CEO's Corner - April Connections

Continuing education is a passion of mine. No, really. I work for a professional nursing society where we promote professional development and encourage continuing education. We know that in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) health care environment, continuing education and professional development are critical to navigating our workplaces. That’s why the board of directors and the AMSN staff are focused on providing you with the education and tools you need to be successful at work.

To demonstrate our commitment to your continuing education, AMSN is currently developing new educational content in behavioral health, a new and improved certification review course, and making some improvements to our clinical development leadership program. We have a fabulous program for our 2019 Annual Convention, and we are confident you’ll learn lots if you join us in Chicago. We’re also expanding the ways you can consume that education, with face-to face offerings, e-Learning courses, podcasts, blogs and peer-reviewed articles in our journal, the MedSurg Nursing Journal, because we know that you’re busy and sometimes finding time for continuing education and professional development is difficult. Stay tuned because there are more exciting things to come. We want AMSN to be your trusted source for information and education on topics that matter to you.

I am also passionate about my own continuing education. I graduated in 1986 with a diploma in nursing from a community college in Toronto, Canada. I then went on to complete a critical care certificate. Once I had completed my certificate and was working in an ICU, I went back to school to earn my BScN. I graduated with my BScN in 2000 and went back to school in 2002 for an MBA. I did my MBA online, well before most universities were offering online programs, because the flexibility and autonomy were important for me. Lastly, I’m graduating next month from the George Washington University with my EdD. Is that it for me? Likely not. Clearly, I love learning. I’m sure something else will fascinate me and I’ll head back to school again.

Next month I’ll be a guest on the AMSN Podcast: MedSurg Moments, where I will talk about my dissertation research on second victim syndrome. My study explored the combined impact psychological capital (often described as who you are or your overall developmental state) and social capital (or the network of relationships you have) on the severity of second victim syndrome experienced in registered nurses. Did you know that second victim syndrome doesn’t just result following an error? It can happen for a number of reasons, and we’ll explore some of those during the podcast. Given the focus on clinician well-being that surrounds the healthcare environment, this topic is critical. I hope you’ll tune in