Wow, just wow! We’ve just wrapped our 29th AMSN Annual Convention and boy was it different.

For the first time ever, our convention was completely virtual. We made that decision earlier this year when we saw that the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t going away and we knew that our nurses would be busy at work and unable to travel, not to mention that we knew planning a large group event wasn’t in anyone’s best interest.

I was cautiously optimistic that we could have a good convention despite not being together in one space, but I was blown away by the engagement and the participation from the attendees.

The platform was excellent, it allowed for engagement in a number of ways, and the attendees sure took advantage of that. The chat room in each session was full of excellent discussion and true connection between the attendees.

In fact, we had attendees marvel at the fact that they met so many new friends, in a way the in-person convention hadn’t afforded them previously. Thank you all so much for your engagement and participation. It really was one of the best conventions ever, in my opinion!

...we now know that we’ll offer virtual convention attendance with all our conventions going forward, so you’ll have the option to attend in-person...

So much so that we now know that we’ll offer virtual convention attendance with all our conventions going forward, so you’ll have the option to attend in-person, assuming we can finally gather together again, or virtually, depending on what works for you.

Right on the heels of convention this year is Med-Surg Nurses Week (MSNW20), which is held November 1-7 each year. AMSN has a week of activities planned for you under the theme “Med-surg is what you practice, not where!”

Each day will have a different topic and will offer resources and education for you to take part in. We will host townhalls where we can come together to discuss important topics, webinars and educational resources.

On Thursday, November 5th, we’ll host 12 straight hours of “Ask the Expert” where you can log in and speak with subject matter experts on a variety of topics relevant to your practice and get the guidance and support you need. We can’t wait!

We’ve also developed some new store products for MSNW20, so be sure to check out the store and see what we’ve got for you! We’ve also developed a downloadable, printable poster for you to print and share at your workplace, in addition we have social media images you can share on your social media accounts to show your med-surg nursing pride.

Don’t forget that AMSN is here for you. We tirelessly advocate on your behalf, develop and provide educational resources you need to succeed, and help you navigate the sometimes-challenging practice environment.

We focus all our time and energy on helping you, our medical-surgical nurses, with your personal and professional needs. As always, let us know if there’s something you think we can do differently or better, we are always open to your feedback.

Happy Med-Surg Nurses Week 2020 and be sure to celebrate you and your important role in the health and well-being of your patients. You deserve it, this year more than ever!