South by Southwest interactive (SXSWi) will host a health track for the very first time in 2011. Sessions are selected based on a combination of a SXSW advisory board, SXSW staff, and votes.

Programming Selection(Image from SXSW)

The Panel Picker opened today, and a quick search reveals only two panels tagged with “nurse” or “nursing.” Say what?! The largest group of health care professionals is specifically represented in 2% of the session proposals?! Ouch.

The two sessions are Not Your Mama’s CNE: Transforming Continuing Nursing Education (full disclosure: I submitted this session with my organization, the Nurse Oncology Education Program.) and Why Nurses are Vital in Emerging Technology, submitted by nursing colleague Phil Baumann.

Nurses rock! (Okay, so I am completely biased.) Let’s make sure nurses and nursing are represented at the inaugural SXSWi health track. Swing by the Panel Picker, and vote.