National Black Nurses Association 50th Annual Institute and Conference
Ok, so my trip to Chicago for the 50th annual National Black Nurses Association conference is over, and I am ready to share how it went.
To recap, the primary purpose of this trip was to present a podium presentation on my research that focused on health disparities in college students and bridging the gap through research. I mentioned in my last post that I have not done a podium presentation since 2019. I have been doing lectures in front of my students for years now, but a podium presentation at a conference is different. It is different at a conference because I am in front of students, fellow academics, and other professionals, so the standard is higher. I was concerned that the presentation would not be completed in time to practice. I love to practice my presentations before I give them because I don’t want to be dependent on my notes. I had some concerns about my presentation because it was based on a study I had conducted previously, and I had some concerns about the preliminary results. After speaking with my therapist and grant coach, I revised my presentation. I received great feedback. I also realized that notes are not necessarily a bad thing. Several of the presenters used notes, even some of the keynote speakers.
After going on this trip, some primary tips I would give for preparing a presentation would be:
- Start early. Use the abstract you submitted to create an outline and fill in the outline with your notes.
- Know your audience. This will help you prepare your notes.
- Practice, practice, practice. Once you have finalized your notes, start to practice. You do not want to depend on your notes because you will miss the engagement with your audience. Practice in the mirror. Practice in front of an audience. Just make sure you practice so you know your presentation.
- Find an outfit that makes you feel confident. Presentations can often cause feelings of anxiety. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the individual. Looking great contributes to my confidence, so I would encourage you to find an outfit that makes you feel great.
Now, I want to share how I prepared to travel for this trip. I have a history of overpacking. As a mom, I always want to make sure I have more than enough for my children when I travel. That habit trickles into my travels without my kids as well. I knew I needed to do something different for this trip. I did an inventory of the luggage I had and determined the items I would need to make my travel a success. I wanted a travel makeup bag, a bag for my chargers, and some luggage packing organizers. I did an Amazon search, and you already know there were so many options to choose from. I decided on the options below (links included).
Links:
I based my decisions on the reviews and the price. These pieces were game changers for my trip. The travel makeup bag allowed me to keep my necessities organized, and it also included a hook, which allowed me to hang my bag in the bathroom for easy access. I was skeptical of my luggage organizers at first because they looked small. However, when I started packing them, they ended up having a good amount of space. I am type A all the way, so it was so exciting to have my clothes organized in these compartments. I was also skeptical of my tech bag because the compartments for storage seemed small, but I was able to pack my cell phone, apple watch, iPad, and mac book charges in my tech bag. I packed this bag in my carry on so having this little bag put me at ease.
The final thing I purchased before my trip was some dresses from Amazon. I ordered these dresses a few days before my trip. I knew I wanted something with more of a tailored look and Amazon did not disappoint in price or product. I was able to find four dresses that had your girl’s confidence on ten. I ordered a large in all of the dresses. During these photos, I was 5’3″ and 175 lbs. I did not wear the solid navy or red dress that I ordered. I do plan to wear them in the future. See the pictures below.
Links:
I have to mention that my confidence kind of tanked because I broke a nail while traveling to Chicago. My nail split, and I tried my best to keep it intact. It did not work. Once we arrived to Chicago, I bought some glue-on nails from the local Walgreens. The brand I used was the Kiss Bare but Better Sculpted TruNude Fake Nails. This was a total win for me. They were the subtle color and length that I wanted. My confidence was back on 10. The bad part about these nails were the removal when I returned home. I did not look up directions on how to correctly remove nails with glue. You should have guessed it by now that I ended up with damaged nails. That’s ok though because I have the products I need to nurse them back to health.
Link:
Overall, the trip was a success. My husband was able to travel with me. We had an opportunity to experience great food and drinks, time with one of my old colleagues, and explore Chicago. Professionally, I received inspiration to keep doing the work and growing my professional network.
