2026 AAENP National Conference: EmergNP

Pediatric procedural sedation can quickly become one of the most challenging moments in emergency care, requiring sound clinical judgment and a strong focus on patient safety. Through interactive case-based learning, you'll explore a practical, stepwise approach to pediatric sedation—from non-pharmacologic comfort measures and safe anxiolytic use to procedural sedation, airway management, and knowing when anesthesia consultation is warranted. Leave with evidence-informed strategies, essential monitoring and reversal principles, and the confidence to safely manage pediatric sedation in the emergency department.

Pediatric rashes are a common emergency department complaint, but distinguishing a benign illness from a life-threatening condition can be challenging. Through real-world case studies, this session will provide a practical framework for evaluating pediatric rashes by integrating history, physical examination findings, illness progression, and risk factors—not just pattern recognition. You'll leave with evidence-based strategies to identify high-risk "can't miss" conditions, avoid common diagnostic pitfalls, make confident disposition decisions, and provide effective caregiver education.

Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation are among the most common pediatric complaints in the emergency department—but recognizing the child with a time-sensitive surgical or medical condition requires a thoughtful approach. Using case-based discussions and evidence-informed guidelines, this session will strengthen your assessment, diagnostic reasoning, and management of pediatric gastrointestinal emergencies while highlighting key red flags and common pitfalls. You'll leave with practical clinical pearls to improve decision-making, optimize patient outcomes, and confidently care for children with GI concerns.

A limping child can present one of the most challenging diagnostic dilemmas in emergency care, with causes ranging from minor injuries to limb- and life-threatening conditions. Through a practical, evidence-based approach, this session will strengthen your ability to efficiently evaluate the limping child, recognize critical red flags, and differentiate common diagnoses from orthopedic, infectious, inflammatory, and neurologic emergencies. You'll leave with a systematic assessment strategy, greater diagnostic confidence, and practical clinical pearls to support timely intervention and appropriate disposition.

Documentation demands don't end when your shift does—but emerging AI tools are changing the way emergency clinicians work. This session explores how artificial intelligence can streamline documentation, reduce administrative burden, and support more efficient workflows while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and clinical judgment. You'll gain practical insights into today's AI documentation technologies, understand their benefits and limitations, and leave with strategies to help reclaim time, reduce burnout, and focus more fully on patient care.

Choosing the right empiric antimicrobial in the emergency department requires balancing timely treatment, evolving resistance patterns, and responsible antibiotic stewardship. This session will provide a practical, evidence-based review of empiric therapy for common infectious presentations—including respiratory, skin and soft tissue, genitourinary, and HEENT infections—while addressing sepsis, selected viral illnesses, and key medication considerations. You'll leave with updated prescribing strategies, greater confidence in antimicrobial selection, and practical pearls to optimize patient outcomes while supporting responsible antibiotic use.

Patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience unique challenges in the emergency department, yet many clinicians receive little formal education on providing equitable, patient-centered care for this population. This session explores practical strategies to improve communication, clinical assessment, and patient experience while highlighting how targeted education can strengthen provider confidence and reduce disparities in care. You'll leave with actionable approaches to deliver more inclusive, compassionate, and effective emergency care for patients with IDD and their caregivers.