Speakers

Therese Doan, PhD, RN, PHN
Professor
San Francisco State University School of Nursing

Dr. Therese Doan is a Professor at San Francisco State University School of Nursing. Her Scholarship focuses on Nursing education innovation, advance care planning, and end-of-life care. With decades of clinical experience spanning the full continuum of care—often described as "womb to tomb"—from perinatal nursing to end-of-life practice. Dr. Doan bridges academic preparation and clinical realities to strengthen nursing students’ readiness for complex patient care conversations. Her research examines reflective and experiential pedagogies that prepare pre-licensure nursing students to engage in meaningful, culturally sensitive discussions about serious illness, advance directives, and patient values.

Megan Lippe, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, ANEF, FPCN, FAAN
Associate Professor
UT San Antonio

Dr. Megan Lippe is an Associate Professor with tenure and palliative care expert. She is a national leader for palliative nursing care education with published work in areas related to palliative care practice and education, simulation, and interprofessional education. She is a co-investigator of the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) focused on advancing palliative care education in schools of nursing throughout the country. Dr. Lippe is a 2019 Cambia Sojourns and recipient of the 2017 ELNEC Award and 2019 Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) New Investigator Award. In 2023, Dr. Lippe was inducted as a fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and the Academy of Nursing Education. In 2024, she was inducted as a Fellow of Palliative Care Nursing by HPNA.

Gloria Littlemouse, PhD, RN, MSN
Assistant Professor
Vanderbilt School of Nursing

Dr. Gloria Littlemouse, Post-Doctoral Scholar from Watson Caring Science Institute and an Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Her work integrates Watson Caring Science and end-of-life education to advance compassionate, culturally responsive care for individuals and families facing serious illness and works with marginalized communities including her own Indigenous community. Dr. Littlemouse is ELNEC-trained, completing training in 2010 with Dr.?Betty Ferrell in San Diego, California.?She has presented nationally and internationally on Five Wishes/advance directives, expanding its integration in nursing education and global end-of-life care initiatives, including work with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, always through the lens of Watson Caring Science. She recently returned from presenting at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and will serve as a keynote speaker at the University of Palermo in just a few weeks on Watson Caring Science and end-of-life education using Five Wishes in international contexts. Her goal is to prepare nursing students to create meaningful Caring Moments with Love.

Paul Malley, MA
President
Five Wishes

Paul Malley is President of Five Wishes, a program of the national non-profit organization Aging with Dignity, based in Tallahassee, Florida. Five Wishes, dubbed the "living will with a heart and soul," is the most popular document used by Americans to make health care decisions before a serious illness. The national version debuted in 1998, when Malley began his tenure with Aging with Dignity, and today there are more than 44 million copies of Five Wishes in national and international circulation. It is available in 33 languages and in Braille. The Five Wishes program provides resources and training for individuals, families, healthcare providers, businesses, employers, places of worship, and community groups. Malley holds a M aster of Arts in Communications degree from Florida State University. He joined Aging with Dignity in 1998, was named its President in 2002, and was named President of Five Wishes in 2025.

Speakers

Carol J. Howe, PhD, RN, CDCES, FAAN
Associate and Parker Endowed Professor
Texas Christian University

Dr. Carol Howe is an Associate and the Paula R. and Ronald C. Parker Endowed Professor of Nursing in the Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Her research focuses on the health literacy skills of patients, clinicians, and hospital systems to drive improved patient outcomes. Her focus is on implementation research and quality improvement to increase clinician uptake of health literacy practices to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Howe is currently a principal investigator, collaborating with colleagues at Children’s Health, on three studies using implementation science frameworks and strategies to implement clinician health literacy practices in pediatric ambulatory clinics. Dr. Howe has received honors for her efforts, including the Big 12 Faculty of the Year, the Leadership Award from the American Diabetes Association, the Excellence in Education Award from the Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society, the Penn Nursing Alumni Award for Clinical Excellence and Dr. Howe is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
 

Lindsey Patton, PhD, APRN, PCNS-BC
Sr. Director Nursing Excellence, Research and Innovation  
Children’s Health System of Texas

Dr. Lindsey Patton leads strategic initiatives that elevate nursing practice, advance research, and foster innovation across Children’s Health. As Senior Director of Nursing Excellence, Research and Innovation, she has been instrumental in shaping a culture of inquiry and evidence-based care. Her leadership has driven the development of a robust academic partnership with Texas Christian University (TCU), expanding opportunities for collaborative research, professional development, and clinical scholarship. 
 

Danielle Walker, RN, PhD, CNE
Associate and Parker Endowed Professor    
Texas Christian University

Dr. Danielle Walker is an Associate Professor in the Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Texas Christian University. A learning scientist focused on nursing education, Dr. Walker’s research centers on improving the quality of teaching and evaluation through evidence-based practices. Her expertise in psychometrics supports the development and validation of reliable instruments across diverse educational and clinical settings. She has been recognized for her contributions to nursing education research with awards such as the 2020 QSEN Researcher of the Year and the Generating Evidence for Nursing Education Practice Award at the Nursing Education Research Conference.  
 

