Speaker

Tonychris Nnaka, PhD, MPH, RN, CPH
Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor of Nursing
University of North Texas Health Science Center

Dr. Tonychris Nnaka is an Associate Professor of Nursing and serves as the founding Associate Dean for Research at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), College of Nursing (CON) in Fort Worth, Texas. A nurse scientist and epidemiologist, his research focuses on improving health outcomes among ethnic populations living with heart diseases through digital therapeutics. Dr. Nnaka is a dual T-32 trained researcher at the University of Texas at Austin and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. 

Dr. Nnaka’s reach expands beyond academics and research; he has extensive experience in policy, in various capacities in public health and policy, through his prior work as a fellow at the United States Department of Health and Human Services Region 6 Immediate Office of the Regional Director and most recently serving as the Health Policy Advisor to the City of Dallas Mayor. Dr. Nnaka is committed to bringing transformational changes in the academic preparation of nurses across all ranks and bridging the gaps between nursing science, practice, and policy.

Dr. Nnaka was an environmental health Jonas Scholar. He earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing science from the University of Texas at Arlington, a dual Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology and Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, and a Ph.D. in nursing science from the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing.

Speakers

Susan Bakewell-Sachs, PhD, RN, FAAN
Vice President for Nursing Affairs and Dean & Professor of Nursing
Oregon Health & Science University

Since 2013, Susan Bakewell-Sachs has served as Vice President for Nursing Affairs, professor and dean at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing. She has a clinical background as a pediatric nurse practitioner, specializing in caring for infants and children born prematurely. She is also a recognized expert in nursing education, interprofessional education, and academic-practice partnerships, seeking ways to develop and evaluate innovative models of education and practice to prepare healthcare professionals and improve patient care.

Dr. Bakewell-Sachs is active in national organizations, recently completing service as an appointed member of the Veterans’ Administration National Academic Affiliations Council and Co-chair, Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce Subcommittee. She is past Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2020-2022. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Western Academy of Nursing. Dr. Bakewell-Sachs was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellow and served as Program Director for the New Jersey Nursing Initiative, an RWJF program aimed at addressing the nurse faculty shortage through new curriculum models, faculty development, and academic-practice partnerships.
 

Brooke Baldwin, DNP, MSN, RN, CENP
Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Executive
Oregon Health & Science University Healthcare

Brooke Baldwin, DNP, RN, CENP serves as the vice VP and chief nursing executive (CNE) for OHSU Healthcare and the Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs at OHSU School of Nursing. University of California, Irvine Health system (UCI Health) and has been in the role since January 2021. As the CNE, Brooke contributes to the development of strategic goals and provides a vision for all aspects of patient and quality of care, ensuring professional nursing standards are uniform and maintained across the system. She is responsible for nursing and patient care initiatives across the health system and oversight in all inpatient and outpatient care settings.

Speaker

Denise Robertson, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CNL
Associate Chief Nurse
Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Dr. Denise Robertson is an experienced nursing professional with three decades in the field. She holds nursing degrees from the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is dual-board certified as a Nurse Executive-Advanced and Clinical Nurse Leader.

As the Associate Chief Nurse at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, she oversees nursing services for Primary and Specialty Care and serves as a certified VA mentor and coach. She is the immediate past President of the Alabama State Nurses Association’s (ASNA) District 2 and currently serves as the Mentor Community Manager for the American Nurses Association, providing guidance on effective mentoring relationships.

Dr. Robertson is a gifted writer and has authored several pieces for the GNSA Bulletin and has significantly contributed to engaging over 10,000 student members nationwide. Her article, "Mentorship Matters," published in the American Nurse Journal, aims to inspire nurses about the importance of mentoring.

Dr. Robertson's dedication to mentorship earned her the 2021 ASNA Mentorship Award, recognizing her exceptional support for nurses’ development. Her contributions have a profound impact on the nursing profession and the communities she serves.
 

