On-Demand Webinars

Speakers

Marta Okoniewski, MPA
Director of Student Engagement
AACN

Marta Okoniewski, MPA, is the Director of Student Engagement at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). She led the development, launch, and growth of the GNSA, a national network providing high value programs, services, and resources to nursing students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs. Prior to joining AACN, Ms. Okoniewski worked as the Program Coordinator at New York University College of Nursing within the Academic and Clinical Affairs Department. She received her master’s in public administration from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Scranton.

Anne Pearson, BA
Student Services Coordinator
AACN

Anne Pearson is the Student Services Coordinator at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). She supports graduate nursing students across the country through the Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA) and Liaison leadership program. She has a background in education equity policy research and received her baccalaureate degree in political science from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.  

Speakers

Cheryl Green, PhD, DNP, RN, LCSW, CNL, CNE, MAC, FAPA
Off-Shift Nurse Administrative Manager
Yale New Heaven Health System
Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus

Dr. Cheryl Green is an Off-Shift Nurse Administrative Manager at the Yale-New Haven Health Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus and Nurse Educator, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Chair and Committee Member within the Graduate School at Abilene Christian University. Dr. Green has been a registered nurse for over 34 years and a licensed clinical social worker for over 30 years. Areas of research include: Incivility, mental illness, medication error prevention, medical-surgical health issues, incivility and discrimination, succession planning, prayer and spirituality, self-care, distraction, stress and anxiety, nursing education, death and dying, the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health, COVID-19 pandemic, health disparities, addictions, simulation, and mindfulness.

Evelyn Jacovino, MSN, RN, CMSRN
Assistant Nurse Manager
Yale New Heaven Health System
Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus

Evelyn Jacovino is an Assistant Nurse Manager on the orthopedic unit at the Yale-New Haven Health Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus.  Mrs. Jacovino has been a registered nurse for over 11 years.  She has experience in homecare and hospital settings.  She has led her team in acquiring The Joint Commissions advanced disease specific certification for hips and knees.  Most recently, Mrs. Jacovino has successfully led the opening of the new, state of the art, orthopedic unit on the Milford Campus which includes virtual nursing.  Her tenure has been marked by a steadfast dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within the healthcare team. Her focus has been elevating the standard of nursing practice through strategic management and supporting staff in their professional growth and development.  

Speakers

Cynthia Bradley, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE, ANEF
Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota School of Nursing

Dr. Cynthia Bradley is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, where she serves as the Director of Simulation. Her program of research is focused on improving the nursing workforce through integrating emerging technologies into nursing education, and enhancing how nurse educators are trained and assessed. She has a history of research funding focused on simulation, virtual reality, debriefing, instrument development, and competency assessment. Dr. Bradley has served as a consultant for simulation programs, and broadly disseminates her work as a regular presenter at national and international nursing conferences and through numerous publications.

Michelle Aebersold, PhD, RN, CHSE, FSSH, FAAN
Clinical Professor
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Michigan School of Nursing

Dr. Michelle Aebersold is a Clinical Professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, a Clinical Associate Professor in the School of Information and an XR Faculty Innovator in Residence. She is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator and a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and a Fellow in the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. Dr. Aebersold has extensive experience in using a variety of simulation learning methods including Extended Realities to improve the care of patients through caregiver education and training. Dr. Aebersold has numerous publications, presents on a variety of topics and is often an invited speaker at international, regional, and local conferences. She consults with nursing schools on improving their simulation programs, developing virtual educational assets and other projects.

Speakers

Patricia Morton, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN
Editor of the Journal of Professional Nursing
Dean Emeritus
University of Utah

Patricia Gonce Morton is Dean Emeritus, University of Utah College of Nursing. She served as Dean, Professor and held the Louis Peery Endowed Presidential Chair at the University of Utah College of Nursing. Prior to her deanship at the University of Utah, Dr. Morton served in various administrative positions at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. An educator and scholar who is known for her work in critical care nursing and nursing education, Dr. Morton has authored multiple editions of three textbooks, numerous book chapters, and over 60 journal articles. She has served on the editorial board of eight nursing journals and for seven years was the editor of the journal AACN Clinical Issues: Advanced Practice in Acute and Critical Care sponsored by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Currently, Dr. Morton has been the editor of the Journal of Professional Nursing sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing since 2013. Dr. Morton is a certified acute care nurse practitioner. In recognition of her contributions to nursing and healthcare, Dr. Morton was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 1999.

Speaker

Jacquelyn McMillian-Bohler, PhD, APRN
Assistant Clinical Professor
Director for the Institute for Educational Excellence
Duke University

Dr. Jacqui McMillian-Bohler is an Assistant Professor and the Director for Educational Excellence at the Duke University School of Nursing. She received a BSN from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, an MSN in Nurse-Midwifery from Vanderbilt University, and a PhD in Nursing Education from Villanova University. Grounded by her Masterful Educator Model, she mentors faculty and presents nationally on faculty development, fostering inclusive learning environments, and employing impactful teaching strategies. Her efforts extend to guiding nursing programs toward competency-based education and researching effective teaching practices and health equity. Beyond academia, she advances health equity through Cultural Intelligence workshops and a culturally concordant doula training initiative.

