Finding Meaning in Medicine and Nursing:
Revitalizing the Heart of Your Work

October 3 & 4, 2008
Mill Valley, California

Workshop Description

Has the passion gone out of your practice? Has your sense of calling as a teacher worn thin? This workshop is an invitation to join with other teaching and clinical professionals from across the country who want to revitalize their practice and bring their heart to their work.

Since 1992, Rachel Naomi Remen has helped thousands of clinicians and clinical teachers experience a deeper sense of satisfaction, meaning and community in their work. This will be an inspiring two days for both clinicians and educators to reconnect to their original vibrant sense of calling and service. Rachel will share ISHI's innovative personal and group processes to strengthen authentic colleagueship and implement self-care. Clinicians will develop skills to enable them to live closer to their values and find deeper meaning in their work. Educators will learn innovative techniques for enriching CME/BRN programs, or teaching residents and students. Participants will also experience the simple and highly effective Finding Meaning in Medicine and Finding Meaning in Nursing group technique and be enabled to implement it at their worksite.

About the Finding Meaning process: The Finding Meaning in Medicine and Finding Meaning in Nursing group process developed by the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) is a simple, no cost way to explore and strengthen professional meaning and motivation in the company of other clinicians and educators. Organized as a conversation and discovery process, these self-led group meetings enable service professionals and professional students to uncover the true meaning of their work through story and personal insight and find inspiration within a community of peers. Forming an authentic community of colleagues with shared values is often the key to greater passion and commitment in professional work. Come prepared to discover and cultivate a greater sense of joy and satisfaction in your service to your patients and your students.

Who should attend: his workshop is for clinicians and/or educators in medicine and nursing (including physicians assistants and nurse practitioners) who are interested in exploring and strengthening the unique and personal meaning of their work, deepening their self-care, applying a variety of innovative experiential approaches in their teaching, and learning how to implement Finding Meaning in Medicine or Finding Meaning in Nursing support groups for themselves or for their colleagues, students, and residents.

Educational Goals

Participants will have the opportunity to:

• Experience support from a community of professional peers;
• Learn how to create and maintain interactional safe space between professionals;
• Reaffirm and strengthen deeply held professional values;
• Learn experiential techniques to deepen meaning and commitment for themselves and their students;
• Discover the power of story to capture professional meaning;
• Explore and strengthen a personal commitment to service;
• Explore and share the meaning of their work with other professionals.

Educational Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Discuss the relationship between meaning and professional satisfaction;
• Learn a tested journal strategy for discovering ongoing meaning in work;
• Learn a technique for using symbols to explore and strengthen the meaning of work;
• Learn two personal strategies to preserve meaning and passion for work;
• Write a personal mission statement;
• Practice generous listening;
• Implement a Finding Meaning in Medicine or a Finding Meaning in Nursing group for colleagues, residents or students;
• Learn to implement all of the above for teaching professional students, residents and colleagues.

About Rachel Naomi Remen, MD: Rachel Naomi Remen is one of the earliest pioneers of holistic and integrative medicine. She is the Founder and Director of The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) at Commonweal, a professor of clinical medicine at UCSF School of Medicine, and the nationally known author of Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings. The Healer's Art, the holistic curriculum she developed for medical students at UCSF in 1992, is now taught at sixty medical schools nationwide. For the past thirty years her presentations, writings and CME workshop programs have enabled thousands of health professionals to heal their isolation, remember their calling and revitalize their work.

CME credit for physicians: The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal is accredited by the Institute for Medical Quality/California Medical Association (IMQ/CMA) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal takes responsibility for the content, quality and scientific integrity of this CME activity.

The Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal designated this educational activity for a maximum of 12 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™ — Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This credit may also be applied to the CMA Certification in Continuing Medical Education.

CE contact hour credit for nurses: Credit for 12 CE contact hours for nurses is available. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 10064. 12 CE contact hours is available for licensed California nurses.

Disclosure Information: The speakers, presenters and planning committee members for this educational activity disclose no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests.

Workshop Logistics

Location: Acqua Hotel, 555 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, California
Dates: October 3-4, 2008
Hours: 9:00 am - noon and 1:30 - 5:00 pm
Cost:
$450 for physicians (CME credit included) Pre-registration required.
$325 for RNs (BRN-approved CE contact hour credit included) Pre-registration required. PAs and NPs should register in RN category.
$250 for medical residents (CME credit included) Pre-registration required.

