Authors

  1. Pastorius, Dan

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Exhibitors galore

The following healthcare companies will have representatives in the exhibit hall:

 

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

 

American Nurses Association

 

American Organization of Nurse Executives

 

AMN Healthcare

 

Armstrong Medical Industrial, Inc.

 

Artromick Int'l, Inc.

 

Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC

 

Atlas Business Solutions, Inc.

 

AtStaff, Inc.

 

Avant Healthcare Professionals, LLC

 

Bernard Hodes Group

 

BidShift, Inc.

 

C2 Professional Services Group

 

Calmoseptine, Inc.

 

Care Systems, Inc.

 

Cross Country Staffing

 

Dale Medical Products, Inc.

 

Durfold Corporation

 

Elsevier-Mosby/Saunders

 

Excelsior College

 

Fastaff US Nursing

 

FocusOne Solutions

 

HCPro, Inc.

 

Hoana Medical

 

IVS/InteleCare, Inc.

 

Jannetti Publications, Inc.

 

Jeron Electronic Systems, Inc.

 

Job2 Career

 

Lionville Systems, Inc.

 

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, division of Wolters Kluwer Health

 

Muffin Enterprises, Inc.

 

Nonin Medical, Inc.

 

Nurses Service Organization

 

O'Grady Peyton International

 

On Assignment Nurse Travel

 

OptiVox Patient Reports

 

Per-Se Technologies

 

Posey Company

 

Raspberry Med, Inc.

 

Rauland-Borg Corporation

 

Res-Q Healthcare Systems

 

SimplexGrinnell

 

SpectraLink

 

Suburban Surgical Company, Inc.

 

Symbio Solutions, Inc.

 

TekTone Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc.

 

VasTech

 

Vivid Learning Systems

 

Wescom Products for Healthcare, Inc.West-Com Nurse Call Systems, Inc.

 

 

Joining a long list of historical and cultural landmarks such as the Liberty Bell, "Rocky," and perhaps most notably, Geno's Steaks, Congress2006 offers you hands-on workshops, breakout sessions, exhibits, and more in Philadelphia this October. Endorsed by such prominent nursing organizationsas the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, and The American Association of Nurse Attorneys, this year's conference promises to be the most cohesive, educational, and enjoyable event yet.

 

Designed to provide nurse leaders, nursing faculty, and everyone in between with take-home information and ideas, Congress2006 offers more than 30 continuing-education contact hours. Upon completion of the 4-day meeting, you'll return to work with fresh ideas, current data, and an abundance of cutting-edge practices that will rejuvenate you and your facility's daily practices. With so many different sessions to choose from, Nursing Management highlights this closer look at some pertinent upcoming sessions.

 

Learn from the experts

Not only will Congress2006 explore educational and innovative ideas, but it will also demystify certain myths regarding men in nursing. During his session titled "Men in Nursing: Past, Present, and Future," Bob Kepshire, RN, CEN, MS, editor-in-chief, Men in Nursing; director, emergency and community services, University Health Care System, Augusta, Ga., will address why men constitute such a minority of the nursing profession, and what we can do to encourage more males to pursue nursing.

 

"My focus is to present some of the history of men in nursing and to discuss some of the barriers that have kept men from pursuing nursing as a career option," he says. "My intent is to hopefully stimulate thought as to why men are considered an untapped resource and what approaches we may need to take, sooner rather than later, to encourage men to embrace the profession as a viable career choice."

  
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To help build and define a culture of safety in the workplace, Hedy Cohen, RN, BSN, MS, vice president, Institute for Safe Medication Practices, will provide an overview of the basic concepts of an organizational nonpunitive/just culture and the fundamental role it plays in patient safety. Additionally, Cohen will discuss the shared accountability model, which looks specifically at the interaction between individual practitioners and an organization that has responsibilities in providing safe care.

 

"Healthcare is struggling to come to terms with the cultural issues of accountability in the nonpunitive, system-based approach to medical error reduction, which is advocated by patient safety experts," says Cohen. "Striving to achieve this culture of safety requires that practitioners, managers, healthcare organizations, regulatory authorities, accreditation agencies, and other healthcare stakeholders share accountability for the causes of errors and take responsibility in their prevention."

 

Implementing different strategies and elements that can enhance an organization's culture is key to improving environments for both nurses and patients. To facilitate this practice, Richard T. Hader, RN, CHE, CNA, CPHQ, MSN, PhD, conference chairperson; editor-in-chief, Nursing Management; senior vice president, chief nurse executive, Meridian Health, is hosting a magnet update where he will share success stories and examples of various "forces of magnetism" to help you implement these strategies in your institution.

 

Leadership qualities

In keeping with the tradition of past conferences, Congress2006 offers nurse leaders concrete information on how to perform your responsibilities in new, exciting ways. "Get Fired Up," the keynote address by Carol Grace Anderson, MA, president, Anderson Programs, Inc., will provide valuable tips you can use to keep your teams "fired up" and focused on producing results.

 

"During my address, I'll show you how to face challenges and continue to encourage others to reach, risk, and refuel," she says. "I'll also reveal how to become a more powerful leader, help appreciate the benefits of change, maintain a 'fired-up' attitude all year long, and how to put heart and soul in leadership."

 

Beginning a new management position can be a challengingprogression. With this in mind, Jonathan McCarthy, RN, CNAA, BC, MSN, MBA, director of patient flow, Maine Medical Center, will provide attendees with 10 concepts used to create a positive culture and accomplish profound change in new management situations.

 

"One of the most difficult challenges facing new managers who want to create change is knowing where to start," notes McCarthy. "The 10 concepts are methods that I've successfully used when approaching new positions. It provides a framework to realize successes in your first year on the job."

 

While contemporary management concepts are indispensable for new managers, novel strategies that help to retain nurses are especially valuable. "The Leader as Retention Specialist: Champion Nurse Satisfaction for Your Unit's Success," presented by Kay Clevenger, RN, MSN, retention specialist for nursing, Clarian Health Partners, Indiana University Hospital, will explore healthy relationships of staff nurses with managers, colleagues, and physicians.

 

"The focus of this session will be on the significant impact a nurse leader has on retention and the work environment," she says. "Successful strategies for retention will be discussed, including how to create a healthy work environment, recognition ideas, team-building retreats, and celebration activities."

 

Our conference planning panel has made sure that Congress2006 is brimming with leadership tools to positively enhance your practice. Watch for more highlights and session reviews in our September issue.

 

Register for Phillyfest today

To complement the various workshops, breakout sessions, and exhibit components presented at Congress2006, an optional session, Phillyfest, offers you a chance to unwind and network with colleagues while sampling some of the favorite cuisine Philadelphia has to offer-namely soft pretzels and cheesesteaks. A DJ will spin some of your favorite tunes, so bring comfortable dancing shoes and take advantage of this special event.

 

You can register by one of three ways: online, via fax at 1-856-218-0557, or by phone at 1-800-346-7844, ext. 6591. All preregistration for Congress2006 must be postmarked no later than September 29, 2006. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.nmcongress.com.

 

Section Description

Register at 1-800-346-7844, ext. 6591.