AALTCN Conference Spotlight
The American Association for Long Term Care Nursing (AALTCN) is hosting its 2011 National Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. This conference will cover current information on a broad range of clinical and leadership topics that fulfill requirements for several certification programs. Educational sessions will offer information for nurses fulfilling roles in long-term care, including Director of Nursing, Assistant Director of Nursing, RN, LPN, Staff Nurse, Staff Development Nurse Coordinator, Geriatric Nurse Practitioners, MDS Nurse Coordinators, Executive Nurse Managers, Wound Care Treatment Nurses, and Clinical Executives.
This conference will take place September 8 through September 9 at Caesars Palace (3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 702-731-7110; www.caesarspalace.com).
In addition to the presentations and workshops offered, AALTCN will be providing certification programs for the following:
- Director of Nursing in Long Term Care Certification Program: DON-CLTC™
- Staff Development Specialist in Long Term Care Certification Program:CD-CLTC™
- Long Term Care Safety Specialist Certification Program: LTC-SS C™
For those not interested in seeking certification, this conference still offers sessions on the latest practices, allows you to visit exhibits, and provides plenty of opportunities to network with peers.
Highlighted Speakers
Noted Speakers
Noted key speakers scheduled to lead events at this conference include Lori Gutierrez, Paige Hector, Charlotte Eliopoulos, Diana F. Waugh, Jay M. Sackman, Barbara Frank, Cathie Brady, Lisa Byrd, and Nita Kasan. In addition to these speakers, Craig Karges will be kicking off the event in an AALTCN-WOW Joint General Session at 8:30 AM on September 8. Karges is an entertainer who has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Larry King Live, Fox News Channel, CNBC, and E! Entertainment Television.
Workshops and Presentations
The robust list of conference workshops and seminars are listed below. For more information on these workshops and seminars, as well as any updates to the schedule, download the registration brochure at https://ltcnursing.org/2011AALTCNConference.htm.
Workshops and Seminars Scheduled for September 8
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- General Session with Guest Speaker Craig Karges
9:45 AM – 12:15 PM
- AALTCN General Sessions
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
- Administration of Nursing Department
- Unique Risk in LTC Setting
- Overview of the Staff Development Program
3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
- Quality Improvements
- Equipping Staff for Safe Practices
- Engaging Adult Learners: An Overview of the Adult Learning Process
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Quest for the Right Talent in Our Workplace
- Root Causes and Dynamics of Caregiver Injuries
- Ring around the Rosie—Feel Like Your Staff Education is Going Around in Circles?
Presentations Scheduled for September 9
8:15 AM – 9:15 AM
- A Team Approach: MDS 3.0 as the Engine of High Quality Individualized Care
9:15 AM – 10:15 PM
- Reducing Avoidable Hospitalizations of Nursing Home Residents
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
- Lateral Violence in Nursing: Achieving Cultural Transformation via Leadership Accountability
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
- Sit Down for Stand-Up: Let’s Talk About Critical Elements of Care
- Erogonomics 101
- Teaching Example: Teaching Staff to Reduce Problem Behaviors in Residents with Dementia
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
- A 360 Degree Approach to Infection Prevention in Long Term Care: Demystifying the Tag F-441
- Creating an Effective Safety Program
- Teaching Examples Continued: Teaching Staff to Reduce Problem Behaviors in Residents with Dementia
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
- Recognizing and Reducing Legal Risks
- Using QIS Tools for Risk Management
- Teaching Example: Oral Health
Where to Dine
Las Vegas offers vast opportunities for culinary delight. The cuisine is delicious and renowned. Whether you’re interested in fine dining or simply looking for something to grab on the run, Las Vegas has it all!
Seafood Lover
If you’re a seafood lover, AquaKnox is the place to go. This restaurant, housed inside The Venetian (702-414-3772; www.aquaknox.net), offers fresh seafood flown in daily from around the world. The selection of fish is enormous and is sure to get your mouth watering. The fennel dusted seared ahi tuna with Beluga lentils, escarole, applewood bacon, and blood orange chirmichurri will be an explosion for your taste buds!
Carnivores’ Delight
If you’re dying to check out a celebrity dining hot spot, N9NE Steakhouse is one of Las Vegas’ most popular steakhouses (702-933-9900; www.palms.com/dining/las-vegas-n9ne-steakhouse). Located in the Palms Hotel Casino Resort, their aged steaks are cooked to perfection and are sure to delight. Be sure to order from the delicious side dishes such as the lobster mashed potatoes or the garlic green beans to compliment your main course. And don’t forget to check out the exclusive caviar bar. Although the bill will be hefty at the end of this culinary adventure, you’ll feel so satisfied and fulfilled that you’ll know it’s money well spent.
For Your Sweet Tooth
If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth and reward yourself in chocolate, look no further than Max Brenner’s Chocolate by The Bald Man (The Forum Shops at Caesars; 702-462-8790; www.maxbrenner.com/home.aspx). While the famed chocolate shop does serve lunch and dinner, it’s most known for its delectable and creative dessert menu. From the breakfast-inspired banana split waffles to the rich deep fudge chocolate cake and shake, your experience at Max Brenner’s Chocolate surely won’t disappoint!
Just Steps Away
You’re very fortunate to be staying at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. In addition to all of the luxurious amenities housed in this complex you’ll also find 15 places to eat ranging from super casual to ultra high end.
