AACN NTI 2026 — San Diego in May
TL;DR — Key facts about AACN NTI 2026
- AACN NTI 2026 runs May 17–20, 2026 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA
- Expected attendance: 8,000–10,000 critical care nurses, ICU clinicians, nurse managers, and clinical educators
- Hosted by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
- The largest critical care nursing conference in the world
- Open registration for nurses and healthcare professionals through AACN's website; AACN member pricing available
- San Diego hotels near the convention center sell out quickly — book early
- For recruiters: the highest concentration of critical care nursing talent in one place all year
What is AACN NTI?
The AACN National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition is the largest critical care nursing conference in the world. Organized by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, it brings together ICU nurses, progressive care nurses, clinical educators, nurse managers, and nurse leaders each spring for continuing education, peer learning, and hands-on clinical training.
NTI has been AACN's flagship event for decades. Attendees come from every US state and internationally, representing specialties across intensive care, emergency nursing, cardiovascular ICU, NICU, PICU, and step-down units. The exposition floor runs alongside the educational program, with employers, staffing agencies, and clinical vendors exhibiting throughout the conference.
For anyone recruiting in critical care nursing, NTI is the single most important conference of the year.
When and where is AACN NTI 2026?
AACN NTI 2026 takes place May 17–20, 2026 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. The venue sits on the downtown waterfront, directly on San Diego Bay, within walking distance of the Gaslamp Quarter and the main hotel blocks used by conference attendees.
Pre-conference workshops are typically offered on the day before the main program opens — check AACN's official site for the current schedule as dates are confirmed.
Who attends AACN NTI?
What types of nurses and clinicians attend?
The attendee base is primarily registered nurses working in critical care and high-acuity settings. This includes ICU nurses across specialties, cardiovascular ICU nurses, NICU and PICU nurses, progressive care and step-down nurses, and nurses in trauma and emergency settings. Clinical educators, nursing professional development specialists, and advanced practice nurses working in acute care also attend in significant numbers. Nurse managers and nursing directors come both for leadership education and to represent their organizations.
Do recruiters and staffing agencies attend AACN NTI?
Yes. Hospital nurse recruiters, travel nursing agency staffers, in-house TA teams from health systems, and per diem staffing firms attend specifically because the candidate concentration is unmatched. For anyone placing critical care nurses, NTI is the most efficient in-person sourcing event of the year. The exposition floor gives recruiters structured access to attendees, and informal hallway conversations throughout the conference are equally valuable.
Are employers and health systems represented?
Health systems, hospitals, and hospital networks send both clinical staff and HR or recruiting representatives. Magnet-designated hospitals often maintain a visible presence. Academic medical centers and large regional health systems use NTI to build brand recognition with the nursing community and to recruit for hard-to-fill specialty roles. The mix of clinical attendees and employer representatives makes NTI one of the few conferences where a recruiting conversation can happen naturally without feeling out of place.
What are the key themes at AACN NTI 2026?
What clinical and educational topics are in focus?
NTI is structured primarily around continuing education for nurses. Sessions cover clinical topics including hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical ventilation management, sepsis protocols, pain and sedation practices, end-of-life care, and new evidence in critical care nursing. Leadership tracks address nurse manager development, building resilient ICU teams, and navigating high-turnover environments. CE credit is a major draw — many nurses attend NTI specifically to meet their annual continuing education requirements.
What workforce and staffing conversations happen at NTI?
Beyond clinical education, workforce topics surface consistently across sessions and informal conversations. Critical care nursing vacancy rates remain among the highest in the profession. ICU staffing ratios, nurse burnout in high-acuity environments, and the pipeline of new graduates entering critical care are persistent themes. Many attendees are actively weighing career decisions — travel versus permanent, hospital versus outpatient, and whether to take on leadership roles. That openness makes NTI different from most professional conferences.
Why does AACN NTI matter for healthcare recruiting?
Why is NTI the best time of year to reach critical care nurses?
