June 3, 2015
Wisconsin Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates,
I am writing to express my gratitude for selecting me as a scholarship recipient to attend the 42nd annual SGNA course “Stepping Forward – Connecting with our GI Community” held in Baltimore, MD. I was thrilled when I received the notification regarding the scholarship, as this would be the first time I would be attending an SGNA course. In light of the recent riots in Baltimore, I did have some apprehension about what to expect outside of the conference, but, Baltimore is a beautiful city and not once did I feel my personal safety was at risk. I was able to enjoy walking around the Inner Harbor and eating at some amazing restaurants…and of course the crab cakes were phenomenal!
My main objective for attending SGNA this year was to take the GI/Endoscopy Nursing Review Course as I plan to take the test in the fall. I can’t say enough about the review course and the presenters. Both far exceeded my expectation! We were provided a certification study manual that covers 13 different topics and includes a pre and post assessment test. I think this will be extremely valuable in helping me prepare for the certification test. We played “Jeopardy Pharmacology” and the room was divided into four teams, and while competition was fierce and friendly, it also allowed for interaction between attendees and was one of my favorite parts of this course. I chose concurrent sessions that I felt would be beneficial to me in my current role as a team lead/clinic nurse. My favorite topic/presenter was “Celiac Disease: Beyond bowels, blood and bones” by Dr. Patricia Raymond.
One very popular activity during the course was “Polyp Bingo” which required attendees to obtain signatures from other people to complete their bingo cards. One of the blocks was for “first time attendees” and as a first time attendee I was asked to sign many bingo cards. This was a great opportunity to socialize and network with people from all over.
Once again, thank you for your generosity in awarding me the $1000.00 scholarship. Attending SGNA was an awesome experience for me and I greatly look forward to the next one I’m able to attend. I would also encourage others to take the time and apply for a scholarship to attend the 2016 SGNA National Conference in Seattle!
Sincerely,
Stacey Benzing, RN, ADN