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An Immersive Experience Like No Other

 

When 1800+ psychiatric-mental health nurses come together to connect, discover, and have fun, it’s nothing short of magical.

 

Join together with your colleagues at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort or via virtual livestream to:

  • Identify strategies to integrate Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Access, and de-Stigmatization (IDEAS) in mental health and substance use disorder settings.
  • Advance psychiatric-mental health nursing by applying Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, Access, and de-Stigmatization across administration, education, practice, and research.

Open Your Mind, Get Refreshed, Advance Care

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“I realized the importance of being part of the APNA opens my mind into a whole new world of resources and likeminded individuals who seek new information to provide excellent, evidence based care for our patients.”

– 2022 Attendee

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“I never fully believed that attendees feel “invigorated” after attending a conference but this conference changed that opinion. It was a refresher that I needed professionally.”

– 2022 Attendee

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“I continue to leave each APNA Conference believing when the needle moves in the positive direction for improving Mental Health Services to our citizens, it will be APNA members who make the needle move.”

 – 2022 Attendee

APNA Annual Conference Program

An epic program covering diverse PMH nursing topics like:

Complementary & Alternative Therapy
Culture
Forensic
Graduate Education
Group Therapy
Inpatient
Nursing Professional Development
Older Adults
Practice (RN & APRN)
Psychopharmacology
Psychotherapy
Research
Resilience		 Safety
Self-Care
Simulation
Special Populations
Staff Education
Substance Use
Suicide Prevention
Telehealth
Therapeutic Relationships
Trauma-informed Care
Undergraduate Education
Violence Prevention
Women’s Health
Explore the Program
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Earn up to 115+ ANCC NCPD Contact Hours

  • 27.75* during the conference
  • 90+ with session recordings available 2-3 months after the conference

*Includes pre-conference sessions (additional fee) and industry-sponsored symposia.

More About Contact Hours

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 Conference Kickoff & Awards Ceremony on Wednesday evening.

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Let’s Party!

On Thursday, kick back and make new connections with your PMH nursing pals during the Enchanted Evening Reception! Enjoy an evening of magic-themed fun, live music, light refreshments, and more with your colleagues.

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Poster Presentations

Explore evidence-based discoveries & earn up to 4 contact hours for viewing & evaluating the posters Thursday – Friday. Chat with the presenters at 10:30am ET on Friday.

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State Meetups

On Friday evening, join your state huddle to connect with psychiatric-mental health nurses from your area. Meet local leaders and discuss your region’s PMH nursing advancements, needs, and opportunities.

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Coffee & Chat with APNA Councils

Saturday morning, fuel up with coffee while connecting with like-minded colleagues with expertise in addictions, administration, children & adolescents, education, mental health advocacy, practice, safe environments, recovery, and research & scholarship.

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Exhibit Hall

Get information from and engage with industry stakeholders in psychiatric-mental health nursing on Thursday and Friday.

Speakers that Inspire

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

Zim Okoli

APNA President’s Address

Why I.D.E.A.S. Matter to Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing
Thursday, October 5, 9:00am Eastern
Chizimuzo Okoli, PhD, MPH, APRN, PMHNP-BC, NCTTP, FAAN

Dr. Okoli currently serves as a professor for the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and directs the Behavioral Health and Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BHWELL) program. Through a joint appointment, Dr. Okoli also serves as the director of Behavioral Health Research and Evidence-Based Practice and Tobacco Treatment Services at Eastern State Hospital, a state psychiatric facility in Lexington, KY.

He earned his BSN (1999), MSN (2002), MPH (2005), and PhD (2005) from the University of Kentucky. He completed two postdoctoral fellowships (2006-2010) through the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and the Intersections of Mental Health Perspectives in Addiction Research Training (IMPART), respectively, through the University of British Columbia. He completed his board certification as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (2020) and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (2021).

His current research and clinical practice foci are on improving mental health literacy, enhancing access to and training providers on evidence-based treatments, and improving developing policies that support well-being within communities facing mental health challenges. In this work, he is engaged in community-based participatory action research with community mental health centers and behavioral health organizations throughout Kentucky.

Deshauna BarberKeynote Presentation

The Care You Give
Friday, October 6, 10:00am Eastern
DeShauna Barber, PhD, MS

Dr. Barber is a former Miss USA, women’s rights advocate, award-winning international speaker, coach, and entrepreneur. She uses her experience as an U.S. Army veteran, nonprofit CEO, former Miss USA, and STEM graduate to inspire her audience. She currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Service Women’s Action Network, the nation’s leading 501c3 nonprofit organization advocating on behalf of U.S. servicewomen and women veterans.

Dr. Barber has a Diversity and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University. She also has a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Norwich University, a Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Maryland University College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Virginia State University.

As Miss USA, she spent her year-long reign advocating for service members by encouraging the U.S. government to provide additional support for those with have post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Barber uses her platform to encourage us to pay close attention to the mental health of our service members after deployments and their service to our country.

Same Contact Hours, Two Different Experiences

Group of happy people at conference receptionIn-Person Experience

Available for: Full Conference & One Day Registrations
Add-On: Wednesday Pre-Conference Sessions
Contact Hours: Up to 27.75 live, 90+ on demand (includes pre-conference add-on)

  • Take your pick of sessions presented in each time block at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort: In-Person Program
  • 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 and Symposia.
  • Two-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 any time until September 30, 2024.

A note about safety

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

Virtual Livestream Experience

Available for: Full Conference & One Day Registration
Add-On: Wednesday Pre-Conference Sessions
Contact Hours: Up to 27.75 live, 90+ on demand (includes pre-conference add-on)

  • Select one of two livestream session options for each time block: Virtual Livestream Program
  • Use the live chat feature to ask questions and connect with fellow virtual attendees.
  • Browse and evaluate poster presentations in the online poster gallery.
  • Two-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 until September 30, 2024.

Note: Virtual livestream package does not include access to industry-sponsored product theaters. Symposia and poster presentations will not be available on demand after the live conference.

 

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….
A few days before the conference, and 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.

  • Your agenda of the sessions you signed up to attend will be on the conference site (coming soon!). You do not have to attend those sessions – you are welcome to attend the other virtual livestream option or sit that 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/evaluations by November 14.

If you have trouble viewing the livestream, try these tips or give us a call at 855-863-2762 so that we can walk you through them.

  • 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.

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 Registration, inside the foyer of Coronado H in the convention center, and pick up your name badge and program book.
  • Registration Open
    • Wednesday 7am – 7:30pm
    • Thursday 8am – 6:30pm
    • Friday 8am – 6pm
    • Saturday 8:30am – 3pm
  • Your agenda of the sessions you signed up to attend will be on the conference site here. You do not have to attend those sessions – you are welcome to attend a different one (space permitting) or sit one out and view the recording 2-3 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 www.apna.org/evaluations by November 14.
  • Complimentary wifi will be available throughout the convention center.

Can’t Miss Events

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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