Happy October everyone! I hope everyone has a safe and festive month, and I do hope that there is not a shortage of chocolate for Halloween as stated before in the national news!

I just wrapped up attending the AMSN 31st Annual Convention that was held in San Antonio. It was an amazing convention, and it was great to see so many nurses in person! The atmosphere was so positive and the energy that I felt recharged my batteries. If you had the chance to attend, please do thank AMSN for their work that went into the convention and please let them now how positive the experience was for you and your colleagues. And do not forget to complete those session evaluations!

While at the convention, I had the pleasure of presenting the CMSRN of Distinction Award. This award recognizes a registered nurse who is a certified medical-surgical registered nurse (CMSRN®) and who exemplifies the mission, vision, and core values of the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB®).

The recipient of the award for 2022 is Bonnie Clement, DNP, MSN-Ed, RN, CMSRN, CNML, PHN. Bonnie is an amazing nurse, and I had the pleasure of working with her a couple of years ago when she volunteered as an Item Writer for the CMSRN exam, and I was the Board Liaison for that committee. She is passionate about certification, and she embodies everything there is about medical-surgical nursing. Congratulations again, Bonnie!

I also had the privilege to recognize nursing units and facilities that have been the recipients of the AMSN PRISM® award for the past year. One of my biggest joys as president is to notify nursing units that they have received the award and/or to present the award itself. You cannot have a bad day when you have the opportunity to recognize the great things medical–surgical nurses are doing around the country! Congratulations again to all AMSN PRISM® nursing units!

Another highpoint of the convention was attending the first annual CMSRN Reception. The reception recognized those who are newly CMSRN certified, as well as those who maintained their credential, meeting their 5, 10, or 15-year milestone! It was an exciting evening, and I was glad to meet many of the attendees. Congratulations to everyone of you and to those who were not able to attend. Your certification is a testament to your dedication to excellence in medical–surgical nursing. Be on the lookout for your invitation next year if you recertify between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.

I am also looking forward to the second weekend in October. During this weekend, I will be meeting with the Continuing Competence Task Force and our consultants from Assessment, Education and Research Experts (AERE). The task force has been piloting and testing several different models for certification and recertification pathways.

We will be discussing and reviewing the results so that MSNCB can make the certification process streamlined, evidence–based, and assure that we are truly meeting the needs of you, the certified nurse. I cannot wait to see the results of this work and we will release details of the results very early in 2023.

We have also received many applications for our open positions on the MSNCB Board. We will be starting the interview process soon so stay tuned for more details!

I do want to say thank you for all that you do for our patients, families, coworkers, and each other. I am so humbled to be your president. You inspire me every day with the excellent care you provide, your amazing positivity, and by being you. Continue the great things you are doing. Embrace the autumn season and all the changes it will bring. Continue to be the best nurse you can possibly be!

Wes