Speakers & Facilitator

Brigit Carter, PhD, RN, CCRN, FAAN
Chief Access and Engagement Officer
American Association of Colleges

Dr. Brigit Carter, Chief Access and Engagement Officer, joined American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in February 2023. She is Professor Emerita at the Duke University School of Nursing, where she served as the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion from 2018-2023. From 2015-2018 she served as the Director of the DUSON Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. Dr. Carter earned her BSN at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in 1998, a Master of Science in Nursing Education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2002, and a PhD in Nursing from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009. Her current educational research is focused on understanding students' experiences with microaggressions and the development of strategies to mitigate the impact of microaggressions. Dr. Carter also has a focus on strategies intended to increase historically marginalized students in nursing and understand individual-level social determinants that serve as barriers to achieving nursing education. Dr. Carter is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, an Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity, and a Duke Teaching for Equity fellow. 

Allison Lewinski, PhD, MPH, RN
Assistant Professor
Duke University School of Nursing

Dr. Allison Lewinski is a health services researcher with a focus on eHealth interventions and chronic illness self-management. Her work sits at the intersection of precision medicine and population health. Dr. Lewinski’s interest in health services and nursing research, specifically in developing and implementing sustainable interventions to improve health outcomes, is an extension of her experiences in public health and nursing. Dr. Lewinski aims to develop meaningful interventions that are relevant, appropriate, and can be implemented in real-world clinical settings with interdisciplinary collaborators. Her use of mixed methods enables her to understand how individuals engage with healthcare teams, how best to support behavior change in diverse populations and with varying disease states, and how to foster stronger engagement with the healthcare system. Additionally, Dr. Lewinski is interested in examining intervention implementation and adaptation as a means to understand how, why, when, and for what populations and settings interventions work. Dr. Lewinski’s career development award examines the association of diabetes distress and related factors using quantitative and qualitative methods in order to develop a novel, nurse-led intervention to improve self-management in Veterans with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Lewinski completed her postdoctoral fellowship in health services research at the Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation at the Durham VA. She completed her PhD in Nursing at Duke University School of Nursing, a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education at University of Michigan, a Bachelor of Science in Zoology at Michigan State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Maryville University in St. Louis.

Winifred Quinn, PhD
Director, Nursing Workforce & Policy
AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing

Dr. Winifred Quinn is the director, nursing workforce & policy, at the AARP Center for Health Equity through Nursing within the AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI). She co-leads a national campaign dedicated to improving health care through nursing, the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action. She oversees a team that supports action coalitions in each state and the District of Columbia that work to implement the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations from its landmark 2011 report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Dr. Quinn also assists with the Campaign for Action’s diversity work to help ensure a more diverse nursing workforce, faculty, and leadership. Dr. Quinn also works across AARP to help address public policies that intersect with consumer and nursing issues. She focuses on policy issues related to improving funding for nursing education and legal barriers that pr event all levels of registered nurses from practicing to the full extent of their education and expertise. Her federal policy work includes working on nursing education provisions within the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. She helped to initiate a national-level coalition that successfully moved Medicare to begin supporting graduate-level nursing education. Her state-level policy work entails organizing technical assistance to action coalitions and AARP state offices that are improving funding for nursing education or modernizing the scope of practice laws. Within this role, she places a strong emphasis on building coalitions and engaging stakeholders. She holds a master's in counseling, higher education, and human development from Montclair State University and a PhD in communication processes with a focus on health and public policy from Rutgers University School of Communication and Information.

Speaker

Courtney Pitts, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN

Courtney Pitts, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, is a Clinical Professor and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Specialty Director at the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She is a nationally certified and actively practicing FNP with a clinical background in primary care and the management of patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Her experience as a nurse educator includes curricular oversight, clinical training program development and clinical practicum placement. As a former project director of a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) federally funded advanced nursing education workforce grant, Dr. Pitts focused on establishing and maintaining academic practice partnerships required to support nurse practitioner student success in their clinical learning. In 2021, Dr. Pitts was appointed by the United States Secretary of Health to the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP). In this role, she serves with a national cadre of colleagues who focus on nursing workforce, practice, and education issues. Other roles of leadership include service or past service within the National League for Nursing (NLN),  the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF).
 

