Advances in patient care combine with newest healthcare technology at Boston nursing conference, hosted by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Emerging trends in patient care combine with advances in healthcare technology as thousands of nurses who care for high acuity and critically ill patients gather in Boston.

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) hosts its annual National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI) Saturday, May 18, through Thursday, May 23. Most of the 300-plus sessions take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, with the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel also hosting official events.

AACN expects attendance to top 7,000 nurses and include many at the forefront of research, academia, staff development and management.  

NTI, the world's largest conference for nurses who care for high acuity and critically ill patients, includes the Critical Care Exposition, the largest and most comprehensive tradeshow specifically for acute and critical care nurses. Spread over 200,000 square feet will be more than 400 exhibits that encompass cutting-edge healthcare equipment, devices, supplies and pharmaceuticals.

The conference offers more than 300 sessions representing the best clinical education reflecting today's diverse critical care environments. Topics include the following:

• Benefits and risks of healthcare technology, including tele-ICUs, simulation training and monitoring alarms
• Eliminating healthcare-associated infections and medical errors
• Managing medications for critically ill patients
• Involving the family in patient care
• Responding to disasters in the local community and across the globe
• Providing palliative care for dying patients

The Patient Safety Summit, presented in collaboration with the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), Boston, is new this year.  This one-day event Wednesday, May 22, from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., features top-tier patient safety authorities sharing the latest evidence-based information and resources related to one of the most significant challenges in today's healthcare environment. Lucian Leape, MD, an internationally recognized early leader of the patient safety movement, will discuss the inextricable link between workplace safety and patient safety during the summit's keynote session.

AACN posted the 2013 NTI conference brochure with all sessions that will be presented in Boston to www.aacn.org/nti.

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses:  Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN joins together the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and claims more than 235 chapters worldwide. The organization's vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.

SOURCE American Association of Critical-Care Nurses