The Society for Vascular Nursing (SVN) annual meeting this year will cover the gamut of information for all vascular nursing career stages—from novice to expert.
The SVN 39th Annual Conference is set for Wednesday and Thursday in the San Diego Convention Center, to be held in collaboration with the Vascular Annual Meeting (VAM).
The program grew out of the idea that vascular nurses progress in their abilities and knowledge, and what occurs in the midst of this growth. “We will present content for all vascular nurses, from those just starting out to those who are seasoned experts,” said Nancy Crowell, BSN, program chair.
The SVN program is once again set up in learning tracks. Track one is entitled, “Creating vascular expertise … From novice to experts,” focusing on orientations for new nurses, core competencies and how nurses perform as change agents. Track two—“Clinical applications: Knowledge to care delivery (from head to toe)”—focuses on taking knowledge learned to patient care, starting in the upper extremities and heading down to the legs and feet. And track three is “Advanced vascular applications,” including complex vascular care and trauma cases, advancements in wound care (with multidisciplinary care for limb salvage) and pharmacology, which includes current medical management for peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
The COVID-19 sessions follow track three, which will be followed by the closing session, “Self-care for the caregiver,” which Crowell will deliver. Thus, track one focuses on building blocks, while track two takes the information and presents head-to-toe examples and scenarios, she said. Track three takes applications of knowledge even further.
The conference will kick off with a keynote address, “Conversations that matter: Early pre-operative education to support positive prosthetic patient outcomes,” by Leslie Green, Ed.S. Day one ends with the SVN Welcome Reception from 5 to 6:15 p.m.
In addition, after more than a year defined by COVID-19, the SVN also will discuss what members have learned from the pandemic in a special session Thursday afternoon. Ali Moran, DNP, will present, “COVID and implications for practice changes,” starting at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. That will segue directly into an open forum discussion, with organizers hoping audience members will step up to the microphone and share their stories so that everyone present can gain from the lessons learned, Crowell said.
“The pandemic changed our care delivery systems; we went to online care, tele-visits, phone calls. Worldwide, we were all literally flipped upside down, facing unprecedented challenges, and we’re still writing the history,” she said. “It will be fun to share those stories and we hope many people will do so.”
One of the lessons learned, she said, is flexibility, which has come in handy while planning the program, and not knowing whether it would be virtual or in-person. Now she’s taking the weeks leading up to the meeting a day at a time, as she has learned. After all, she said, “I know we can navigate with curveballs. We’ve met the challenges we’ve faced this past year with teamwork, perseverance and innovation.”
For more information on the SVN conference, visit vascular.org/SVN21.
When: Wednesday/Thursday, Aug. 18 and 19, 8 a.m–5 p.m. SVN Annual Meeting
