Mental Health the Focus of Annual SIUE School of Nursing Conference
The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing’s (SON) Advanced Nursing Education Workforce program hosted its second annual virtual continuing education conference on Saturday-Sunday, March 27-28.
This year’s theme was “Mental Wellness – A Journey through the Peaks, Plummets, and Plateaus of Life.” The SIUE SON and clinical partners collaborated on the development of the 2021 regional conference for primary care providers, highlighting behavioral and mental health education.
“New this year was a collaboration with the SIUE School of Pharmacy,” said the SON’s Valerie Griffin, DNP, clinical associate professor and director of the nurse practitioner specializations. “Our keynote speaker, Mr. Mark Sanders, once again delivered an exceptional presentation. This year his focus was on trauma informed care. Centering this conference around mental health was timely, considering the pandemic and the negative effects we are seeing on patients.”
The ANEW program exemplifies the SON’s pioneering advancement of the nursing profession across Illinois, and is funded by a competitive four-year $2.75 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The multi-faceted educational effort is creatively designed to increase the number of nurse practitioners who practice in rural and underserved communities throughout Illinois, by promoting a smooth and natural transition from the student role to practicing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN).
Clinical partners bolstering the success of the ANEW program are Chestnut Health Systems, OSF HealthCare, Southern Illinois Healthcare, Interventional Pain Consultants, and the SIUE We Care Clinic.
Photo: ANEW Conference organizers (L-R) Ali Cetiner, Jodie Nehrt, Valerie Griffin, Melissa Bogle and Cassie Starrett.
