The authors of this feature article highlight opportunities for the upcoming International Stroke Conference and State-of-the-Science Stroke Nursing Symposium and describe achievements from this year's Scientific Sessions.
The 2019 International Stroke Conference will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from February 6 to 8, 2019. Don't miss the State-of-the-Science Stroke Nursing Symposium on February 5, 2019. To register, please visit https://professional.heart.org/professional/EducationMeetings/MeetingsLiveCME/In and https://professional.heart.org/professional/EducationMeetings/MeetingsLiveCME/In. The 2.5-day International Stroke Conference provides more than 1600 presentations about clinical, basic, and translational stroke science. Presentations emphasize new knowledge in stroke pathophysiology and the efforts scientists and clinicians are undergoing to devise improved therapies. The State-of-the-Science Stroke Nursing Symposium further addresses these goals by providing cutting-edge information about stroke nursing, new stroke treatments, and rehabilitation. Experts will examine the continuum of stroke care, from the emergency department to rehabilitation to community integration. This interactive symposium provides updates about nursing care issues specific to stroke with an emphasis on ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke management, approaches for rehabilitation, and stroke care program development. Attendees will enjoy breakout sessions to discuss the most innovative practices and methods that optimize outcomes. The program is designed for healthcare professionals in any discipline and with various levels of skills.
The very successful Scientific Sessions 2018 featured a new 3-day meeting format. The programming, which took place at Chicago's McCormick Place from November 10 to 12, 2018, began with the Cardiovascular Nursing Clinical Symposium, which delivered cutting-edge information to registered nurses and advanced practice nurses about the best clinical practices. The keynote address focused on the global burden of heart disease and included a panel discussion about cardiovascular morbidity in underserved populations; these presentations addressed 2 important American Heart Association (AHA) initiatives. Panelists discussed healthcare needs specific to African American, Latino, and LGBTQ populations. Experts reviewed the 2017 AHA/ACC Update to Practice Standards for electrocardiogram monitoring, in addition to the updated stroke and heart failure guidelines. Attendees learned about using virtual reality education and about the use of direct-acting oral anticoagulants.
On Saturday afternoon, the council hosted the Martha N. Hill New Investigator Award Competition as well as the Katharine A. Lembright Award Lecture from Cynthia M. Dougherty, ARNP, PhD, FAHA, FAAN. The session showcased innovative research advancing cardiovascular and stroke science. On Saturday evening, the council met for the Annual Dinner and Business Meeting. This event celebrated achievements by recognizing individuals who made distinguished contributions to practice and research. Research topics for the Sunday morning Nursing Science in Review session included testing interventions reducing cardiovascular health disparities, examining the impact of stroke counseling interventions, and measuring cognition and memory in adolescents with congenital heart disease. Nurse scientists also presented their work about mechanisms linking cardiovascular disease with sleep-disordered breathing, cardiometabolic dysregulation, and changes in the microbiome.
Attending AHA meetings, such as the State-of-the-Science Stroke Nursing Symposium and Scientific Sessions, provides important opportunities to enhance your clinical practice, share your research, and network with leaders in cardiovascular and stroke nursing. We look forward to seeing you in Honolulu (February 6-8, 2019) and Scientific Sessions 2019 in Philadelphia (November 16-18, 2019) for more state-of-the-art science!