b'COVER STORY|One busy executive sharesexperiences and insightBy Joe DarrahT odays fast-paced, digitally driven environment has given an entirely new meaning to the term face time. What once meant an opportunity for human beings to meet face-to-face in the same room as one another is now more likely to conjure up the thought of sharing ones face with someone else through a mobile phone screen. With the increasing online meeting options such as Zoom also now offering professionals of all careers the opportunity to get in front of one another through the use of screen technology, the entire concept of what it is to conduct a meeting is nothing like what it used to be. Whats more, live streaming can bring education to professionals from industry conferences, continuing education (CE) sessions, workshops, and the like while people remain in their own homes or full-time work facilities. While these applications can certainlywith a patient may seem daunting, healthcare strike a convenient chord and increase theproviders may still want to prioritize indus-average professionals ability to get togethertry conferences and seminars as part of their with their colleagues and peers regardless ofongoing calendaras difficult as it may seem locationdo they necessarily help profession- to set this expectation routinely. als to network in the human sense of theElite recently interviewed Hertel about word? (Because we all know where the use ofwhat todays in-person networking can pro-the term network has been taken in todaysvide to healthcare professionals. jargon.) Can any mobile accessibility replace the benefits and the experiences that attend- 1. What do you see as the most import-ing a live event, in person, offers to todaysant benefits to healthcare professionals professionals?attending conferences on a regular basis?According to Robin A. Hertel, EdS, MSN,Keeping up on current practices and research. RN, CMSRN, president of the Academy ofThis provides an opportunity to not only Medical-Surgical Nurses, the advantages toincrease your own professional knowledge, taking the time to attend professional meet- but it provides an avenue and, in many cases, ings onsite are still significant and varieda forum for discussing and finding solutions today. While trying to find the time to getto problems that you have encountered. Along away from an electronic health record longwith this is the ability to sharpen your current ISTOCKenough to have a meaningful conversationskills; vendors may demonstrate new tools and 4 EDUCATION|2019| www.elitecme.com'