Terry Foster enjoys connecting with his peers at the networking events.
It’s been 42 years since 2023 ENA President Terry Foster, MSN, RN, CCRN, TCRN, CPEN, CEN, FAEN, attended his first Emergency Nursing conference in San Antonio, Texas. Since then, he’s had the same message for any emergency and forensic nurse: Get there.
“If you go to Emergency Nursing, you will be hooked,” Foster said.
He said that’s largely thanks to the slate of social events that give him the opportunity to connect with old friends and meet new friends — people who help re-energize his passion for emergency nursing.
Alabama ENA Council President-Elect Nathan White, RN, CEN, TCRN, NRP, echoed that sentiment. White attends the conference’s social events to build and strengthen relationships within the ENA community, making Emergency Nursing a place for him to find inspiration and recharge every year.
Specialty Group Mixers
Sept. 28, 4:30-5:45 p.m.
Emergency Nursing 2026 will host several networking events geared toward the specific experiences and interests of attendees. Newbies to the conference can head over to the First-Time Attendee Mixer, where they will get the chance to relax and mingle with their fellow newcomers as well as veteran attendees, who can provide advice on how to adeptly navigate the conference.
Other mixers will cater to the various subsets within emergency nursing, including emerging professionals, uniformed services, student nurses, APRNs and forensic nurses. Attendees will get the chance to bond over the challenges they are experiencing and share solutions and ideas while also laughing about some of those ridiculous moments in the ED they’ve encountered along the way.
“A lot of times, we get these silos where we think the processes that we have are exclusive to our facilities,” said White. “It’s just validating to me to hear that the systemic problems really are systemic problems, and it helps to hear about how other nurses are solving them.”
Academy of Emergency Nursing Induction Ceremony and Dinner
Sept. 28, 7:30-9 p.m.
The Academy of Emergency Nursing will welcome another group of extraordinary nurses as Fellows — one of the highest honors in emergency nursing. At the black-tie dinner, Fellows from the past 20 years will come together to celebrate the 2026 cohort for their substantial and enduring contributions to the specialty through research, education, clinical practice or advocacy.
Welcome Reception
Sept. 29, 5:30-7 p.m.
The Welcome Reception lets conference attendees show off their dance moves.
The Welcome Reception is the most popular social event at the conference. The high-energy party brings thousands of emergency and forensic nurses together for an evening of mingling, dancing and showing off what has proven to be a remarkable talent for crafting elaborate costumes.
“To be able to be amongst friends who have the same philosophies, workload, kindred spirits, personality, humor — all of that — to have 3,000 to 4,000 of us in a room is spontaneous combustion,” Foster said.
Lantern Awards Mixer
Sept. 30, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Nurses from the 126 emergency departments that received Lantern Awards this year will get their moment in the spotlight during the Lantern Awards Mixer. ENA President Dustin Bass will recognize each ED by name, something Foster recalled being a bit of a challenge at Emergency Nursing 2023 in San Diego.
“I remember trying to read the names, but as soon as we showed on a slide, they would be screaming,” he said. “It was like trying to quiet a crowd during a boy band concert. You just can’t do it. But I love it, and they love being recognized and acknowledged. It doesn’t happen very often.”
ENA Foundation’s 35th Anniversary Celebration
Sept. 30, 4:30-5:45 p.m.
The ENA Foundation will turn 35 during Emergency Nursing 2026. To commemorate the milestone, the Foundation will bring together past leaders, Emerald Award recipients and longtime partners as they look ahead to the next 35 years. White praised events like this one for helping him see all the exceptional work funded through the ENA Foundation, including academic scholarships and research grants.
“You hear about fundraisers all the time, but the Foundation does more than just fundraise,” White said. “They put the money out there to make real changes.”