ENA Emergency Nursing 2026 runs September 28 to October 1, 2026, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. ENA is the Emergency Nurses Association, the professional society for emergency nurses in the United States with more than 50,000 members. Emergency Nursing 2026 is its annual flagship event and the largest gathering of emergency nurses in the country, drawing bedside ED nurses, trauma coordinators, ED charge nurses, ED clinical educators, ED nurse managers and directors, and the academic and industry community that serves them. If you work in an emergency department, lead one, teach into one, or hire for one, this is your room.
This guide covers everything an attendee needs to plan a productive trip: the program structure, the four-day schedule, the Phoenix Convention Center, the host city, the Experience Hall, continuing education credit toward CEN, CPEN, TCRN, and other emergency nursing certifications, registration logistics, the ENA General Assembly, and the practice realities your peers will be discussing in 2026. The goal is to give you a single complete reference so you can decide whether to attend, who from your team should travel, what sessions to prioritize, and how to make the trip earn its keep.
Why Emergency Nursing 2026 matters
Emergency nursing carries a workforce, clinical, and operational profile unlike any other nursing specialty. Burnout in the ED is structural rather than seasonal. Volume is unpredictable. Patient acuity is rising as inpatient and behavioral health capacity stays tight, which pushes complex patients into ED holds for hours and sometimes days. Boarding has become a chronic operational reality at many EDs, which has changed the nature of the work in ways the published staffing ratios have not caught up to. The retention conversation and the hiring conversation in emergency nursing are the same conversation, because the candidates ED leaders want to hire are the same nurses other EDs are working to retain.
Against that backdrop, Emergency Nursing 2026 is more than a continuing education event. It is the year's most concentrated venue for the practice, leadership, advocacy, and workforce conversations that shape emergency nursing nationally. ENA's annual conference is the only national event where the full community of US emergency nurses gathers in one room. ENA leadership, the chapter network, the certified emergency nurse community, the academic emergency nursing community, and the industry partners who serve the specialty all converge for four days.
For a working ED nurse, a charge nurse, an educator, or a manager who can attend one national event per year, ENA Emergency Nursing is typically the most direct match between conference content and the practice reality of working in an emergency department.
When and where is Emergency Nursing 2026?
Dates: Monday, September 28, 2026, through Thursday, October 1, 2026 Host venue: Phoenix Convention Center Venue address: 100 North Third Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Host city: Phoenix, Arizona Format: In-person primary, with Emergency Nursing Stream digital pass available for attendees who cannot travel Organizing body: Emergency Nurses Association (ENA)
The Phoenix Convention Center is in downtown Phoenix, within walking distance of the city's hotel cluster, light rail, the Central Avenue restaurant corridor, and major sports and entertainment venues. The venue is one of the larger convention facilities in the country and easily accommodates Emergency Nursing's typical attendance. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is approximately 10 minutes from the convention center by car or roughly 20 minutes by Valley Metro Light Rail, which runs directly from the airport into downtown.
Phoenix in late September and early October is hot during the day and pleasant in the evening, with daytime highs typically in the upper 90s easing through the week and overnight lows in the mid 70s. The downtown core has covered walkways and air-conditioned skybridges between several major hotels and the convention center, which keeps daytime walking comfortable.
Who attends Emergency Nursing 2026 and how big is the room?
ENA's membership exceeds 50,000 emergency nurses nationally, and Emergency Nursing typically draws between 5,000 and 8,000 attendees plus a large industry and exhibitor presence. The 2026 Phoenix conference is expected to fall in the same range. That makes Emergency Nursing the largest national gathering of emergency nurses by a wide margin and one of the larger specialty nursing conferences in the country.
The attendee base breaks down into a handful of clear groups. The largest single segment is bedside ED RNs, including nurses working in trauma centers, community emergency departments, freestanding emergency departments, pediatric emergency departments, and critical access EDs. ED charge nurses and shift coordinators attend in significant numbers. Trauma program managers and trauma coordinators are well represented. ED clinical educators, nurse residency directors for emergency nursing, and academic nursing faculty teaching emergency content attend on the educational side. ED nurse managers and directors round out the management side, often with their charge nurse and educator team.
A meaningful share of attendees hold or are pursuing emergency nursing certifications. ENA's Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing administers the CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse), CPEN (Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse), TCRN (Trauma Certified Registered Nurse), and CFRN (Certified Flight Registered Nurse), among others. Emergency Nursing is the most efficient venue in the country for certification exam prep, refresh, and continuing education aimed at the credentials.
