Surrounded by Nurses, Surrounded by Inspiration
When I became AMSN President, I said that I loved being surrounded by nurses — and this past week in Austin, Texas, I was immersed among more than a thousand medical-surgical nurses from across the globe. It was not only inspirational but truly energizing.
Last message, I talked about “collective effervescence” — and it was palpable in Austin. Attendees said that they felt so connected, so elevated by the energy and camaraderie that comes from being at the 2025 AMSN Convention. I met nurses who were at their 20th convention and those who were at their first. Medical-surgical nurses of all years and types of experience filled every corner of the convention. For example, I met a nurse who recently retired and came to #AMSN2025 to present a poster and share her knowledge as she closes out her career and a new medical-surgical nurse manager learning more about our specialty after his many years in critical care. This is how we support each other and sustain our passion for the work we perform.
Celebrating Excellence and Legacy
As part of the convention, I had the privilege of recognizing our outstanding award recipients. Presenting the AMSN Founders Award to Dr. Bernadette Melnyk was a defining moment. Dr. Melnyk’s keynote set the stage on fire as she continues to elevate our profession through her unwavering commitment to evidence-based practice, nurse well-being, and leading change.
AMSN Past President Dr. Jill Arzouman, AMSN Founders Award Recipient Dr. Bernadette Melnyk, and AMSN Current President Kristi Reguin-Hartman
One of several key takeaways included was that nurses must do better at caring for themselves through evidence-based activities. Dr. Melnyk shared with us her 1-5-5 eye-opener challenge to follow every day, which is one minute of Vitamin G (Gratitude), five minutes of reading a positive book or listening to a positive podcast, and five minutes of movement. I have two successful days as of this writing. We also had a little line dance to “Uptown Funk” for post-lunch movement in our day!
Equally meaningful was the opportunity to celebrate Dr. Cecelia Gatson Grindel, AMSN’s very first president, and only two-term president, who received the Honorary Fellows award — a fitting recognition for a trailblazer who helped shape our academy’s foundation. It was a joy to have her and her family there for this recognition.
Enriching Education and Hands-On Learning
The convention’s presentations spanned clinical to leadership topics, providing something for every nurse’s journey. A particular highlight was the hands-on IV pre-convention workshop, clearly a major hit among attendees eager to refine practical skills. Talking about partnerships and relationships in nursing practice was a convention key theme. Sara Grieshop, MHI, BSN, RN, facilitated a panel of medical-surgical and critical care nursing experts busting myths and sharing collaboration strategies from each specialty. The importance of professional connections was also highlighted in this year’s Town Hall, which focused on medical-surgical nurses as relational leaders. Personally, in addition to great scenarios on practice standards in legal cases, I learned a thoughtful shortcut for an upper limb nerve assessment: In using “rock-paper-scissors, okay” as a guide a simple, effective tool to bring back to the bedside. Thank you, Polly Zimmermann!
Facing Challenges, Advocating for Change
Yet, the most sobering learning came when we discussed workplace violence. In one session, Cleveland Clinic experts Tammy Leon and Brendy Byrne reviewed the implementation of a program using standardized patients, or patient actors, to help nurses improve skills in behavioral emergency situations. The speakers asked nurses to raise their hand if they had experience with violence in the workplace. Seeing nearly every nurse in the room raise a hand, affirming that they had experienced this reality, was deeply troubling. This cannot be our norm, and, collectively, we have significant work ahead to protect our colleagues and ourselves.
Advancing Together
Overall, an important objective of attending a convention or being part of a nursing association is to remember that you are not in this alone. Networking opens doors to leadership and fresh career paths. As former AMSN President Robin Hertel coined: “Medical-surgical nursing is not just where you practice, but what your practice is!” Let’s continue to refuel our professional tanks and support one another, both at the convention and throughout the year. Together, we raise standards and advocate for safety in medical-surgical care.
Nursing takes a team, and I am so proud to be part of the one that was together in Austin and the larger one that is AMSN. As always, reach out and let me know what you think at President@amsn.org!