First-Time AANP Conference Attendee: Part 2
This is the second in a series of blog posts on the ADVANCE Voice NP blog by guest bloggers who were first-time attendees to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) annual conference, held this year in Nashville. This post comes from Deborah Varnum, NP, who was designated this year as the North Carolina AANP representative.
Kick Up Your Heels in Nashville With AANP
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Guest blogger Debbie Varnum, NP, visiting the ADVANCE booth |
Over 4,500 NPs have converged upon the Gaylord Opryland to attend this well-planned event. AANP has outdone themselves! This is my first year at a national NP conference despite having been an NP for almost 10 years. Expectations have been surpassed at every turn. First, just walking into the convention center is unlike anything I have ever seen. The registration area with the PAC, AANP Foundation booths along with every office of AANP is filled with energy and enthusiasm.
The Gaylord Opryland is a massive resort with an expansive conference center. I have lost count of the number of times I have lost my way. By the time I figure it all out, it will be time to return to NC.
The quality and assortment of CE classes is excellent and offers a topic of interest for everyone. My favorite class so far, media training came complete with camera, lights, action and a professional producer to critique our work. Barbara Dehn, NP, and Beth Freeman, clearly leaders in their field, provided excellent guidance for aspiring television and print interviewees. We now speak the lingo and can walk the walk. Alright, perhaps we are more at the toddler stage of the walk but we are getting there!
Opportunities for networking abound. So far I have met NPs from every state in the nation, talked with other business owners like myself and have learned about my new role as the new NC AANP representative. This new volunteer endeavor will prove to be challenging and rewarding in many ways. One very important piece of knowledge gleaned from the state representative meeting is that some states have been successful in removing "supervision" language from their general statutes. I am hopeful that NC will soon be among the success stories!
Balance between work and play is difficult for me and many of my colleagues. So this year, I am working diligently to find balance during convention so that I don't return home exhausted. Every NP knows that to take a week off from patient care is equivalent to working twice as hard the week before and the week after to make up for it. So this time, my philosophy has been to enjoy the Gaylord and the conference. We (myself, my daughter and granddaughter) have enjoyed delicious food, swimming and kicking up our heels with the talented country dancers at Summerfest on Delta Island. It has been a successful week!
I highly recommend all NPs who are not AANP members consider it a priority to join right away. Member benefits are expanding all the time and AANP is making efforts to become more involved with social networking sites like facebook and twitter. The website, http://www.aanp.org/ is a wealth of information and www.webnp.org is a new social networking site offering blogs and other enticing information and resources. AANP, I learned this week, is making every effort to meet NP members where they are and to be THE national organization for NPs. I think they are doing a great job and the success of this conference is testament to that success.
Thank you very much, Debbie, for sharing your thoughts with ADVANCE.