Abstract
Our conference started with a delightful reception in the exhibit hall of this magnificent venue—the Gaylord Opryland Hotel—where rooms overlook waterfalls, colorful water shows lasted through the night, shopping was abundant, music was everywhere, and the hospitality of the Old South was in play. Surrounded by supportive vendors and fabulous networking, participants of the Opening Reception enjoyed food and beverage and learned first-hand about the opportunities and resources for us to take away and share with others, professionals and patients, as we all continue to move forward in our pursuit of providing optimal care to bariatric patients.
Thursday was a full day and was simply amazing. We heard from a nationally recognized speaker on compassion fatigue. What a notion to think that it is not a lack of the resilience or fortitude we need to be strong nurses, but that having that resilience and fortitude sometimes takes us to the point of phenomenal fatigue. Burnout, Dr. Mary Brandt suggested is judgmental; compassion fatigue is more related to exhaustion. The take away message involved sustaining the self in order to enhance our capacity to continue caring for others. Dr. Jerry Heindel, from NIH, presented the latest research on reproductive and developmental considerations in understanding the cause of obesity. Perhaps the causes and the triggers occur before we are born. Perhaps the first 1,000 days are the most important. It may be related to our grandparent. What extraordinary thoughts and research we have at our fingertips. We heard about a special population from Smith Island, MD, who went from receiving a simple nutritional intervention to finding a mechanism, in this isolated community, to build an exercise area. A nutrition intervention delivered by a nurse on how to cook and eat in a healthier manner, culturally designed for this rural isolated, water-surrounded community resulted in significant changes in health relative to the vastly improved cooking techniques people began using as a result of participation in a practical intervention.
We learned about the utilization of social media in support groups and heard about the effectiveness of blood glucose monitoring in obese patients. We increased our collection of evidence-based practices by adding more to the knowledge base of caring for bariatric patients. We concluded the day with the return of one of our favorite presenters, Dr. Walter Pories, who took us on a walk down memory lane. He reviewed and reflected on the state of bariatric surgery worldwide and about the ongoing attempt to find a cure for obesity.
We had terrific recognitions during the lunch on Thursday. NABN recognized the initiation of the first state chapter of NABN. Started at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, NC, the inaugural president received our organizational thanks for all her hard work. Kathy Ross is a contact for understanding the process and, along with Kim Joyner, sits on the Board of Directors. They are happy to assist all members who wish to consider chapter development. Kathy is currently working with Kim to plan a spring event in Wilmington, NC. I cannot think of anywhere I would rather be than the beautiful city of Wilmington in spring. I hope to see many of you there, as we continue to build the educational reach of this great organization.
Additionally on Thursday, we recognized Rick Conely, the founding Corporate Council Chair for NABN. NABN presented Rick with a plaque to honor his time and commitment to our organization over the past seven years. The Corporate Council has been very active with this conference and in supporting our organization. New this year was an Industry Panel Group that met for breakfast and shared the fascinating product development going on in many companies. We are thankful to Roberta Jacobs for assuming the leadership of the Corporate Council. She is excited about this role, she is supported in taking over the leadership responsibilities, and we are confident that she can build on Rick's legacy.
More opportunities to learn occurred on Friday. We learned about and were able to watch a video recording of sleeve gastrectomy in action from Dr. Douglas Olsen, who has pioneered many of the laparoscopic techniques we currently use. Lastly, we heard again from Dr. Mary Brandt. Dr. Brandt is a pediatric surgeon who has participated in the Teen LABS Study, and she stated they will soon report significant results and outcomes from their study and they have received five additional years of funding to continue their studies.
Some important news was presented by the Board of Directors during the Business Meeting on Friday morning. First, Shirley Thomas, who last year filled the vacated position of secretary on the Board, has now been elected to serve a full term. Welcome, Shirley Thomas, to the NABN Board of Directors, and thank you in advance for your service.
One of the major benefits of being a member of the NABN organization is our fabulous journal. Due to increasing publication costs, membership fees will need to increase to $160 per annum to offset these costs. We are still so much less expensive than many professional organizations, and this association is well worth the cost. The Board is currently considering different options of payment for membership, so you can expect to hear more details about this in the upcoming months.
The most exciting news from the Board to the membership came in the announcement of our new webpage and added features. While the appearance has not changed tremendously, when you visit the NABN homepage, you will now notice that there are tabs across the top of the mainpage; among these tabs, please be certain to note the Forum tab. Here, you will be able to submit questions and comments that will be reviewed by our moderator and then posted for all of the active membership to view. I love this new resource. Make certain you login first or you will not be able to access the Forum. Try it; I think you will agree that it is a great resource.
In closing, what a great conference! Learning, laughing, networking, and fellowship. What more could you ask for at a reasonable price and in a wonderful place. Look for announcements regarding the conference next year, coming out soon.