NORFOLK, Neb. -- "Trauma comes in a variety of forms,” said Faith Regional's Nurse Manager of the Emergency Department Carrie Sousek. 

Faith Regional University held its 2023 Northeast Nebraska Trauma Conference at Northeast Community College on Thursday. 

This is the conference's third consecutive year since the pandemic. 

Sousek said that the partnership with Northeast was great and accommodating. 

Sousek said the conference provided healthcare professionals in the state with the opportunity to network, share experiences, and continue education.  

"It's good to have that constant refresher, and always bringing new information to the forefront,” Sousek said. “So, it's always going to help our community to have the knowledge base, and also the resources. There's a lot of opportunity to make those connections, whether it be from the presenters today or from meeting a new peer." 

Sousek said it's important for professionals to focus on their patient's primary injuries but to also look at the bigger picture as there are different types of traumas.  

When preparing for each conference, Sousek, along with Faith Regional's trauma coordinator and education department, looks for topics that will be the most resourceful. 

"We collaborate on topics that we think are interesting, maybe topics that we have seen in other conferences, and maybe something that is new or hot in healthcare right now,” Sousek said. “Then we use our resources in the state, around the state, and solicit presenters and speakers that way."

The conference featured five speakers with five different trauma-related sessions, spanning from orthopedic trauma to child abuse and neglect. 

Sousek said that it's valuable to know what traumas can be higher in certain area, amongst other key facts which this conference offers to better understand and better serve the community. 

"Whether they're a first responder, they're on the hospital side, to prepare themselves, to educate themselves on how to best take care of our patients and really a patient population that's not always seen,” Sousek said. 

The Northeast Nebraska Trauma Conference has seen a consistent increase in attendance over the year, but Sousek hopes for more growth and more topics.