Amazing week so far! Liz and I joined the president luncheon hosted by the AACN yesterday. Christine, outgoing AACN president, addressed the crowd by meaningfully recognizing the wonderful work by the chapter presidents in their respective areas. She also recognized the wonderful Chapter Advisory Team for their tireless support to the chapter office.

We heard from the head of Medtronic. His “guided by why” purpose is to continuously collaborate with nurses and healthcare facilities to make an innovative difference to our patients.

Something close to my heart: Col. Elizabeth Bridges, 30-year veteran of the Air Force Nurse Corp and AACN board member, delivered yet another moving presentation on the benefits of tourniquet use and the importance of educating the community for disaster preparedness. Did you know that tourniquet use, if applied correctly and timely, improves patient survival by 90%?

The keynote speakers, Jessica Kensky (ICU RN) and husband Patrick Downs, took our breath away with their story of love, survival, resilience, and hope as they shared their journey from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing tragedy. A funny, inspiring, and moving speech, as she shared her experience from “inside the bed rails” as a patient. Her husband shared the most important part of being a patient is the communication of the healthcare team in the care continuum.

We have had a great time and can’t wait to share more with you when we get home!