Responding to the events of the past several weeks, unions representing nurses and health care organizations will hold a special conference on terrorism and bioterrorism Jan. 17 and 18 at the RiverCentre in St. Paul.

Initiated by the Minnesota Nurses Association and co-sponsored by Service Employees International Union Local 113, the Minnesota Visiting Nurses Association, the Minnesota Association of Colleges of Nursing and Colleagues in Caring, the conference will provide basic information on biological and chemical threats, infection control, protections and precautions as well as other aspects of the new threats, including worker rights and ethical dilemmas.

A series of health care experts, including Harold Decker, interim director of the American Red Cross, will address the conference. U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone will outline Congressional efforts to fight the bioterrorist threat.

Organizers said the goal of the conference is to provide nurses with information so they can advocate for their patients and themselves and fully participating in decisionmaking regarding bioterrorism in their workplaces. While geared toward nursing, the information provided at the conference will be valuable to all health care workers, risk managers, nurse managers and ancillary personnel, organizers said.

For more information or to register, visit the MNA website: http://www.mnnurses.org