IACRN’s Annual conference is the premier educational and networking event for clinical research nursing professionals.

You can’t afford to miss it! 

Here are some suggestions CRNs have used to prepare information for their supervisor or department to gain professional and financial support.

Why Attend?

IACRN is the voice of Clinical Research Nurses.

 “Attending the annual conference is an excellent way to be part of change, advance a CRN’s professional development, learn from clinical research experts, and have a voice in the dynamic, professional practice of clinical research nursing,” Tamara Kempken Mehring, RN, MSN, CCRC, 2018-2019 Chair, Education Committee. 

 

According to the American Nurses Association (2019): "It’s easy to network with people in your industry on sites like LinkedIn, but face-to-face interaction is still key in this digital age for both students and professionals. An excellent way to get that is to attend professional organization conferences.” 

Six reasons you and your organization will benefit from your attendance:

Solutions: Connect with experts and peers to discover solutions for relevant research-related issues and develop a culture of learning for your team.

Quality: Attend plenary presentations, break-out sessions, and round table discussions that will help you explore successful quality strategies that can be applied globally.

Innovation: Find inspiration in presentations on practical innovations that will impart new ideas to take back to your organization.

Opportunity: Experience new opportunities at the conference that will contribute value to your organization and research team.

Value: Learn from interactive sessions, engaging content, and gain a great overall experience and continuing education credits.

Getting approval to attend the conference is a two-part endeavor. In addition to showing the benefits of the conference itself, you will also want to demonstrate to your employer that you (and your colleagues) are the best person for your organization to invest valuable resources for not only your professional development but also to bring value to the organization.

Here's a checklist of items you can prepare for your supervisor that will help organize your request to attend:

 PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL

• Make sure your employer is familiar with the vision and mission of IACRN.
• Use the conference agenda outline to identify sessions you plan to attend. Explain how they will benefit your practice by using specific examples on how sessions meet organizational objectives and provide learning opportunities.
• Outline your plan for sharing information gained at the conference (e.g., spend 10 minutes at the next staff meeting speaking about new trends presented at the conference, strategies to solve your organizations challenges, insight you gained from experts, new approach to managing common challenges; or write an article for your newsletter on these topics).
• Highlight that Continuing Professional Development Credits/CEUs will be granted for attending the conference sessions and tie this to your organization’s goals (e.g., Magnet).
• If necessary, have a plan for who will cover for you at work while you are attending the conference.
• Identify cost and strategies for cost savings (e.g. Early Bird registration, share the hotel expense with a colleague).
• Justify the cost of the conference by comparing it to other educational courses and offerings. Almost any alternative will prove to be more time consuming and expensive.

 BE PREPARED

• Research the conference speakers, and have specific questions lined up relevant to their speech topics and your work. 
• Find out what other organizations are attending the event to demonstrate to your manager the potential networking opportunities that will be invaluable to gain fresh ideas or solutions to current issues. 

• Tweet about the keynote/endnote speakers, session speakers, agenda topics, and venue.
• Prepare a presentation of the major take-aways to present to other staff members and/or your supervisor.
• Maintain an action list of ideas you want to implement or develop further when you return to work. 
• Discuss with your employer the measurable changes/improvements gained from attending the conference to help them identify their return on investment.  

 CREATE A BUDGET 

If possible, find ways to reduce the cost - use frequent flyer miles or hotel points, or share a hotel room with a colleague. Consider using vacation time for some of the days out of the office.

This isn’t just a three-day event. Its benefits will carry over through the rest of the year and beyond. We hope you can make it!

References:

American Association of Critical Care Nurses [AACN]. (2015). Why Attend NTI?

Retrieved August 2019 from https://www.aacn.org/conferences-and-events/nti/https://www.aacn.org/conferences-and-events/nti/

American Nurses Association (2019) Why Attend the ANA Quality and Innovation Conference?

Retrieved from https://eventsinamerica.com/events/tradeshows/medical-pharma/nursing/ana-quality-and-innovation-conference-2019-american-nurses-association/florida/kissimmee--/gaylord-palms-resort-convention-center-orlando/yob2wbyu4jc0lidj

Schneider, A. The value of nursing conferences. AMN Health Education Services Nursing Professional Development

Retrieved August 2019 from https://www.rn.com/nursing-news/nursing-professional-development-the-value-of-nursing-conferences/

Shellenbarger, T. 12 tips for a successful nursing conference experience.

Retrieved August 2019 from https://www.americannursetoday.com/12-tips-for-a-successful-nursing-conference-experience/