Date

Employer Support

With 30+ hours of live CME credits—and up to 130 credits available to attendees in Webinars after the event—the PAINWeek conference is one of the most cost-effective professional development choices for frontline clinicians. Your experience at the conference will provide you with new and greater knowledge that you can apply directly to patient care. Here are more tips on getting employer support for attending PAINWeek 2011:

  • Offer to prepare and deliver a short presentation with Q&A for your colleagues to share what you have learned. In doing this others in your organization will benefit from your attendance
  • Share the program guide and speaker handouts with your colleagues. As an attendee, you have unlimited access to materials provided by speakers. Explain what you plan to get out of attending and how that will benefit your work, organization and patients
  • Mention to your employer that the PAINWeek conference is multidisciplinary and multispecialty, allowing you to meet and network with professionals you might not always interact with
  • If your hospital has or is trying to obtain magnet status, remind your supervisor that demonstrating staff participation in continuing education is vital to securing and keeping magnet status
  • Offer to share a hotel room to reduce expenses
  • Elaborate on what you plan to get out of attending and how that will benefit your job
  • Create a schedule outlining the staff coverage for your responsibilities while you’re at PAINWeek
  • Share some of the past testimonials from attendees with your supervisor. Click here to see a few

Sample Letter

Use this letter to assist you in gaining support from your employer/supervisor. Feel free to customize it however you would like.

[date]

Dear [your supervisor's name]:

To help provide [your facility] and our patients with the most current professional knowledge and skills in pain management, I would like to attend the PAINWeek® 2011 National Conference. This conference provides 24 to 30 live credit hours plus scientific posters, satellite symposia, and postconference Webinars that address all aspects of pain management. A program guide will be provided to all meeting registrants and can be shared after the event with my colleagues who did not attend the conference. The following are some of the sessions that would be of particular relevance:

[List sessions that will provide the greatest benefit to your facility.]

[In this paragraph list transportation costs, registration fee, meals, and the price per night of the hotel room.]

Attending the PAINWeek 2012 National Conference will enhance my knowledge and skills, which will enable me to provide better care for my patients. I will be able to pass on much of what I learn to my colleagues, and my notes and copies of the speaker presentations will be available for reference. Thank for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,
[your name]