Author: Keke Jarrett

Fear-facer Michelle Poler delivered a rousing reminder that achieving continuous growth requires people to directly confront the situations and activities that cause the most personal discomfort.

A comic play, one of two “Edutainment” sessions, underscored a sobering point: ED staff frequently triage intoxicated patients incorrectly, delaying much-needed treatment.

Artist, filmmaker and mental-health activist Amanda Lipp described how artistic expression can heal and build resilience — and how a nurse saved her life. She was the featured speaker at the Anita Dorr Memorial Luncheon.

In the closing keynote on Oct. 3, motivational speaker Justin Jones-Fosu will share practical, resource-based ways to bring meaning to one’s work and life each day using the power of rhythm and positive routines. He will explain how a “catalyst habit” can elicit positivity for the rest of the day.

Rapid and accurate triage is vital for successful ED operations and optimizing patient outcomes, but it can be difficult to pinpoint how quickly a patient requires care, especially compared to other patients waiting to be seen. Rachael Smith discussed effective triage strategies using the Emergency Severity Index.

Kim Zemanek, the associate program director for Texas Teleforensic Remote Assistance Center at the Texas A&M University School of Nursing, will present an overview of the trauma-informed care model used by Tex-TRAC to guide emergency clinicians through sexual assault exams using telehealth.

The Experience Hall is full of interactive education, including DisastER sessions on Oct. 1 and 2. With the help of two helicopters, a fixed-wing plane fuselage and an ambulance, transport professionals will present 12 sessions on how to become a transport nurse, airway management and pediatric care.

AWHONN Clinical Program Development Manager Susan Hale shares insights on triaging pregnant people, identifying patient complications, initiating treatment protocols for pregnant and postpartum patients in the ED, and recognizing maternal post-birth warning signs.

Heidi Gilbert will share signs and symptoms of nonfatal strangulation, what makes strangulation so deadly and how to document nonfatal strangulation cases seen in the ED. An advocate for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, Gilbert draws inspiration from her own experiences after her sister was killed in a domestic violence homicide.