Author Archives: Leslie H. Nicoll

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About Leslie H. Nicoll

Leslie H. Nicoll, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN has more than 50 years experience as a nurse, researcher, author, and editor. She is the Editor Emeritus for CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing and the current Editor of Visions: Science of Rogerian Nursing Scholarship. She is the Founder and President of Maine Desk, LLC. Writer's Camp is a business venture of Maine Desk and an exciting resource for excellence in writing, editing, and publishing.

Happy New Year!

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Beautiful-Happy-New-Year-Wishes-2014-3D-Wallpaper2014 has arrived! It’s a bright, sunny morning here in southern Maine–although bitterly cold. I am always happy when it is sunny on New Year’s Day–I feel like the year is starting off on the right foot.

There was a flurry of activity yesterday as people took advantage of the last day of early bird registration. We have 66 attendees for the conference right now. For planning I have been using two benchmarks for attendance: 132 participants in Asheville, NC in 2005 and 145 participants in San Francisco in 2011. At the Regency we have a maximum attendance of 150. With 66 registrations we are at about 44% of capacity, or 50% with the 132 benchmark number.

I find this interesting because INANE has never had registration open a year in advance of the conference before. There was some skepticism among members of the planning committee about whether this was a good idea. My attitude was “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” I thought this could be an experiment and we could evaluate at the end whether it was successful.

And I would say, so far, it seems to be a success! But also, we still have plenty of space available for those who want to attend but have not yet registered. Click here to register online–quickly, easily, and securely.

submit-abstract-news1Abstracts for breakout sessions and poster presentations are still being accepted. The deadline is January 15–presenters will be notified by February 15 and the full conference program will be published on March 1. If you were planning on submitting an abstract but didn’t quite get to it–here’s your chance! The abstracts that have been received are excellent but we are not overloaded. So please, take advantage of this opportunity to share your editing innovations with your colleagues.

I have received a lot of positive feedback on my post about visiting Acadia as well as the Sea Dogs game. It seems that many of you will be using the conference as a jumping off point for vacation, which I think is a splendid idea! Maine is beautiful in August. The weather is usually picture perfect and everything is open. If you have questions or specific destinations in mind, let me know and I’ll share my knowledge. I love my adopted state!

Here’s to a safe, happy, and peaceful New Year for all of us! I look forward to welcoming my INANE colleagues to Portland in August–just seven months from now!

Leslie

Planning Committee: Peggy Chinn, Margaret Freda, Shawn Kennedy Lisa Marshall, Jean Proehl

Maine Travel: Acadia Park

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Inspired by Vicki Conn’s question, I thought I would occasionally post on visiting and traveling in Maine. Years ago, one of our governors (I think it might have been Angus King, our current senator) said that we should all “live in Maine and vacation in Maine.” I took his words to heart and have seen quite a bit of my adopted state–although I have never been to Baxter State Park or Rangeley Lake, nor have I climbed Mt. Katadhin. But I’ve done plenty of other traveling and I am happy to share travel hints in anticipation of INANE 2014.

A few caveats: Maine is a large, rural state. If you want to see sights beyond what is feasible in a taxi in and around Portland, you’ll probably need to rent a car. Public transportation to get out and about is not a realistic option. Second, INANE 2014 is scheduled at the height of the summer season so it would be wise to plan an itinerary and make reservations (for rental car, hotel, etc) so you are not disappointed.

Acadia_national_park_mapSo…on to the sightseeing! Vicki asked about Acadia National Park. I would guess that Acadia is the most popular travel destination in Maine and with good reason–it’s beautiful. In August, it’s also crowded but with some planning you can still have an enjoyable visit.

Acadia Park is actually in three parts. The largest and most well known section is on Mt. Desert Island. The most remote part, requiring a boat trip from Stonington is on Isle Au Haut. Schoodic Penisula is the only part of the park on the mainland. Note that even though Mt. Desert Island is an island, you don’t need to take a boat to get there–there is a causeway that connects the island to the mainland.

