ANCC conferences attract a global audience for education, celebration, and innovation.
Jennifer Mensik Kennedy[/caption]Focused learning and new concepts along with fun and festive celebrations were enjoyed by more than 14,000 nurses at the 2024 ANCC National Magnet Conference® and ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference®, held October 30 to November 1 in New Orleans. Nurses from across the United States and 33 countries descended on the Big Easy for a highly interactive and engaging experience that showcased nursing excellence and The Power of Nurses™.
“I’m delighted to be here celebrating all of you, your accomplishments, and your progress along the Magnet and Pathway journeys,” said Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, president of the American Nurses Association. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s “deep commitment to nursing excellence through evidence-based standards, rigorous certifications and accreditations, and of course those coveted Magnet and Pathway designations has been on full display at this conference. As you take all the knowledge, connections, and inspirations you’ve gained this week back to your practice settings, know that we’re always with you advancing the nursing profession, advocating for you and your patients, and providing the resources you need to succeed.”
The roll call and parade of more than 160 organizations and thousands of nurses celebrating Magnet Recognition Program® and Pathway to Excellence® Program designations or redesignations between September 2023 and August 2024 punctuated the festive aspect of the conference.
In more than 120 educational sessions, attendees explored current topics, deepened their understanding of essential nursing subjects, and found solutions for practice challenges across eight knowledge tracts.
New stories and partnerships
received the HRH Princess Muna Al Hussein Award.[/caption]For the first time the conferences also hosted a film festival, which featured two groundbreaking documentaries. Everybody’s Work showcased the stories of nurses of color who are driving change, breaking down barriers, and tackling systemic racism head-on, while Nurse Unseen highlighted the previously untold stories of Filipino nurses who, while serving on the front lines of the pandemic, faced a resurgence of anti-Asian hate.
In another first, American Nurses Enterprise CEO Angela Beddoe moderated a session and panel discussion that explored the impact of a nursing research grant the American Nurses Foundation awarded to Southern University and A&M College, a historically Black college and university in Baton Rouge, LA. This 3-year grant partnership aims to address some of the barriers that racial and ethnic minorities face in the field of nursing. The foundation also partnered with Stryker in a pioneering scholarship program, Scholars for Change, to intentionally engage and elevate 17 nurse leaders of color, enabling them to attend the conferences and positively influence their organizations with the Magnet and Pathway professional standards of practice.
The credentialing center celebrated excellence in nursing practice and the nursing profession through a series of organizational and individual awards, including the prestigious 2024 ANCC Magnet Prize® and 2024 ANCC Pathway Award®, both sponsored by Press Ganey. (See p. 46 for more on these distinguished honorees.) In an annual tradition, the recipients of the 2023 ANCC Magnet Prize® and 2023 ANCC Pathway Award®—Children’s Nebraska in
Omaha and Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida, respectively—also returned to report on their progress over the past year.
“Magnet and Pathway programs continue to maintain their steadfast focus on excellence and quality patient care, work environments, and research to create settings where nurses feel supported,” said Laura J. Wood, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, president of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. “This is the result of the strength and resolve of so many of our nursing colleagues and partners across healthcare delivery systems here in the United States and globally.”
On the last day of the conference, the American Nurses Enterprise, comprised of the association, credentialing center, and foundation, revealed a
comprehensive rebrand after more than 125 years of excellence in service to the nursing profession. The new American Nurses Enterprise brand amplifies The Power of Nurses™ and the value of the nursing profession to transform the healthcare experience for all.
“I’m in awe of the power of what you do, what you can do, and most importantly, what we all can do together starting right here, right now,” said Beddoe in announcing the rebrand. “Collectively, nurses have more power than they do individually. The power to change lives each and every day—that’s what we’re here to celebrate. Our job is to elevate the work that you do and to show everyone the impact.” She added that while the American Nurses Enterprise draws from its long history of “advocating and working tirelessly to advance the profession of nursing, we aren’t looking back. We’re firmly focused on the future.”
A look ahead
Next year, new ideas and innovations, more celebrations, outstanding educational content, and fun yet substantive networking opportunities will take place at the 2025 ANCC National Magnet Conference® and ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference®, October 8 to 10, 2025, in Atlanta.
—Genna Rollins is a writer/editor at the American Nurses Association.
American Nurse Journal. 2025; 20(1). Doi: 10.51256/ANJ012544
Resources
More information about the ANCC National Magnet Conference® and ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference® (magnetpathwaycon.nursingworld.org/)
Video of American Nurses Enterprise rebrand announcement (youtube.com/live/7lGjsOtxTJw)
Nurses Symphony, celebrating The Power of Nurses™ (youtube.com/watch?v=2UVOUkCwDLY)