The ENA General Assembly runs alongside Emergency Nursing for ENA members serving as delegates from their state councils and chapters. Delegates participate in the association's governance, policy decisions, and resolutions process. For ENA members involved in chapter leadership, this is one of the meaningful policy moments of the year for the association.
Travel and contract nurses attend in significant numbers. Emergency nursing is one of the highest-volume travel specialties, and travelers attend Emergency Nursing for contact hours, certification preparation, and active exploration of permanent or contract opportunities. Recruiters at staffing firms and health systems use the conference to build pipelines across both lanes.
Vendor and industry attendance is substantial. The Experience Hall at Emergency Nursing is one of the larger specialty nursing exhibit floors in the country. Health systems, trauma centers, freestanding ED operators, urgent care and ED-adjacent providers, staffing firms, certification prep companies, scrub and uniform retailers, nursing technology vendors, equipment providers, simulation companies, and a growing roster of AI-enabled nursing and recruiting tools all exhibit.
Program structure and what to expect day by day
ENA structures Emergency Nursing across four days, with a mix of pre-conference activities, keynote sessions, more than 100 concurrent education sessions, the Experience Hall, the General Assembly for delegates, networking events, and certification-eligible continuing education. The exact 2026 schedule is published by ENA closer to the event, but the structure you can plan around is consistent year over year.
Monday, September 28: Pre-conference workshops, intensives, and the General Assembly's opening sessions for delegates. Pre-conference content typically includes deep dives on trauma care, pediatric emergency, critical care transport, and certification exam preparation, which usually require separate registration. The Experience Hall opens for setup. The opening keynote is typically Monday evening or early Tuesday.
Tuesday, September 29: Full education day with concurrent tracks running across trauma, pediatric emergency, critical care, leadership, professional development, behavioral health in the ED, mass casualty preparedness, and emerging clinical topics. The Experience Hall opens with extended hours. Major networking and recognition events run Tuesday evening.
Wednesday, September 30: Second full education day, additional Experience Hall hours, and ongoing General Assembly sessions for delegates. Wednesday typically includes some of the most highly-attended sessions and the year's flagship networking events. The ENA Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing typically runs certification testing and ceremonies during the conference.
Thursday, October 1: Closing education sessions, capstone keynotes, and conference close. Some attendees build in a partial Thursday departure, but the strongest practice is to stay through Thursday morning since closing sessions often surface the year's takeaways and the final General Assembly business closes Thursday.
The education program runs more than 100 concurrent sessions across the conference, which means an attendee can specialize the trip toward a single thematic focus, such as trauma, pediatrics, leadership, or certification, or spread across the full program. For first-time attendees, ENA's recommendation has consistently been to mix a high-acuity clinical track (trauma or critical care) with a professional development track, since the most useful learning at Emergency Nursing tends to combine bedside takeaways with the conversations about how to sustain a career in emergency nursing.
What gets covered: the practice reality discussed at Emergency Nursing 2026
ENA's program is built from the practice and educational needs of working emergency nurses, so the year's session list is a reliable read on what the specialty is actually working on. For 2026, the topics you can expect to see surface across multiple tracks include the following.
Trauma care content is the spine of the program. Sessions cover initial trauma assessment, advanced trauma care, pediatric trauma, geriatric trauma, blast and penetrating injury, hemorrhage control, mass casualty incident preparation and response, and the systems-level work of trauma center designation and verification. ENA owns the TNCC (Trauma Nursing Core Course), and trauma content runs across both the conference program and the TNCC instructor community.
Pediatric emergency content is similarly central. Sessions cover pediatric assessment, pediatric resuscitation, sepsis recognition in pediatric patients, pediatric mental health emergencies, child maltreatment recognition, and the operational realities of running a pediatric ED or a mixed ED that sees significant pediatric volume. ENA owns the ENPC (Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course), and pediatric content runs through both the conference and the ENPC instructor community.
Behavioral and mental health in the ED is an expanding thread that reflects the operational reality of EDs functioning as the de facto behavioral health safety net in many communities. Sessions cover de-escalation, medication management, restraint and seclusion best practices, suicide risk assessment, substance use disorder care in the ED, and the operational and ethical realities of boarding behavioral health patients in EDs that are not designed for sustained behavioral health care.
Critical care in the ED, including ED boarding of ICU patients, is one of the most operationally relevant threads in 2026. Sessions cover vasoactive medication management, mechanical ventilation in the ED, advanced sepsis care, the boarded ICU patient, and the workflow realities of providing critical care in an environment built for stabilization and disposition rather than sustained ICU care.
