ANA and ANCC conferences spark innovation and excellence

When describing what makes a good leader and excellent – or “platinum” – service, keynote speaker on April 25, Simon T. Bailey, talked about things like finding one’s spark and purpose at work, and creating an environment of love, kindness and connectedness.

Simon T. Bailey shared his insights and humor on sparking good leadership and service.

It was a message that seemed to resonate strongly with the nearly 2,100 nurses and other stakeholders gathered in Orlando, FL, to learn, share and network at two co-located events: the American Nurses Association’s Quality and Innovation Conference and the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Pathway to Excellence Conference®.  

A strategist and expert on leadership, change management and customer experience, Bailey’s high energy and oftentimes humorous presentation introduced many conference-goers to his SPARK Leadership Model and also to critical business trends. Among the latter are the importance of welcoming women leaders and conscious inclusion.

“No matter where you are, you have the ability to be the spark,” Bailey said. “Think every day how you show up and make a difference. Create an environment that allows you to be the spark.”

In turn, that positive environment and leadership will create the spark in others.

Opening the conferences

Among those kicking off the events on April 24 was ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, who shared ANA’s existing work to cultivate nurses’ health and wellness and improve work environments, as well as new initiatives.

ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN

“Earlier this month, ANA had the privilege of being one of the four hosts for the official launch event for Nursing Now USA,” Grant said. Part of the Nursing Now Global Campaign, this initiative is working to raise the status and profile of nurses worldwide, among other aims.

“ANA also became one of the first organizations to partner with Time’s Up Healthcare,” he said. “[This effort] addresses workplace discrimination, harassment, and abuse, to create equitable and safe work cultures within all facets of health care.”

ANCC President Patricia Reid Ponte, DNSc, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, noted the growth in ANCC’s programs. There are now 175 Pathway-designated organizations around the world, with more countries expressing interest in the program.

ANCC President Patricia Reid Ponte, DNSc, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

“2018 was a great year, and 2019 is looking even better,” she said. “We will continue to expand our programs and services to meet the needs of nurses everywhere.”

Filmmaker Brett Culp then provided an inspirational presentation in which he shared the stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things. One story focused on then-14-year-old Annaleise Carr, who swam for roughly 26 hours across Lake Ontario in, at times, extreme conditions, to raise money for a camp providing respite to children with cancer and their families. She is featured in Culp’s new film, “Look to the Sky.”

Keynote speaker Brett Culp talked about ordinary people achieving extraordinary things.

Through the actions of these ordinary heroes and the additional good acts they inspired, Culp redefined what a leader meant to him. “Real leadership is inviting people on a mission to do something extraordinary together,” he said.

The ANA and ANCC events run through April 26 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in the greater Orlando-area. Participants have the opportunity to attend five general sessions, 42 concurrent sessions and six virtual sessions with wide-ranging topics such as improving sharps practices at the bedside, analyzing current data to refine nursing pain documentation and fostering resilience to cultivate change. There also are 268 poster presentations and 188 exhibitors.

Watch for more information on the events at nursingworld.org and follow on #PathwayCon and #ANAQICon.