Speakers

Gregory Knapik, PhD, DNP, MA, PMHCNSBC, ANP-BC
Associate Professor of Nursing
Notre Dame College

Dr. Gregory Knapik has been an RN since 1984 working in a variety of settings, mostly primary care and psych/mental health in Cleveland and Akron, in northeast Ohio. He has his doctorates in nursing (DNP, PhD), and has ANCC certifications as a CNS in psych/mental health and ANP (Adult Nurse Practitioner). Gregory has worked as an advanced practice nurse in primary care and/or mental health since 1998 along with teaching either FT or PT. He helped operate an academic and urban-based free healthcare clinic, managed by advanced practice nurses. Gregory most recently worked (clinically-based) in home health care managing pts in their home, group home, assisted living, and other community-based facilities. Gregory also benefits from the privilege of having gone on 6 health-related mission trips to Central America.

He tries to incorporate the "holistic" approach of considering the body, mind, and spirit in each patient encounter, and treat or care for the person, not the disease or disorder. He has also taught for about 12 years in several places and capacities in the discipline of nursing. He values the experience, knowledge, and wisdom of the students he has in class, and appreciate comments, anecdotes, and experiences shared in the lived experience of nursing. He values the importance of research and ongoing evidence-based practice, along with adaptability and “thinking outside the box.”

Sr. Anne Victory, MSN, RN
Leadership Team Member
Sisters of the Humility of Mary

Sr. Anne Victory is currently serving as a member of the Leadership Team of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary. She served as Director of Education for the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, Cleveland, OH from 2010-2021 and is now a volunteer for the organization. A nurse by profession, she served for 32 years as a clinician, educator, and administrator in nursi ng and as Vice President for Mission and Director of Staff Education at St. Joseph Hospital, Lorain, OH, (now named Mercy Health and part of the Bon Secours Mercy Health System). Sr. Anne is one of the founding members of the Alliance to End Human Trafficking (formerly US Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking) and past president of the board. She has given presentations to a wide variety of audiences on the issue of human trafficking. One of the lenses through which Anne views human trafficking is as a public health issue--one that requires a collaborative, trauma-based approach involving multiple systems and service providers. She holds a BSN from St. John College, Cleveland, and a MS in Nursing from Ohio State University.

Kathleen Hackett, MSN, RN, SANE-P
Forensic Program Coordinator
UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital

Kathleen Hackett has been a nurse for over 30 years with 20 years of emergency room experience, and is certified through the International Association of Forensic Nurses as a pediatric sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE-P). Kathleen is currently the Pediatric Forensic Program Coordinator for University Hospitals, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital since its launch in 2010, in Cleveland, OH. Kathleen earned her Master of Science in Nursing (Forensic Track) at Cleveland State University in 2017. Kathleen provides ongoing education within her medical facility, and area undergraduate and graduate programs on such topics as sexual abuse/assault, human trafficking, non-fatal strangulation, and trauma-informed care, for medical students, physicians, and nurses. Kathleen also collaborates with community partners to provide better-quality care for pediatric victims of crime.

Speakers

Jennifer DiBenedetto, PhD, APRN, FNP-C
Assistant Professor, DNP Online Graduate Nursing Program
Nurse Scientist – Lahey Hospital and Medical Center
Regis College

Jennifer DiBenedetto is a T32 post-doctoral research fellow at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College conducting research related to burnout in nursing and primary care. She has had experience teaching Doctor of Nursing Practice Students at Regis College and is frequently involved in generating DNP projects and submitting to the IRB. She is also a nurse scientist at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, MA and works as a nurse practitioner in pediatrics in Northborough, MA.

Speakers

Rebecca Dodmead, MSN, RN
Administrative Nursing Supervisor
Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital

Rebecca Dodmead is a dedicated nurse with over 17 years of experience in various healthcare settings. Rebecca's journey in nursing has taken her through the fast-paced environment of the Emergency Room, Med-Surg, Telemetry, ICU, Hospital Clinical Education. With a passion for teaching and mentoring, she has also served as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor. Currently, Rebecca serves as an Administrative Nursing Supervisor at Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Rebecca holds a Master's degree in Nursing Education and is part of the inaugural class of the 2025 Doctor of Nursing Education program at The Ohio State University.

Recently, Rebecca pursued additional education in Biomedical Visualization from the University of Glasgow, where she gained valuable insights into the intersection of healthcare and technology. She also completed a Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Certificate program from Massachusetts Institute of Technology XPRO. With her diverse background, advanced education, and unwavering dedication to understanding the intersection of healthcare and technology, Rebecca continues to make significant contributions to the field of nursing and healthcare education.

Speakers

Amanda Guarniere, MSN, NP-C
Founder of The Résumé Rx

Amanda Guarniere is an Ivy-league educated Nurse Practitioner and Career Mentor who helps nursing professionals find and land their dream job. She founded The Résumé Rx in 2018 and has since grown the community to over 40,000 nursing students and professionals worldwide.

The Résumé Rx was born out of the desire to see a world where medical professionals feel empowered, balanced and personally and professionally fulfilled. Amanda has been featured in Scrubs Magazine, Nurse.org, KevinMD.com, Indeed, and Nurse Grid. She is also the Host of the Nurse Becoming Podcast.

Speakers

Jane Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN 
Dean Emeritus 
University of Maryland School of Nursing

Dr. Jane M. Kirschling is Dean Emeritus of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, having served as Dean and Professor from 2013-2023 and as the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Director for Interprofessional Education. She previously held administrative and faculty positions at the University of Kentucky, University of Southern Maine, University of Rochester, and Oregon Health & Science University. At the national level, Dr. Kirschling served on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Board of Directors from 2003 through 2014, and as its President from 2012-2014. She served as AACN’s representative for the initial development of the interprofessional education core competencies and also for the recent revision of the IPEC Core Competencies. She is an alumna of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Executive Fellows Program (2000-2003), the AACN-Wharton Executive Leadership Fellows Program (2013), and of Leadership Maryland (2015). She was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2009.