Workforce, retention, and well-being content runs across multiple tracks. Sessions cover burnout, secondary trauma, resilience, peer support programs, the operational realities of staffing an ED that runs surge patterns rather than predictable volume, and the leadership decisions that protect or undermine retention. This is the content that most directly affects whether nurses stay in emergency nursing or transition out.
Leadership content covers the seniority range from charge nurse to ED director. Topics include shift leadership, throughput optimization, ED operational metrics, staff development, the integration of nurse residency programs into ED practice, and the management skills that translate clinical excellence into operational outcomes.
Certification content centers on CEN, CPEN, TCRN, and CFRN exam preparation, with sessions covering exam structure, content review, test-taking strategy, and the practical steps of certification application and maintenance. ENA owns the certifications, which makes the conference the authoritative venue for preparation.
Emerging technology in emergency nursing is an expanding thread. Sessions cover AI in ED triage and risk stratification, ambient documentation tools, predictive analytics for ED throughput, and the operational realities of integrating new technology into an environment where the workflow constraints are extreme.
Advocacy and policy content runs through the General Assembly and across multiple sessions, reflecting ENA's role as the national voice for emergency nursing. Topics include workplace violence, staffing standards, regulatory advocacy, and the policy conversations that shape the practice environment for emergency nurses nationally.
Continuing education credit and certification pathway
Emergency Nursing is the field's primary venue for continuing education credit aimed specifically at emergency nursing practice. Sessions at the conference carry contact hours from ANCC-accredited providers, and most attendees walk out with a meaningful slice of their annual CE requirement covered.
For attendees pursuing CEN, CPEN, TCRN, or CFRN certification, the conference is the most efficient venue in the country for exam preparation. ENA owns the certifications through the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing, runs the most authoritative exam review content, and typically hosts on-site exam testing for some certifications during conference week. For credentialed emergency nurses maintaining the credentials, the conference is the most efficient way to log contact hours toward recertification in a single trip.
ENA sessions are typically approved for ANCC contact hours, which transfer broadly across state requirements. The specific credit allocation for each session is published by ENA in the program guide. Allow yourself a few minutes during planning to map sessions to your state and certification requirements.
In addition to standard CE credit, ENA offers continuing education through the TNCC (Trauma Nursing Core Course) and ENPC (Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course) instructor and provider communities during the conference. For TNCC and ENPC instructors, the conference is the typical annual touchpoint for instructor updates and recertification.
The Experience Hall and how to use it
The Experience Hall at Emergency Nursing is one of the larger specialty nursing exhibit floors in the country. The hall covers health systems and trauma centers actively recruiting, staffing firms placing emergency nurses, certification prep companies, scrub and uniform retailers, nursing technology vendors, equipment and simulation providers, ED-adjacent service providers, AI-enabled nursing and recruiting tools, and the broader industry serving emergency nursing practice. Activities in the hall typically include simulation experiences, hands-on equipment demonstrations, and CE-credit-earning vendor sessions.
For attendees in clinical roles, the practical use of the hall is twofold: career exploration if you are considering a move (travel, FTE, leadership), and CE on emerging tools and technology if you are not. The career fair component is genuinely useful at Emergency Nursing in a way it is not at all nursing conferences, because the audience is precisely the role most ED nurse recruiters are working to fill.
For attendees in leadership and management roles, the hall is one of the more efficient venues in the country for evaluating ED-specific workforce tools, technology, and partnerships. The conversation density is high because the vendors are calibrated to emergency nursing rather than a broad nursing audience.
For first-time attendees, the practical approach is to walk the hall once early to map the floor, then return later in the conference with a written shortlist of conversations. Most vendors will book pre-conference meeting slots in the weeks leading up to the conference, which compresses your time on the floor.
The General Assembly
ENA's General Assembly is the association's governance body, made up of delegates elected by ENA state councils and chapters. The General Assembly meets during Emergency Nursing each year to consider resolutions, set policy direction for the association, and conduct the year's significant business. For ENA members serving as delegates, the General Assembly sessions are a primary reason for attendance and the schedule frequently overlaps with the education program in meaningful ways.
For non-delegate attendees, General Assembly sessions are typically observable, and watching the assembly is one of the more useful ways to understand how ENA's positions and advocacy priorities are shaped. The General Assembly is also where many ENA leadership relationships form, since delegates from across the country interact across multiple days.
Networking events and informal program
Emergency Nursing's networking program is substantial. The opening reception, evening events, recognition events for ENA members and ENA award recipients, regional chapter meetups, certification cohort meetups, the various special interest group sessions, and informal events at downtown Phoenix venues create multiple paths to find your people.
