GANS 74th Annual Convention

Registration is closed. The event has been SOLD OUT!
Saturday, October 10, 2026 | Cobb Galleria, Atlanta, GA

Answering the Call: Leading the Future of Healthcare

Join nursing and pre-nursing students from across Georgia for one powerful day of learning, leadership, and connection.

The GANS Annual Convention is the premier gathering of nursing students in Georgia — and one of the largest student nursing conventions in the country. Each year, hundreds of students, faculty, nurse leaders, and healthcare professionals come together for a day built around leadership, learning, and community. In 2026, we expect 650+ attendees at the Cobb Galleria Centre for our 74th Annual Convention: Answering the Call: Leading the Future of Healthcare.

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Two women standing in front of a backdrop with the Georgia Association of Nursing Students (GANS) logo. They are smiling and wearing conference badges around their necks.
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Convention Schedule

FULL Convention Schedule

Registration Check-in:

  • If you signed up to attend the Archer NCLEX Review Session from 6:45 - 8:45am, you need to check-in between 6:15 - 6:35am.

  • If you are NOT attending the Archer NCLEX Review Session, you need to check-in between 7:00 - 8:45am.

Exhibit Hall will be open from 7:15am - 5:00pm.

Convention FAQs

  • Nursing and pre-nursing students, high school students exploring healthcare, CNAs, chapter advisors, faculty, and anyone passionate about the future of nursing in Georgia.

  • Registration is now CLOSED.

    The event has been SOLD OUT! GANS is grateful for your support and trust and we can’t wait to see you on 10/10/26.

    For more information and ongoing updates about keynote speakers, courses, and certifications that will be available at this year’s convention, follow us on Instagram, Linkedin, and Facebook, and watch this page for updates.

  • Each year, GANS recognizes many nursing students across Georgia that are dedicated to their own development and the advancement of the profession.

    Award and scholarship nominations will open on August 10 and will close on September 30, 2026.

    Learn more about GANS awards and scholarships here.

  • Want to connect with the future of nursing? Exhibitor booths and sponsorship packages are available each year.

    The enrollment period is currently closed. Please reach out if you are interested in participation for the 2027 GANS Annual Convention.

    View Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities →

  • Check out the sections below to see what to expect this year!

    You can also view the 2025 GANS Annual Convention recap here to see our past opportunities that were available.

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Join us in Atlanta, GA on October 10th.

ALL registrations are now CLOSED.

GANS can’t express how grateful we are to announce that YOU ALL have SOLD OUT the GANS 74th Annual Convention for 2026. We are expecting 650+ attendees this year at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia!

Please note: There are scheduled lane closures in the area from October 9-12th. Refer to the attached document regarding detours and choosing alternate routes for the day of convention.

**It is best to plan to arrive ~30 minutes prior to your checkin time.

Cobb Galleria Centre
Detours/Alternate Routes

GANS 74th Annual Convention (2026)

The Details

Our 74th Annual Convention will bring this year’s theme, “Answering the Call: Leading the Future of Healthcare,” to life through hands-on learning, skill-building, and career development. Nursing and pre-nursing students from across Georgia will come together for an immersive day filled with interactive simulations, certifications, professional development, and opportunities to explore the many possibilities within nursing. From building clinical skills to preparing for life beyond nursing school, the convention challenges students to step outside the classroom, discover their potential, and Answer the Call to become the healthcare leaders of tomorrow.

Featured Speakers & Sessions

  • Michael MJ Curtis, Jr., DNP, CRNA - CRNA At City of Hope - Atlanta

    Dr. Curtis Jr. will challenge attendees to recognize that they are not simply preparing for the future of healthcare—they are actively shaping it. Drawing from his journey as a CRNA, leader, advocate, and mentor, he will encourage students to lead with clinical excellence, serve their communities, advocate for health equity, and use their voices to create meaningful change in healthcare.

    • Epilepsy Certification — led by Dr. Amber Wiggins, PsyD, CRC - Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Courtney Dean, CRC, NCC - Director of Programming and Outreach (Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia)

    • Stop The Bleed Certification — led by the Wellstar Trauma Network

    • Narcan Training — hosted by the Founder and CEO of Lifesaving Hearts CPR, Nicole Hayes, BSN, RN

    • Leadership Panel: Student vs. Hospital Leadership

      • Ryan Barrett, RN

      • Addisyn Poole, RN

      • Kaelan Shultz, BSN, RN, CCRN

      • Wade Thompson, BSN, RN, CCRN, CMC

    • “Beyond the Bedside: Building Your Nursing Career Through Leadership, Safe Content Creation, Entrepreneurship, & Financial Growth” by Jalexia Taylor, RN