The Mt. Desert Island part of the park is where the “famous” sights are: Cadillac Mountain, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, Jordan Pond House (serving very popular popovers–reservations are essential), and the carriage roads which are ideal for hiking and biking. There is a 26 mile loop road that will take you through the park and past all the popular spots. The Island Explorer is a free bus service that has itineraries in and through the park and is highly recommended. I’ve never ridden the bus but I have heard that it is very popular and is helping to cut down on traffic and overcrowded parking lots in the park.

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Schoodic Point, looking at the Gulf of Maine

Personally, I like the Schoodic Peninsula section of the park. It’s about an hour further east beyond Mt. Desert. It’s beautiful, unspoiled, and not crowded. When you are at the tip of the peninsula you are actually looking out at the North Atlantic (as opposed to viewing Frenchman’s Bay which is what you see on Mt. Desert). It’s a bit further to get to and you will definitely need a car, but I think it is worth it.

I’ve never been to Isle Au Haut but I’ve heard it’s beautiful. That is a destination that is ideal for hikers–no cars on the island and no way to get around except by foot. Coincidentally, it is the home of Linda Greenlaw, the swordfishing captain (and Colby College graduate) who became famous in the book, The Perfect Storm (and her own re-telling of that storm in the book, The Hungry Ocean).

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Penobscot Narrows Bridge

Travel: From Portland to Bar Harbor is about 3 to 4 hours (driving) depending on what route you take. My preferred route is to take I295 (from Portland) to Augusta, then Route 3 to Belfast, then Rt 1/Rt 3 to Bucksport, Ellsworth, and then to Mt. Desert. This gives you a nice fast interstate start but also includes some pretty views, plus a drive over the Penobscot Narrows Bridge (a stop at the Observatory is recommended!).

Planning a Trip: If you are going to make the trek to Acadia from Portland (or visit before INANE) you should probably plan on spending at least 2 nights in the area. Acadia Park is big–even if you only visit the Mt. Desert Island section. I think you need to give yourself enough time to relax and enjoy the scenery.

There is camping in the park (and campgrounds near the park) but somehow I don’t think INANE attendees will be traveling with tents and sleeping bags! Accommodations on Mt. Desert run the gamut from chain motels (Best Western) to B&Bs to swanky hotels. There are several towns on the island. Bar Harbor is the most well known and many people think Bar Harbor/Acadia Park are synonymous but Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor are also beautiful and have a variety of accommodations.  I recommend using TripAdvisor to do research about where to stay.

If you are a “hub and spoke” traveler (that would be me) you might want to investigate hotels/motels in Ellsworth. You won’t have a view and you won’t be right in downtown Bar Harbor but it is a good jumping off point if you want to see more than Acadia on Mt. Desert such as Schoodic Point and maybe heading to Deer Isle (I’ll write more about that location in a future post).

Last–there is a good airport in Bangor. Depending on how you configure your trip, it might be realistic to fly to Portland before INANE, spend some time after the conference exploring downeast Maine, and then fly home from Bangor. Of course, this itinerary could be reversed.

Comments and questions are invited. I look forward to welcoming everyone to Maine next summer!

The Regency, Room Blocks, and Reservations

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or…Hotel Reservations 101

When I selected the Regency Hotel for INANE 2014, I had to contract for a specific number of sleeping rooms that would be booked from August 3rd to 6th. This is standard for conference planning–it’s how the hotel makes money after all! But it is a balancing act to “guess-timate” the number of rooms. If I contract for too many and then we don’t fill them, I am stuck with paying the bill for the unused rooms. On the other hand, if I don’t contract enough, when someone calls to make a reservation, they may be told that the hotel is “sold out.” Technically, the hotel is not sold out, but our room block is. Certainly I want everyone to be able to stay at the hotel and enjoy the conference room rate for the duration of their stay.

