Newswise — Chicago (July 28, 2014): ARN will be celebrating 40 years of rehabilitation nursing by hosting its Annual Educational Conference in Anaheim, CA, October 29-November 1, 2014. In honor of ARN’s 40th anniversary, the conference will not only present its traditional wide range of essential education and knowledge building sessions aimed at improving the care of patients with disability or chronic illness, this year will also include many magical surprises and celebrations to delight all attendees.

This year’s theme, Honoring the Past, Imagineering the Future, will continue the tradition of providing new rehabilitation clinical discoveries and how to translate them back into daily practice. The ARN Annual Educational Conference brings together a community of more than 800 professionals who have the same deep understanding of the daily demands of rehabilitation nursing. Attendees will discuss state-of-the-art approaches to improving patient care and outcomes through the presentation and discussion of advances in research, medicine and nursing care and the impact they have on the rehabilitation patient and their support systems.

Joni Eareckson Tada, founder and chief executive officer of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, will provide the opening keynote address, where she will share her rehabilitation experiences and describe the vital contribution rehabilitation nurses in particular made to help her live the full life she does. Tim Porter-O’Grady will close out the conference with his keynote presentation, Envisioning the Future of Rehabilitation Nursing: Transforming Practice in the Age of Reform. Dr. Porter-O’Grady will challenge participants to continue the legacy of nursing and take the next steps in charting the future of rehabilitation nursing practice.

Concurrent sessions include, Treatment of Acute and Chronic Wounds in the Rehab Patient by Linda Droste, MSN RN CBIS CWOCN, who will deliver an exciting presentation that will name two advanced wound therapies used for the treatment of chronic wounds and will also discuss treatment of the two most difficult pressure ulcers to heal.

Attendees are also encouraged to attend the pre-conference ARN leadership course led by Virginia “Ginny” Beeson, MSN CNAA. Beeson has a new format this year where she will challenge participants to think critically about what building a culture of leadership means and understand how to develop one.

Highlights of this year’s conference include: • Traumatic Amputations• Patient Medication Management• Fall and Injury Reduction• Neuropharmacology• Diabetes Drug Management Secrets• Fun Optional Events- including a professional tour!

The Rehabilitation Nursing Foundation Dinner Symposium this year is entitled, The New Safety Science: Transforming Education & Practice, with Gwen Sherwood, PhD RN FAAN. The session will focus on transforming systems of care by offering attendees the opportunity to demonstrate interactive learning activities to engage providers in changing care to avoid process breakdowns.

For a full conference schedule and information, visit http://www.rehabnurse.org/education/2014Conf/index-welcome-2014.html.

ARN's mission is to promote and advance professional rehabilitation nursing practice through education, advocacy, collaboration, and research to enhance the quality of life for those affected by disability and chronic illness. For more information about ARN or the 40th Annual Educational Conference, please visit the ARN website at www.rehabnurse.org.

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