2020 Conference

COVID-19

The Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society leadership and staff continue to monitor the rapidly changing situation related to the spread of COVID-19. Our main priority is the health and safety of our attendees and community. This unprecedented situation is changing daily so we remain watchful. At this time, trying to predict the situation in November with certainty is a futile exercise. Therefore, we remain focused on delivering a beneficial conference for the pediatric endocrinology community.

At present, PENS leadership has not made plans to cancel the event. If there are any changes to event schedules, we will provide information directly to registrants about rescheduling options that may be available and/or other specific details. With this in mind, we hope you will continue to plan for the PENS 2020 National Conference as usual. We look forward to welcoming you to San Antonio in November and wish you, your communities, and your families good health and resilience in the months to come.

As the situation evolves, we will continue to update and provide necessary information to our attendees. Please do not hesitate to contact PENS staff at pens@kellencompany.com with specific questions about our upcoming event.

PENS 2020 is RESCHEDULED to Nov. 2-5, 2020

In light of the current world public health crisis resulting from COVID-19 and guidance of all official national, state, and local government health agencies, it is not possible to go forward with the 2020 PENS National Conference, as planned (San Antonio, TX - April 9 - May 2, 2020).

The conference is rescheduled to November 2-5, 2020 to keep our members safe. Your registration fee will be applied to this rescheduled date. Should you be unable to attend the rescheduled meeting, we will refund your registration fee.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

We ask for your patience as we accomplish next steps in the next two weeks. We will continue to update you as logistics fall into place:

Revised Online Registration: New early registration deadlines, as well as an option to cancel current registration online
Program Replication: Working with the presenters to reschedule the Program in entirety, as originally planned
Communications: Much more information

ACTION ITEMS FOR YOU:

TRAVEL: Cancel or reschedule your flight. The airlines are now in position to refund, transfer and provide vouchers. If your refund is rejected, contact pens@kellencompany.com for support.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS: The Hyatt has been a wonderful partner through this situation. All reservations for the original April/May dates have been cancelled. A new room registration link has been sent to attendees; for any new conference registrations, you will receive the registration link in your confirmation email. If you run into any issues feel free to contact Caitlin Arnold, PENS Meetings Manager, at carnold@kellencompany.com, and she can assist in your cancellation.
MEETING REGISTRATION: If you have already requested a refund, it will take several weeks to process. You will have the option to re-register. Additional information will be provided on how to request the refund in the next week.
CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: If you are concerned about certification and licensure reporting deadlines, we encourage you to reach out to those bodies and request an extension. Be sure to copy us at pens@kellencompany.com - so that we can provide support of registration. So far, most regulatory bodies are making these preparations and will likely be communicating directly with you soon.

PENS remains open for business, as all staff has remote capabilities. Please bear with staff as we update all communications and program with the new dates during the next couple of weeks.

Thank you for your continued patience as we all navigate this unprecedented and complex situation. It is the PENS Board's decision to act in an abundance of caution and protection of our most valuable resource, our members. We are concerned for everyone's health amidst this international crisis. We hope you will continue to stand beside us as we navigate these difficult times.

Many thanks for your support, stay well and we hope to see you later this year in San Antonio!

Register Online

Click the button below to view the program and registration links.

The National Conference provides a forum for educational opportunities as well as a chance to interact with colleagues and experts in the field of pediatric endocrinology. The faculty will present information on a variety of pediatric endocrine disorders, as well as topics of general interest to nurses and other health care professionals. Teaching methods will include lectures, interactive sessions, discussions, workshops and poster sessions.

The opportunity to develop and continue relationships with your colleagues through networking is one of the key benefits of attending the PENS National Conference. Networking offers many tangible benefits to conference participants, including, but not limited to, validating your experience in providing nursing care and developing a better understanding of your practice and your role in care delivery by learning from others who are dealing with similar circumstances, solving the same problems and confronting the same issues. Take advantage of this national gathering of pediatric endocrinology nurses to learn more about national issues and trends.

Program Objectives:

Develop new skills to improve educational and patient outcomes
Provide educational opportunities in pediatric endocrinology for nurses and others with expertise in the area
Promote the pursuit of nursing practice and research through a research presentation and poster session
Provide educational opportunities in the management and treatment of selected endocrine disorders
Provide direction for understanding health care changes

PENS Conference Reimbursement Scholarship

Submission deadline extended to June 15, 2020

The PENS Conference Reimbursement Scholarship exists to enable pediatric endocrine nurses to advance their knowledge in the areas of endocrine and growth disorders, endocrine nursing research and current issues in pediatric endocrinology nursing. Scholarship recipients can use these funds for travel, lodging and registration expenses related to the PENS Conference.

Click here to learn more about the Conference Reimbursement Scholarship.

Submit the application materials to the PENS Executive Office via email to PENS@kellencompany.com or mail. The materials must be received by June 15, 2020.

Continuing Education Information

This activity has been submitted to the Ohio Nurses Association for approval to award contact hours. The Ohio Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. (OBN-001-91)