The event drew trauma nurses, emergency room nurses and nursing students from across the country for training focused on patient care. Speakers also stressed mental health and self-care for nurses who help patients through traumatic, life-changing moments.
Jaclyn Flowers, co-chair of the planning committee, said continuing education matters because trauma care keeps evolving. "Medicine is dynamic. It's always changing. There is always something new," Flowers said. The group bases a lot of its practices on what's happening in the military, she said.
Chapter President Casey McAdams said in-person events matter most for newer nurses. "A lot of things are virtual now, so for a newer nurse, you're missing out on that hands-on and more intimate connection to build and grow in that profession," McAdams said. The crowd ran from students to people who have worked in health care for years, said Nikki Harton, a trauma and emergency room nurse. For nursing student Hallie Reneau, the day reinforced the role nurses play in supporting patients and families.
McAdams boiled the job down to one test: "Just think, if that was me or my loved one, how would I want somebody to take care of them?"