First-Time AANP Conference Attendee: Part 1
This is the first of a series of guest blog posts from first-time American Academy of Nurse Practitioners conference-goers. This post is written by new family NP LaTasha M. Jarnagin, who works at Hamblen Family Medicine in Tennessee:
My first American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Conference - Very Exciting!
First, I must mention that this was the largest group of NPs to ever meet together - 4,500 plus. With a variety of hot topics currently affecting the NPs practice, what a time for us all to meet together - the DNP degree, healthcare reform, and multiple legislative issues, just to mention a few.
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Guest blogger LaTasha Jarnagin, NP, at the ADVANCE booth |
Not only am I new to the AANP conference, I also recently started my career as a FNP. I have been practicing for one year now in a small rural practice. The conference provided such a wide variety of topics that any NP, no matter what area of practice would have benefited from the conference and topics covered. The conference truly provided practical education. I gained useful information from all the presentations I attended. However, I did have a few favorites - I was able to attend two presentations by Thomas W. Barkley Jr. and a presentation by Margaret Fitzgerald (who helped me pass my boards...Thanks!).
The conference provided an array of networking opportunities. The exhibit hall was filled with an assortment of vendors. I had the opportunity to pick up some exceptional educational material for patients. It was also convenient that Medicare and Medicaid services were there because being a new NP, I have lots of questions there. Billing and so forth was not covered in detail in my program and I have yet to learn these procedures. The exhibit hall would have not been complete without various NP invited poster presentations, which were new presentations daily. Time had also been allotted for the annual membership meeting and regional meetings. The regional meeting provided the opportunity to see what other NPs in my region have concerns about and allowed us to brainstorm among one another how best to work toward a better NP practice. During the annual membership meeting a commercial was shown which is to be released soon on public television. The commercial was very informative and a great way to communicate with the public exactly who NPs are and what NPs do. I am amazed at the number of people who have no idea what a nurse practitioner is and what role we serve to our communities.
I must mention the AANP Foundation's Round-Up which sure got participants wound up! The first 2,000 NPs who visited each cosponsor's booth in the exhibit hall and returned a completed card received a cowboy hat. I passed on this - I am from East Tennessee; therefore naturally I own a variety of cowboy hats!
Overall, I feel the conference gave me more self-assurance in my daily practice! Being new to practice, I received added confidence in knowing that I was already knowledgeable in the areas that were covered in many of my sessions. However, I was able to expand my understanding on a selection of topics and gained valuable information which will enhance not only my clinical practice as an FNP but my professionalism as an NP within the community.
ADVANCE would like to thank LaTasha for her feedback!