As I sit reflecting on what I would like to share with you, I cannot help but still feel the rejuvenation and renewal I receive after returning from a National Conference. For me, I cannot say I will return to Las Vegas anytime soon, but I will certainly reconsider if I can experience the amazing educational content and networking this conference has to offer.
This segways into reminding you that you can experience this networking and some great educational content at our Fall Conference at Mohegan Sun this October 21st and 22nd. It’s never too early to register to take advantage of our early bird special and ensure that you receive a room at the venue. We have some fantastic speakers, with a robust agenda. Please check the "Conference" tab for more information.
We will continue to have our “silent auction” at our Fall Conference in support of sending a child and a nurse to Youth Rally Camp. Homemade items are always enjoyed by attendees and vendors. Stay tuned and you will hear more about this from our youth rally co-chairs, Jen and Leah.
We are launching new merchandise at our fall conference. When you register, you will have the opportunity to pre-order for pick up at the conference. After the conference, this merchandise can still be purchased/ordered, but will include a shipping fee so you may want to consider pre-ordering at the time of registration.
Some great things are happening behind the scenes by your board. The membership committee is busy recruiting scholarship recipients. If you know of anyone pursuing education in WOC nursing, they are eligible for some financial assistance in the way of scholarships. Feel free to reach out our membership chair Karen Baggetta at NewEnglandWOCNMembership@gmail.com. Karen is also looking for nominations for “Nurse of the Year” award which is an award given to a WOCN who has inspired, mentored and guided you to become the amazing WOC nurse that you are.
Lots happening at a National level with reorganizing its structure to address some of the challenges we face as a community such as volunteer engagement, networking and communication, website assistance, leadership orientation amongst others. The goal is to create an even stronger network of like-minded professionals working towards the same mission and creating opportunities for volunteering, networking and leadership development. For more information I encourage you to visit the National website www.wocn.org to hear more about how: 1. Our Region will be called Chapter. 2. Our affiliates will be called communities. 3. How are newly designed website will become more interactive.
I am sure by now you have heard about the loss of one of our most esteemed colleagues, Dr. Barbara Braden, who was internationally known as the creator of the tool we use to predict a patient’s likelihood of developing pressure injuries. Her work has benefited many both patients and clinicians and she left a lasting legacy of care.
If you have not explored this website, I encourage you to do so. We continue to have every other month educational opportunities that you can now access under our “members” tab by logging in and finding the presentation that interests you. Our next session will be August 23rd at 7pm via zoom. Zen Faulkes, PhD will do a presentation entitled "Common Poster Mistakes and How to Fix Them." Stay tuned for an invitation.
I hope you all enjoy the summer and take some time for yourselves. Perhaps it’s not a National Conference that provides renewal and rejuvenation for you but maybe just a day for yourself to enjoy the things you like, be it a nice walk on a sunny day, a day at the beach, or maybe a barbeque with family. Whatever brings you joy and renewal, I hope you can experience this summer.
Donna Loehner RN BSN CWON
President New England Region WOCN