Use of Technology to Breathe New Life Into Chapter Meetings

Abstract

Memberships at the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) span five generational age groups (the “silent generation,” baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z). Like many professional nursing organizations, in 2017 and 2018 AWHONN membership declined, which had a trickle-down effect on chapter meeting attendance. The North Central Illinois AWHONN chapter was reestablished in 2012. They had a very successful inaugural chapter meeting presentation with overwhelming attendance from both member and nonmember nurses in 2013. Since that first meeting, they have not been able to reproduce a large nursing attendance at their local meetings, that is, until the meeting held on October 18, 2017. The chapter members believe that the increase in attendance 2017 was a result of embracing technology by hosting their chapter’s first video conference meeting. Nurses seek greater flexibility in the ways they access and participate in learning. Time constraints, geographical boundaries, and travel costs have an impact on attendance at in-person meetings. In the search for a solution to their problem, the chapter leaders found that remote learning can provide nurses wider access to local AWHONN chapter learning opportunities. The expansion of wireless technology, in addition to advances in audiovisual technology and available software, helps support the delivery of video conference meeting presentations for the North Central Illinois AWHONN chapter. The North Central Illinois AWHONN chapter had a record number of participants on October 18, 2017 (32 in-seat and 17 virtual participants) and a repeat record number of participants on May 15, 2019 (12 in-seat and 35 virtual participants). On the basis of the positive conference evaluations that were received, the local chapter determined that their investment in technology supported this change. How do nurses who take care of women and newborns stay competitive as nurses? The right membership can provide nurses with new knowledge, improve their personal skills, gain recognition and personal fulfillment, protect their livelihood, and build connections with other nurses. This North Central Illinois AWHONN chapter is traveling full speed ahead on the Internet highway to maximize attendance for their chapter meetings and advance the mission of AWHONN.