The 2026 OADN Convention—A Commitment to Your Own Well Being

This year, the 2026 OADN Convention will take place November 12–14 in San Antonio, Texas, at the Marriott Rivercenter at the River Walk. Our theme—Empowering the ADN Educator: Flourishing with Strength and Sustainability—captures the increasingly complex environment ADN educators navigate every day.

This theme reflects the challenges facing ADN programs nationwide: concerns about student preparation and readiness, shifting student–faculty dynamics, and escalating demands on faculty workload, morale, and overall well-being. It creates space to explore how these pressures intersect with issues of faculty resilience, retention, and the broader faculty shortage—while highlighting practical strategies, innovations, and supports that help educators not just persist, but truly flourish in their roles.

In this context, attending the OADN Convention becomes more than professional development—it becomes an essential act of self-care. As ADN educators, we are often the last ones to care for ourselves. Convention creates intentional space to step away from daily pressure, recharge, and reconnect with your purpose. Workshops, breakout sessions, and focused presentations offer intellectual renewal while offering something equally important: moments to slow down, breathe, and remember what inspires your work. You will return home with new strategies, of course, but also with restored energy—the kind that fuels sustainable teaching and leadership.

One of the most restorative elements of Convention is the time spent with colleagues who understand your experiences. These conversations—between sessions, over meals, or during interactive presentations—provide affirmation, encouragement, and much-needed collegiality. Connecting with fellow educators helps rebuild your sense of belonging and strengthens the professional community that sustains us throughout the year.

Beyond personal renewal, Convention is where the future of ADN education takes shape. It is where ideas are exchanged, partnerships are formed, and collective advocacy is strengthened. Your voice matters in these conversations, and your experiences enrich the dialogue. By attending, you contribute to shaping solutions that impact programs nationwide.

The financial and time commitments of attending Convention may feel significant, but the long-term benefits far outweigh the costs. Convention attendance is one of the most cost‑effective forms of faculty development when considering the breadth of learning, networking, resources, and program impact it generates. Early registration discounts, shared lodging with colleagues, and institutional professional development funds can help minimize out-of-pocket expenses.

Many programs budget annually for conference participation. To support these conversations with your institution, we provide a customizable template to assist with budget justification and travel approval. Many institutions value clear documentation of how conference participation strengthens accreditation readiness, improves student outcomes, and supports faculty retention. When you invest in attending Convention, you invest in your well-being, your leadership, and the sustainability of your work. You are also investing in your students, who benefit directly from the renewed insight, creativity, and confidence you bring back to your program.

The OADN Convention is not simply an academic gathering—it is an opportunity to renew yourself, reconnect with your purpose, and return home feeling empowered and supported. It is a space where ADN educators can flourish with strength and sustainability.

Make the commitment now. Mark your calendar. Begin the conversation with your administration. Register early. Give yourself permission to step away so that you can return stronger.

I hope you will choose to invest in and care for yourself—and to strengthen our profession—by joining us in San Antonio in November!

Mariann Harding PhD, RN, CNE, FAADN
Treasurer, OADN Board of Directors