AANP 2012 Conference Day 1 in Orlando
The conference has begun here in Orlando with an estimated 4,300 nurse practitioners enjoying the activities and the warm Florida weather. Opening ceremonies kicked off the conference this morning, with a keynote by James O. Prochaska, PhD, developer of the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change.
"These are exciting times for behavioral health," said Prochaska, adding that he supports NPs as leaders in the movement for behavioral change for patients. AANP is involved in increasing NP involvement in behavioral and mental health. The organization has partnered with Joining Forces, an initiative backed by First Lady Michelle Obama to improve the health and well-being of veterans and their families.
"This is a time where you can ask, what can I do to thrive more, because your nation needs nurse practitioners who are thriving in order to help patients go from suffering to thriving," Prochaska said in a final thought encouraging NPs to improve their own well-being and the well-being of their profession.
President Penny Kaye Jensen, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, FAANP, addressed the attendees and gave an overview of the work AANP has been doing to promote NPs through its national public awareness campaign. The article that launched the campaign, "Nurse practitioners look to fill gap with expected spike in demand for health services," was picked up by more than 300 newspapers nationwide.
The AANP's inaugural Loretta C. Ford Award for Advancement of the Nurse Practitioner Role in Health Care was awarded to Joanne Pohl, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP. The award was created in honor of Ford, who founded the NP profession and who was inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame in 2011.
Jensen also passed the gavel to president-elect Angela Golden, DNP, MNEd, FNP-C, RN, FAANP, who will serve as the AANP's next president and lead the organization through the second phase of its public awareness campaign, which will seek awareness about the legislative activity needed to allow NPs to practice to the extent of their training.
Follow #AANP12 for tweets throughout the conference by @ADVANCEforNPPA as well as conference attendees.