Can you remember when you were a student beginning a new school year? I remember being almost beside myself with excitement about starting a new year of school. The anticipation of new classes and new friendships as well as renewing old friendships provided real motivation for me to show up. I get the same feeling these days when it comes time to attend the AARC Summer Forum.
Missing the Summer Forum may seem inconsequential to you, but if you don’t show up you’re going to miss some extremely timely and valuable information. So many changes are happening so fast in healthcare that we all need to make the effort (sometimes a HUGE effort) to stay ahead of the changes coming our way. I’m excited about the courses being offered at the Summer Forum because they are specifically focused on managers and educators, and specifically targeted to address many of the topics that both managers and educators have been asking for. The Program Committee was also conscientious about using the feedback received from previous years’ programs and incorporating it into a better learning experience for both managers and educators.
One value in attending the Summer Forum is in being there. Just as we can never regain a moment of time wasted, the manager/educator who misses the Summer Forum misses an educational and networking opportunity which cannot be retrieved. Another value in attending is to serve as an example to your students, peers and coworkers. Their success as Respiratory Therapists depends on attendance and involvement and your example may encourage them to develop the habits of professional involvement and continual, life-long learning, so we, as leaders, must “walk the talk”.
In my opinion there’s a real value in attending the Summer Forum, not the least of which is the more intimate setting when compared to the Congress. I can actually spend time catching up with old (excuse me…experienced) colleagues that I may only get to see once a year at the Summer Forum. AARC Connect is a great tool, but it’s so much nicer to talk in person over lunch or during a beverage break. So...see you there!