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Attendee Tips for the APNA 40th Annual Conference

Get ready to attend the APNA 40th Annual Conference where you will open your mind, get refreshed, and advance your care. Here are tips to help you prepare, whether you’re attending in person or virtually!

View Tips for In-Person Attendees

View Tips for Virtual Attendees

If you have questions or concerns, please contact us at inform@apna.org or call 855-863-2762.

Tips for In-Person Attendees

Before you arrive…

  • Be sure to pack business casual clothes, a sweater, comfy shoes, and your device for handouts or your pre-printed handouts.
  • Stay up-to-date: Add inform@apna.org to your safe senders list.
  • Keep a copy of your registration confirmation and hotel room booking confirmation handy just in case.

At the conference…

  • Check in at the Registration Desk and pick up your name badge and program book.
  • Registration is Open:
    • Wednesday, October 28: 7:00am – 7:30pm
    • Thursday, October 29: 8:00am – 7:15pm
    • Friday, October 30: 8:00am – 6:15pm
    • Saturday, October 31: 8:00am – 1:00pm
  • The agenda of sessions will be on the conference site. You are welcome to attend any session (space permitting) or view the recording 3 months after the conference.
    • Note: Poster presentations and industry-sponsored product theaters and symposia are only available during the live conference, not on demand.
  • Complete evaluations for sessions you attend live and receive contact hours at apna.org/ACevals by November 20.

Be there for these ‘Can’t Miss Events!’

Tips for Virtual Attendees

Before the Conference….
Ensure that you have the right technology in place:

  • You will need a high-speed internet connection that supports video streaming. Click on this link to run a speed test on your internet connection. If your results are 0.30Mbps or lower you may want to contact your Internet Service Provider (such as Comcast, Spectrum, AT&T) to troubleshoot.
  • Use the latest versions of Google Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge as your browser for the best viewing experience. Do not use Internet Explorer.
  • A device with a video camera is not required.
  • If you need technical support, please post a message in the APNA Help Desk discussion on the home page.

Attending the Conference….
Each day of the conference, you’ll receive an email with a link to access your virtual conference site. You will be prompted to log in with the email you used to register and to create a password.

  • You are welcome to attend any virtual livestream option or sit a time block out and view the recordings 2-3 months after the conference.
    • Remember, sessions are livestreamed, so they are ONLY available for viewing during their scheduled times.
    • Note: Poster presentations and industry-sponsored symposia are only available during the live conference, not on demand.
  • Complete evaluations for sessions you attend live and receive contact hours at www.apna.org/ACevals by November 20.

If you have trouble viewing the livestream, try these tips or give us a call at 855-863-2762.

  • Refresh your browser and clear your cache.
  • Ensure that you are closed out of other programs and do not have multiple tabs open on your browser.
  • Turn off ad-blocking software in your browser.
  • Disable all plugins.
  • Ensure that any VPN you may have is disabled.
  • Try an incognito window in your web browser: On an Apple/Mac Device, press Shift + ⌘ + N. On other devices, press Shift+CTRL+N.
  • Make sure you have good internet access. Are there others using your connection? Click on this link to run a speed test on your internet connection. If your results are 0.30Mbps or lower, you may want to contact your Internet Service Provider (such as Comcast, Spectrum, AT&T) to troubleshoot.
  • If a company device is being used, it may have security protocols that can interfere. If that is the case, use a personal device and see if that makes a difference.

Connect with Amazing Nurses at Can’t-Miss Events

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Celebrate Inspiring Nurses

Meet the APNA Annual Awards recipients, APNA Memorial Scholarship Recipients, & APNA Board of Directors Student Scholars at the APNA Welcome and Honors Ceremony at 6:30pm Mountain on Wednesday.

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Let’s Party!

On Thursday, stop by the Sunset Soiree from 7:30pm-9:30pm Mountain, where you can mix, mingle, and make connections!

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Poster Presentations

Explore evidence-based discoveries & earn up to 4 contact hours for viewing & evaluating the posters Thursday from 10:00am-6:30pm and Friday, 10:00am-3:00pm Mountain. Chat with the presenters at 10:30am on Friday.

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State Meetups

Join your state huddle to connect with psychiatric-mental health nurses from your area 6:30pm-7:30pm Mountain on Thursday. Meet local leaders and discuss your region’s PMH nursing advancements, needs, and opportunities.

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Connect with Councils 

Connect with like-minded colleagues with expertise in addictions, administration, children & adolescents, education, mental health advocacy, practice, safe environments, recovery, and research & scholarship at 5:45pm-6:30pm Mountain on Friday.

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Exhibit Hall

Get information from and engage with industry stakeholders in psychiatric-mental health nursing on Thursday, 1:30pm-5:00pm and Friday, 10:00am-1:00pm Mountain.

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“The most valuable part was the practical, real-world strategies shared for improving clinical care and provider wellness. The sessions offered concrete tools I can immediately bring back to my practice.”

– 2025 Attendee

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“Each conversation sparked new ideas and lasting connections. Bonding with my conference buddies, seeking mentorship from experienced professionals, and sharing stories with peers reminded me of the strength and compassion that define our field.”

– 2025 Attendee

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“Had a blast at the APNA 39th Annual Conference in New Orleans. Great networking opportunities and always fun to continue your education! 10/10 would recommend!”