Registration & payment: Pre-registration is required. To register online with a credit card, click here or to download a registration form you can mail in with a check, click here. Note: To ensure prompt processing of your registration, please be sure to send your check with a completed registration form to the correct address listed on the form (complete information is on the downloadable form linked above). If you have questions or problems, please contact Corrie at or call 707-575-6801.

Refunds: Due to the constraints of budget planning and administration, no refunds will be issued after September 3. However, you may reassign or transfer your registration at no charge.

Cancellation Policy: A full refund (less processing fee of $25) will be issued for cancellations BEFORE September 3.

Work exchange & scholarships: This workshop is a fundraising effort for the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) at Commonweal, a nonprofit organization. We regret that we are unable to offer work exchange or scholarships for this event.

Lodging: A special discounted room rate has been negotiated for workshop attendees at the Acqua Hotel in Mill Valley, California, the workshop site. You can reserve these rooms (with special room rate) online, by following this link:
Reservations (October workshop only): www.acquahotel.com
To confirm reservation, follow search prompts for date availability, rates & room choice. Based on availability at the time of request, guests can then select their preferred reservation date and room type. Rate changes may occur during a guest stay, based on day and length of stay. Daily rate details will be noted on each hotel confirmation notice. All reservations are accepted based on space availability. A two-night minimum may be in effect on selected weekends.

You can also call the Acqua Hotel's toll-free reservation line at (888) 662-9555 to reserve one of these rooms, which are available on a first come, first serve basis. You MUST request the account name "RACHEL REMEN WORKSHOPS" at the time of booking by phone in order to get the special rate.

Lodging note: If you want to stay at the Acqua Hotel, please know that there are many other events going on in the area during this weekend, and it is crucial to make reservations well in advance. Book your hotel room as soon as possible, so as not to be disappointed!

Transportation to site: Many participants fly in from all over the country to attend our workshops. If you are arriving by plane and will be renting a car, either the San Francisco or Oakland airport are recommended. The SF airport is approximately an hour south of the Acqua Hotel; the Oakland airport is around 90 minutes - it depends on the time you fly in and traffic, which can be quite heavy during morning and evening rush hours. We suggest participants fly in the evening before a workshop, and leaving the morning after it's over - and leave plenty of time to get to either airport.

If you don't plan to rent a car, we recommend flying into San Francisco International and taking the Marin Airporter shuttle service that has a stop very near the Acqua Hotel (Seminary Dr/Mill Valley).

Additional lodging: We can provide names of alternative accommodations in a range of prices in the immediate vicinity of the event. Click here for this list.

Meals: There will be 90 minutes available to eat lunch each day, from approximately noon to 1:30 pm. You may choose to either pre-order (when you register) a catered box lunch that will be served onsite during the workshop, or opt to eat out at one of the many restaurants in the immediate area (in which case, you will need a car as there is no easily accessible public transportation). The box lunches cost $17.25 (inc. tax) per person, per day, and must be pre-paid. They will vary each day, and you may choose either vegetarian or regular (meat) lunch. For example:

• Box Lunch #1: Grilled chicken focaccia sandwich, pesto pasta salad, biscotti
• Box Lunch #2 (veggie): Grilled vegetables focaccia sandwich, pesto pasta salad, biscotti

Note: If you are on a special diet or cannot eat carbs, we recommend that you eat lunch at a restaurant where you can be sure to have your needs met.

To pre-order a lunch online, please go to the online registration form. If you are registering by mail, be sure to checkmark the desired lunch(es) when you send in the form and include payment with the form. The Acqua Hotel does not have its own restaurant; however they do offer a very good continental breakfast for hotel guests staying with them. There are only a couple of restaurants within walking distance for lunch or dinner. We offer the option of ordering a box lunch each day of the workshop. However, if you are not local and arrive via airport shuttle, you may need to call a cab to get to restaurants for dinner. In the past, many participants have opted to go out to eat together, making impromptu plans during the workshop.

A list of local restaurants is available, click here.

Map: Area map and directions are available, click here.