Download the conference program (pdf)
Time |
Thursday |
Room |
9am - 5pm |
Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification, Inc. Meeting (for elected Board members) |
Pelican
|
Time |
Friday
|
Room |
7:45am - 9am |
BREAKFAST
Sponsored by:

|
Audubon Promenade
|
8am - 9am
CE/CAE: 1.0 |
Session 1. Overview and Update of ABSNC Accreditation Activities
- Bette Case Di Leonardi, PhD, RN-BC
Vice President, ABSNC
Objectives:
- Review and update of ABSNC accreditation activities.
- Review standards updates and changes.
|
Audubon DEF |
9am - 9:15am |
ABNS Tribute to Sandy Schafer
- Candle Lighting & Comments by John Preston, NBCRNA
- Reflection by Keisha Davidson, HPCC
|
Audubon DEF |
9:15am - 10am
CE/CAE: 0.75 |
Session 2. ABNS Assembly Meeting
- C. Lynne Grief, PhD, RN, CEN, TCRN
President, ABNS
- Presentation Handout (other files are linked under "Agenda" below)
Objectives:
- To describe key initiatives that ABNS is exploring.
- To discuss open elected positions in the organization.
Agenda:
- Call to Order
- Review/Approval of Agenda
- Approval of Consent Agenda:
- Nominations and Open Board Positions:
- Matters of Urgency - Board and Committee Resignations - Call for Volunteers to fill the following positions:
- President Elect (to replace Shannon Stone; see position description below)
- Secretary/Treasurer (to replace Karen Nason; see position description below)
- Nominations and Elections:
- (Public Member: Board of Director vote)
- Member Certification Survey Results and Discussion, download survey results in the following formats:
- Celebrating Milestones and Anniversaries of ABNS Member Organizations
- Unfinished Business
- New Business
|
Audubon DEF |
10am - 10:30am |
BREAK
Sponsored by:

|
Audubon Promenade |
10:30am - 12noon
CE/CAE: 1.5 |
Session 3. Organizational Sharing
- C. Lynne Grief, PhD, RN, CEN, TCRN
President, ABNS
- Laurie Ellefson, BSN, RN, CWOCN
Member at Large, ABNS
- Presentation Handout (other files are linked under "Assignment" below)
Objectives:
- To describe innovative models of certification.
- To discuss different models of organizational collaboration.
- To discuss how nursing workforce demands may affect certification.
Assignment:
- Refer to the Value of Certification Convening Executive Summary.
- In advance of the conference, each organization should rank the 4 objectives fby order of importance as determined by your organization.
- be prepared to share examples of how you determined the order of objectives.
- ABNS will facilitate a discussion of the objective ranking and creation of objective achievement tasks forces with a charge of creating goals and action plans to achieve the objective.
|
Audubon DEF |
12noon - 1:30pm |
LUNCH
Sponsored by:

|
Armani's
|
1:30pm - 3pm
CE/CAE: 1.5 |
Session 4. Delivering Exceptional Service in a Competitive Healthcare Market
Objectives:
- Explain the current competitive landscape for nursing.
- Describe characteristics of a high performing team that is needed to deliver exceptional service.
- List the three most important moments a patient remembers.
|
Audubon DEF |
3pm - 3:30pm |
BREAK Sponsored by:

|
Audubon Promenade
|
3:30pm - 5pm |
Session 5. Open |
|
5:30pm - 6:30pm |
WELCOME RECEPTION
Sponsored by:

|
Audubon Promenade |
Time |
Saturday |
Room |
7:30am - 8:30am |
BREAKFAST
Sponsored by:
|
Audubon Promenade |
8:30am - 10am
CE/CAE: 1.5
|
Session 6. Certification Testing and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Cases and Judicial Decisions
- Omobola Oyeleye, EdD, JD, MSN, M.Ed, BSN., B.Ed, RN-BC, CNE
Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing, Cizik School of Nursing, University of Texas at Houston
- Presentation Handout
Objectives:
- The participant will recognize an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act as they relate to reasonable accommodation for certification testing.
- The participant will discuss exemptions to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- The participant will discuss recent legal principles and decisions that relate to certification testing to accommodate test takers with disabilities.
|
Audubon DEF |
10am - 10:30am |
BREAK
|
Audubon Promenade |
10:30am - 12noon
CE/CAE: 1.5 |
Session 7. Culture of Ownership with the Value of Specialty Nursing Certifications
- Bob Dent, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, FACHE, FAAN
Senior Vice President, Chief Operating and Chief Nursing Officer, Midland Health
- Presentation Handout
Objectives:
- Describe “the healthcare crisis within” of incivility, bullying, and toxic emotional negativity in the workplace and the way it contributes to stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.
- Describe the three essential elements needed to move from a culture of accountability to a culture of ownership.
- Discuss the value of specialty nursing certification in a culture of professional ownership.
|
Audubon DEF |
12noon |
ADJOURN
|
|
|
|
|
Board Vacancies & Position Descriptions
The President shall:
- Serve as the chief elected officer of ABNS.
- Serve as ex-officio, non-voting member of ABSNC.
- Serve, along with the CEO, as official representative and spokesperson of ABNS in matters of ABNS policy and positions.
- Preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and Assembly.
- Appoint tellers, as deemed necessary, to serve for elections.
- Appoint a parliamentarian as deemed necessary to the conduct of meeting.
- Provide ABNS members with an annual report of the activities, decisions, and actions of the Board of Directors.
- Appoint representatives to all committees except the Nominations and Election Committee.
- Establish ad hoc committees as deemed beneficial to the ABNS.
- Perform other duties as applicable to the office as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted by ABNS.
The President Elect shall:
- Assume duties of the President in the President’s absence or at the discretion of the President.
- Assume the office of the President in the event that the office is vacated.
- Provide oversight for the maintenance of the Bylaws, Policies and Procedures of ABNS.
- Serve as Chairperson of the Bylaws, and Policy and Procedure Committees.
- Perform other duties applicable to the office as assigned by the President.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall:
- Ensure that records of meetings of the ABNS Assembly and the Board of Directors are maintained.
- Provide oversight of investment policy 6.1 and for distribution of: meeting minutes to member representatives within 30 days of approval.
- Ensure that all monies and fiscal records are maintained.
- Provide oversight for the fiscal affairs of ABNS, including receipt and disbursement of funds.
- Ensure that audits/reviews are performed, and that relevant tax and other reports are filed.
- Ensure that a Directors and Officers liability insurance policy is maintained.
- Sign checks payable to the CEO, sign checks in the absence of the CEO, and countersign checks over the designated limit.
- Provide reports and interpretations of the financial condition of ABNS to the Board of Directors and Assembly.
- Serve as Chair of the Finance Committee.
- Develop and recommend an annual operating budget to the Board of Directors, in collaboration with the CEO and Finance Committee.
- Perform other duties applicable to the office and as assigned by the President.
Cancellation Policy
Refunds due to cancellation will be processed as follows:
- Through January 25: 90% of registration fees.
- Beginning January 26: No refund due to cancellation.
Guest Reservations and Room Rates
Contact the hotel at 813-874-1234 and mention the ABNS Spring Conference to receive the following group rates:
- $229 per night Single/Double
- $254 per night Triple, $279 per night Quad
- Rates do not include applicable state and local taxes, currently 12%
The group rate is available until central time on January 25, 2019 or when rooms sell out. All reservations must be guaranteed by a credit card. Reservation requests received after the cut-off date will be based on availability at the hotel’s prevailing rates.
Reserve your guest room online.
Registration Rates
Bundled registrations with a valid credit card are now available! Click here to register online, or download a PDF registration form.
- Regular or Affiliate Member (first or second attendee): $450
- Regular or Affiliate Member (additional attendee(s) after 2): $400
- Auditor (individuals whose organizations are not ABNS members): $600
Sponsorship Opportunities
Select your sponsorship online, or download a PDF registration form. For additional information or for sponsorship opportunities not listed below, contact Robert Ranieri, ABNS Account Manager at 205-795-7127 or email abns@nursingcertification.org.
Milestone and Anniversary Photos
