Outcomes in Action

Belonging and Connection: Day 1 at the 2025 AMSN Convention

Howdy, y’all, and welcome to the 2025 AMSN Convention! On Thursday, Sept. 11, more than 1,000 medical-surgical nurses arrived in Austin, Texas, to kick off the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses’ annual gathering. From convention orientation to the CMSRN luncheon to the opening keynote and Rodeo Reception, attendees have been bringing the energy and showing Austin that they can have a boot scootin’ good time.

Today, the Digital Content Committee and Podcast Subcommittee focused on the themes of belonging and connection. Read on for a glimpse at today’s highlights, and find out where belonging and connection shined through for the on-the-ground reporters today.

It’s All About Perspective

#AMSN2025 opened with a warm Texas welcome from AMSN President Dr. Kristi Reguin-Hartman. Dr. Reguin-Hartman spoke about the value of AMSN membership and engagement, recognized the volunteers who lead AMSN activities, and honored awardees. Congratulations to this year’s AMSN Award Recipients, including:

  • Kathleen Singleton Organizational Award: Memorial Hermann Health System
  • 2024-2025 PRISM Awards
  • 2025 Class of AMSN Fellows
    • Caroline Ashman, MSN, RN, CMSRN, NPD-BC, FAMSN
    • Susan Bohnenkamp, MS, RN, ACNS-BC, CCM, FAMSN
    • Dr. Aimee Burch, DNP, APRN-CNS, CMSRN, SCRN, FAMSN
    • Dr. Katie Chargualaf, PhD, RN, CMSRN, CNE, FAAN, FAMSN
    • Dr. Bonnie Clement, DNP, EdD, RN, CMSRN, CNML, FAMSN
    • Dr. Nelson Tuazon, DNP, DBA, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, CPPS, CNE, FNAP, FACHE, FAMSN, FAAN
    • Dr. Michael Urton, DNP, APRN, AGCNS-BC, NEC-BC, FAMSN
    • Denise Verosky, MSN, CMSRN, FAMSN
    • Dr. Cindy Ward, DNP, APRN-CNS, RN-BC, CMSRN, ACNS-BC, FAMSN
    • Dr. Trish West, DNP, MSN, CMSRN, PCCN, CEN, NEA-BC, FAMSN
    • Wendy Woodall, MSN, MSS, RN, CMSRN, FAMSN
  • AMSN Honorary Fellow Legacy Award: Cecelia “Cece” Gatson Grindel, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAMSN

Once the crowd applauded all awardees, Dr. Reguin-Hartman invited Dr. Serena Bumpus, CEO of the Texas Nurses Association, to the stage to welcome AMSN to the Lonestar State and introduce keynote speaker Kelsey Tainsh, CSP. Kelsey shared her story of perspective and gratitude, particularly from the patient experience angle. She reminded the audience of nurses of one of the most important aspects of their daily work: “You are not just helping patients get better. You are restoring their lives and families … You are changing and saving lives every day.”

Where We Saw Belonging and Connection

Belonging and connection are pillars of AMSN. Today, the Digital Content Committee and Podcast Subcommittee reflected on what spoke to them most and why community matters as they experienced the convention. Here’s what they had to say:

  • At the pre-conference session “Showcasing Your Scholarship: Writing for Publication Workshop,” a room full of overachieving medical-surgical nurses was raring to get things going. Dr. Janie Robinson, editor-in-chief of our journal Advancing Medical-Surgical Nursing, and Dr. Linda Yoder, past president of AMSN, took us on a motivating tour of what it takes to publish your work. —Dr. Mark Lee, DNP, MS, BSN, RN-BC
  • In the words of Dr. Yoder, “We see some pretty interesting stuff as med-surg nurses. Why not publish? There is a dearth of evidence out there on medical-surgical nursing.” Dr. Robinson encouraged all to think about how you will hook your audience. She shared, start with a “mind-blowing statistic” that really speaks to the need for your work and invites others in. —Dr. Mark Lee, DNP, MS, BSN, RN-BC
  • I LOVED the bingo game during orientation! I tried really hard to find someone from Delaware and met nurses from Texas, Minnesota, California, Maryland, and Pennsylvania (and many other states!). I am grateful to meet nurses with similar priorities and make connections with nurses who have experience with the PRISM application and AMSN committee involvement. I look forward to reconnecting after the conference for mentorship! —Hayley Sweetser
  • The keynote gave a nice reminder — “Your worst day is better than some person’s best days.” It’s easy to get stuck in your own bubble and think your problems are the end of the world. I reflected on what has caused me the most stress within the past few weeks — thinking if these items were worth losing sleep over. Moving forward, I’ll keep her experience in mind, especially knowing that failure isn’t the end, it is just part of the process. —Hayley Sweetser
  • The opening ceremony and address by Kelsey Tainsh was also phenomenal. We celebrated our colleagues from across the country. And Kelsey shared her remarkable story and journey as a young patient that left every nurse in the room inspired. Kelsey challenged us to “Think differently, try differently, and adapt.” Truer words could not have been spoken. Kelsey also courageously shared, “We always have a chance. Things can always get better.” We entered our conference Day 1 ready to learn and to make things better. —Dr. Mark Lee, DNP, MS, BSN, RN-BC
  • I could feel the energy, excitement, and enthusiasm. The biggest key takeaway I received today, just from the moment I stepped foot in the hotel until the moment I entered the opening session, and the moment I attended the breakout sessions, even during our CMSRN Certificant Luncheon, is that we are all here for one purpose. And that is for our patient, and to make healthcare better for all. Equality. It doesn’t matter what you look like. It doesn’t matter your title, the hospital you work in, the floor you work on. We’re all here for the same purposes. And that is to be better, do better, and know better. As I sat in on the CAUTI breakout session, what really struck me was, “I just want to know, what is everybody else doing in the room? How can we do better?” And that spoke to me, because that’s the whole purpose of us being here. To learn what other people are doing and take that back and do better at our institutions for the patients we serve. It really resonated with me, because that is why I am here. To hear someone else say that and hear that curiosity for what other people are doing. Because we all want to be better and do better no matter our life experiences, our culture, our beliefs. It’s equity. We’re all here for the same thing. —Deltra Muoki, PhD, APRN, AGNP-C, CMSRN, CNE, NE-BC
  • I have several concepts that I will share to our entity when I get back, such as Closed Observation Unit, Mobility First, and Nursing Scorecards. These are great ideas to bring to the forefront as it relates to my role as clinical nurse outcomes coordinator. The Medtronic rep shared new product called Biopatch, and another rep shared about line sort which is helpful for patients with multiple lines. —Anthodith Garganera, MSN, MHA, RN, CNL, CMSRN

Live From Austin

AMSN Board of Directors and Digital Content Committee member Julie Ann Poblete, RN, BSN, CMSRN, compiled a day one recap video full of all the highlights from Thursday. Watch it on Instagram!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Julie Ann Poblete (@nursejulieann)

What’s Next?

We hope you had a day full of belonging and connection at #AMSN2025! The networking and education are only beginning. Day 2 begins with breakfast and posters viewing in the Exhibit Hall, the President’s Award presentation, and the AMSN and AACN Partnership Panel, followed by concurrent sessions and more.

Want to contribute an inspiring takeaway, comment, or topic you learned about at #AMSN2025? Contact AMSN Content Manager Morgan Manghera at mmanghera@amsn.org, or drop by the AMSN Booth in the Exhibit Hall, for your chance to be featured on the Monitor.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to AMSN Digital Content Committee and Podcast Subcommittee for contributing to convention content coverage as reporters.

Tags: AMSN2025