 – Megan Beach, PMHNP

APNA Annual Conference Program

Choose from hundreds of PMH nurse-approved presentations covering diverse topics like:

Addictions/Substance Use
Administration
Advanced Practice
Artificial Intelligence
Child & Adolescent
Complementary & Alternative Therapies
Culture / Diversity
Depression & Suicidiality
Education
Emergency Departments
Forensic
Graduate Education
Inpatient
Integrated Care
Leadership
Medicine Management
 Nursing Professional Development
Outpatient
Pharmacology
Private Practice
Psychopharmacology
Quality Improvement
Research
Resilience
RN Practice
Safety
Sleep & Mental Health
Special Populations
Trauma
Violence Prevention
Women’s Health
Workplace Violence
Explore the Program
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Earn up to 115+ Contact Hours

Up to 24.75*
Contact hours during the live conference

90+
Additional contact hours with session recordings 2-3 months afterwards for the days you registered.

1 Year
Access to on-demand sessions and materials online.

Contact Hours Info
*Includes pre-conference add-on sessions (additional fee) and any industry-sponsored symposia.

Hear From Speakers that Inspire

Hundreds of your colleagues will share success-stories and evidence-based discoveries at the conference. Meet 2 of your featured speakers:

APNA President’s Address

Building on Strengths: A Resiliency Journey to Improve Wellness & Advance Care
Thursday, October 29, 9:00am Mountain Standard Time
Allyson Matney Neal, DNP, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, CPNP

Dr. Allyson Neal is a board-certified advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nurse (APRN) with expertise in neuroplasticity and its relationship to resilience, with a particular emphasis on wellness skills developed and taught in nontraditional settings. She serves as Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs and Clinical Professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. When not working, she loves spending time with her family and rescue fur baby, Sissy Grace.

Allyson has represented the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) on the Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE) Network since 2018. She also served as APNA’s representative to the National Task Force for Quality Nurse Practitioner Education Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs from 2019 to 2025. In addition, she held leadership roles within APNA as Associate Chair and Chair of the Scholarly Review Committee. In October 2025, she assumed the role of APNA President.

Keynote Presentation

From Burnout to Breakthrough: A New Definition of Resilience for Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses
Friday, October 30, 9:00am Mountain Standard Time
Adam Markel

Adam Markel, JD, is a #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author, resilience researcher, organizational strategist, TEDx speaker, and Co-Founder and Chief Researcher at WORKWELL, a research and advisory firm focused on workplace resilience, culture, and sustainable performance. A former commercial attorney and C-suite leader, he brings more than two decades of experience helping organizations navigate change and strengthen performance in high-stress, high-stakes environments. His research and advisory work are informed by years of organizational engagements and workplace resilience data collected from more than 27,000 participants across leadership, practitioner, operational, and frontline roles. Adam translates resilience science, stress physiology, nervous system regulation, and behavior change into practical, research-informed strategies that help clinicians, leaders, and teams reduce burnout risk, build adaptive capacity, and perform sustainably under pressure effectively. 

Same Contact Hours, Two Different Experiences

Ready to join in Phoenix or virtually?

Register Now!
View Registration Rates

Join in Phoenix

Available for: Regular Conference & One Day Registrations
Optional Add-On: Wednesday Pre-Conference Package
Contact Hours: Up to 24.75+ live, 90+ on demand (includes Wednesday add-on)

  • Take your pick of sessions presented in in each time block at the Phoenix Convention Center
  • Engage with colleagues and speakers during sessions, breaks, and special events.
  • Browse and evaluate poster presentations in the poster hall; meet the poster presenters.
  • Enjoy meal sessions with industry-sponsored Product Theaters.
  • 3 months after the conference, access podcast recordings of the sessions presented on the days you are registered. Earn up to 90+ more contact hours for these sessions.

Note: Poster presentations and industry-sponsored product theaters and symposia only available during conference, not on demand.

Full Conference Program

Virtual Real-Time

Available for: Regular Conference & One Day Registrations
Optional Add-On: Wednesday Pre-Conference Package
Contact Hours: Up to 24.75+ live, 90+ on demand (includes Wednesday add-on)

  • In addition to the President’s Address, Keynote Presentation, and Symposium, choose from two livestream session options available during each time block.
  • Use the live chat feature to ask questions and connect with fellow virtual attendees.
  • Browse and evaluate poster presentations in the online poster gallery Thursday-Saturday.
  • 3 months after the conference, access podcast recordings of the sessions presented on the days for which you registered. Earn up to 90+ more contact hours for these sessions.

Note: Poster presentations and industry-sponsored product theaters and symposia only available during conference, not on demand.

VIRTUAL Real-time PROGRAM

Designed for PMH Nurses Across Roles and Settings

Whether you are early in your PMH nursing career or leading change across systems, the APNA Annual Conference offers education, connection, and inspiration for you.

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PMH-RNs

Strengthen your clinical practice with sessions focused on patient care, safety, trauma, recovery, inpatient and outpatient settings, and real-world nursing challenges.

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PMH-APRNs & PMHNPs

Explore advanced practice topics including psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, private practice, integrated care, and emerging clinical updates.

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Nurse Educators & Faculty

Discover approaches to graduate and undergraduate education, nursing professional development, workforce preparation, and learner support.

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Students and Early-Career Nurses

Build your professional identity, meet mentors, explore specialty areas, and find your place in the PMH nursing community.

Your dynamic community of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses.

Connect with fellow psychiatric-mental health nurses, be the first to know about evidence-based resources and programs, and participate in exclusive opportunities to advance the care and treatment of those with mental health & substance use needs.

JOIN TODAY MEMBER COMMUNITY

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