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Cruise Conference Planning For Your Association

Nursing Topics in Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Addiction

7-Night Alaska Adventure Cruise
Round-trip Seattle, Washington
July 25 - August 01, 2025
Royal Caribbean's <em>Anthem of the Seas</em>
Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas
16 CE Credits for Psychologists
16 ASWB ACE Credits
Contact Hours
16.0 Contact Hours
Course Fees
$795 for Nurse Practitioners & Psychologists
$595 for Nurses and Social Workers

Target Audience
Psychologists, Social WorkersNurses, Nurse Practitioners
Program Purpose / Objectives
  1. I Already Am Nice: Hidden Stigma in Care of Those with Substance Use Disorders
    • Analyze the impact of language, tone, and clinical decision-making on patient engagement, treatment adherence, and long-term recovery outcomes
    • Discuss evidence-based strategies to mitigate stigma in clinical practice, including person-first language and trauma-informed approaches
    • Evaluate personal and institutional barriers to reducing stigma and implement concrete steps to create a more welcoming and supportive healthcare environment for individuals with SUD
  2. Death Prevention: Reducing Harm When Perfection Is Not an Option
    • Identify key harm reduction strategies that can be implemented in clinical practice to reduce mortality and improve patient outcomes
    • Analyze the barriers to harm reduction in healthcare settings, including stigma, legal challenges, and provider discomfort
    • Develop actionable steps to integrate harm reduction into daily clinical workflows, even when perfection and full recovery are not immediate options
  3. Fragmented Care: Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment often occurs in silos, leading to fragmented care that fails to address the comprehensive needs of individuals.
    • Identify strategies to enhance interprofessional collaboration and communication in the treatment of SUD.
    • Analyze the impact of integrated care models on patient outcomes in SUD treatment.
    • Develop approaches to mitigate stigma and promote a supportive environment within multidisciplinary teams
  4. The Myth of the Rowdy Waiting Room: Treating Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care and Why These Could Be Your Most Rewarding Patients
    • Identify common biases and misconceptions about patients with SUD and develop strategies to overcome them.
    • Acquire knowledge and skills necessary for effective screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for SUDs in primary care settings
  5. A Not So Boring Review of Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorders
    • Discuss the benefits and potential side effects of each medication to facilitate informed decision-making in clinical practice.
    • Address common misconceptions and stigma associated with medication-assisted treatment to improve acceptance among healthcare providers and patients.
    • Explore strategies to enhance access to these medications, considering regulatory, logistical, and socioeconomic factors
  6. Running on Empty: Compassion Fatigue and the Cost of Caring
    • Evaluate the impact of compassion fatigue on both healthcare providers' well-being and patient care outcomes
    • Develop strategies to foster a supportive work environment that promotes mental health and resilience among staff.
    • Implement personal and organizational self-care practices to mitigate the effects of compassion fatigue and enhance job satisfaction
  7. How to Keep Your Sanity: The "F" Words of Care
    • Develop strategies to incorporate these principles into daily routines to enhance resilience and job satisfaction.
    • Recognize the signs of burnout and compassion fatigue and implement preventive measures.
    • Promote a culture that supports mental well-being and reduces stigma associated with seeking help
  8. Stories From the Trenches: Case Studies on Patients with Substance Use Disorders
    • Evaluate the effectiveness of various intervention strategies, including culturally G and community-based approaches.
    • Develop skills to identify and mitigate personal biases, promoting empathetic and effective patient care
  9. Emotional and Psychological Traumas: Vulnerable Communities
    • Review the development of the Adverse Childhood Events (ACE) scale as a measure of trauma impact
    • Conceptualize ACE scores and its predictive value in the development of chronic illnesses
  10. Trauma-Informed and Recovery Based Care...“If BREATH…then HOPE”
    • Acknowledge how evidence-based system-level designs and approaches can improve patient and clinician well-being when using a trauma-informed perspective
  11. Helping Nurses Wo Encounter Behavioral Health Patients in Crisis
    • In what ways can the organization support nurse development in the realm of mental and behavioral health presentations? What do nurses need to understand?
    • Examine criteria for involuntary hospitalization
  12. Neuropsych and Medical Differentiation Challenges
    • Investigate integrative health care delivery models
    • Investigate parity laws
    • Strengthen assessment and observational skills to appropriately discern medical versus neuropsychiatric presentations
  13. Overview of the SANE/Forensic Nurse Examiner
    • Identify the need for SANE professionals
    • Acknowledge roles, responsibilities, and competencies of SANE nurses
    • Discuss value-added benefits for comprehensive care networks to provide communities with SANE/Forensic Nurse Examiners
  14. Is She Mad, or Bad, or Sad?
    • Sharpen interviewing, observational and listening skills to improve data collection and assessment of women's health issues
    • Adopt an understanding of gender affirming language
    • Psychedelic-Based Therapies: An Update
      • Discuss the state of psychedelic medication therapies and benefits
    • Identify roles for nursing practice
Conference Sessions generally take place on days at sea (as itinerary allows), giving you plenty of time to enjoy your meals, evenings and ports of call with your companion, family and friends.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All conferees, their families, and guests must book their cruise within the University at Sea® meeting group through University at Sea® at 800-926-3775 or by registering online. This ensures our company can provide conference services and complimentary social amenities to all meeting participants and their guests. Thank you for your cooperation.
Faculty

