January 2021 APNA President’s Message

Practical & Necessary Changes

APNA President Matthew Tierney, MS, CNS, ANP, PMHNP, FAAN

The power of human connection cannot be overstated. In a year of necessary change, some things have remained the same: our patients, students, colleagues, and communities still need us, and our most important tool remains ourselves.

As nurses we are practical. We find solutions to problems, and we find ways to effect change more broadly based on those solutions. What problems have you solved or investigated over the past year? How have you fostered human connection despite restrictions? What practical and necessary changes have you put into place?

You may not fully recognize it, but you have been innovating in remarkable ways. I invite you to take a breath and reflect on your innovations. And then I Invite you to share them. As we revolutionize access to person-centered care, let’s communicate with each other and share our successes and lessons learned. Let’s make connections.

This year’s APNA Annual Conference will be a first look at the amazing ways that psychiatric-mental health nurses have creatively adapted and changed our practice. It will celebrate how we have taken control and how we have become better because of it. I invite you to be a part of this national celebration by submitting an abstract for presentation.

By submitting an abstract, you will add your voice to this first look at how, in spite of all we are going through, psychiatric-mental health nurses continue to triumph through innovation and the power of human connection. The deadline is March 1, so don’t delay!