As we move into spring, my second favorite season (summer, spring, winter, fall is the only appropriate ranking 😊), I find myself thinking a lot about what it means to have a long and healthy career in nursing, including all the different and unique paths a nursing career can take.

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) convention in San Diego, California, as part of AMSN’s long-standing and growing partnership with NACNS. We had an AMSN booth there, which gave us the opportunity to connect with clinical nurse specialist (CNS) colleagues, share the work of medical-surgical nurses, and share opportunities for CNSs to support and engage the medical-surgical units under their purview.

Michael Szeliga, me, and Jackie Iseler, President of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists

I was also attending as an actively practicing CNS and advanced practice nurse myself, which made the experience especially meaningful. In my own career, I obtained licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), certified and licensed as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Health in the state of North Carolina. For me, that credential has always been synonymous with being a medical-surgical expert, someone deeply grounded in adult health, system thinking, and clinical workflow improvement.

That’s one of the reasons I feel so strongly that medical-surgical nursing is not just a first job or a steppingstone, but that it can be an entire, rich, and fulfilling career. Med-surg can be the place where you spend your whole professional life — growing your expertise, advancing practice, leading teams, and influencing systems, all while staying rooted in direct impact on patients and families. Check out our new AMSN Career Roadmap for medical-surgical nursing.

To that point about growth and excellence, I want to congratulate AMSN’s own Board of Directors Secretary Michael Szeliga on his induction to the Clinical Nurse Specialist Institute 2026 Class of Fellows at the NACNS Conference!

Michael Szeliga, me, AMSN Past President Kathleen Singleton, and former AMSN Director Catherine Skowronsky at the CNSI Fellowship Induction Gala

Being at NACNS in San Diego reminded me how powerful it is when nurses come together in person. The sessions were informative, but the real magic happened in the hallways, at the booth, over coffee, and maybe even a little bit on the dance floor (who, me?!). This reinforces something I believe deeply that sustaining connections with other nurses is not only optional, it is critically essential to having a healthy, sustainable nursing career.

Which brings me to our own 2026 AMSN Convention!

I am already excited for our AMSN Convention this September in Palm Springs, California. And yes, it’s just a happy coincidence that there are a lot of nursing conferences in California this year!

One thing that has me especially energized is that we have received more poster abstracts for this year’s convention than for any previous convention in our history. That is exceptional. To everyone who submitted a poster or session abstract, thank you! Thank you for taking the time — on top of your demanding roles — to share your work, innovations, research, and ideas with AMSN and your colleagues. This high level of engagement tells me how much we all care about advancing our specialty and lifting up medical-surgical nursing as a place of true professional expertise.

In other exciting news, it was a joy and pleasure to welcome the newest AMSN Chapter, AMSN Florida Southeast Chapter #652! The always amazing (and former AMSN Med-Surg Moments Podcast Co-Host) Maritess Quinto has been working on getting that chapter up and running for some time! She is the inaugural president of the chapter, and Maria Gabriela Jinesta-Peralta is the president-elect. If you live in southeast Florida, you should look them up and join their next meeting!

My hope is that as this spring brings some fresh air and fresh energy, you will take a step to make new connections with fellow med-surg nurses, through the Huddle, a local chapter, or by inviting someone to head to Palm Springs with you!