CALL TO CONVENTION

ANPD's 26th Annual National Convention at The Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada, is the place to be in 2015! The Convention is July 14-17, with preconvention workshops beginning on July 13. Caution: The "Vegas Rule" will not apply. What happens in Vegas will definitely make its way back to the frontlines of nursing professional development (NPD) practice for all who will attend. It will be just too good to not share.

The ANPD Annual Convention is the premier education and networking event for those who practice NPD as their specialty. The convention provides numerous networking opportunities for NPD professionals, inspiring keynote speakers on timely, relevant topics, and concurrent educational sessions. A 2-day Nursing Professional Development Certification Preparation Course, a 1-day ROI by Design workshop, and other half-day preconvention workshops are offered before the official convention kickoff. A full exhibit hall provides an opportunity for attendees to interact with vendors and see the latest products and services of interest. The ANPD Convention is planned by a very dedicated Content Planning Committee made up of member representatives and chaired this year by Michele Noble, MN, APRN, RN-BC.

WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas, Nevada, is accurately billed as the "Entertainment Capital of the World." Famous for its nightlife, fine dining, resorts, and gambling, Las Vegas is a great place for NPD Specialists to gather for an annual convention. The official hotel for the 2015 convention is The Mirage, a Polynesian-themed hotel and casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip, with onsite or nearby activities and attractions to appeal to every taste. Relax after days of learning and networking by enjoying restaurants, shopping, the aquarium, the volcano, or any of the shows including the Beatles LOVE.

PRECONVENTION

Even before the Convention starts, a myriad of opportunities are available to jump-start learning. Preconvention programming requires a separate registration and fee. A 2-day NPD Certification Preparation Course is offered to prepare participants for the American Nurses Credentialing Center examination. Twelve half-day preconvention workshops offer in-depth opportunities to learn from nationally recognized experts on important topics in NPD. This year, for the first time, a full-day preconvention workshop entitled ROI by Design will be offered. Full details are available at http://www.anpd.org.

INVITED SPEAKERS

Opening Session: Jerry Mansfield, PhD, RN

Dr. Jerry Mansfield, the Chief Nursing Officer at the University Hospital and the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, will present the Convention's Opening Session when he speaks on "Ensuring Relevance in a Complex Healthcare World." With over 30 years of progressive leadership experience, he is well qualified to address this timely topic.

Keynote Session: Nancy Spector, PhD, RN, FAAN

Wednesday's Keynote Session will be of interest to many NPD Specialists. Dr. Nancy Spector's topic is "Transition to Practice: Results of NCSBN's Multisite Study of Hospital Programs." Dr. Spector, the Director of Regulatory Innovations at the National Councils of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), is a recognized expert on regulatory issues in nursing education. She is the principal investigator on the NCSBN's multisite transition to practice study and will be sharing results of Phase 1 of this study, which provides substantial evidence for hospitals incorporating transition to practice programs.

General Session: Julie Aucoin, DNS, RN-BC, CNE, Joan Warren, PhD, RN-BC, NEA-BC, and Mary Harper, PhD, RN-BC

Over the past year, ANPD has engaged in two important research studies: the NPD Organizational Value Demonstration Project and the NPD Role Delineation Study. The investigators will share the results of these important studies in a general session, "Who Are You? Articulating NPD's Role and Value."

General Session: Kari Schmidt, MS, RN-BC, ACC

In "Wisdom, Passion, and Transformational Leadership," Kari Schmidt will focus on accelerating the achievement of strategic outcomes by way of the powerful combination of wisdom, insight, and passion. Kari will focus on NPD specialists as transformational leaders and share methods to enrich team creativity and innovation, to enhance the delivery of complex care, to champion innovation, and to provide inspiration.

Closing Session: Patty Wooten, BSN, RN, CIC

Closing out convention on a humorous note, Patty Wooten's topic, "Finding Comedy in Chaos? You've Got to Be Kidding!" is fitting. The ability to laugh and keep a healthy perspective will help you to remain flexible, creative, and responsive to change. Patty will share how humor can help to cope with crisis and manage the moment.

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Hundreds of abstract submissions from aspiring presenters were reviewed by the Content Planning Committee before selecting 48 concurrent sessions to best meet the needs of NPD practitioners. A wide variety of topics will provide an array of choices for any NPD specialist regardless of their practice setting or level of experience, be they novice, competent, or expert.

POSTERS

In addition to the general and concurrent podium sessions, Poster Sessions are an ANPD tradition. This year's convention includes almost 100 posters that highlight the work of presenters in their own practice environments. The posters are categorized into the following tracks: Career Development/Mentoring/Leadership, Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research, Leadership, Nursing Professional Development, Professional Development Partnership, and Technology/Informatics/Simulation. Poster presenters will be present to discuss their work with convention attendees during a poster reception. What a fabulous opportunity to learn from each other, to network, and to spark innovative ideas to take away from the convention!

EXHIBIT HALL

Another stellar opportunity to generate new ideas and creative problem solving is to visit the Exhibit Hall during convention. A variety of vendors and sponsors will be present and ready to share their products and services that are of specific interest to nurses in professional development. These experts in the industry are a great resource for questions and present yet another networking opportunity.

HOTEL INFORMATION

The Mirage is holding rooms for ANPD Convention attendees. A special room rate of $139 for single/double occupancy is available until June 19, 2015, or until the room block is filled-so make your travel plans early to ensure a reservation at the convention hotel. Additional information is available at http://www.anpd.org. When you book your hotel room, please make sure to book through the official housing registration site located on the ANPD website. This ensures an ANPD-negotiated low room rate that includes free Internet in your sleeping room.

FIRST TIME AT CONVENTION?

A free orientation webinar is available to convention attendees. The webinar, which will be released in June, contains vital information about how to get the most out of the convention experience. Watch for announcements about the webinar via e-mail and in Trendlines, the ANPD newsletter.

Also this year, a Rapid Roulette/Speed Networking session is planned just prior to the opening session. The ANPD Board of Directors will be present to meet and greet attendees. Bring your business cards and see how many new connections you can make during this fun, invigorating activity.

The Star Search session continues this year as an opportunity for up and coming ANPD members to try out their skills as a convention presenter. A door prize will be awarded to one lucky attendee!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Full 2015 ANPD Convention program details and registration and travel information are available at http://www.anpd.org. This year's convention has promise to be a great event that you won't want to miss. See you in Las Vegas!