Blog contribution by Veronica Barber, BSN, RN, ONC, our 2024 HCD Scholarship Recipient.
When I arrived at my first Healthcare Design Conference and Expo (HCD), which was also my first visit to Indianapolis, I had mapped out several NIHD events and conference sessions that I would attend, but didn’t know exactly what to expect overall. Though I have a background in engineering design of healthcare projects, have been a nurse for over 4.5 years, and have an interest in the how the healthcare built environment affects nursing, I was unsure how I would fit into the conference’s target audience of healthcare planners, architects, and product representatives. I should not have been worried, because this is the purpose and mission of the NIHD, and they are the experts at filling this gap at the HCD conference, and professionally.
Approaching Indianapolis International Airport
The first event on my schedule was the Friday evening NIHD Annual Member Dinner at Harry & Izzy’s American Grill, where, as a new member, I would have the opportunity to meet other members in-person. Though I only knew a few members prior to the dinner, everyone was very welcoming, and I easily found a table to join. After an enjoyable evening getting to know several members and having a delicious meal, I was looking forward to participating in the NIHD Pre-conference Workshop Operational Planning Essentials for Launching a Hospital, Ambulatory Service or New Department on Saturday morning. The workshop was a combination of an expert panel presentation followed by a simulated project session that involved all attendees, as each table group was guided by a NIHD member that facilitated the phases of the project. The result was a solution that considered all table mates’ input and was presented to the rest of the room. This “project” was a great way to get to know others at the table and provided an approachable format for designer and nurse collaboration and discussion. The pre-conference NIHD-sponsored events wrapped up with a Saturday evening reception, which was another opportunity to network and meet other NIHD members.
Sunday was the first official day of HCD, and though I attended sessions in other tracks, such as Keynote sessions and the Cancer Care track (since I’m an oncology nurse), some of my favorite sessions were in the Clinical Perspectives track. Some notable topics were mitigation of nurse burnout and resilience in rural health. The dedicated space for presentation of the Clinical Perspectives track was a convenient location to meet others interested in how nurses and designers can work together to improve healthcare, as was the NIHD booth in the Expo Hall. Throughout the conference, the booth was staffed by NIHD member-volunteers, and the opportunity to volunteer there gave me a chance to get to know other members, as well as passers-by that were interested in nursing involvement with healthcare design. The last night of the conference was marked by the HCD networking event at the Indiana State Museum. The entire museum was open to conference attendees, and it was a great way to get a sense for the history of the city that had hosted us for several days.
Indiana’s rich automotive history on display at the Indiana State Museum
NIHD Members Supporting at the NIHD Booth