The Fall 2022 National Conference for Nurse Practitioners (NCNP) will be held virtually November 9-11 and, as an added benefit, content will be available for 90 days after the conference, providing registrants the opportunity to view all sessions at their own convenience. Content will cover the lifespan and include topics for primary, acute, urgent, and emergency care advanced practice clinicians. The highly rated speakers are experts in their fields and give viewers the sense that they are in the same room. Although many organizations are returning to in-person professional meetings, the virtual format remains popular among CE seekers. Benefits include cost and time savings and access from anywhere with an internet connection, thus increasing inclusivity. Flexibility and convenience in networking through designated virtual rooms and individually initiated contact with other attendees, a reduced environmental footprint, and the opportunity to view all sessions live once and/or multiple times after the conference.1,2 Finally, attendees can print their CE certificates as soon as they have completed session and overall conference evaluations.
NP Week
November 13-19 is National Nurse Practitioner Week (NNPW), which was established by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) in 2004 to celebrate the importance of NPs and to get lawmakers to remove the barriers to practice. The week provides an opportunity for greater awareness and advocacy. Many state governors have signed proclamations to designate NNPW in celebration of the important role NPs have had and will continue to have in improving healthcare for the state's citizens. A template for the proclamation is available on the AANP site. Of the approximately 355,000 NPs in the US, the majority are family NPs.3 NPs are one of the fastest growing occupations in the US with a projected increase of 52.4% between 2019 and 2029, indicating a need for an additional 24,000 NPs every year to fill new positions and replace existing workers who leave the field.4 NPs should share data from this report with educators, employers, and local and state officials to gain their support in helping ensure an adequate and well-prepared future healthcare workforce.
November plus
Other celebrations and national health observances occur in November, including Thanksgiving, National Family Health History Day, and National Family Caregivers Month. Thanksgiving is a time for families to look at the past, present, and future. Family gatherings are an ideal time to share family history so everyone is more informed about potential health risks and learns how they might avert certain conditions. When I take a health history from an "adult" and they say, "No one ever talks about their health" or "My parents never volunteered any information and I never asked," I inwardly shake my head. Encourage patients to open the lines of communication. Family caregivers are the sustaining lifeline for many patients with chronic disease. These caregivers need caring too. Start by asking how they are doing, and remember to practice self-care.
"In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it, they must not do too much of it, and they must have a sense of success in it."-John Ruskin
Jamesetta A. Newland, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, DPNAP, FAAN
Editor-in-Chief mailto:[email protected]
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