Speaker

Courtney Pitts, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN

Courtney Pitts, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, is a Clinical Professor and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Specialty Director at the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She is a nationally certified and actively practicing FNP with a clinical background in primary care and the management of patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Her experience as a nurse educator includes curricular oversight, clinical training program development and clinical practicum placement. As a former project director of a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) federally funded advanced nursing education workforce grant, Dr. Pitts focused on establishing and maintaining academic practice partnerships required to support nurse practitioner student success in their clinical learning. In 2021, Dr. Pitts was appointed by the United States Secretary of Health to the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP). In this role, she serves with a national cadre of colleagues who focus on nursing workforce, practice, and education issues. Other roles of leadership include service or past service within the National League for Nursing (NLN),  the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF).
 

Speaker

Laura A. Taylor, PhD, CN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN
Founder and CEO, GuIDE to Degree

With more than 26 years in the transplant nursing/community, and 34 years in nursing education, Dr. Laura Taylor has earned national and international recognition as a strong leader who shapes practice, policy and education. Dr. Taylor’s scholarship integrates pioneering technology-based innovations, rigorous scientific methods, inter-professional collaboration, and focused orientation on the advancement of global transplant care and education. Dr. Taylor embodies the innovative and evidence-based approach to contemporary nursing education, practice and healthcare delivery meeting the needs of patients in increasingly complex healthcare environments. 

Dr. Taylor established an educational pathway, The Guiding Initiative for Doctoral Education program (GuIDE ™), a program providing advanced practice nurses informational and problem-solving opportunities regarding PhD, EdD, and DNP education. GuIDE™ is preparing nurses to be competitive for admission to doctoral programs with the goal of increasing the diversity of doctorally prepared nurses.

Speaker

Laura A. Taylor, PhD, CN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN
Founder and CEO, GuIDE to Degree

With more than 26 years in the transplant nursing/community, and 34 years in nursing education, Dr. Taylor has earned national and international recognition as a strong leader who shapes practice, policy and education. Dr. Taylor’s scholarship integrates pioneering technology-based innovations, rigorous scientific methods, inter-professional collaboration, and focused orientation on the advancement of global transplant care and education. Dr. Taylor embodies the innovative and evidence-based approach to contemporary nursing education, practice and healthcare delivery meeting the needs of patients in increasingly complex healthcare environments. 

Dr. Taylor established an educational pathway, The Guiding Initiative for Doctoral Education program (GuIDE ™), a program providing advanced practice nurses informational and problem-solving opportunities regarding PhD, EdD, and DNP education. GuIDE™ is preparing nurses to be competitive for admission to doctoral programs with the goal of increasing the diversity of doctorally prepared nurses.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blake Smith, MSN, RN
Immediate Past-President, American Association for Men in Nursing
Commissioner, Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, American Nurses Association
Communication Chair, Board of Directors, Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC)
Accelerated Student Success Coach, Nebraska Methodist College

Blake K. Smith, MSN, RN, serves as a Clinical Documentation Sr. Analyst at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, NE. He oversees quality improvement/informatics projects specializing in health literacy, plan of care, downtime procedures, and regulatory reporting for five partnered hospital systems across Nebraska. Smith is a visionary thought leader for diversity and inclusion volunteer advocacy work. He has presented globally on men’s health and underrepresented workforce inclusion issues in nursing, including as a leading session speaker at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) 2023 Congress in Montreal.

Smith recently finished his term as the youngest president of the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN). He has advocated nationally for workforce inclusion for several years, serving on the national Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Steering Committee for AARP/Center to Champion Nursing in America. Smith serves on the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing (founding member) and is the national communications chair for the Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) Board of Directors.

Smith holds a bachelor’s in science degree in Exercise Science Research from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, NE, in 2008, a BSN from Nebraska Methodist College in Omaha, NE, in 2012, and an MSN in Nursing Health Systems Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 2017.

Smith is proud to be a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (UAB Chapter), Golden Key International Honor Society (UAB Chapter), Phi Epsilon Kappa Honor Fraternity for Kinesiology (Nebraska Wesleyan Chapter), Zeta Psi Intercontinental Fraternity (Omicron Chapter), Sigma International (Nurse Leader Member/Tau Tau Chapter), American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN), National Black Nurses Association (NBNA), American Nurses Association, Nebrask a Nurses Association, and the Omaha, NE Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Organization.

He also holds two prestigious recognitions, receiving the Horizon Lifetime Achievement Award from Nebraska Methodist College (2018), the University of Alabama at Birmingham Alumni Society’s Top 25 of Business Excellence (2023), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Visionary Leader Award (2022), given to only 130 other distinguished alumni in the school’s 72-year history.

