As of 2023, there are more than 385,000 nurse practitioners in the US, and that number is expected to increase by 46% by 2033.
The University of Colorado College of Nursing at Anschutz Medical Campus founded the role of the nurse practitioner in 1965, thanks to the late Dr. Loretta Ford and Dr. Henry Silver, forever changing the nursing profession.
With CU Nursing’s rich history in educating nurse practitioners, and with the college named the best nursing program in Colorado, it’s no surprise that CU Nursing is one of the sponsors for this year’s National Nurse Practitioner Symposium (NNPS), also known as the Keystone Conference. The conference is July 15-19 in Keystone, Colorado.
| National Nurse Practitioner Symposium |
The conference focuses on learning and sharing guideline changes for primary care, collaborating on ideas, and networking. Any advanced practice provider offering patient care, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, midwives, and student nurses, is invited to attend.
“Nurse practitioners and other nurses can attend conferences like this that summarize the latest and greatest clinical guidelines and treatment options,” CU Nursing Associate Dean of Academic Programs Kelly Stamp, PhD, NP, RN, CHFN, FAHA, FAAN, FAAHFN, says. “This allows them to learn about things they might see when they’re working and get advice on how to treat patients and offer better care. This is an opportunity to have a boots-on-the-ground approach to hear it, touch it, see it, and ask about it.”
An Evolving Conference
The conference has been around since the early 1970s; it was started by some of Dr. Ford’s early nurse practitioner graduates who felt the need for continuing education opportunities.
“What nurse practitioners and other advanced practice providers found was they were fighting the same battles,” Keystone Conference director Larry Stoddard says. “They wanted to learn and focus on topics they couldn’t find anywhere else, and realize they’re not alone. If they’re in rural or urban areas, and sometimes they’re by themselves. This is a place where they can come together, re-energize, and meet with other like-minded nurses.”
The conference, like many conferences around the US, struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. It caused Stoddard to evolve how the conference was put together – and think about why nurses should attend.
"The conference isn’t about listening to speeches anymore,” he says. “We’ve tried to let the attendees learn in different ways and have honest conversations between them and our presenters. We have more panel interviews and more audience interaction and participation."
This year, there are plans for large and small speaker sessions, an exhibit area with research poster presentations, and a Learning Lounge, which will allow for more intimate discussions.
“We want to take the politics out of these topics and focus on the issue of healthcare, particularly women’s healthcare,” Stoddard says. “We’re bringing in the influencers, decision makers, and organizations that are on the forefront of what’s going on in women’s health and bring them together to have audience participation and discussion.”
Discussions and presentations range from treating pediatric asthma to managing the risk of breast cancer. CU Nursing will be represented with seven speakers giving presentations (six faculty and one alumnus) and 10 poster presentations from faculty and students.
“It’s important for CU Nursing to be a part of this because it allows other nurses to get to know CU Nursing,” Stamp says. “We have faculty who are experts in their roles and will be speaking on many topics, so it’s great exposure and visibility for our college."
A Tribute to Loretta Ford
Dr. Loretta Ford passed away earlier this year at the age of 104, and her trailblazing spirit and legacy will be felt throughout the conference. Since 2011, the conference has presented the Loretta C. Ford Lifetime Achievement Award.
Stamp, who was awarded the CU Nursing Loretta C. Ford Nurse Practitioner Endowed Professorship, will present the award on Thursday, July 17.
“This is an opportunity to continue her legacy and remind people that the nurse practitioner started in Colorado at CU Nursing,” Stamp says. “This is all about moving her legacy forward. It’s such an honor to hold her professorship, and it’s an honor to talk about who Loretta was throughout her career because she was an advocate for nurses and nurse practitioners.”