    • “5 Things they Don’t Teach You in Nursing School” by CPT August-Grace Stancil, MSN, FNP-C, FNP-BC

    • “Ready, Set, RN: Strategies for New Graduate Success” by Molly Eady, MSN, RN, CCRN, CNL, NPD-BC

    • “The Career Playbook They Never Taught You in Nursing School” by Chikilia Parks, MSN-ED, RN, NPD-BC, CBC

    • “Position Yourself to Lead The Future of Healthcare” by Dr. Mary Gullatte, PhD, APRN, AOCN, LYSSB, FADLN, FAAN

    • “The Nurse as an Advocate: You Don’t Need a Title to Change a System” by Marnell Dujour, BSN, RN, CPN, NPD-BC

    • “Recognition of Implicit Bias in Patient Care Assignments: Recommendations for Clinical Practice” by Sonique Sailsman, PhD, RN, CNE

    • Footprints on the Heart Organization by Khristie Staines

    • “Err is Human: How can Healthcare Professionals Reduce Medical Errors?” by Tina Johnson, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CFRN, SCRN, CMTE, NEA-BC, FAASTN

    • “How Business Knowledge Can Help Nurses Become better Leaders” by Destiny Davis, MBA

    • “Plot Twist: The Most Important Skill Isn’t Clinical” by Bethany Sanders Wood, MSN-ED, RN, NPD-BC

    • “ER: Where Every Second Counts: Inside ER Nursing at Grady”

      • Ami Timera-Fofana, BSN, RN

      • Jurney Shabazz Boyd, RN

      • Digue Guilavogui, RN

      • Kiya Gary, RN

    • “Critical Care in Motion: A Look Inside Grady’s Level 1 Trauma Center”

      • Dayana Castro, BSN, RN, TCRN

      • Haylea Flowers-Dixon, BSN, RN, ACLS, TNCC

      • Zaire O’Meally, BSN, RN, TNCC

      • Celeste Gonzalez, BSN, RN

      • Dedric Buffin, BSN, RN

      • Tara Apollon, BSN, RN

      • Ciera Franklin, BSN, RN, CCRN

    • “Beyond the Bedside: How to Break Into Aesthetic Nursing the Right Way” by Dr. Wendy Oluchi, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, RN

    • “What It’s Like to Work as a Nurse in the OR in a Pediatric Setting & the Ins and Outs of the Periop 101 Program”

      • Kayla Clingman, BSN, RN

      • Meredith Miller, BSN, RN

    • “Basic EKG Arrhythmia Recognition” by Bruce Kook, MSN, RN, CCRN-S, B-CEN

    • “Mastering Pharmacology: Studying Medications Smarter and Not Harder” by Dr. Nanette Johnson, DNP, FNP-C, FNP-BC

    • “Nursing Education & Advanced Practice Pathways: Insights from a CRNA” by Natacha Simon-Christie, DNP, CRNA, CHSE, CNE

    • Mock Code Blue: Interactive Teamwork & Experience by Ifedamola Adeyemo, DNP Student

    • Atrium Health’s CPR Showdown Competition - compete with your peers to see who can perform CPR the longest to the CPR Playlist!

  • Flight Nursing and Helicopter Experience by Nyssa Hattaway, BA, BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CFRN from Air Methods

    A rare, hands-on look into aeromedical transport and the teamwork it takes to save lives in the air. Come explore the helicopter in the parking lot of the Cobb Galleria Centre!

    • NCLEX Review — get tips and tricks from Archer Review, NCLEX Bootcamp, & Hurst Review

    • Resumé/Career Development Session — hosted by Atrium Health. Resumé development, interview preparation, professional branding, what recruiters look for in new graduates, and other career tips.

    • SRNA Career Pathway/Pathway to Anesthesia - enjoy an in depth informational session about what it takes to enter the field of anesthesia

      • Megan Brucker Williams, MS, RN, SRNA, CCRN - GANA Student Representative Elect for Emory University

      • Katya Kulgeyko, SRNA - GANA Student Representative Elect for Augusta University

    • CRNA Intubation Simulation Sessions - get hands-on with the mannequins to learn from the CRNAs and SRNAs about the precise skills it takes to intubate a patient safely.

    This session is sponsored by the Georgia Association of Nurse Anesthetists (GANA). In the state of Georgia, there are only two accredited CRNA programs, Augusta University Nurse Anesthesia Program and Emory University Nurse Anesthesia Program. This session will provide representation from both programs and provide insight from CRNAs SRNAs about their experiences.