Speakers

Blake Smith, MSN, RN
Immediate Past-President, American Association for Men in Nursing
Commissioner, Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, American Nurses Association
Communication Chair, Board of Directors, Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC)
Accelerated Student Success Coach, Nebraska Methodist College

Blake K. Smith, MSN, RN, serves as a Clinical Documentation Sr. Analyst at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, NE. He oversees quality improvement/informatics projects specializing in health literacy, plan of care, downtime procedures, and regulatory reporting for five partnered hospital systems across Nebraska. Smith is a visionary thought leader for diversity and inclusion volunteer advocacy work. He has presented globally on men’s health and underrepresented workforce inclusion issues in nursing, including as a leading session speaker at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) 2023 Congress in Montreal.

Smith recently finished his term as the youngest president of the American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN). He has advocated nationally for workforce inclusion for several years, serving on the national Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Steering Committee for AARP/Center to Champion Nursing in America. Smith serves on the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing (founding member) and is the national communications chair for the Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC) Board of Directors.

Smith holds a bachelor’s in science degree in Exercise Science Research from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, NE, in 2008, a BSN from Nebraska Methodist College in Omaha, NE, in 2012, and an MSN in Nursing Health Systems Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 2017.

Smith is proud to be a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (UAB Chapter), Golden Key International Honor Society (UAB Chapter), Phi Epsilon Kappa Honor Fraternity for Kinesiology (Nebraska Wesleyan Chapter), Zeta Psi Intercontinental Fraternity (Omicron Chapter), Sigma International (Nurse Leader Member/Tau Tau Chapter), American Association for Men in Nursing (AAMN), National B lack Nurses Association (NBNA), American Nurses Association, Nebraska Nurses Association, and the Omaha, NE Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Organization.

He also holds two prestigious recognitions, receiving the Horizon Lifetime Achievement Award from Nebraska Methodist College (2018), the University of Alabama at Birmingham Alumni Society’s Top 25 of Business Excellence (2023), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Visionary Leader Award (2022), given to only 130 other distinguished alumni in the school’s 72-year history.

Speakers

Emily Helbick, BSN
DNP Student
Jacksonville University

Emily Helbick is a registered nurse as well as a value-based population health management expert with 13 years of experience. Throughout a decade of working in and out of a critical care hospital setting, Emily has experienced shifts in healthcare culture and policy firsthand. She witnessed the trend towards poor healthcare quality with a focus on volume over value. It was at this point that she decided to pivot to a career focusing on value-based care and health system improvement. Emily is now employed by one of the largest and most successful Accountable Care Organization’s in the nation. As a clinical project manager, she spearheads the organization’s initiatives for optimizing the spend towards post-acute care and their provider network of high caliber specialists while increasing patient care quality. Her toolbelt includes the power of artificial intelligence and innovative predictive analytics to help satisfy these demanding initiatives.

Emily attained a Bachelor of Nursing Science from the University of New Hampshire and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Jacksonville University. Emily volunteers with a local LGBTQ+ community non-profit delivering preventative care services as an HIV awareness and screening counselor. In her free time, Emily loves to travel, scuba dive, and participate with international ocean and coral conservation programs.

Gemma O'Donnell, MSN, RN
PhD Student
Arizona State University

Gemma O’Donnell is a master’s prepared registered nurse. She is a PhD student in the Arizona State University Edson College School of Nursing, PhD in Nursing and Healthcare Innovation program. Her research interest is in exploring solutions for family caregivers of persons with dementia. She teaches undergraduate nursing students at Northern Arizona University’s School of Nursing, focusing on Gerontology, Palliative Care and Nursin g Leadership. She has over 20 years of nursing experience serving the needs of patients with dementia at all stages and their family members.

