Nephrology nurses in all roles will come together for the American Nephrology Nurses' Association (ANNA) Fall Meeting for Nephrology Nurses, Managers, and Advanced Practice Nurses, September 27-29, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, IL.

The meeting is designed for nephrology nurses who practice in a wide variety of settings. Attendees will discover tools to tackle the challenges of providing care to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Education sessions will address the latest trends in nephrology nursing practice and treatment options, including such hot topics as diabetes management, islet cell transplantation and infectious diseases. This year's program also incorporates topics requested by previous attendees, including transcultural issues, mental illness in CKD, pulmonary hypertension, legal issues and conflict resolution.

Participants will also network, attend special events and earn continuing nursing education credits. In the exhibit hall, attendees will meet with vendors displaying the industry's latest products, technologies and services.

More information about the ANNA Fall Meeting and a complete registration brochure are available on ANNA's Web site, annanurse.

Program

Two optional pre-conference workshops will be offered on Saturday, September 27. In Autoimmune Disease, participants will learn how autoimmune diseases affect renal function, implications for treatment options and long-term prognosis for these patients. Tactical Planning for a State of Readiness will describe practice tools for meeting guidelines issued by the Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Sonya Hardin, PhD, RN, CCRN, will open the conference later that day with the session, "Empowerment Through Caring and Self-Advocacy." Hardin will describe how to create a nurturing environment that empowers patients, staff and caregivers.

Concurrent sessions are organized by tracks (Advanced Practice, Clinical Practice, Management/Leadership and Hot Topics) and are scheduled for Sunday, September 28, and Monday, September 29. Sessions include the following topics:

- Evidence-Based Principles for Optimizing the Management of Diabetes (preventing long-term diabetes complications with intensive glucose management)

- HIV and Hepatitis C in Transplantation (effects of the diseases on renal function)

- Cardiovascular Agents to Decrease Renal Disease (appropriate cardiovascular treatments for renal patients)

- Treatment of Mental Illness in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (prevalence and treatment options)

- Spirituality: Concerns in Chronic Disease (incorporating spirituality into the treatment plan)

On Monday, September 29, Mary Ann Djonne, MEd, RN, will present the closing session "Emotional Intelligence: Increasing Your Leadership and Clinical Effectiveness," an in-depth look at emotional intelligence and implications for clinical practice.

Special Events

The conference will feature several breakfast, lunch and dinner symposia sponsored by Amgen, Abbott Laboratories, Genzyme and Ortho Biotech Products, L.P.

Continuing Education

Attendees can earn up to 18.75 contact hours of continuing nursing education credit, plus an additional 3.0 contact hours for each of the optional pre-conference sessions.

ANNA is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center-Commission on Accreditation (ANCC-COA).

Certification Exams

On Friday, September 26, the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC) will offer the Certified Nephrology Nurse (CNN) exam, the Certified Dialysis Nurse (CDN) exam, the Certified Nephrology Nurse-Nurse Practitioner (CNN-NP) exam, and the Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) exam. A separate registration fee and form are required for each exam. For more information, contact the NNCC National Office at 888-884-6622 or 856-256-2321. Applications may also be downloaded on the NNCC Web site, nncc-exam.

Registration

Complete information and an online registration brochure are available on ANNA's Web site, annanurse. For additional information, contact the ANNA National Office, East Holly Avenue, Box 56, Pitman, NJ, 08071-0056; phone: 888-600-2662 or 856-256-2320; fax: 856-589-7493; e-mail: annaajj.

American Nephrology Nurses' Association