The most useful networking pattern at Emergency Nursing tends to be specialty meetups, where pediatric emergency nurses, trauma program managers, freestanding ED operators, or critical access ED nurses find each other. ENA leadership runs first-timer events and new-member sessions that are worth attending if this is your first or second conference, since the introductions there tend to stick.
Outside the formal program, downtown Phoenix has a dense restaurant, bar, and entertainment district within easy walking distance of the convention center and the major hotels. Informal dinners and drinks with peers from across the country are typically among the most memorable parts of the conference.
Registration, cost, and the value math
Registration for Emergency Nursing historically runs in the range of $700 to $1,100 for member full-conference registration, with lower rates for early bird registration, student rates, and military rates. Non-member rates run higher, typically by $200 to $400. Pre-conference workshops require separate registration. ENA publishes the 2026 registration schedule on its site as the conference approaches. The Emergency Nursing Stream digital pass is available for attendees who cannot travel, at a lower price point with on-demand access to recorded sessions.
Hotel costs at Phoenix properties during the conference dates typically run in the $250 to $400 per night range, with better rates available inside the ENA room block. Booking inside the block also keeps attendees clustered near the venue and other attendees, which improves the informal networking. Airfare to PHX is generally moderate from most major US markets, with nonstop service from essentially every major hub.
For most attendees, the full cost of attendance, including registration, hotel, travel, and per diem, lands between $2,500 and $4,500 depending on origin and length of stay. The value math is straightforward: contact hours for license renewal, certification preparation, peer connections that pay off through the year, and direct exposure to the practice and policy changes shaping the specialty. For attendees whose employer covers conference attendance, Emergency Nursing is among the more efficient annual investments available in nursing.
Travel logistics for the Phoenix trip
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is approximately 10 minutes from the Phoenix Convention Center by car or roughly 20 minutes by Valley Metro Light Rail, which runs directly from PHX into downtown. PHX is one of the largest US airports and offers nonstop service from essentially every major US market. Light rail is the most efficient option for solo travelers without bags. Rideshare and rental car are also straightforward.
The convention center, the major host hotels, and downtown Phoenix are walkable for most attendees. The ENA room block typically includes hotels within easy walking distance of the venue, several of which connect to the convention center via covered skybridges that keep the walk comfortable even in afternoon heat. Attendees who plan to explore the broader Phoenix area or take time before or after the conference often rent a car, but a car is not necessary for the conference itself.
Late September and early October weather in Phoenix is hot during the day and pleasant in the evening, with daytime highs typically in the upper 90s easing through the week and overnight lows in the mid 70s. The downtown skybridge system keeps daytime walking between hotels, the convention center, and the major restaurant clusters comfortable. Plan light clothing for outside, layers for inside the venue, and proper hydration.
For attendees flying in, the most efficient travel pattern is to arrive late Sunday or early Monday to catch the Monday pre-conference content, and depart Thursday afternoon or evening after closing sessions. Shorter trips that target only Tuesday and Wednesday capture most of the main program but miss the Monday pre-conference workshops and the General Assembly opening, which are often the highest-value content of the conference for certain attendee types.
First-timer guidance
If this is your first Emergency Nursing, three patterns produce the most value. First, attend the first-timer orientation and the new member events, where ENA leadership and longtime members make introductions for you. Second, build a written list of three to five specific clinical, leadership, or career questions you want answered before you arrive, and use those questions to filter session choices. Third, plan at least one meal each day with someone you do not know, since the conversations between sessions are where the conference earns its reputation.
A common first-timer mistake at a conference this size is over-scheduling. The session menu is large enough that the instinct to fill every slot produces a long week and limited recall. The better practice is to leave deliberate gaps for hallway conversations, Experience Hall time, and reflection, since the most useful content frequently comes from the conversation that happens after a session rather than the session itself.
For nurses planning to take CEN, CPEN, TCRN, or CFRN exams, the conference's pre-conference exam review and on-site testing (when offered) compress months of preparation into a focused window. Attendees who plan certification around the conference typically report a smoother and more efficient certification process.
A short note from us at Expa
Expa builds Ambient Recruiter, an AI agent for healthcare recruiters and nurse hiring managers that runs inside their existing Gmail and on their phone. We work with nurse recruiters at health systems whose ED req inventory is a top priority, and we work with ED leaders whose hiring responsibility lands on them between charge shifts and operational meetings. If you fit either profile, we would value a short conversation at Emergency Nursing 2026 about what an ambient AI workflow could look like for your hiring. You can find us in the Experience Hall (booth number to be confirmed) or book time in advance through the contact form on our site. The rest of this page is independent of any pitch, since the point is to help you decide whether Emergency Nursing 2026 is a useful trip for your team this year.
