Mary Lister

I would like to thank the Board and planning committee for the extremely hard work and time you all spent to make this conference educational and very memorable. The topics were intriguing, and I found that I didn’t want to miss any of the speakers. They were all engaging and I took a “pearl of wisdom” from each of them that I can then take and adapt to my particular setting. I even had my picture taken with the famous Dorothy Doughty! The members that I have met at this conference have welcomed me with open arms and greatly encouraged me (put the paper in my hand!!) to reach out to the Society to become a more active member. I did and I look forward to seeing where this will lead me in my journey. The scholarship money is such a blessing and I just can’t thank the Society enough for choosing me as one of the recipients.

Cody Mosher

I feel so grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend this SER conference. Taking the time to step away from clinical practice and immerse myself in learning helps to reignite my passion for CWOCN nursing. Meeting nurses from this region has been so refreshing and cements what I love about this field. The SER conference offered me the opportunity to learn new techniques, acquire clinical guidelines to improve patient outcomes, and reinforce trusted methods. I look forward to using this experience to improve my clinical practice, the practice of my peers, and the outcomes of my patients.

This year’s SER WOCN conference has positively impacted me in so many ways. The presenters at this conference came with a wealth of knowledge and years of experience to pour into us. This conference has allowed me to be able to stay abreast of the latest technology, advancements and innovation for my Nursing specialty practice. It is always great to connect closer with the vendors to get more insight into the products that our wound and ostomy team uses in Cleveland Clinic to support our patients with wound and ostomy care both as inpatients and as outpatient. Meeting the vendors allowed me to make connections to reach out for additional future education for our team, Skin Champions champions and Nursing staff on all our hospital units. It was such a highlight of the conference for me to see and hear Dorothy Doughty give her presentation in person on such a real and private subject such as “Intimacy and the Ostomy Patient” in such a graceful manner. She is absolutely my Wound/Ostomy nursing school hero. This subject is definitely not addressed enough both Preoperatively and postoperatively but If we can” break the ice” we can further support our ostomy population. I would like to extend thanks to the conference committee for selecting me as one of the proud recipients of a SERS scholarship and to assure them that the funds will be put to great use. I look forward to attending future conferences.

Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to join SER WOCN conference in Alabama with this scholarship. Coming to the conference has been educational and inspirational. Meeting and talking with all of the wonderful WOC nurses, hearing about their practice, how they care for their patients, as well as the different products, protocols that will benefit our patients. The vendors educated on new products and networking with reps in our Tampa area. I truly enjoyed myself!

Let me begin by saying a big thank you for this scholarship. Being a new WOC nurse and attending the SER conference for the first time was a pleasure and a great experience for me. It was evident that great planning and organization went into pulling off this extraordinary affair. Congratulations to the planning committee. The presenters were knowledgeable and expert in their practice. The posters were neat and professionally done. A spark has been lit in me to present a poster in the future conference. I gained new knowledge both from the presenters and the exhibitors. I got a chance to see what other nurses are doing in other hospitals, how their practices compare or contrast to what is done in the setting I am employed. I received a wealth of knowledge that will allow me to become a great change agent for the good of the patients in my area. I will also be able to share updated knowledge and cutting-edge technology with my colleagues. I really enjoy the camaraderie between the professional teams. I got a chance to meet new people to network and to be in a position to form lifelong friendships. This conference experience has exceeded my expectations and I hope to be able to be an active participant in the future conferences. Thanks once again.

The SouthEast Region WOCN Conference was the best. I was able to attend the pre conference Lymphedema session, which I learned how to recognize the difference between edema and lymphedema. Learning about lymphedema helps to enhance my way of recognizing, treating, and when to refer a patient. The speaker was knowledgeable, and experienced in her practice as a lymphedema specialist. The lymphedema session was hands-on and allowed everyone to participate in using the different modalities that the therapist used in treating lymphedema patients. Amy Armstrong provided information as to how to prevent pressure injuries. She told the participants exactly how to implement change within one system by utilizing data collection. This information was helpful and demonstrated how one can improve the patients outcomes.

Then Dr. Sullivan continued on to say that WOCN nurses are a valuable asset to any practice, but we must continue to prove our worth, and tell our story. All the speakers were knowledgeable and informative about their subject matter. The vendors gave current data about their products and how to use their products, and allowed time for questioning and answering. There were opportunities to learn. It was everything I looked for in a conference, knowledgeable speakers, current data, evidence-based practice, and ways to improve one’s practice, and patient outcomes. The kind warm greetings of the committee were exceptional.