AANP at 40: Recapping the 2025 AANP National Conference
More than 4,400 nurse practitioners gathered in sunny San Diego, California, for an incredible week of learning and networking.
Every American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) national conference is unique, but the 2025 AANP National Conference held in San Diego, California, June 17-22, will be remembered as a historic milestone. In addition to a showcase of nurse practitioner (NP) excellence, NPs also celebrated AANP turning 40, paid tribute to Loretta “Lee” Ford, EdD, RN, PNP, NP-C, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP, and attended the passing of the gavel to incoming AANP President Valerie J. Fuller, PhD, DNP, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP.
“This was one of the most rewarding professional conferences I’ve ever attended,” said AANP Chief Executive Officer Jon D. Fanning. “The atmosphere in San Diego was truly electric — filled with camaraderie, collaboration and a deep passion for learning. Time and again, I heard how meaningful it was for our attendees to connect with peers and sharpen their clinical expertise together.” On AANP’s social media, NPs shared their favorite moments. Jackie Broadway-Duren, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, wrote that it was “a great conference and perfect weather! Really enjoyed the networking opportunities.” First-time attendee Oksana Dukhovych wrote that it was an “amazing experience for this new grad NP!”
For those who attended the conference in San Diego and others who are curious about what an AANP conference is like, read on to learn more about this year’s event.
The Opening Session: Tributes and Storytelling
The opening general session included a heartfelt video tribute to Dr. Ford, which you can watch below:
Dr. Ford, the co-founder of the NP role, died this year at the age of 104. Her work on behalf of NPs was a decades-long endeavor, and she was even able to attend the 2024 AANP National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. AANP Immediate Past President Stephen A. Ferrara, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, paid tribute to Dr. Ford at both the opening and closing general session. At the latter, he said: “I know how much it meant to Dr. Ford that she was able to attend one final conference. She believed and said repeatedly that today’s NPs are her living legacy […] I am certain that Dr. Ford would be thrilled to know you are all attending this conference, and proud of the pivotal work you, our members, are doing to increase access to the quality health care nurse practitioners provide every single day.”
This year’s keynote speaker was Matthew Luhn, who began his career as an animator and later became a story artist on films like Toy Story and Up. Luhn began by speaking about his earliest successful drawing (an expressive image of his father experiencing a stomachache) and his path through animation college and into the business of creating meaningful and moving characters and plotlines. In recounting his life and career, Luhn emphasized the importance of a good story in capturing the attention of an audience and gave NPs an insight into how to best communicate important information to patients while keeping them engaged.
Continuing Education and Collaboration
Over 330 sessions and workshops were available to NPs during the conference, and NPs also gathered for an AANP Career Fair and an AANP Communities Reception. The Exhibit Hall featured a variety of activities for NPs, including the annual scavenger hunt (where one lucky winner was awarded $500) and a photo booth. Two booths were branded with AANP 40th anniversary messaging, and NPs who updated their contact information and more went home with merch only available at the conference.
AANP’s initiatives to help set NP students up for success included several in-person initiatives at the national conference, including a Student Reception. Students were also provided with a list of potential sessions to attend and presentations on topics important to students. These future NPs also learned firsthand about the importance of AANP Communities, where they heard more about the specialties that interest them and had their questions answered by longstanding NP leaders.
During the conference, past AANP President Sophia Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, interviewed a number of NPs at the national conference for future episodes of AANP’s podcast, NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®. NP experts spoke on subjects including dementia, concussion and avoiding burnout. The first of the NP Pulse episodes recorded at the conference, and scheduled for release on July 9, is an interview with AANP President Valerie Fuller.
Experience the 2025 AANP National Conference Online
If you weren’t able to make it to the national conference in San Diego but want to earn CE and access dozens of advanced sessions, register now for the 2025 AANP National Conference — Online! The online portion of the 2025 AANP National Conference is open from now until Aug. 4, 2025, and includes over 100 sessions offering over 85 contact hours (CH) of CE credit, including 28 pharmacology credits.