I am fortunate and very grateful to have been awarded an APNA Board of Directors Scholarship to the APNA 28th Annual Conference in 2014. This was my first experience attending a conference of this magnitude; it was extremely educational, rewarding, inspirational, and exciting! At the opening ceremony, I had an opportunity to meet my fellow scholarship recipients whom I learned came from various states and universities throughout the country. Conversing with and getting to know these bright, motivated, and kind individuals helped me to feel comfortable in a new environment and also eager to learn more about their goals in regards to psychiatric nursing.
Networking and making new connections was a significant benefit of attending the conference. Everyone I spoke with was positive and willing to share their knowledge and guidance however they could. At the educational sessions, almost always, I found myself chatting with the person sitting to the left or right of me about the content matter, or just where we were from and what we do for work.
The staff are extremely helpful and the information booklets provided to each member allowed me to have a detailed and organized structure to my days. I gained much knowledge from the sessions, and was always able to speak to the presenter after a session if I needed to for further questions. The information I gathered from those few days I have saved, refer back to as needed, and study as notes to remind myself of what I learned. Overall, I am honored to have been given such an opportunity and have full intentions of attending future conferences. I actively participate in the New Jersey APNA chapter and hope to grow in my roles within this wonderful association.