Critical care nurses are among the hardest clinical roles to fill year-round. They are highly specialized, in constant demand, and rarely responsive to cold outreach. NTI temporarily shifts that dynamic. Nurses attend with professional development on their minds and are more open to career conversations than at any other point in the year. A recruiter who has a genuine presence at NTI — on the expo floor, in sessions, or in hallway conversations — starts those conversations with far more credibility than any outbound email can provide.
What recruiting challenges do attendees face at NTI?
The challenge for most recruiting teams at NTI is the same as at any large clinical conference: they meet dozens or hundreds of nurses over four days and then struggle to follow up systematically once they are back home. Warm contacts go cold quickly. The average recruiter leaves a conference with a stack of business cards and good intentions, and follows up with a fraction of them before the window closes. For ICU roles where every qualified candidate matters, that drop-off is costly.
How do recruiters typically follow up after NTI?
The most effective post-conference outreach is fast, personal, and comes from a real email address. Nurses who attended NTI receive a lot of recruiting messages and recognize automated sequences immediately. A personalized note that references the specific conversation at the conference — sent from the recruiter's actual Gmail within 48 hours — dramatically outperforms any templated sequence. Recruiters using Ambient Recruiter can load their post-NTI contact list and have personalized follow-ups drafted and sent from their real inbox within hours of returning from San Diego.
Travel and hotels
Where is AACN NTI 2026 being held?
AACN NTI 2026 is at the San Diego Convention Center, 111 W Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101. The venue is on the waterfront in downtown San Diego, connected by walkway to the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina.
What hotels are near AACN NTI 2026?
The closest option is the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, directly connected to the convention center. Other nearby choices include the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Omni San Diego Hotel, and a range of options in the Gaslamp Quarter within a five- to ten-minute walk. For attendees looking for lower price points, East Village and downtown San Diego have additional hotels within walking distance. Rooms in the convention center area fill quickly during large nursing conferences — book as early as possible.
How do attendees get to AACN NTI 2026?
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is approximately 10–15 minutes from the convention center by rideshare or taxi, making it one of the more convenient conference airports in the country. Most out-of-town attendees fly into SAN. The San Diego Trolley Blue Line stops at the Convention Center station and connects to the airport via the Green Line with one transfer, making public transit a reasonable option. Local attendees often use rideshare or the convention center's parking facilities.
FAQs
Is AACN NTI 2026 open to the public?
NTI is open to nurses and healthcare professionals. Registration is available to both AACN members and non-members through AACN's website. Unlike invitation-only events, there is a public registration process, with member pricing available to AACN members.
How many people attend AACN NTI?
Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 attendees each year, primarily registered nurses working in critical care and high-acuity settings across the United States.
Can recruiters exhibit or sponsor at AACN NTI 2026?
Yes. The Critical Care Exposition that runs alongside the educational program includes a large exhibit hall. Healthcare employers and staffing agencies can exhibit. Sponsorship opportunities at multiple levels are available through AACN's exhibitor portal.
What is the career fair like at AACN NTI?
AACN typically provides a career center and job board for attendees. Nurses who are actively exploring opportunities visit these resources throughout the conference, and employers can post positions directly.
When should I book travel for AACN NTI 2026?
Immediately. NTI 2026 is in May. San Diego hotels near the convention center fill quickly for large nursing conferences. If you are planning to attend or exhibit, hotel availability at this point is limited.
What we do not yet know about AACN NTI 2026
Has the full agenda been published?
The complete session schedule and speaker lineup are typically released several months before the conference. Check AACN's official site for the most current program updates.
Are exhibitor and sponsorship packages confirmed?
Exhibitor registration typically opens well in advance of the conference. Current availability and pricing can be found through AACN's NTI exhibitor portal.
Final takeaways
AACN NTI is the largest concentration of critical care nurses anywhere in the world for one week each May. For healthcare recruiters placing ICU nurses, travel RNs, or progressive care nurses, it is the highest-value in-person event of the year. The clinical context of the conference creates a recruiting environment that is more receptive than any cold outreach channel. The recruiters who show up prepared, make genuine connections, and follow up fast are the ones who fill their hardest critical care roles first.