Fortunately, it is not all a big gamble. The Regency is willing to provide some flexibility around the number of rooms in a block, especially when people are making reservations well in advance of the conference. For example, if our contracted estimate turns out to be too low for one of the nights, I can contact the sales staff to add extra rooms. But this flexibility is limited and we’ll get to a point when this is no longer possible. Just as we can sell out our block of rooms, if the hotel is holding a block for us, they have turn down reservations from other potential customers–because those rooms are reserved for us. When summer tourism season gets closer, Regency staff will be less willing to hold rooms and potentially lose  customers. That’s why it is important to have reservations for our attendees confirmed early, before we bump up against summer planning. See what I mean about a balancing act?

I have modified our room block three times–the most recent was today. Reservations for Wednesday, August 6th have been running well ahead of my estimate. We originally booked 5 rooms, then 10. Now it’s up to 40. For the other nights:

  • Sunday Aug 3rd: originally 20; now 35
  • Monday Aug 4th: originally 70; now 95 (“run of the house”–we are hoping to fill the entire hotel)
  • Tuesday Aug 5th: originally 70; now 95
  • Wednesday Aug 6th: originally 5, then 10; now 40

What does this mean for attendees (and why I am going into such excruciating detail)? For purposes of planning and budgeting, it is very helpful to know if we are on target with our room reservations. I also don’t want anyone to be disappointed with their reservation by not being able to book the nights they want at the conference rate.

The good news is, you can make reservations without worrying about a financial penalty if you need to cancel or your plans change. They will ask you for a credit card to guarantee your reservation, but nothing will be charged until you actually set foot in the hotel. You will not be charged for one (or two) nights at the time of your reservation, as is often the case with booking agencies or using services such as Expedia. The cancellation policy is to call and notify them 48 hours prior to your arrival. You can also modify your reservation without penalty. So if you think you might stay three nights, make that reservation. Then if it ends up being two, you can easily cancel one night–as along as you do it more than 48 hours in advance. It helps me enormously in handling the “on-the-ground” details of rooms blocks and so on if you reserve early.

It’s easy to make a reservation: just call the hotel at 1-800-727-3436 or 207-774-4200. The staff at the hotel prefers if you call so you can discuss room types and availability. If calling is impossible (due to time zones or whatever) you can email the reservations manager, Shari Cole at scole@theregency.com. 

And–if you have any problems at all please let me know immediately! Use the contact form to send me a message and I will respond as quickly as possible. I became aware of the need for the room block on Aug 6th to be increased because Elaine Miller ran into a spot of trouble but all is well now. I can work to fix things quickly but only if I know there is a problem!

Even if you are not ready to register for the conference, you can reserve your hotel room (many have done this). Like I said, booking early ensures that you will not be disappointed. I look forward to welcoming everyone to Maine next summer!

Leslie

Pre- and Post-Conference Fun

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Vicki Conn, editor of the Western Journal of Nursing Research, sent me a message yesterday asking about networking/connecting with others for pre/post-conference sightseeing and fun. Vicki tells me this is her first trip to Maine and she is very excited to see our beautiful state. She wrote:

I would be interested in suggestions for sightseeing for anyone planning to stay some extra days in Maine. That would help with planning the number of days at the conference hotel.

I think this is a great question. I would love to help people connect but I am not sure of the best way to do so–which is why I started here with the blog. People can ask questions in the comments and I will try to pull them together with answers and more information on our sightseeing page.  Right now all the activities that are listed are within walking distance of the hotel but certainly, if people want to go a little further afield, I can provide suggestions. A couple of thoughts that come to mind:

  • People traveling alone to the conference–interest in connecting with others for sightseeing before or after?
  • Anyone planning on renting a car–or open to the idea of renting a car–for traveling beyond Portland?

portland10One fun idea, for anyone arriving on Sunday–the Portland Sea Dogs will be playing a home game against the Trenton Thunder, starting at 1 pm. The Sea Dogs are the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox–and the Thunder feeds the Yankees, so this is an intense rivalry. You’d pay a whole lot more to see the Sox vs. the Yankees at Fenway Park than you will in Portland! The Sea Dogs play at Hadlock Field, a nice, small intimate venue that really let’s you see the game. It is about 1.5 miles from the Regency–30 minute walk or a quick taxi ride.  I’m not even a baseball fan and I try to get to at least one Sea Dogs game every summer.

