AACN brings together over thousands of nurses for annual conference

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) brings together thousands of nurses this week in Boston at its annual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI, #NTI2018) with the theme "Guided by Why."

AACN President Christine S. Schulman, MS, RN, CNS, CCRN-K, is a critical care and trauma clinical nurse specialist at Legacy Health in Portland, Oregon. She says the theme serves as a reminder to stay connected with one's own principles and beliefs.

"When nurses are Guided by Why, we reaffirm our core purpose and have a guiding beacon for what we can -; what we must -; do to ensure that every patient gets the excellent care they deserve. And that every nurse has the tools and the skills they need to provide that care," she said.

AACN expects attendance to reach more than 8,500 nurses, including nurses at the bedside and many at the forefront of research, academia, staff development and management.

The premier annual event for critical care nursing, NTI continues through May 24. The conference offers hundreds of sessions to improve clinical practice, patient outcomes and the hospital's bottom line with a comprehensive program that incorporates the best education on evidence-based practices.

Most of NTI's more than 300 sessions will take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, with additional events at the nearby Westin Boston Waterfront hotel.

The Advanced Practice Institute, integrated into NTI, has more than 70 sessions with content including preconferences, clinical sessions, leadership role development, pharmacology and mastery sessions, developed specifically for advanced practice nurses.

NTI also includes the Critical Care Exposition, the largest and most comprehensive trade show expressly for acute and critical care nurses. Hundreds of exhibits spread over 300,000 square feet will encompass cutting-edge healthcare equipment, devices, supplies and career opportunities. The Critical Care Exposition is one of the 50 fastest-growing trade shows in the U.S. in both event attendance and exhibitors, as ranked by Trade Show Executive magazine.

Participants can earn up to 37.5 hours of continuing education (CE) during NTI. Calculated on a 50-minute contact hour, CEs are determined by the number of sessions a participant attends.

As an added value, attendees will receive online access to more than 180 recorded sessions from NTI, certification review courses and past NTI conferences. These materials extend the on-site learning offered during the conference and will be available through Oct. 31, 2018.