Kim Hutchinson, EdD, MS, MSN, BSN, PMHCNS-BC, CARN

Kim Hutchinson, EdD, MS, MSN, BSN, PMHCNS-BC, CARN
Dr. Kim Hutchinson is a hospital-based advance practice psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist and faculty consultant for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Credentialed as a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN) currently seeking waiver training for buprenorphine prescription privileges. Credentialed to diagnose, assess, and treat persons with substance use disorders under the Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist membership for the state of North Carolina. Professional work involves assurances that healthcare systems interface and integrate unique behavioral and substance use health needs of consumers across the lifespan. Adoption of evidence-based practices are the promoted standard.

Dr. Hutchinson has collaborated in writing the Review and Resource Manual – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing (5th ed) resource and a chapter on Geriatric Mental Health for the Nursing Knowledge Center arm of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This work incorporates knowledge derived from role delineation studies to develop additional accompanying materials: (1) case studies; (2) questions, answers and rationales; (3) workbooks; (4) face-to-face 2-day live reviews; and (4) learning module redesign to online audio-visual modules, all purposed to lead to successful attainment of board certification (BC) in psychiatric mental health nursing.

Dr. Hutchinson is an officer in NC American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) membership activities, and national APNA activities. With APNA, Dr. Hutchinson is a facilitator for the Suicide Assessment and Prevention certification course, the Recovery to Practice modules, and co-developed the Transitions to Practice online education module set.

Dr. Hutchinson has worked in nursing since 1976 in roles as clinician, university faculty, researcher, expert, author, test item developer (for NCLEX-RN and ANCC), consultant, and speaker. Recognition and awards have been earned from colleagues across local, national, and international practice regions.

BSN: 1977
MSN: 1980
EdD: 1996
MS: 2003

Brooke Schaefer, MSN, MBA, FNP-C, CARN-AP, RN

Our staff can assist you with all your travel arrangements.

Questions? Call us at 800-422-0711.
We can assist you with all your travel arrangements. We'd be happy to help you plan your flights, hotels or tours before and/or after your cruise conference.

Cruise Itinerary

DATE PORT OF CALL ARRIVE DEPART
Fri Jul 25 Seattle, Washington
- 4:00 pm
Sat Jul 26 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Sun Jul 27 Sitka, Alaska
10:00 am 6:00 pm
Mon Jul 28 Skagway, Alaska
8:00 am 8:00 pm
Tue Jul 29 Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier
5:00 am 10:00 am
Tue Jul 29 Juneau, Alaska
1:30 pm 9:00 pm
Wed Jul 30 *At Sea - Cruising
- -
Thu Jul 31 Victoria, British Columbia
5:00 pm 10:00 pm
Fri Aug 01 Seattle, Washington
6:00 am -
*Tentative course schedule, actual class times may differ.