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Hadlock Field, with the Maine Monster in left field.

Whether or not you are a baseball fan, please share thoughts in the comments. What do you want to know and what are you thinking of for pre/post conference fun? I’ll figure out a way to make networking happen!

Leslie

Planning Committee: Peggy Chinn, Margaret Freda, Shawn Kennedy, Lisa Marshall, Jean Proehl

November 1 update: Save Your Receipt!

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Happy November Everyone,

First thing I need to say is, where did October go? Jeesh, that was a month that just flew by! Which reminds me that we are counting down to the deadline for conference abstracts and early bird registration. More about that in a minute because right now I want to say:

Save Your Receipt!

When you register for INANE, you will receive two email documents: 1) a confirmation of your registration, listing everything you have signed up for; and 2) an itemized receipt. I have recently learned that I can reproduce item 1 but I cannot reproduce item 2. Since the receipt includes monies paid, that is likely the necessary document that you will need for reimbursement, so I encourage you to print out the receipt and save the email.

clock-tickingThe accounting of all funds received is being carefully tracked and I can easily provide documentation of your total registration (and any amounts refunded)–I just can’t easily re-create the itemized receipt that is sent at the time of registration. So I just ask that everyone hold on to the email until after the conference. Thanks!

So, as noted above–there are just 2 months, or 8.5 weeks, or 60 days, or 1440 hours (choose your preferred metric) until December 31st–the deadline for early bird registration and submitting an abstract for a breakout or poster session. While 1440 hours might seem like ages, realize that time flies when you are having fun and before you know it, we’ll all be singing Auld Lang Syne. Since I don’t think anyone here wants to interrupt their New Year’s festivities to sit down and write an abstract for INANE, why don’t you do it now and cross that item off your to do list? Remember, a project doesn’t have to be complete to submit an abstract–if you have something underway that you think would be of interest to INANE attendees, write it up and send it in. Our goal is diversity and variety. We particularly encourage our international colleagues to participate!

One thing I want to bring to everyone’s attention: when you are submitting your abstract, we are asking that you include the abstract title, author(s)’ names, 250 word abstract, and references (if included) in the document that is uploaded as part of your submission. Please identify with an asterisk the author(s) who will be attending INANE. Remember, at least one person must be attending the conference to present a poster or breakout session. Click here to read the full instructions and upload an abstract.

For our monthly “by the numbers” summary:

  • 19 people have taken advantage of early bird registration;
  • 26 hotel rooms have been reserved;
  • 16 donors have contributed to the Suzanne Smith Development Fund, with a total of $1650 raised;
  • 6 abstracts have been submitted for breakouts or posters;
  • 4 entries for the Suzanne Smith Developing Editors Awards have been received;
  • 3 sponsors have pledged at the Platinum, Silver, and Corporate levels; and
  • For the website, we have had visitors from 28 countries with 4704 page views.

That’s it for now. I am working on an exciting innovation for our paperless conference but as details are not finalized, I must keep it under wraps for the moment. Maybe in a month or so I’ll have more to share. Meanwhile, I encourage everyone to 1) submit an abstract; 2) take advantage of early bird registration; and 3) SAVE YOUR RECEIPT! 🙂

Leslie

for the planning committee: Peggy Chinn, Margaret Freda, Shawn Kennedy, Lisa Marshall and, Jean Proehl

Seen in the Boston Globe…

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Our opening speaker at INANE 2014 is going to be Jessica Nicoll, Director of the Smith College Museum of Art. There’s a fun article in yesterday’s Boston Globe on “Museum Directors Play Favorites,” and includes a selection from Jessica:

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Pennsylvania Excavation, 1907, George Wesley Bellows

What one work in our collection do I return to repeatedly? You will often find me — alone or with guests — in our third floor galleries studying this early 20th-century American masterwork.

This is an image of profound change, rich in detail and in ambiguity. It depicts a canyon created in the middle of Manhattan by the excavation for Pennsylvania Station, a project that transformed New York City by connecting it to a national transportation network.

