Debunking the Myths of the Dissertation Proposal Defense

Webinar Overview

Join this Webinar to hear information from a current doctoral student and Johnson & Johnson – AACN scholar on how you can “Debunking the Myths of the Dissertation Proposal Defense is a practical guide for graduate nursing students who are preparing to take the proposal defense. This presentation explains what the proposal defense is, how to orchestrate meetings with committee members as students prepare for the defense, and how to successfully complete the defense. The presentation concludes with helpful tips on navigating the steps following the proposal defense.

This Webinar is hosted by the Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA). For more information on the GNSA, visit www.aacn.nche.edu/students/gnsa.

Webinar Speaker

Esther R. Smith-Howell
BSN-PhD Student
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
AACN-Johnson & Johnson Minority Nurse Faculty Scholar

Esther R. Smith-Howell, BSN, RN, is a doctoral candidate at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). She graduated from the University of Florida in 2006 with a BS in Health Science and completed the Accelerated BSN program at IUPUI in 2009. Her research focuses on improving end-of-life decision-making and communication among African Americans and their families. Her experiences as a research assistant, along with her aunt’s battle with lung cancer motivated her to return to school to earn a PhD and conduct oncology and end-of-life care research. Esther has worked as a critical care teaching assistant, serves as historian’s assistant of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., Eta Chi Chapter, and has served on Indiana University School of Nursing faculty committees as a graduate student representative. Additionally, she belongs to the Midwest Nursing Research Society, Sigma Theta Tau, Alpha Chapter, Oncology Nursing Society, and Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association.