AACN to bring thousands of nurses together for annual conference in Boston

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) brings together thousands of nurses next week in Boston, at its annual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) with the theme "Dare To."

AACN President Kathryn E. Roberts, RN, MSN, CNS, CCRN, CCNS, is a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in the pediatric intensive care unit at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). In addition to her patient care responsibilities, she leads CHOP's initiative to prevent codes outside the ICU, co-chairs the hospital's Resuscitation Committee and co-leads its CNS group. She is also a clinical assistant professor at Yale University School of Nursing, New Haven, Conn.

Roberts says the theme goes beyond a simple tagline. "This year's theme, 'Dare To,' has motivated, inspired and engaged our community of exceptional nurses," she explains. "Every nurse has the same inner spark that motivates colleagues to achieve excellence. It's up to individual nurses to turn that spark into a flame and determine what will bring them closer to achieving their optimal contribution to patients, their families, their team and themselves."

AACN's NTI runs Saturday, May 18, through Thursday, May 23, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, with the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel also hosting official events.

AACN expects attendance to top 7,000 nurses and include many at the forefront of research, academia, staff development and management.

NTI, the world's largest conference for nurses who care for high acuity and critically ill patients, includes the Critical Care Exposition, the largest and most comprehensive tradeshow specifically for acute and critical care nurses. Spread over 200,000 square feet will be more than 400 exhibits that encompass cutting-edge healthcare equipment, devices, supplies and pharmaceuticals.

AACN's NTI offers more than 300 sessions representing the best clinical education reflecting today's diverse critical care environments. Topics include the following:
•Eliminating healthcare-associated infections and medical errors
•Benefits and risks of healthcare technology, including tele-ICUs, simulation training and monitoring alarms
•Impact of outcomes data on patient care
•Managing medications for critically ill patients
•Involving the family in patient care
•Providing palliative care to dying patients

The Patient Safety Summit, presented in collaboration with the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), Boston, is new to NTI this year. This one-day event Wednesday, May 22, from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., features top-tier patient safety authorities sharing the latest evidence-based information and resources related to one of the most significant challenges in today's healthcare environment. Lucian Leape, MD, an internationally recognized early leader of the patient safety movement, will discuss the inextricable link between workplace safety and patient safety during the summit's keynote session.