The painting was as revolutionary as the event it portrays, helping to establish Bellows’s reputation as a brash young artist advancing a gritty new kind of realism. When it was first exhibited, it was described in the press as a “great gaping wound in the dirty earth.” Bellows’s representation of the city, with its central void and implication of lives displaced, invites reflection on the costs of progress.

If I remember correctly, Smith acquired this painting under Jessica’s leadership. It belonged to a Smith alum and hung in the dining room of her New York City apartment for many, many years. It now has, as Jessica notes, a place of pride in the Smith collection.

To read the whole article, click here.

October 1st update (one day late!)

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Good morning INANE colleagues and friends!

Funtown imagesLast night I dreamt that our venue for INANE 2014 had transformed into a theme park. I was more than a little concerned that everyone’s attention was being distracted from the scientific sessions to the roller coaster! Fortunately, I don’t think the Regency is going to morph into Funtown USA in the next 10 months–but if anyone wants directions for a family outing, I am happy to help. 🙂

I am sure I am not alone when I say that I am still reeling from the news of Suzanne Smith’s death. I felt the loss quite keenly the other day when I thought, “I’ll just ask Suzanne about that,” and realized I couldn’t. However, I am proud of the way INANE has been able to respond quickly and respectfully to our collective loss. Her family is honored by the Suzanne Smith Mentoring Editors Awards and Development Fund. We all believe this is an initiative that will continue into the future and will keep Suzanne’s legacy alive in INANE and the nursing community at large.

To date, we have received $875 for the Development Fund. Donors are recognized on every page of this website. If you would like to donate, click here. Payments are processed through Stripe; your credit card information is secure and safe. We have also received three applications for Mentoring Editors Awards. The deadline for applications is February 1st so there is plenty of time to apply, but nominations and applications are accepted at any time. If you are thinking of applying, or nominating a colleague, take advantage of the moment. No time like the present as my grandmother always said!

In the past month, we’ve also received two abstracts for poster/breakout sessions. Again, the deadline is December 31st but the call is open now. Projects do not need to be complete when you submit an abstract–they just need to be finished for your presentation next summer. More details can be found in this post at our Nursing Editors blog.

In other numbers, we have 16 early bird conference registrations, 22 hotel rooms reserved, and 21 people signed up for the cruise and lobster bake. Note that the cruise and lobster bake has an absolute maximum of 100 people–this is due to the size of the boat which is limited to 100 passengers. There is no flexibility on this: Coast Guard Regulations! This event will be a highlight so if you don’t want to be disappointed, don’t delay in submitting your registration.

That’s it for this moment–more updates in two weeks. If anyone has questions, send them to me through the Feedback Form and I’ll respond post haste.

Leslie

Planning Committee: Leslie Nicoll, Peggy Chinn, Margaret Comerford Freda, Shawn Kennedy, Lisa Marshall, and Jean Proehl.

Life is Short and Precious

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…and sometimes things change in a heartbeat. That is certainly the way I felt this morning when I learned of the unexpected death of my good friend, colleague, and mentor, Suzanne P. Smith. She was at her home in Florida and looking forward to heading to her condo in Washington DC in a few weeks, where she would spend time visiting her children and grandchildren.

Suzanne was on the planning committee for INANE 2014. She had a wealth of knowledge to share, as Suzanne has been participating in INANE from the very beginning. When I would bring up new ideas, she was often cautious and made me explain myself very clearly why I thought this would be a good initiative for INANE. For next year’s conference, there were innovations that never made it past the brainstorm stage. But others did–one of these was the Developing Editors Grant Fund, which we have renamed the Suzanne Smith Mentoring Editors Awards in her honor.

Anyone who knew Suzanne, even a little, knows that mentorship was a core value and part of her spirit. She loved supporting others, helping them to learn, and sharing in their success. Mentorship was certainly key in our relationship even after we had moved on and became good friends. When I have editing questions or need advice, I have a sort list of people I turn to. Suzanne has always been on that list.

