RALEIGH — As the nursing profession faces increasing challenges, more than 500 nurses from across North Carolina gathered last week in Concord to recognize important achievements, network, and develop strategies to lead Nursing Forward at the North Carolina Nurses Association’s 117th Annual Convention.
The theme of this year’s convention was “The Value of Nursing,” with multiple sessions focused on ways that nurses, health systems, and policymakers can better define, utilize, and respect the nursing profession.
“We can all do better — everyone involved in healthcare — at valuing nurses. The profession is in a precarious place right now, even though most of the general public might think things are ‘normal’ post-pandemic,” said NCNA President Trish Richardson, MSN, BSBA, RN, NE-BC, CMSRN. “The great thing is that we have specific, achievable ways of improving the outlook, and I could not be more proud to celebrate the myriad ways our members have answered the call.”
The Convention agenda kicked off with an opening keynote from John M. Welton, PHD, RN, entitled “Pricing the Nursing Product: Finding the Economic Value of Nurses,” that got to the heart of the issue for many attendees. The annual Statewide Membership Forum, which gives attendees the unique opportunity to help shape NCNA’s future strategies, was dedicated to The Value of Nursing – Defining Professional Value to Move Nursing Forward.
Other highlights included an awards ceremony, the graduation of the 12th cohort of NCNA’s Leadership Academy, recognition of the first Diversity in Nursing Leadership Fellows, and a legislative round-table featuring three NCNA members serving in the North Carolina General Assembly.
NCNA member Kristin Surgeon, of Ellerbe, is one of the inaugural Diversity in Nursing Leadership Fellows.