Speakers

Elizabeth Kuzma, DNP, RN, FNP-BC
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Michigan

Elizabeth Kuzma, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, is a Clinical Associate Professor at University of Michigan's School of Nursing (UMSN) in the Health Behavior and Biological Sciences department. She is a Program Lead for their Adult-Gerontology and Family Nurse Practitioner Programs and serves as the Coordinator of the five Graduate Program Leads. As a Family Nurse Practitioner, she is committed to working with vulnerable and underserved populations, particularly at-risk, high ACE youth. Dr. Kuzma is an expert in providing holistic, trauma-informed primary care with cultural humility, including health promotion, disease prevention, management of minor acute and chronic conditions. Her research and scholarship focus includes a variety of adolescent health issues, particularly related to trauma, sexuality and gender identity, as well as integrating these content areas into NP education. She is actively involved and committed to professional and policy advocacy. She is a former past American Association for Nurse Practitioners (AANP) State Representative for Michigan, has served on the AANP Research Committee, and is currently serving on the AANP National Nominations Council.

Speakers

Julie Van Orne, MSN, RN, CPN, CNL
Nursing EBP/ QI Coordinator
Cook Children’s Medical Center

Throughout her nursing career, Julie Van Orne has strived to improve the care of children with medical complexity. As a certified Clinical Nurse Leader, Julie has led multiple quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and research projects to advance the care pediatric patients and their families receive. In 2020, Julie began working on a Ph.D. in Nursing Science at Texas Woman’s University. Her dissertation will focus on sharing the lives of caregivers who care for children with a tracheostomy at home using photovoice. As Julie transitions into the role of a Nurse Scientist, she will collaborate heavily with a DNP counterpart to improve patient care and the clinical work environment at Cook Children’s Medical Center.

Kaylan Branson, MSN, RN, CPN, CNL
Director of Nursing Quality and Magnet
Cook Children’s Medical Center

Kaylan Branson is the Director of Nursing Quality and the Magnet Program at Cook Children’s Medical Center. Kaylan began her career as a nurse resident at Cook and has dedicated her clinical nursing career to improving the care of pediatric patients with medical complexity. Kaylan graduated with her master’s in nursing education in 2017 and received a post-master’s certificate as a certified Clinical Nurse Leader in 2019. Kaylan is pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Kaylan’s doctoral studies have focused on improving nurse wellness in the clinical setting. In her role as nursing director, Kaylan believes in being a strong advocate for nurses and promoting nursing excellence by engaging frontline nursing in quality improvement activities that improve clinical outcomes and the care environment.

Speakers

Julie Van Orne, MSN, RN, CPN, CNL
Nursing EBP/ QI Coordinator
Cook Children’s Medical Center

Throughout her nursing career, Julie has strived to improve the care of children with medical complexity. As a certified Clinical Nurse Leader, Julie has led multiple quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and research projects to advance the care pediatric patients and their families receive. In 2020, Julie began working on a Ph.D. in Nursing Science at Texas Woman’s University. Her dissertation will focus on sharing the lives of caregivers who care for children with a tracheostomy at home using photovoice. As Julie transitions into the role of a Nurse Scientist, she will collaborate heavily with a DNP counterpart to improve patient care and the clinical work environment at Cook Children’s Medical Center.

Kaylan Branson, MSN, RN, CPN, CNL
Director of Nursing Quality and Magnet
Cook Children’s Medical Center

Kaylan Branson is the Director of Nursing Quality and the Magnet Program at Cook Children’s Medical Center. Kaylan began her career as a nurse resident at Cook and has dedicated her clinical nursing career to improving the care of pediatric patients with medical complexity. Kaylan graduated with her master’s in nursing education in 2017 and received a post-master’s certificate as a certified Clinical Nurse Leader in 2019. Kaylan is pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Kaylan’s doctoral studies have focused on improving nurse wellness in the clinical setting. In her role as nursing director, Kaylan believes in being a strong advocate for nurses and promoting nursing excellence by engaging frontline nursing in quality improvement activities that improve clinical outcomes and the care environment.

Speakers

Maja Djukic, PhD, RN, FAAN
Assistant Dean for Research
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Maja Djukic joined the Cizik School of Nursing on Sept. 1, 2020, as the John P. McGovern Distinguished Associate Professor in the Department of Research. She is a widely published nurse scientist who has pioneered national research of new graduate nurses to identify key gaps in quality and safety competencies essential for high-value patient care. The more than $7 million in extramural funding she has secured in the past decade includes three current studies on which she serves as primary investigator that examine various issues affecting the nursing workforce.

