The joy of nursing conferences

To say that I love nursing conferences is truly an understatement. I look forward to attending conferences so I can meet interesting nursing professionals. I also look forward to learning the newest research on the topics presented. And I especially enjoy the question-and-answer period at the end of each session, when I can listen to input from other nurses.

All types of nurses hold membership in professional nursing organizations. At a conference, you can have staff nurses, nurse administrators, nurse educators and nurse researchers sitting in the same room sharing information and ideas. I think that’s absolutely amazing! In our normal day-to-day jobs as nurses, we may not have the opportunity to come across nurses who work in other areas of nursing. But when we take the time to attend a nursing conference, the opportunities to engage with brilliant nurses are endless.

I love the fact that, at a nursing conference, everyone is on a level playing field. Staff nurses aren’t intimidated by nurse administrators, which is often not the case at work. Everyone takes every opportunity to learn from others. There is no feeling of superiority. Novice nurses fit in perfectly with expert nurses. The career ladder is virtually flattened at a nursing conference, and I love that!

I also love that I have the opportunity to travel to different states, and I get paid time-off from work to do it. As a single woman, I look forward to traveling, but sometimes it’s challenging to gather my friends to come with me. Traveling to nursing conferences, however, gives me the opportunity to travel alone without really being alone. The more often I attend conferences hosted by the same organization, the more I get to see certain nurses. It’s really neat to meet up with the same people one time each year. It begins to feel like a reunion.

One of the best things about attending conferences is the opportunity to meet and engage in conversations with world-renowned leaders in nursing. I have had the chance to meet nursing leaders in academia and hospital administration, those leading in the clinical arena as well as those making breakthroughs in nursing science. I have gotten used to meeting the nursing authors who write the textbooks I am required to read or those who edit the nursing journals I reference in my papers. And the best thing of all is that meeting them at a nursing conference takes away the pressure of trying to “say the right thing.” More often than not, these chance meetings occur during receptions or other non-formal gatherings. There is no pressure to put on your academic hat and speak as if you are reading a portion of your thesis; you are free to be yourself in a non-threatening way.

If I could, each year I would attend the national conference of each nursing organization to which I belong. Knowing this is not possible because of time and money, I have to make the difficult decision of deciding which conferences to attend and which to bypass. I typically attend the conference with the most relevant and interesting topics and, most often, it is either geared toward women’s health or nursing scholarship. Regardless of which conferences I attend, I am never disappointed. The new knowledge I return home with and the connections I make at nursing conferences is well worth the flight layovers and hotel stays.

If you are not a member of a professional organization, I highly suggest joining at least one and, since you’re reading a blog written for Reflections on Nursing Leadership, the online magazine published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, that organization is the perfect place to start. The benefits of attending nursing conferences as a member of the hosting organization are too numerous to list. If you are already a member of a professional organization, but do not attend its annual or biennial conference, I suggest you make plans to attend.

If money is an issue, don’t fret. Oftentimes, your employer will provide tuition reimbursement and, if nothing else, if you’re in the United States, you can itemize continuing education-granting conferences on your income tax return. If you are looking forward to a career in academia, or if you just like to disseminate interesting information, you can also submit poster, paper or presentation abstracts to the conference you plan to attend. You may receive a discounted registration rate for serving as a presenter. In addition, presenting at a conference is a great thing to add to your résumé or curriculum vita.

My hope is that you get as much out of nursing conferences as I have gotten. And if you see me at a conference, don’t be shy. I love meeting new nurses!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Congrats, grad!

I attended three graduation ceremonies this past commencement season. Each celebrated a different aspect of graduation.

The first celebration I attended was a dinner hosted by the UCLA Pan-African Nursing Students and Alumni Association. I sat next to one of my future classmates in the PhD program, and we talked about our anxieties as we start this new journey. Well, actually, we talked about my anxiety; she’s not anxious about starting school.

After dinner, the ceremony began. The dean of UCLA School of Nursing addressed the graduates and attendees. He talked about the need for us to give back. He reminded us that no one is able to make it on their own, so it is only right to reach back and help one another. His address made me proud to be a UCLA Bruin!

The best part of the event, and the part that made my eyes tear up, was when each graduate was called and asked to light a candle. They were then given a stole to wear with their regalia during the official campus graduation ceremonies. Playing in the background was the song “Never would have made it,” by Marvin Sapp, dedicated to the families and friends of the graduates: "Never would have made it, never would have made it without you. I would have lost it all, but now I see how you were there for me."

