May 2022 President's Letter

Greetings SPN!

I am excited to greet you as your new SPN President and to wish you a Happy Nurses Month! I feel so blessed to be part of this amazing profession and to be surrounded by so many who share the same desire to provide the best nursing care to children and their families. Thank you for the extraordinary work that you do every day. These past 2 years have challenged our profession more than in years past, and I commend you for your commitment and contributions. I hope you take time during Nurses Month to celebrate and recognize those who lead and innovate, as well as those who mentor and encourage you. Also, please make yourself a priority and focus on self-care to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing so you can be your best at home and at work.

For those of you who attended our Annual Conference this past month in Anaheim, CA. I can’t even begin to say how wonderful it was to see you and to gather in person after two years of virtual conferences! The presentations and posters were rich in content offering numerous ideas and resources to advance clinical care, education, leadership, innovation, and research. I was also very excited that SPN was able to share a preview of the SPN Pediatric Nursing Excellence Model – please keep an eye out for more to come as we release more information on the model to our entire pediatric nursing community. I left the conference feeling inspired and am in awe of the pediatric nursing talent that gathered there. I enjoyed reconnecting with colleagues from across the country who have become friends and was grateful to meet many more for the first time.

If you were unable to join us in Anaheim, you will want to attend Continuing the Magic, a virtual extension of the SPN 32nd Annual Conference on Friday, May 13, 2022. Key presentations from the Annual Conference will be presented virtually, and you will be able to earn up to 8 contact hours.

The SPN Annual Business Meeting was held virtually prior to the Annual Conference on April 18. It is important for members to stay updated on the status of SPN and work that our organization and volunteers are doing. If you were unable to join, the session was recorded and can be viewed here.

I am thrilled to share that our new website we will be launching this month. Our goal with the new website platform is to improve accessibility to all the specialty content and resources SPN has to offer.

I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of Immediate Past President, LaDonna Northington and outgoing Board member, Ann Spence, and thank them for their service and contributions to SPN. They have both provided leadership to the organization during a very challenging time and have ensured the organization has thrived during their service. Also, please join me in welcoming Amy Marks to the Board as she begins serving a 3-year term as Director.

Over the next few months, the Board of Directors will be working on finalizing SPN’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. This information will be shared with the membership once it’s finalized. During my two-year term as President, I will work to enhance and develop resources and partnerships to ensure our members are provided with opportunities to grow professionally and engage with SPN at all stages of their career. I am also committed to increasing SPN’s scope and influence through continued advocacy and research to advance the specialty of pediatric nursing. Thank you for your confidence in allowing me the privilege to serve as SPN President. 

Kathy Van Allen, MSN, RN, CPN
SPN President

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