13 minute read
NurseCon At Sea 2024
CRUISE TO MEXICO + THE BAHAMAS
The Ultimate Nursing Conference
APRIL 9-14, 2024
By April Rowe, BSN, RN
Article Photos Courtesy of NurseCon at Sea
THOUSANDS OF NURSES JOINED NURSE BLAKE on his 5th Ultimate Nursing Conference onboard the Norwegian Breakaway to enjoy a much-needed week off from call lights, Vocera calls, and constant alarms — swapping stressful nursing responsibilities with music, dancing, themed parties, exotic excursions, and soaking up the sun on the white, sandy beaches of Mexico and The Bahamas.
Nurses from all over the world gathered for an unforgettable 5-night nursing (vacation) conference that included numerous continuing nursing education credits, excursions to Cozumel and Great Stirrup Cay, and incredible shows like Nurse Blake Live, the Drag Queen Show, and Nurses Got Talent.
CAPTIVATING & HILARIOUS SHOWS
Every NurseCon at Sea cruise is loaded with jaw-dropping entertainment that will leave you in awe and laughing until your cheeks hurt! Nurse Blake Live is a hilarious show that is a must-see for anyone who loves a good dose of raunchy medical humor. And boy, does Blake deliver!
Attendees always rave about Nurse Feud. If you think there’s a divide between day shift and night shift on your unit, wait ‘til you experience this side-splitting, hooping, hollering, all-out war that goes on during this show. Set up like a real game show, Team Night Shift and Team Day Shift compete to see who knows nursing best. Nurse Feud has the audience shrieking with laughter and yelling out loud. The night shifters are the reigning champions — little know-it-alls!
It’s not a NurseCon conference without a Drag Queen Show! These queens will slay the stage with their fierce looks, enormous eyelashes, killer dance moves, and hilarious banter. It's a night of pure glamor and hysterical entertainment that you don't want to miss.
And just when you think nurses are invariably the coolest, most talented professionals out there, brace yourself for Nurses Got Talent. These nurses can belt out the most impressive tunes, dance like nobody's watching, and prove that nurses truly are a one-of-akind breed!
These nurses can belt out the most impressive tunes, dance like nobody's watching, and prove that nurses truly are a one-of-a-kind breed!
The winner of Nurses Got Talent was Elisa Ranola, BSN, CNOR, RN, from Ventura, California. Her unbelievable performance of “At Last” by Etta James was nothing short of amazing and sent shivers up our spines! Elisa has been a nurse since 2007 and works as a night shift supervisor in the OR. She’s been singing since she was 12 and decided to skip fame and fortune and go for a fulfilling career in nursing…what was she thinking?!? Just kidding.
Before she was a nurse, Elisa would sing on tour, so she’s used to performing in front of a big crowd. But there was something different about having an audience full of nurses. “It was definitely the most responsive and captive audience I’ve ever had! As soon as I started singing, people went crazy. The energy of the crowd was very powerful,” Elisa recalled.
Elisa said her favorite parts about the cruise were “the dance parties by the pool, all the different theme nights, yoga in the mornings, swimming with dolphins, and being in a safe environment where everyone has your back. Nurses are caregivers, and we are always looking out for each other. [The cruise] brings all of us nurses together from all over. It’s a great community to be a part of.”
EXOTIC EXCURSIONS
For every other ordinary nursing conference, you can't say that you swam with the dolphins in the turquoise waters of The Bahamas or trekked through the Mexican jungle to swim in a cave! The phenomenal choice of excursions that NurseCon at Sea offers is just one of the perks of this educational cruise.
For every other ordinary nursing conference, you can't say that you swam with the dolphins in the turquoise waters of The Bahamas or trekked through the Mexican jungle to swim in a cave!
In The Bahamas, Karina and a group of friends decided to rent a two-bedroom beachfront villa in Great Stirrup Cay. “We had our own private beach, our own butler, and a buffet area. There were two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a nice living room, and decks. It was so relaxing and so much fun,” she said.
Karina Bono, RN, a home health nurse from Redding, California, has been on three NurseCon at Sea cruises, so she knows exactly how to take advantage of excursion days. For this last cruise, Karina spent her day in Mexico driving an ATV through the jungle, swimming in a fresh-water cenote, and spending time on a beautiful, sandy beach. “We spent a couple of hours driving our ATVs through the jungle, then swam in a cenote. In one corner of the cave, there were all these bats! It was so cool,” said Karina.
THE UNFORGETTABLE THEME NIGHTS
NurseCon at Sea would not be the same without the epic theme nights! Everyone loves the chance to dress up, get wild, and party with Nurse Blake!
For Emo Night, we unleashed our inner angst and embraced the dark side of fashion. Black eyeliner, studded accessories, and all our favorite emo band tees created a night of emotional rebellion.
To show some team spirit, Sports Night embraced our favorite team jerseys, face paint, and foam fingers. Nurses dressed up as football players, cheerleaders, and even synchronized swimmer
Everyone loves the chance to dress up, get wild, and party with Nurse Blake!
Prom Night was our chance to relive the magic of our high school prom or experience it for the first time. We danced the night away and got a surprise visit from the prom queen of all queens, Nurse Becky! She looked like a delicate flower in her blush-pink prom gown.