I can’t really believe I won’t see Suzanne at INANE next summer. She was so excited about the conference, the venue, the speakers, and the additional events, especially the Freeport shopping! I know that the opening reception is going to be tough, not having Suzanne next to me to share a glass of wine. However, I know she will be with us in spirit and we can all remember and honor her memory through the Mentoring Editors Awards named in her honor.

You can learn more about the awards here and if you choose, make a donation at this link. Thank you in advance for your generous contribution. Please, too, let those you think might be candidates to receive awards know about this opportunity. The application form is here.

The nursing profession has lost a good friend and special leader. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and all of us in the editor community.

Leslie

Welcome to the INANE 2014 Blog!

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Welcome to the blog for INANE 2014! This will be the place to come for updates and news pertaining to the INANE conference to be held in Portland, Maine, August 4-6, 2014. Our plan is to update the blog twice per month, on the 1st and the 15th, with more frequent updates if needed.

This website went live one month ago, on August 1st. Since then:

  • Eight people have registered for the conference;
  • Fourteen people have reserved their hotel rooms;
  • Two corporate sponsors have pledged support at the Platinum and Silver levels;
  • Two donations have been received for the Developing Editors Grant Fund;
  • One nomination has been received for the Developing Editors Grant Award.

At the website, we have had 299 visitors from 13 countries with over 1000 page views!

The Planning Committee from the conference that was held in Cork shared the conference evaluations and I am happy to say that many of the comments from attendees have already been addressed. One person noted that she missed the posters. I know there was a space issue at the hotel in Cork; I am happy to report that the posters will be back for INANE 2014. There were several comments requesting more variety and interactive activities–again, we have scheduled nine breakout sessions and have specifically asked presenters to include audience participation in their sessions. The call for abstracts for both posters and breakout sessions is open now and will continue through December 31, 2013. Information on the call can be found here; the online submission form is here. Please give serious thought to submitting an abstract and sharing your editing innovations with your colleagues.

Chas Summers and Lisa Marshall

Chas Summers of the Regency and Lisa Marshall discussing the merits of a deck room on the fourth floor of the hotel.

Lisa Marshall, who is on the planning committee, and I are both local. We’ve had a couple of visits to the hotel to see the accommodations and meeting rooms. All of the rooms at the Regency have been renovated in the past year and I think everyone will find their room to be extremely comfortable. I also think that it is safe to say that no one will be disturbed by inebriated, shouting individuals outside their window!

YUM!

YUM! A dessert that exceeded my expectations.

In the interest of “research” I had lunch at the Regency earlier this week and it was excellent. I had a fancy salad and my companion had a lobster club sandwich, which she reported was delicious. But the thing that really knocked my socks off was the dessert–called “The Bar” it was a deconstructed Almond Joy, with toasted coconut ice cream, almonds, crispy sizzled orange liqueur rice, and two squares of chocolate nougat. Yum! It was so good I had to take a picture and now I can share it here with all of you. 🙂 All desserts are made in-house by their dedicated pastry chef. Who knows what imaginative ideas she will have by next summer!

One other evaluation comment suggested the idea of virtual attendance. Cost prohibits us from having a live feed or webinar; however, the comment was the spark that gave me the idea to start this blog. In the coming months, I hope to recruit a few “reporters” who will act as live bloggers from the conference. With four or five people posting, we should be able to have coverage of all the sessions complete with pictures. If anyone is interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact me–use the Feedback page which can be found here.

This blog is linked to our Facebook page, so for those who follow us through FB, posts to this blog will automatically appear there. (Posts from our other blog, nursingeditors.com also are linked to FB.) You might want to follow this blog: click the button in the lower right corner of your screen that says “Follow.” This way, every time a new post is added to the blog, you will receive a copy directly in your e-mail–a quick and easy way to stay abreast of INANE 2014 news and developments.

Thanks for reading, everyone. On behalf of the Planning Committee, I am looking forward to the countdown to INANE 2014 and welcoming everyone to Portland, Maine, next summer.

Leslie

Planning Committee: Leslie Nicoll (chair), Peggy Chinn, Margaret Comerford Freda, Shawn Kennedy, Lisa Marshall, Jean Proehl, Suzanne Smith