I had been a hospice social worker for 10 years and had recently made the transition to inpatient palliative care social work. I thought with 10 years under my belt this would be a seamless transition. I was wrong. I went from feeling like a highly competent professional to feeling like an impostor. All I wanted was to be able to help these patients and families I was encountering day to day. In the midst of my professional crisis I learned about SWHPN and their upcoming conference in New Orleans.

My experience at the conference was transformative. I connected with other social workers going through what I was going through. From all of the sessions I attended I was able to build a new foundation for my clinical practice. In the months following the conference this new foundation renewed my sense of competence, meaning, and purpose. This experience is what has sustained my passion for SWHPN and its role in supporting hospice and palliative care social workers nationwide.