Today we kicked off our 2024 AMSN Annual Convention. Set in beautiful Toronto, Canada, more than 800 medical-surgical nurses are gathering to build connection and strengthen our dynamic community of medical-surgical nurses. Hear a few words from four first-time AMSN convention attendees who are making a difference in medical-surgical nursing. Together, we are stronger!

Mark Lee, MS, BSN, RN, CMSRN (ML): Welcome to Toronto! Where are you joining us from?

NP: Nicholas Panebianco, MBA, BSN, RN, Float Pool Nurse, Advocate Lutheran General in Chicago

FC: Felicia Cartier, BSN, RN, CMSRN, Assistant Nurse Manager, of East Pavilion 4-6 Unit* at Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut

KS: Karen Kay A. Salveron, BSN, RN, CMSRN, Resource Nurse IV at Cape Fear Valley Health, Fayetteville, North Carolina

SC: Stanley Charles, BSN, RN, Staff RN, 4 South Unit* at Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia

*Recipient unit of AMSN PRISM (Premier Recognition in the Specialty of Med-Surg) Award for medical-surgical nursing unit excellence

Nicholas Panebianco and AMSN President Marisa Streelman

ML: What are you hoping to come away with from the conference?

NP: “New ideas I can bring back and to network with different leaders in the area.”

FC: “I want to soak up as much as I can to get back to the team. It is hard to decide which breakout groups to attend. I am especially excited about learning about nurse retention.”

KS: “To learn to lead my practice and continue to take the best care of patients.”

SC: “To fine tune my skills and develop ways to better teamwork on the unit. The session this morning by Lee Rubin on ‘5 Components of Extraordinary Teams’ was incredible. I am looking forward to the clinical skills sessions in order to pass this knowledge on to others.

Felicia Cartier

ML: What do you love most about medical-surgical nursing?

NP: “The diversity and challenge of the care we provide. As a float nurse, it will never be the same two days in a row. I enjoy figuring out each patient’s specific needs. Every patient needs something different.”

FC: “I’ve been in medical-surgical nursing for close to nine years. I love the diversity of medical-surgical nursing and the skills. When you specialize, sometimes you lose that.”

KS: “I love the knowledge that you can share and knowing that you are doing your job according to protocols and standards.”

SC: “Seeing a patient come in in distress and leaving happy is always fulfilling to me. I love the patient outcomes the most.”

Karen Salveron

Thank you for your time and for all you are doing for our medical-surgical nursing community!

We wish all an inspiring 2024 AMSN Annual Convention. For those following along here on the Monitor, stay tuned for more. 

Stanley Charles and AMSN President Marisa Streelman