As each of the graduates walked to and from the center of the dance floor, I visualized the day I will walk that path, light my candle and receive my stole. I know it may be a bit early to think about my own graduation, but I believe in always keeping an end-goal in mind. When I feel like giving up, when I think the program is too much for me to handle, I will undoubtedly think ahead to my graduation. I will think about the day I am addressed by my doctoral dissertation committee as Dr. Montgomery. I will think about my participation in the doctoral hooding ceremony. And I will surely smile when I think about my graduation party. It’s going to be the celebration of the decade, and yes, I have already started to plan for it.

A week after attending that dinner, I attended two graduation ceremonies for my little sister. She participated in the Black Graduation Ceremony Saturday evening and the college commencement Sunday morning. The Black Graduation is always fun to attend because it’s a more intimate setting and is geared specifically toward the African-American community. The evening began with a traditional African-American family dinner—fried chicken, catfish, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, steamed vegetables, peach cobbler and sweet tea. After eating, the guests were ushered into the auditorium where we watched a slide show of the graduates until the ceremony began. I was proud to watch my sister walk across the stage. I ran up to the stage to take a few pictures of her and walked back to my seat with a gigantic smile on my face.

My sister Brittany and me

The next day, we woke up bright and early to attend the college commencement. I was sitting in the audience with my mother, aunts, cousins and my sister’s friends. We used our phones to communicate with my sister to figure out when she would line up to walk across the stage. We also made pacts with the families sitting nearby, promising to scream for the other families’ graduates. As my sister prepared to walk across the stage, I stood as close to the stage as security would allow and took a few pictures. When her name was called, my family and I screamed and hollered. (My voice was hoarse for the next two days, but it was worth it.) It marked the culmination of my sister’s college experience. Following the ceremony, the entire family went to lunch to celebrate my sister and her awesome accomplishment.

These celebrations were the last college graduations I will attend before beginning the final leg of my own formal education. Attending the graduations reminded me of how inspiring graduations are. When you graduate with a new degree, your accomplishment is celebrated by many people, not just yourself. I look forward to making my family proud, again. I look forward to walking across the stage and being hooded, again. I look forward to dressing up in graduation regalia for the final time. I look forward to taking graduation pictures. I definitely look forward to my graduation party. I look forward to it all!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Do you know the way to San Jose?

Why did I decide to go to San Jose State University (SJSU) for nursing school? The answer is simple: because my godsister lived there. Choosing a school for this reason was quite possibly the most ignorant thing I have ever done, but it was a great choice and everything worked out just as it was supposed to. I don’t know that I would have had the same experiences had I not gone to SJSU. My professors, mentors and friends all shaped my college experience and I honestly cannot imagine having gone to another school.

I first began to think about college in the 10th grade, when my English teacher assigned a college portfolio project. We had to attend a local college fair at California State University, Long Beach and include college pamphlets and other materials from the fair. We were also asked to list three colleges we were considering applying to, providing a one-page write-up on each. I chose to write about Hampton University, the University of San Francisco and San Jose State University. I chose the University of San Francisco, because it is a private school, and Hampton University, because it is a historically black university, but I really wanted to go to SJSU.

My desire to attend SJSU was solely based on the fact that my godsister lived in the city. I had always looked up to my godsister as if she were my biological sister. I have fond memories of spending time with her at my godparents’ home. One time in particular, I was in 7th grade, and my mom took me to visit them. My godsister asked how I was doing in school. When I told her I was getting good grades, she confirmed that with my mom and said she wanted to reward me. She took me on a shopping trip to the mall. The clothes she purchased for me that day became my most cherished pieces of clothing. I wore the pants and shirts until long after they were too small for me.

I also remember a time when my godsister really came through for my little sister and me. It was Christmas time, and we had a tree, but no gifts under it. At the time, my godsister was working at BEST. I looked out the window one afternoon and noticed her walking to our house with a large black trash bag. It was filled with toys! She put the toys under the tree, talked to my mom for a while and left. Those were the only toys we received that Christmas. My mother didn’t have the money to buy anything for us, so that year my godsister stepped in as Santa Claus.

