Dear AMSN Members,
With pride and excitement, I want to invite you to join us from Sept. 11–13 in Austin, Texas, for the 2025 AMSN Convention. This event is an opportunity for our community of medical-surgical nurses to come together, share knowledge, and celebrate our dedication to the profession.
2025 Convention Highlights
AMSN is thrilled to welcome dynamic speakers, including our opening session speaker, Kelsey Tanish, CSP, a two-time pediatric brain tumor and stroke survivor who will share her story and how her relationship with nurses impacted her progress. And on that same note, this year’s Town Hall will be led by AMSN Directors Alissa Brown and Dr. Mark Lee and focused on medical-surgical nurses as relational leaders. The AMSN Town Hall is where convention attendees have a chance at the microphone to discuss pressing issues, share perspectives, and envision what is next for our organization and the field. These general session speakers will be alongside many other thought leaders who will deliver innovative insights and inspiration throughout the event. I am also really looking forward to attending the general session for a conversation between AMSN and AACN leaders in a Partnership Panel. The focus is on building connections between critical care and medical-surgical nurses! It is critically important that we have effective communication and understanding of each other’s specialty nursing work.
Awards and Recognitions
The recipient of the AMSN Founders Award is Dr. Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, in recognition of her exemplary work in evidence-based practice (EBP!) and nurse/clinician well-being; her session will be on Friday, Sept. 12. I am always excited and awed to hear presentations from nurses who authored the textbooks I have studied! I know, I know, I identify as a #NursingNerd. Additional awards that will be presented at the convention include the AMSN Clinical Leadership Award, the CMSN of Distinction Award, the AMSN DAISY Nurses Advancing Health Equity Award, the Kathleen Singleton Organizational Award, the AMSN President’s Award, and recognition of the 2025 AMSN Fellows class!
Maximize Your Convention Experience: Tips and Tricks
Whether it is your first AMSN Convention or your 10th (like me!), here are some tips and ideas to make the most of every moment:
- Watch the pre-conference orientation video.
- Download and use the AMSN Convention app for schedules, speaker info, session reminders, and networking tools.
- Bring either paper or digital business cards for seamless networking.
- Engage in the exhibit hall — meet exhibitors, make connections, and learn about new products and services shaping patient care.
- Reach out during informal moments — connect with colleagues, greet award recipients, and build your professional network.
- Plan to attend both educational and fun sessions — balance is key
- Dress in layers with comfy shoes! Conference centers can be either hot or cold (or both).
- Know that the schedule offers a variety of session types and times. Choose what works best for your learning style. It is OK to take a break when you need one. The goal is for you to leave energized!
- If you need help with either justification for a grant or scholarship to attend convention or in building a compelling case for your attendance this worksheet can help — 2025 AMSN Justification Worksheet.pdf.
Collective effervescence
I’ve always had a tough time explaining what it is like at convention but have recently learned of a concept called collective effervescence. Credited to French sociologist Émile Durkheim, it is the theory that when groups of people with shared purpose are in the same space, it can feel electric and energetic. For some, this happens at music venues, sporting events, or any place where large groups gather for a common cause. It is also exactly what happens at the convention. The air is full of sparks. It is fulfilling to be in a room with nurses who share struggles, celebrations, and the knowledge that we are all in this together.
Hope to see you there!