  • St. Thomas Online University

  • Shepherd Center

  • Campus Clinicals

  • GNR Public Health

  • East Tennessee State University

  • Hurst Review

  • Southern New Hampshire University

  • Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA)

  • NCLEX Bootcamp

  • Risepoint - University of Texas Arlington (UTA)

  • Novant Health

  • Georgia College & State University (GCSU)

  • USG eCampus

  • Mayo Clinic

  • Wellstar Health System

  • Footprints on the Heart

  • Archbold Medical Center

  • Augusta University 

  • Arkansas State University

  • Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

  • Emory Healthcare

  • Georgia State University (GSU) Byrdine College of Nursing

  • Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric. and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)

  • University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing

  • Herzing University

Exhibitors

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A woman with long wavy hair and gold hoop earrings speaking into a microphone at a table against a dark curtain background.
Three people standing in front of a backdrop with logos of the Georgia Association of Nursing Students and the Georgia Association of Nurse Practitioners. The person in the middle is a man with short red hair, a beard, wearing a light gray suit, white shirt, and floral bowtie. The person on the left is a woman with long black hair, wearing a black dress. The person on the right is a woman with dark hair, wearing a gray blazer with a pin and necklace.
A young man in formal attire speaking at a podium with a microphone during an event. A banner with a logo and text is partially visible in front of the podium.
Group of people gathered around a medical training mannequin on a table, with some individuals wearing conference badges and listening closely to a man in a suit, who appears to be explaining medical procedures.
A woman in a dark uniform with American flag patch on her right arm talking to another woman with glasses, both sitting at a table in a room with dark curtains.
Two women in medical scrubs posing at a healthcare event. One woman is sitting on a stool, and the other is standing beside her. Both are smiling in front of a purple backdrop with logos and text related to healthcare services.
Four young adults standing together at a conference or event with banners displaying Kennesaw State University logos and text behind them. They are smiling and wearing conference badges, indicating participation in a student or professional event.

Annual GANS Convention Sponsors

Thank you to our 2026

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GANA logo with red text and blue vertical line on black background
Grady Hospital System logo
Pedmood Healthcare logo with a stylized 'P' and 'H' in black and orange.
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Logo of the Georgia Nurses Association with the acronym GNA and stylized flame design.
Northeast Georgia Health System logo with green leaf graphic and text
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GANS Award Spotlight

Three women standing together, center woman holding a certificate, background with dark curtains, the woman on the left holding a bouquet of flowers, and the woman on the right wearing a patterned green and white shirt.

The DAISY Award for Advancing Health Equity

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students is one of the most prestigious honors a nursing student can receive. It celebrates those who go beyond the classroom and clinical setting to demonstrate extraordinary compassion, leadership, and commitment to advancing health equity.

Last year marked a historic milestone—the very first time GANS presented the Student DAISY Award at our Annual Convention.

Submit your nomination
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Each year moving forward, another student nurse will be recognized for making a lasting impact on patients, families, peers, and the nursing community. Nominees are student nurses who embody the values of empathy, advocacy, and clinical excellence outside the classroom—students who inspire others by their courage, service, and dedication to improving care for all.

Winning the DAISY Award connects the recipient to an international community of honorees who have been recognized for making a remarkable difference in nursing. The awardee will receive the same level of honor and recognition as practicing nurses who earn the DAISY Award, affirming the importance of nursing students as leaders of tomorrow, in addition to other honoree benefits.

View all GANS awards

Interested in being an
exhibitor or sponsor?

Let’s talk.

Connect directly with the future nursing workforce — 600+ students, faculty, and healthcare leaders — on October 10, 2026 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

Why participate?

  • Recruitment — connect directly with future nurses and healthcare professionals.

  • Brand visibility — event marketing, social media, email campaigns, and on-site recognition.

  • Professional networking — build relationships with students, faculty, and industry partners.

  • Workforce development — promote externships, residencies, and career opportunities.

Regular exhibitor registration closes on August 29, 2026. Space is limited; placement is first-come, first-served. For more information and to get involved, please download the guide below. For all inquiries, please contact Falyn King, Public Relations Director — publicrelations@ganursingstudents.com.

Download the Sponsorship & Exhibitor Event Guide
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  • "The GANS Convention gave me a chance to find new friends and employment opportunities all in one day. It was an even more helpful experience than I expected."

    2025 GANS Annual Convention attendee

  • "I walked in nervous and left inspired. Meeting nursing students from across the state made me feel seen. I found my people here!"

    2025 GANS Annual Convention attendee

  • "This event reminded me that nursing school is bigger than exams. I left feeling more informed, motivated. and ready to tackle everything ahead."

    2025 GANS Annual Convention attendee

Have questions?

Contact us.

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