Specialized Conference Offers Resources and Empowerment to Nursing Support Caregivers

After seven years as a clinical technician at Cleveland Clinic, Tiffany Fisher never imagined she’d return to school. But one conference changed her perspective, inspiring her to take the next step in her nursing career.

The internal event combined clinical education, employee resources and professional development sessions with inspiring stories from caregivers who had advanced from unlicensed roles as Clinical Care Partners into nursing careers.

“I’m not going to say I wasn’t motivated before attending the conference, but I didn’t have a strong desire to pursue further education,” Fisher says. “But I was so inspired by the speakers — caregivers who’d been in my shoes — that I began to think Maybe this is my time to do something more.”

Fisher’s experience reflects exactly what conference organizers hoped to achieve.

Empowering the future of healthcare

Held in two half-day sessions in September and October 2025, the event was designed to celebrate and invest in Clinical Care Partners from Ohio to Florida. The program aimed to empower participants to grow in their current roles, advance their careers and explore how their daily work supports organizational priorities and goals, explains co-organizer Anna Van Hal, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Education Manager in Cleveland Clinic’s Office of Nursing Education and Professional Development.

“Clinical Care Partners truly are the future of healthcare,” she says. “We want them to succeed, whether that means pursuing additional training, advancing in a healthcare field or developing in their current role.”

Van Hal adds that she and her colleagues created the conference after recognizing the need to foster the careers of nursing caregivers beyond the initial orientation period.

“Our Clinical Care Partners spend the majority of their time at the bedside, where they really get to know our patients,” she says. “It’s important to honor the essential role they play and empower them to explore the professional avenues available to them.”

Building skills, inviting advancement

The inaugural Clinical Care Partner conference, which welcomed more than 100 in-person and 50 online participants, included sessions on important contemporary topics like workplace violence prevention, infection prevention, optimizing interpersonal communication and employee well-being. In addition, the event included a special session on becoming a change agent, where participants learned about how to champion patient safety through unit-based continuous improvement.

Fisher says the sessions on Cleveland Clinic’s well-being and self-care programs were particularly resonant, but she had no way to predict how heavily she would come to rely on those services. Only months later, she unexpectedly put those lessons into practice following the sudden loss of a family member.

She says she leaned on the self-care techniques shared at the event, proactively discussed the situation with her manager and accessed the institution’s wellness services, including reiki treatment and spiritual support.

“For most caregivers, nurturing and giving to others comes naturally, but we’re not always good at taking care of ourselves,” she says. “When I was faced with a loss, I was grateful for the wellness strategies I’d learned and felt encouraged to use them.”

Connecting with allies

Fisher notes another conference highlight: the opportunity to connect with other caregivers.

“Talking with other caregivers broadened my perspective and reinforced my understanding of why I do what I do,” she says. “I really enjoyed connecting with others who share my passion and drive. It was a wonderful reminder of the big difference we’re making in patients’ lives.”

Energized by the experience, Fisher recently launched a daily nursing support caregiver huddle in her unit.

“It’s no secret that caregivers feel better — and do better — when they feel supported by their leaders,” she says. “The huddles allow me to touch base with my team in the middle of the day. It’s the perfect chance to ask how I can support my colleagues, discuss what’s in store for the day and make sure everyone has what they need to succeed.”

Looking ahead

Van Hal, who began her own career as a patient care nursing assistant,
reports that attendee feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. This
success has prompted a follow-up event in October 2026, with an even
sharper focus on professional development.

“We can’t wait to see these events continue to evolve,” she says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if someone hadn’t believed in me and empowered me to see career growth as a driver of personal fulfillment and positive patient outcomes. My nursing journey is a testament to the significance of institutional support.”

For Fisher, the conference was more than a professional development event
— it became the catalyst for a new chapter in her career.