Ports of Call

Seattle, Washington - Sailing out on a cruise from Seattle? Make sure you spend a few a days in the beautiful Emerald City. If you’re a nature lover, this jewel in the Pacific Northwest is the perfect place for you to explore ahead of your cruise vacation. Though it offers plenty of metropolitan delights — think great restaurants, bars, a ton of shopping and lots (and lots) of hip coffee shops — Seattle is a big city with a wild, great-outdoors soul. It’s surrounded by ancient forests, sprawling public parks and, of course, the misty Puget Sound, where you can slow-moving tugboats, sleek kayaks and the occasional pod of whales. Head to Discovery Park for beautiful views of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges or visit the Olympic Sculpture Park near Elliott Bay. And if you’re craving a drink and a tasty bite to eat, head to one of Seattle’s many rooftop bars and take advantage of those extra-long northern summer days while you sip local brews and expertly crafted cocktails.

At Sea - Cruising - Cruising

Sitka, Alaska - Sitka truly offers the best of Alaska. Its small-town appeal stems from a unique blend of Russian, Tlingit and American history. Its snow-capped peaks and volcanic Mount Edgecumbe pose among the state’s most postcard-worthy scenes. And its rare wildlife astounds, from Saint Lazaria Island’s orange-beaked puffins to Alaska Maritime Refuge’s 40 million seabirds. This is off-the-path Alaska, where you can kayak Sitka Sound alongside swimming sea otters or fly-fish for the world’s biggest halibut. Whether it’s hiking Baranof Island trails or listening to tribal stories passed down for generations, in Sitka the midnight sun never sets on adventure.

Skagway, Alaska - The tiny town of Skagway still looks like it did during the Klondike Gold Rush over 100 years ago— and today it remains an outpost for thrilling Alaskan adventure. An old-time street car ride along bustling Broadway Street reveals well-preserved buildings, including the state’s oldest hotel. You can see engraved walrus tusks at the Corrington Museum, or get lost in riveting historical reenactments around town. If outdoor adventure is more your thing, there are plenty of ways to amp up the adrenaline, from sledding with Alaskan Huskies on Laughton Glacier to rafting Lynn Canal, the longest fjord in North America.

Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier - One of Alaska's lesser-known gems, Endicott Arm Fjord marks the southern edge of Fords Terror Wilderness area. As you drift through its 30 -mile-long stretch, you can't help but be awed by the sorrounding granite cliffs, mountain valleys and dozens of gushing waterfalls. Drifting icebergs, deep blue waters and a spectacular tidewater glacier only add to this natural spectacle's appeal.

Victoria, British Columbia - Though Toronto and Vancouver are the more famous Canadian destinations, it’s high time for the sophisticated and beautiful city of Victoria, British Columbia (BC) to have its big moment. The quaint charm and English manners of Victoria will take you back in time to the days of British occupation in the 19th century. Victoria is known as “the garden city” for its lushness and its commitment to keeping the city beautiful. Head to Butchart Garden or Beacon Hill Park to enjoy nature during your time in port.

Of course, a little history lesson is another must while on a cruise to Victoria, BC. Tour the expertly maintained Craigdarroch Castle and the Parliament Buildings, or stop in the Royal BC Museum, a natural history museum dedicated to the history of human settlement in the region. There’s also the Emily Carr House, a museum dedicated to the life and works of the famous painter, Emily Carr. Victoria exudes an intellectualism where art galleries and afternoon tea await you, but so do long bicycle rides along the seafront. Stylish cafes and restaurants are modernizing the city, all while maintaining its signature look: something straight out of a postcard.

Non-Americans/Canadians, please Click Here to determine if you'll need a visa to board this cruise, which visits Canada

Our staff can assist you with all your travel arrangements.

Questions? Call us at 800-422-0711.
We can assist you with all your travel arrangements. We'd be happy to help you plan your flights, hotels or tours before and/or after your cruise conference.
SHORE EXCURSIONS
Please note that our shore excursions are operated separately and
independently of those offered by the cruise line.
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