Beijing Noodle No. 9 is one of my favorite spots to grab a meal. Although the service is quick, the atmosphere is very chic. When you enter you’re greeted with huge tanks of cheerful goldfish that set the mood for the plucky white lacing that decorates the walls and ceiling. The food is great with your choice of noodles and sauces.
Famed Chef Bobby Flay brings his passions for southwestern cuisine and grilling together at Mesa Grill, also located at Caesars Palace (877-346-4642; www.caesarspalace.com/casinos/caesars-palace/restaurants-dining/mesa-grill-detail.html). The environment of the restaurant gives an American Southwest vibe with an open space that features rich and vibrant colors and textures. The delicious entrees include the mango and spice crusted tuna steak, cornmeal crusted chile relleno, and ancho-chile glazed salmon to name a few. The restaurant also has access to some of the country’s highest-quality tequila and mezcal offerings, giving it an expansive and unique cocktail menu.
If you’re ready for a gourmet dining experience that you’ll talk about for the rest of your life, be sure to make reservations at Restaurant Guy Savoy, which is also located at Caesars. To say that this is an upscale restaurant doesn’t quite convey the grandeur of the French cuisine that is waiting for you. You have a whole team at your service from your primary waiter, to your sommelier, and let us not forget the person in charge of your bread selection. Everything on the every-changing menu is served and presented with care and elegance. Your palette will never be overwhelmed; it will only be enchanted. It is certainly worth the price of admission—and that is saying something.
Entertainment Vegas Style
Las Vegas Thrills
If you’re looking for unique and dazzling experiences, Las Vegas has a lot to offer. Listed below are 3 types of exciting attractions you don’t want to miss during your stay!
Show Lights Up Vegas Skies
The Strip isn’t the only place with glittering lights and stunning sound effects. Carve out time to visit downtown Las Vegas for the Fremont Street Experience. This ongoing project blends vintage Las Vegas with high-tech wonderment, live entertainment, and more—all for free.
Perhaps, the biggest attraction of the Fremont Street Experience is the Viva Vision canopy and light show. The canopy towers 90 feet above the ground and spans the length of 5 football fields. The choreographed lights and sounds feature shows like “Ophelia’s Dream,” which takes viewers through Ophelia’s fast-paced fantastical dream world with new adventures, ice mountains, and mystery. There is also “Bad to the Bone,” a wild motorcycle ride with the bad boys of rock. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing the lyrics and dancing—you won’t be the only one.
Technicians inside the master control room in the Fremont Street Experience building handle the magic of the Viva Vision light show. Technicians have only 3 minutes to load the show on the big screen. Eight high-tech computers that intertwine the light, visual, and audio system assist them. New Viva Vision shows are created each year and are rotated in and out. Viva Vision show times are every hour on the hour from 8:30 PM to midnight.
Satisfy Your Need for Speed with Vegas Thrill Rides
If you love thrill rides, Las Vegas has its share of rides to get your adrenaline going. The Roller Coaster at New York-New York (866-815-4365; www.newyorknewyork.com/attractions/the-roller-coaster.aspx) is hard to miss. Once you board the roller coaster train designed like New York taxicabs, get ready for 2 minutes and 45 seconds of heart-pounding thrills. This roller coaster will lift you up 203 feet, drop you down 144 feet, and leave you coasting at 67 mph. The roller coaster operates Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM and Friday through Saturday from 10:30 AM to midnight. Individual tickets cost $14.
The New York-New York roller coaster isn’t the only ride sure to get you screaming. Head to the top of the Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower (702-380-7711; www.stratospherehotel.com/Tower/Rides) for a 360-degree view of the city. Jutting 1149 feet into the Vegas skyline, Stratosphere Tower is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States and a major attraction for visitors. The tower offers thrill seekers 3 rides. Here is a glimpse of what awaits you on one of the rides. Extending 68 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower, Insanity—The Ride spins passengers up to 3 Gs. The Stratosphere Tower observation deck and rides are open Sunday through Thursday 10:00 AM to 1:00 AM and Friday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM.
Walking on the Wild Side
When you say the word “party animal” in Las Vegas a lot of images come to mind—none of which involve a species other than human. But in Las Vegas, where almost anything is possible, you can find some real party animals; you just have to know where to look.
At the Mirage Hotel and Casino (3400 Las Vegas Boulevard; 702-791-7111) you’ll find Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat (www.miragehabitat.com/pages/index_flash.asp). During your visit to this enchanted hideaway, you’ll be able to come face to face with white lions, white tigers, panthers, leopards, and a family of Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins. Siegfried and Roy, after years of working with exotic animals in their magic acts, have committed themselves to preserving the brilliance of these creatures, and this habitat has been built in the hopes of achieving conservation. And the performance pedigrees of these animals really show.
If getting close to the dolphin residents of the Secret Garden has made you long for even more undersea adventures, then make your way to the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino (3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South; 877-632-7000; www.mandalaybay.com), which is home to the Sharks Reef Aquarium (www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/shark-reef-aquarium.aspx). Explore the 1.6 million gallons of seawater housed at this impressive aquarium. This is North America’s only predator-based aquarium and exhibit, and true to this claim, the displays are thrilling and the sea creatures you’ll encounter are amazing.
