There’s so much to do at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.

Welcome to Washington, D.C., and the 45th Biennial Convention of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma)! It will be a time to connect and reconnect with colleagues from across the globe.

Because this convention occurs only once every two years, it is packed with options. Be sure to download the app* so you can plot out your activities. You don’t want to miss anything! It can be a little overwhelming, especially for first-timers.

If you need help, seek out Sigma staff members located throughout the convention space, and they will be happy to assist.

Be sure to be among  #NursesWhoTweet, using #SigmaConv19! As of Friday morning, we were close to 3 million impressions! To utilize social media during this conference, go to “More” on the app and then to “Sigma Social Media” to easily upload your posts. 

I encourage you to support Steps for Research, Sigma Foundation for Nursing’s only fundraising event at the convention. To register for Steps for Research, go to the foundation’s booth, pay $30 to download an app, and sync your tracker. The event starts Sunday morning. Each day, the person with the most steps will receive an insulated Sigma water bottle, and the one who walks the most during the entire conference wins a free night’s stay here at the Gaylord National Resort. Use it toward your current stay or a future one. Best of all, because this event is sponsored, 100% of your registration goes to the foundation’s Research Permanent Fund to help fund more grants like these. They are so important!

There’s so much to do here at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. There are 19 floors, 1,886 rooms, and 110 suites. Hungry? Click here to find restaurants.

The Gaylord is located on the Potomac River. Nicknamed "the nation’s river," it flows to Chesapeake Bay. A couple of fun facts about the Potomac: Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, the nation’s first president, is located on banks of the Potomac. In 1998, President Bill Clinton designated the Potomac as one of 14 American Heritage Rivers.

Sigma’s board of directors has gotten off to an early start. We met all day Friday to continue the organization’s valuable work.

Just prior to convention, the Institute for Global Healthcare Leadership met here in Washington. It was a successful event that helped prepare healthcare leaders to effectively lead or work with major public health departments, public or private organizations, and global programs and initiatives to directly and indirectly improve the health of people worldwide.

Hope you’re ready for an exciting conference! RNL

Juli Maxworthy, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, CNL, CPHQ, CPPS, CHSE, FSSH, is an associate professor at the University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions. Vice president of Sigma, Maxworthy is at-large director of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (2019) and president-elect of that organization in 2020.

* To get the app: Search for Sigma Theta Tau International in the App Store or Google Play, download, and install. Open the app, search for Convention 2019, and tap Download.

Click here to see all blog entries from convention.

Pictures below are by our official convention photographer, Ralph Alswang. Check the album often to see more photos as they are added!