Paralympic athlete Amy Purdy to deliver opening keynote address at 41st ARN Annual Educational Conference

Registration is open for the 41st Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Annual Educational Conference on September 30-October 3, 2015, in New Orleans, which provides a forum for knowledge sharing and engagement that features the finest educators and thought leaders in the world of rehabilitation nursing. No matter the type of setting, rehabilitation nursing principles and practical clinical topics are the same for all nurses working with people experiencing a traumatic injury or chronic illness. ARN Annual Educational Conference programming is designed to address emerging and traditional areas of rehabilitation nursing practice including clinical topics, avoiding readmissions, safe patient handling, falls, and care for the caregiver.

Paralympic athlete Amy Purdy will deliver the opening keynote address, sharing her story of how she has turned tragedy into opportunity. Ms. Purdy has gained much attention recently as the only double-leg amputee snowboarder competing at the world class level, and her appearance on Dancing with the Stars. Ms. Purdy has shown success in sports, acting, and modeling, as well as her most proud achievement, founding the not-for-profit organization Adaptive Action Sports which provides sports equipment to amputees.

You can count on ARN education to be at the forefront of rehabilitation nursing science. Attendees learn and share their unique experiences with peers in inpatient and long-term acute care hospitals, home care and community environments, skilled nursing homes, and academia. Find new friends and contacts, a fresh perspective, and most of all the energy to return to work and provide the highest level of care to patients and residents.

Highlights from this year's conference include:

•Care transitions and avoiding readmissions
•Needs of vulnerable populations in stroke
•Computer technology for self-management
•Outcomes-based care planning
•Acute bowel movement

This year's conference is offering a variety of new events, including Industry Spotlight sessions which are 20 minute sessions with key vendors demonstrating how their products and/or services help nursing professionals improve their knowledge, their facility, and their patients' lives. In addition, new ARN workshops will be held in the Member Booth that cover topics important to members and their involvement in ARN, including writing for the Rehabilitation Nursing journal, preparing strong poster presentations, and how to get involved in grassroots advocacy utilizing social media. Brief Industry Spotlight sessions will also be held in the Resource Center for the first time.

Through participation in the Annual Conference, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with hundreds of rehabilitation nursing professionals who work in a range of settings and receive essential continuing education credit. A variety of speakers, seminars, and optional interactive events will allow attendees to advance their knowledge and share experiences of rehabilitation nursing. Attendees will have an increased ability to discuss state-of-the art approaches to improving patient care and outcomes, provide strategic knowledge about current issues in the industry, and implement improvements to clinical practice and administrative strategies. As attendees earn contact hours, they will sharpen their ability to incorporate evidence-based practice into the care of patients.