Fairy Tale Night was like a world of enchantment! There were shimmering princesses, dashing princes, mystical fairies, and evil temptresses. It was a whimsical, glittery party filled with wonder and enchantment.
The theme nights were so fun. It was a nice way to create camaraderie, and you get to wear clothes that you would never wear anywhere else.
“The theme nights were so fun. It was a nice way to create camaraderie, and you get to wear clothes that you would never wear anywhere else,” said Bethany Melega, BSN, RN, SCRN, from Durham, North Carolina. She has been a Neuro ICU nurse for two years, and this was her first NurseCon at Sea cruise. Bethany enjoyed it so much that she signed up for NurseCon Orlando and the cruise to The Bahamas in 2025.
Bethany highly recommends the cruise to others and loves that “You’re going to meet so many people, and it’s so nice to meet a community of nurses who are passionate about nursing. But nursing is tough, so it’s nice that we can all support each other. And Nurse Blake is always so personable and sweet. It takes a lot of work to create a community like this, so I really respect what he’s done.”
80+ CONTINUING NURSING EDUCATION CREDITS
There were over 80 CNEs offered on the cruise. The courses, workshops, escape rooms, and discussion panels are an intriguing way to earn those required credits. Each one is taught by an exceptional and engaging educator.
Dr. Katherine Irizarry, EdD, MSN, BSN, RN, from the Bronx, New York, has been a past NurseCon at Sea attendee. She loved the atmosphere so much that she returned this year as an educator. Dr. Irizarry taught the Emergency Room Novice Program for Nursing Shortages and Exploring Implicit Bias: Unveiling Perceptions and Promoting Inclusivity.
I’ve never felt so welcomed, supported, and encouraged before. It's a great opportunity to learn and connect with others.
- DR. IRIZARRY, NURSECON EDUCATOR
Dr. Irizarry has been a nurse for over 27 years and has a background in HIV specialty, cardiac/telemetry, and nursing education. “The cruise is fantastic. I’ve never felt so welcomed, supported, and encouraged before. It's a great opportunity to learn and connect with others. There are so many different topics to learn about. You bond and develop friendships because of the camaraderie,” she said. Dr. Irizarry will return as an educator to the 2025 cruise to The Bahamas.
NurseCon educator Cella Janisch-Hartline, BSN, RN from Wisconsin, has been a nurse for over 44 years and was thrilled to join NurseCon at Sea in 2024 for her first cruising experience. “The cruise was amazing! The energy that was present with all those nurses just letting go, having fun, and learning together was wonderful.” Cella took advantage of the excursion opportunities and visited the Tulum ruins in Mexico and swam with the pigs in The Bahamas.
The courses she taught on the cruise were Rekindling Your Passion in Healthcare and Nurturing a Positive Nursing Culture: Addressing Disruptive Behaviors. She is passionate about fostering a culture that encompasses kindness, acceptance, and pride in nursing.
Cella will be the keynote speaker at the NurseCon Orlando conference in September. Her take on this issue’s theme of Legacy in Action was very moving. “For me, it’s always been really important to create a living legacy, and how I show up matters in every moment of every day. I have to choose the kind of nurse and human being that I want to be, so it’s important to be intentional every single day.”
NOT A NURSE? NO PROBLEM!
Cruise attendee Sophia Aime, from Miami, Florida, is a paralegal and is currently applying for law school. Although she’s not a nurse, her mother is, so she knows all about our nursing intricacies and the gross topics we talk about at the dinner table!
“I didn’t know what to expect in terms of being on a cruise ship with a bunch of nurses. Surprisingly, not only are you nurses so much fun, but I was also happy to connect with other young adult nurses around my age group who are doing amazing things. We enjoyed our time on the ship together, especially at the silent disco parties,” said Sophia.
When asked why she’d recommend the cruise to others, Sophia added, “First of all, you nurses rock and are so much fun! You have the chance to meet wonderful people and learn about health and medicine from well-versed health professionals. Even if health is not your particular career interest, or if you can’t stand the sight of bodily fluids like me, you’ll definitely end up leaving with something valuable from the NurseCon at Sea cruise.”
NURSES KEEP COMING BACK!
A mother-daughter duo from Nevada were first-time attendees. Terry De Vault, RN, a labor and delivery nurse of 35 years and her daughter, Ashley De Vault, RN, an OR circulator of one year celebrated Ashley becoming a nurse by going on the cruise. They enjoyed it so much, they have already registered for the cruise in 2025.
“I think once you go on the cruise, you’ll always want to go back. And I really like the fact that Blake is so visible and personable on the ship. We’re happy we get to see him in Lake Tahoe this October for his comedy tour,” said Terry. For the excursions, they swam with the pigs in The Bahamas and went to the Chankanaab Adventure Beach Park in Mexico.
Ashley mentioned her most memorable moments. “The water was crystal clear and so beautiful. The shows did not disappoint! Nurse Blake Live was great, and I loved the drag shows. The classes were a different environment than a nursing conference because everyone had a drink, we were all relaxed, and it was so much fun. And where else can you float around the pool on a giant inflatable PureWick?!”
There’s still a chance to experience firsthand the epic nursing cruise life of NurseCon at Sea. We’re hopping onboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas for a 4-night ultimate educational vacation to The Bahamas from April 7 to 11, 2025. Grab your spot HERE, and we’ll see you next year!