She and her husband married and moved to Washington when I was 12.Fortunately, they moved back to California when I was in ninth grade, settling in San Jose. In the spring of my 11th-grade year, they had their first child. I thought it would be nice to live close to them so I could help with the baby. With them being in close proximity, I also felt like I was on my own, without being completely alone.

The summer between my 11th and 12th grades, I spent a week in San Jose with my godsister and her family. I had the opportunity to see the city, and we even took a self-guided tour of the SJSU campus. Oddly enough, the day we went to campus was the first day of the 1999-2000 school year. I enjoyed walking around the campus; it wasn’t too big and it wasn’t too small. I had the chance to see the building that housed the School of Nursing. Because the students were already on campus, I also had the chance to interact with them. Some of the boys even flirted with me. College boys! Oh yes, this was definitely the school for me!

When I talked with my mom about applying to college, she told me I should apply to Long Beach City College, because she couldn’t afford to send me anywhere else. I was crushed, but I applied to SJSU anyway. I knew I didn’t want to stay in Long Beach after graduating from high school. Long Beach is a nice city and all, but I knew that, if I didn’t venture out, I wouldn’t amount to much. I had watched other classmates who graduated before me, and I noticed a trend—staying around home provided a sense of comfort and security that prevented them from reaching their full potential. I didn’t want that for myself. I wanted to become everything I had the potential to become.

SJSU was the only school I applied to. I was accepted and I traveled to San Jose with my mom and godmother during the spring of my 12th-grade year for freshman orientation. During the orientation, I enrolled in my fall-semester classes and I was given a tour of the campus. I came back to school the following Monday with my college ID. It was official; I was going to college and it wouldn’t be at the local city college. I showed the ID to all my friends and teachers.

I spent the summer after high school graduation working to save money for college, then began school at SJSU in August. The rest is history, or maybe just another blog post.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Birds of a feather

I recently went to lunch with a group of my sorority sisters. On the drive to the restaurant, I was hot and, by the time I arrived, was a little irritated because of the heat. But as soon as my sorors began arriving, all of my frustration suddenly left.

I sat in close proximity to women of all ages, some old enough to be my mother and some young enough to be my sister. They come from diverse socioeconomic statuses, were born in various states, have attained a variety of educational levels and have made careers for themselves in various professions. Some are parents, and others are grandparents. Many of us live in different cities, and some of us had never met. Still, we all have something in common—we are college-educated women bonded through our love for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

In case you are wondering, Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first college sorority in the United States to be established by African-American women. It was founded on Jan. 15, 1908, by nine students at Howard University. Seven other women were soon added and are grouped with the original nine as the revered 16 founders of the sorority. The mission of the sisterhood is to “cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life, and to be of service to all mankind.” I was initiated into the sorority in the spring of 2006, alongside two other women. Now, back to my lunch.

Sitting at my table with approximately 20 others, I was awed by the women who surrounded me. Three have PhDs and two, not including me, are currently enrolled in PhD programs. One is the great-granddaughter of Thurgood Marshall, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice. One is a relative of the first black mayor of New York City. Another is a charter member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter at MIT. Other attendees included educators, social workers and lawyers. Just sitting with them inspired me. And to think I know and have a relationship with the vast majority of the women at my table is absolutely amazing! These aren’t women I barely know; they are women I meet with monthly to plan and prepare for community service programs and sorority events.

Although I often see my sorors at business meetings, we didn’t talk business; we simply enjoyed each other’s company. We talked about everything from our iPhones to my experience as a labor and delivery nurse to marriage and children. I can only hope they enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed theirs. I was encouraged by those who have gone through, or are currently in, PhD programs. They gave me hope that I could make it, too. We cherished each other as sisters, although only two of the attendees are biological sisters. (My biological sister is my sorority sister as well.) We were reminded that a sister is more than a female sibling.

I came to the lunch feeling hot and bothered, but I left energized and refreshed. You see, it’s important to be surrounded by well-educated, well-mannered, high-achieving friends. We gain inspiration and support from our friends. They are the ones who egg us on when we feel like giving up. They are the ones who celebrate our accomplishments and help us bounce back from our setbacks.

Having friends you can hang out with is fine, but you have to have more than simply hanging buddies in your circle of influence. I’ve learned that the characteristics of our friends are typically the characteristics we display. They say, “Birds of a feather flock together.” If this is a fact, I want to be flying alongside my sorors.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.