The 2023 ANPD Aspire Convention spanned five action-packed days, leaving attendees with plenty to unpack and debrief. Attending the Aspire Convention provides opportunities for professional growth, not only for attendees but also for their colleagues when they return home with renewed enthusiasm to share what they learned.
For first-time attendees, it’s especially exciting to be surrounded by over 1,000 nurses at the Aspire Convention who have the same passion for nursing professional development (NPD). We connected with first-time convention attendees to ask about their experience and refreshed enthusiasm for the specialty.
Why did you attend the convention?
Like experienced attendees, first-timers attended for diverse reasons, but at the core was an enthusiasm for learning about NPD practice.
“I wanted to network with other like-minded professionals and learn more about what is out there in the NPD world!” — Giselle M. Bailey, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC; NPD Practitioner for Acute and Progressive Care, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, TX
"I was excited to gain new tools and resources to expand my current practice. I was also very excited to see my NPD peers in person and I looked forward to meeting new people and learning about their various roles and experiences. I think we can truly learn so much from one another and I was excited to see what new ideas I could bring back to my team.” — Melissa Herms, MSN, RN, NPD-BC; Nurse Manager of the Education Department, Atrium Health Lincoln, Lincolnton, NC
“I have been trying to take the NPD certification and doing online study, and it wasn’t really sinking in. I decided to attend the [certification preparation course] that was offered prior to the convention and do both. I want to level up our education department, as we are still called nurse educators. … I currently function in both a unit specialist-type education position and regional education position. It’s daunting, and so I need more support behind me to market for change.”— Marla Spadfora, MSN, RN, CRNI; Clinical Nurse Educator, Providence Infusion and Pharmacy Services, Spokane Valley, WA
“My personal objectives were to better understand what an NPD practitioner does, the responsibilities of the position, and envision a plan forward to improve personally as an NPD practitioner working with Transition to Practice residents. Additionally, I was really hoping to bring home fresh ideas on a variety of topics to better support our newly licensed RNs.” — Starlett Thorson, MSN, RNC-OB, PHN, RN; Transition to Practice Residency Director, Minneapolis VA, Minneapolis, MN
What were your key takeaways?
With so many sessions and networking opportunities available, there was something for everyone at this year’s convention. First-time attendees shared a few of their key takeaways — and how they plan to apply what they’ve learned.
“I did leave learning something from every speaker, session, vendor, and NPD practitioner I spoke with. One thing I didn’t expect was leaving feeling validated in the work I am already doing. It is so easy to have imposter syndrome as a nurse and educator. This conference helped my confidence as an NPD specialist hearing that many other knowledgeable nurses were doing the same things that I am doing right now. I was already working on NPD education for my team and when I went to ‘Hitting it Out of the Park: NPD Skills Development,’ they had the same idea I did! That was the biggest surprise from this convention.” — LeeAnn Bruno Smith, MSN, RN, CV-BV, NPD-BC; Cardiac Service Line Clinical Nurse Educator, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC
“One of the key takeaways from the conference was Pathway session ‘Human Skills: Strategies to Improve Nurses' Practice and Wellbeing.’ That presentation was absolutely amazing and impacted my practice. I loved the activity that we did with the entire group on differences and just how alike many of us are. The practice and well-being of nurses is something that needs to be implemented in every hospital. I cannot wait to utilize some of the strategies that were talked about at my facility!” — Giselle M. Bailey, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC
“I learned a lot [about return on investment] and left with tools and resources to be able to quantify our education contributions and the impact on our clinical staff to hopefully improve annual education for nurses and ancillary staff.” — Jennifer Hale, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN-K; Manager of Clinical Education, HR, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
“My key takeaway was the new teaching tools I gained during the ‘Top 10 Engaging Teaching Strategies’ Learning Lab that I attended. This session gave me a chance to hear about tools that were new to me, and I enjoyed the group work during that session that allowed me to learn about how my peers are using some of these tools in practice. I am looking forward to bringing some of these resources back to our nursing team.” — Melissa Herms, MSN, RN, NPD-BC
“The one that tops my list is a better way to operationalize evidence-based practice content with the participants in our RNTTP program. I was struggling with how best to do this and learned useful ways to facilitate participant learning and make it value-added for the organization as well as the participants.” — Starlett Thorson, MSN, RNC-OB, PHN
“Nothing is impossible. Think of what your perfect option would be, and then figure out a way to implement it. I am very excited to integrate interprofessional education into my nursing practice orientation.” — Laurel Algase, MS, RN-CPN; Nursing Practice Orientation Coordinator, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
What would you say to potential future attendees?
Come 2024, these novice attendees will be experienced convention-goers, ready to uplift the next round of professionals experiencing the convention for the first time. Their first convention experience left a lasting impression, and here’s why they think everyone should attend.
“It was such a wonderful experience to have so many commonalities with coworkers! With our field being so small, we usually have a hard time finding people who understand us and are immersed as we are. This was an amazing place to meet people and to recharge our passion!” — Giselle M. Bailey, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC
“I was able to network with so many wonderful nurses, hear amazing stories from keynote speakers, gather ideas on how to change my own practice, and, most importantly, had fun! As a new NPD specialist, this convention was a great opportunity to learn more about each of the NPD roles in the NPD Practice Model. No matter if this is your first NPD role or you have been in an NPD role for 20 years, I promise you will get something out of this convention.” — LeeAnn Bruno Smith, MSN, RN, CV-BV, NPD-BC
“It is a wonderful experience to be together with other nurses and to learn more about professional development opportunities for our teams. Being new to this department, I learned so much about what ‘professional development' means to nursing.” — Sarah Buenaventura, MSN, RN, NE-BC; Director of Administration, Northwestern Medicine Academy, Chicago, IL
“I would tell someone considering next year that they should attend because they will return with so many ideas and solutions that will immediately impact their work. They will meet nurses from all over the country that share the same interests and passion in education and they will come home with a renewed energy for their job.” — Jennifer Hale, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN-K
“It is a wonderful opportunity to grow as a professional and to make new friends and colleagues. The convention is a great way to gain new ideas and to learn from the successes and challenges of others in this profession. For me, it was a time to refresh and renew my passion for nursing professional development and to meet new people who shared my passion for this specialty. I learned so much and I truly enjoyed the fun we had along the way!” — Melissa Herms, MSN, RN, NPD-BC
“The ANPD conference is well worth it! There are many great sessions to tailor your experience and make it completely relevant to the work you do each day. There are also many ways to network and learn from others through the various activities throughout the conference, and the collective knowledge and wisdom at the conference is truly inspiring.” — Starlett Thorson, MSN, RNC-OB, PHN
This year’s convention provided attendees of all backgrounds with a wealth of learning and experiences to bring back home to their teams. From gaining new tools and resources to networking with like-minded professionals, to feeling validated in their work, first-time attendees felt the experience was well worth their time — and ANPD was so happy to have them attend. We hope anyone considering attending next year’s convention will take the plunge and attend as well for another event filled with learning, growth, and connection.
We hope to see you April 9-12, 2024, for the ANPD Aspire Convention in Chicago!