APNA Chapter Conference Planning
Registration Process
APNA will coordinate the registration process for chapter meetings/conferences. In order to create this process we’ve developed a list of key questions that help us to be our most productive for you: Chapter Event Planner. This includes a link to an online event planning form to make it easy for you to let us know the specifics about your event.
Many of you seek advice on programming for your chapter conferences. To help your chapter impact suicide prevention in your community, APNA is offering you the opportunity to host the APNA Suicide Prevention Training: Inpatient PMH-RNs as a chapter program. This full-day facilitated training is designed to teach essential skills in the assessment and management of persons at risk for suicide. An accredited and nationally recognized training, it may assist nurses in meeting state and local suicide prevention training requirements. Learners who successfully complete the program will earn 7.0 nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) contact hours. If your chapter is interested in offering this program, please contact APNA Chapter Support at chaptersupport@apna.org at least 4 months before the anticipated program date. This program has a separate planning document which can be accessed here: https://apna.wufoo.com/forms/apna-chapter-event-planner-suicide-prevention/.
If you plan on having both a chapter conference and the APNA Suicide Prevention Training: Inpatient PMH-RNs then both event planning documents will need to be completed.
Contact Hours for Chapter Programs
Below is an introductory letter outlining the process of applying to APNA for nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) contact hours for a chapter program. Please contact the APNA National office at 855-863-2762 or email Pat Black or Marie Kodadek, with questions.
Due to staffing commitments with APNA national conferences, APNA is unable to accept activity agreements for dates within the weeks immediately before, during or immediately after the APNA Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute and the APNA Annual Conference. If you are considering an activity during these dates submission is required at least 90 days prior to the activity.
Activity Agreement, payment, and all planning documents must be submitted with the APNA Nurse Planner no later than 60 days prior to the activity date or late fees apply. Applications and Activity documents submitted within 30 days of the activity are not eligible for contact hours.
This is not a one person effort! We’ve found that the most successful chapters create an Education Committee to work collaboratively on the requirements for this process. APNA Chapter Support staff can assist you by creating a Call for Education Committee Members. We recommend giving members two weeks to respond, but the timeline can be adjusted to fit your goals. Please contact chaptersupport@apna.org with questions.
Liability Coverage
As internal divisions of APNA, Chapters will be included under the umbrella of APNA’s general office liability insurance provided that the Chapter complies with the terms of the Chapter Affiliation Agreement and APNA has such insurance in effect for itself and for its chapters. Contact chaptersupport@apna.org.
Marketing
Emails
Members and Non-Members in your chapter’s area will receive all emails regarding the event. We set up a schedule for email distribution from the “Save The Date” stage to the “Registration is Closed” stage. If you wish to send to areas outside the chapter you must first obtain approval from that area’s Chapter President before sending information to their members. Contact Chapter Support for information.
Member Bridge
We encourage chapter leaders to post information on Member Bridge in addition to emailing the chapter. Members are automatically made members of the local chapter and are part of the chapter’s Member Bridge community. Consider posting to the All Purpose Discussion Forum on Member Bridge which includes all APNA members.
Web
An announcement will be posted to the chapter’s main page with a link to the conference page. The conference page contains all information including registration and accommodations. Event information is also submitted for the News & Updates section of the APNA website.
Social Media
- The American Psychiatric Nurses Association maintains a very visible presence on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPsychiatricNursesAssociation/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmerPsychNurses. These are important tools to reach members, psychiatric-mental health nurses, and the public. To further support our Chapters, APNA has a process whereby it will make its constantly growing network available to Chapters to help them inform people in their state about Chapter events and updates. Chapters should email chaptersupport@apna.org to request that a post be made on the APNA National Facebook page or tweeted from the APNA National Twitter account for them. Chapters must provide a 1 week window for the requested post. Please note that:
- Post content and timing is subject to review and approval by APNA National.
- Posts may be edited for length, style, and clarity by APNA National.
- Posts will be targeted and viewable to any fans of the APNA Facebook page who are in the Chapter’s state.
- Posts about a particular event or topic are limited to no more than two ” one announcement and one reminder.
- Posts should not reference events sponsored by third parties.
- Chapters may request that APNA National draft text for a post on a particular topic. Note that additional time may be required for drafting purposes.
- Tips for Drafting a Post to Send to APNA National
- Keep the post short and informal
- Have a clear call to action (Register, share this post, etc.)
- Include a link to the correct webpage for more information (if appropriate)
- Tweets (posts on twitter) must be no more than 140 characters.
- If the chapter has its own Facebook page please refer to the Facebook Guidelines.
Handouts
Any handouts shared with chapter conference attendees must have permission to use any copyright material shared in them (images, charts, etc). For more information, click here.
