Last month I had the honor of being the closing Keynote Speaker for the 2021 NEANN Annual Conference. I did not present alone. Alongside me was a NICU nurse named Meagan Sheakowski, who is also the mom to a NICU baby born with a rare heart condition. Together we shared our experiences with the audience and I think we made a great team!
NEANN stands for the New England Association of Neonatal Nurses. They are the New England Chapter of NANN, which stands for the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. I had the honor at speaking at the annual NANN Conference in Palm Springs, CA a few years ago and it was an amazing experience. See photo below:
This conference was virtual of course, as most are due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual format did not take away from the ambiance of the conference in any way and it was very well planned and executed by the NEANN staff.
The Conference had a few objectives:
- Acknowledge the nursing pandemic experience and celebrate the successes and growth that have emerged through a time of crisis.
- Enrich baseline neonatal knowledge with innovative and thought-provoking care strategies.
- Connect professionals from unique geographic regions and patient populations to share ideas.
- Engage neonatal nurses in the enrichment activities that accompany professional membership.
- Provide a fun event experience which allows nurses to relax, laugh, and engage in self-care.
I believe that our presentation was a perfect fit. It was titled “A Walk in Our Shoes: The Impact of NICU Trauma from a Parent Perspective and How You Can Help” and we were the very last presentation on the very last day. It was a little weird watching my pre-recorded presentation play as I waited for the Q&A session. I think my hair was a little different. I wonder if anyone noticed?
You can view the conference agenda by clicking HERE.
You can learn more about NEANN by clicking HERE.
I want to thank Deanna Hill, President of NEANN, for the opportunity to have spoken at this conference. It was the highlight of my year so far. I hope that the reviews were as great as the comments we received during the presentation.
Thank you for following me and my speaking and writing!
See ya soon.