FAQs about Emergency Nursing 2026
When and where is Emergency Nursing 2026?
ENA Emergency Nursing 2026 runs September 28 to October 1, 2026, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The venue address is 100 North Third Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.
Who should attend Emergency Nursing 2026?
The conference is built for emergency nurses across the seniority spectrum: bedside ED RNs, charge nurses, trauma coordinators, ED clinical educators, ED nurse managers, and ED directors. ENA members serving as delegates to the General Assembly attend for governance reasons in addition to the education program. Health system recruiters, staffing firms, certification prep companies, and nursing technology vendors exhibit.
How many people attend Emergency Nursing?
Recent ENA conferences have drawn between 5,000 and 8,000 attendees plus a large industry and exhibitor presence, on an ENA membership base of more than 50,000 emergency nurses nationally. The 2026 Phoenix conference is expected to fall in the same range. This makes Emergency Nursing the largest national gathering of emergency nurses by a wide margin.
Does Emergency Nursing carry CEN, CPEN, TCRN, and CFRN credit?
Yes. ENA owns the CEN, CPEN, TCRN, and CFRN certifications through the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing and runs the most authoritative CE content aimed at the credentials. The conference is the most efficient venue in the country for certification exam preparation and refresh. ENA sessions are typically approved for ANCC contact hours, which transfer broadly across state requirements.
What does Emergency Nursing registration cost?
Member full-conference registration historically runs $700 to $1,100 with early-bird discounts available. Non-member rates run $200 to $400 higher. Pre-conference workshops require separate registration. The Emergency Nursing Stream digital pass is available for attendees who cannot travel, at a lower price point. ENA publishes the official 2026 registration schedule on its site as the conference approaches.
What is the host hotel and what other lodging is available?
The Phoenix Convention Center is in downtown Phoenix with multiple host hotels and overflow properties within easy walking distance, several connected to the venue by covered skybridges. ENA typically runs an official room block at the host hotel plus overflow blocks at nearby properties. Booking inside the ENA block produces the best rates and the easiest logistics. The block opens through ENA's housing partner as the conference approaches.
How do I get from the airport to the venue?
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is approximately 10 minutes from the Phoenix Convention Center by car or roughly 20 minutes by Valley Metro Light Rail, which runs directly from PHX into downtown. Light rail is the most efficient option for solo travelers without checked bags. Rideshare and rental car are also straightforward.
What is the weather like in Phoenix in late September and early October?
Hot during the day and pleasant in the evening, with daytime highs typically in the upper 90s easing through the week and overnight lows in the mid 70s. The downtown skybridge system keeps daytime walking between hotels, the convention center, and the major restaurant clusters comfortable. Plan light clothing for outside, layers for inside the venue, and proper hydration.
What is the General Assembly and do I need to attend it?
The ENA General Assembly is the association's governance body, made up of delegates elected by ENA state councils and chapters. Delegates participate in resolutions, policy decisions, and the year's significant business during the conference. Non-delegate attendees can observe many General Assembly sessions, which is useful for understanding how ENA's positions are shaped. If you are a delegate, the General Assembly schedule will overlap meaningfully with your education choices.
Can I attend Emergency Nursing if I am a senior nursing student or new graduate emergency nurse?
Yes. ENA runs student rates and welcomes senior nursing students considering the specialty as well as new graduate nurses in their first year of emergency nursing practice. The conference is one of the more accessible national nursing conferences for early-career attendees, and the introduction to ENA's certification and chapter network often shapes the early career trajectory.
Is Emergency Nursing useful for travel emergency nurses?
Yes. Emergency nursing is one of the largest travel nursing specialties. Travel and contract nurses attend Emergency Nursing for contact hours, certification preparation, and active exploration of permanent or contract opportunities. Recruiters at staffing firms and health systems use the conference to build pipelines across both lanes.
How does Expa's Ambient Recruiter help ED hiring?
Ambient Recruiter is an AI agent that runs inside the nurse recruiter or ED hiring manager's existing Gmail and phone number, drafting personalized candidate follow-up, handling inbound replies, scheduling screens on their calendar, and pushing structured updates back into the team's system of record. For emergency nursing specifically, it compresses time-to-first-reply on inbound candidates from the typical 24 to 48 hour window to well under an hour, surfaces CEN, CPEN, TCRN, and trauma center fit early, and handles travel-to-permanent conversions across the multi-month windows those typically require. We will be at Emergency Nursing 2026 and welcome a working conversation with nurse recruiters and ED leaders evaluating ambient AI tools.