Earlier in her career, Djukic received two prestigious career development awards – the Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholar Award and the Josiah Macy Junior Foundation Faculty Scholar Award. She was elected co-chair of the Interdisciplinary Group on Nursing Issues (IRGNI) at Academy Health and is currently an Associate Editor for the Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice journal.

Prior to joining Cizik School of Nursing, Djukic was an associate professor at New York University College of Nursing, where she earned a PhD in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Education. She began her nursing career Oklahoma, receiving an Associate Degree in Nursing from Tulsa Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from North Eastern State University

Speakers

Varsha Singh, DNP, APN, NEA-BC, FAHA, FAANP
Manager Neurosciences/Stroke Program/Telestroke Specialist
St. Joseph’s Health System

Dr. Varsha Singh, DNP, APN, CT-CP, NEA-BC, FAHA, FAANP is a JONAS Scholar who has served as a nursing leader for more than 15 years in variety of roles. At present, she is System Neuroscience/Stroke Program manager at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center and part-time faculty of the FNP program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Singh has served in many nurse leadership roles, such as President for the American Association of Indian Nurses NJ2, National Indian Nurse Practitioner’s Association (NINPAA), New Jersey state Nurses Association Region 3, NJ Stroke Coordinator’s Consortium and Forum of Nurses in Advance Practice. Dr. Singh has also served nationally as the Director at Large (2018-2020) for ANA(American Nurses Association). At present, she has been elected to serve as the AANP (American Association of Nurse Practitioners) State Liaison for New Jersey. Dr. Singh has received numerous awards, which include the most prestigious Institute for Nursing New Jersey/NJ State Nurses Association DIVA award and Fellow of AANP. She was a Kellogg’s scholar (2003-2005), Jonas Scholar (2014-2016), winner of Elizabeth Seton Young Alumni award (SHU) by March of the Dimes, Nurse of the Year Award (2015), State Clinical Excellence Award –AANP (2018) and then Sarah Erickson Award at DNP graduation (2018). GOPIO Community Service Award (2020). She also holds Fellowship status at American Heart Association as well as New York Academy of Medicine. She continues to serve within the state, nationally as well as internationally—mentoring, guiding and advocating for advancement of nurses in all areas of practice. She always encourages nurses to follow their dreams and advises that the “sky is not the limit.”

Speakers

Brittany Hay, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC
Assistant Professor
University of South Florida

Dr. Brittany Hay is an assistant professor at the University of South Florida, lead director of the nurse practitioner concentrations, and director of the adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner concentration. She has extensive experience in the advanced practice nurse role caring for patients and families prior to becoming faculty. As a DNP, she has engaged in multiple successful systems level initiatives utilizing evidence-based practice and quality improvement approaches. Dr. Hay has advanced education and scholarship in diagnostic reasoning and teaching. She leverages competency-based educational strategies to support student development of the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes for successful contemporary practice.

Speakers

Robert Englander, MD, MPH
Leading Authority on Competency-Based Education and Entrustable Professional Activities

Dr. Englander is the immediate past Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) at the University of Minnesota. He attended Yale Medical School, received an MPH from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, completed pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center and a Critical Care fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital. His career has included stints at the University of Maryland Medical School (1993-2002), the University of Connecticut Medical School (2002-2011), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) (2011-2015) and the University of Minnesota Medical School (2016-2022). His clinical career has focused on the inpatient care of pediatric patients with an emphasis on quality and patient safety. He served as Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center from 2005-2011.

Dr. Englander has held leadership positions in both UME and GME with a scholarly focus on Competency-based Medical Education. He was a member of the Pediatric Milestones working group and helped write the General Pediatric Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). While at the AAMC, he led the Education in Pediatrics Across the Continuum pilot to test the feasibility of competency-based, time variable progression from medical school through residency. He also led the development of the Core EPAs for Entering Residency, delineating the 13 activities that every graduate of medical school should be able to do on day one of residency, regardless of specialty choice. Dr. Englander is excited in this next phase of his career to continue to advance CBE across the health professions.

Speakers

Marta Okoniewski, MPA
Director of Student Engagement
American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Marta Okoniewski, MPA, is the Director of Student Engagement at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). She led the development and launch 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.