.”
The session also marked a milestone for the ENA Foundation. Chairperson Kimberly Russo, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, celebrated 35 years of impact, noting that the Foundation has supported 3,000 nurses and awarded $7 million through scholarships, grants and fellowships.
“It’s the person sitting next to you, that’s the impact,” she said.
Then the room shifted from celebration to challenge as keynote speaker Michelle Rozen, PhD, stepped onto the stage. With high energy and humor, Rozen delivered a research‑driven message about why only 6 percent of people stay “locked in” to their goals while most lose momentum quickly. She explained how the brain resists change, why micro‑habits matter and how specificity transforms performance. Her message wasn’t motivational fluff. It was science‑backed strategy for staying sharp, focus, and resilient in a world defined by disruption.
Rozen asked attendees to take out their phones and make a 30‑day pledge, a moment that brought her research to life. Two nurses shared their commitments aloud: one pledged to bring more positivity to his emergency department, and another promised to be on time and support her team. Their examples showed how small, intentional commitments can spark meaningful change, especially in high‑pressure environments like emergency care.
Bass closed the session by reinforcing its central themes: connection, purpose and the collective strength of emergency nurses. From the opening reflection on service to the awards, Foundation milestone and Rozen’s challenge to lock in, Emergency Nursing 2026 began with its community united, energized and ready to move forward with intention.