2025 Nursing Conference Grant Winning Essays

The questions for this year’s application cycle were as follows: 

1. Please describe how you will share what you learn at this conference with colleagues. 

2. How will you incorporate what you learn from this educational offering into your practice? 

3. How will this conference advance your long-term career goals (beyond the attainment of continuing education hour requirements)? 

 

Essays were lightly edited for grammar, flow, and readability.  

 

Heather Neeley

​

Essay 1:  After attending the conference, I plan to share the knowledge gained with my colleagues through a variety of engaging and accessible methods. I will utilize the information in an educational monthly newsletter that highlights key takeaways, evidence-based practices, and practical applications relevant to our unit. In collaboration with Shared Governance, I will work to align these insights with our unit goals and integrate them into existing initiatives. To enhance learning and staff engagement, I will also develop gamified and interactive educational experiences - such as quizzes, case scenarios, or challenges. These experiences can encourage participation and reinforce key concepts. These strategies will help ensure that the information is not only disseminated effectively but also retained and applied in daily practice. By doing so, I aim to foster a culture of continuous learning and translate new knowledge into practical improvements on our unit.

​

Essay 2: I had the privilege of attending my first-ever NTI conference this past May 2025- an experience that truly re-energized my spirit and reignited my passion for nursing. I left the conference feeling more inspired than I have in years. Having been a nurse for a decade, I, like many others, faced the emotional and mental toll of the COVID pandemic. I ultimately needed to step away from bedside nursing for two years to recover from burnout. Recently, I returned to the bedside in a new capacity at my hospital- one that allows me to advocate for and support my fellow nurses by providing unit-specific education and practical tools to enhance their daily practice. I am also deeply engaged in initiatives to reduce hospital-acquired infections and patient falls on our unit. Attending NTI sparked a wave of fresh ideas and renewed motivation. Since returning, I've already begun collaborating with my manager to bring some of these ideas to life in FY26. One exciting initiative we are planning is the creation of a monthly unit-based podcast focused on enhancing clinical knowledge, promoting well-being, and supporting nurse retention.

 ​

Essay 3: Attending NTI in the year 2025 will help me grow in ways I cannot begin to describe. The wealth of knowledge that I was able to experience at NTI 2024 was incredible. I currently work at the bedside and often find myself wondering where I will be in the future. Will I continue on as a bedside nurse? Will I return back to school and pursue a higher education? I may not know the answers to these specific questions, but I do know for certain that attending NTI in 2025 will present me with the opportunity to continue to explore this field of nursing. There are so many different specialties and subspecialties! Many of which I know nothing about. Attending NTI next year would allow me to explore all the opportunities that nursing provides and help me find my specific niche. It will also provide me the opportunity to network with thousands of different nurses! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to all the things they experienced and what lessons they have to teach to the younger generation, especially considering that many of them had been practicing before I was even born. To put it simply, attending NTI in 2025 would help me to excel as a person, daughter, spouse, RN, and CCRN. I would forever be grateful for the opportunity to grow in these ways if granted this award.

______________________________ 

​