Tammy Webb, PhD, RN, NE-BC  
Chief Nurse Executive  
Children’s Health System of Texas

President
California Association of Colleges of Nursing

Precision Health & Genomics Work Group Co-Chair
American Nurses Association

Dr. Tammy Webb leads nursing strategy and drives clinical excellence in a large children’s hospital system, while fostering a culture of patient- and family-centered care and nursing excellence. She has led multiple ANCC Magnet designations and pioneered both new and evolving professional nursing governance structures empowering nurses through accountability, autonomy and authority.    

She is responsible for executing strategies aimed at achieving high reliability, advancing quality and patient safety and performance improvement culture. She has published numerous articles in prominent nursing journals and conducted significant research on the role of pediatric nursing.?She serves in multiple local, regional and national professional nursing and healthcare organizations advancing and promoting the i mpact of nurse leaders.

Speakers

Nancy Edwards, PhD, MSN, ANP-BC, FAANP
Professor Emerita
Purdue University

Dr. Nancy Edwards is an associate professor of nursing. Edwards is also Director of the Purdue Primary Care Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program. She is known for her research into non-chemical ways to improve quality of life for those with all forms of dementia, their loved ones and caregivers, and their communities at large. She has studied the effects of animal-assisted therapy, including robotic dogs, and chair-based exercise therapy for patients, as well as the differing needs of family caregivers based on the challenges posed by various kinds of dementia. As a faculty member and clinical preceptor, she has guided the education of 89 nurse practitioner students and served as chair for 42 master's students as well as 21 students seeking their doctor of nursing practice degrees.

Jennifer Coddington, DNP, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC

Assistant Dean of Online, Professional and Clinical Education, Clinical Professor, Director of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Graduate Program
Purdue University  

Medical Director, Director of Practice and Outreach
Central Nursing Clinics  

Dr. Jennifer Coddington is Clinical Professor, Director of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program, Director of Practice and Outreach, and Medical Director of North Central Nursing Clinics for the School of Nursing, and HHS Assistant Dean of Clinical Practice, Professional and Online Education. She has over 35 years of experience in pediatrics and currently practices part-time as a CPNP-PC in primary care. Dr. Coddington’s research focuses on quality outcomes of nurse-managed health systems. She implements and evaluates unique models of care that address current challenges in healthcare delivery in the United States including: increasing access to health care for vulnerable populations, innovating rural health care, removing barriers for practice for Advanced Practice Nurses, and improving pediatric health.

Speakers

Nancy Edwards, PhD, MSN, ANP-BC, FAANP
Professor Emerita
Purdue University

Dr. Nancy Edwards is an associate professor of nursing. Edwards is also Director of the Purdue Primary Care Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner program. She is known for her research into non-chemical ways to improve quality of life for those with all forms of dementia, their loved ones and caregivers, and their communities at large. She has studied the effects of animal-assisted therapy, including robotic dogs, and chair-based exercise therapy for patients, as well as the differing needs of family caregivers based on the challenges posed by various kinds of dementia. As a faculty member and clinical preceptor, she has guided the education of 89 nurse practitioner students and served as chair for 42 master's students as well as 21 students seeking their doctor of nursing practice degrees.

Jennifer Coddington, DNP, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC

Assistant Dean of Online, Professional and Clinical Education, Clinical Professor, Director of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Graduate Program
Purdue University  

Medical Director, Director of Practice and Outreach
Central Nursing Clinics  

Dr. Jennifer Coddington is Clinical Professor, Director of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program, Director of Practice and Outreach, and Medical Director of North Central Nursing Clinics for the School of Nursing, and HHS Assistant Dean of Clinical Practice, Professional and Online Education. She has over 35 years of experience in pediatrics and currently practices part-time as a CPNP-PC in primary care. Dr. Coddington’s research focuses on quality outcomes of nurse-managed health systems. She implements and evaluates unique models of care that address current challenges in healthcare delivery in the United States including: increasing access to health care for vulnerable populations, innovating rural health care, removing barriers for practice for Advanced Practice Nurses, and improving pediatric health.

Speakers

Maureen “Shawn” Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN
Contributing Editor, JAMA Health Forum; Editor-in-Chief Emerita
American Journal of Nursing

Maureen “Shawn” Kennedy is a contributing editor for JAMA Health Forum and Editor-in-Chief Emerita of the American Journal of Nursing (AJN), stepping down after 12 years at the helm and after 15 years in other journal roles. As AJN news director, Shawn was a visiting nurse scholar at the WHO Office of Nursing and Midwifery in 2009-2010. As AJN editor-in-chief, she led award-winning projects and series that have increased nurses’ awareness of important professional and social justice issues, enhanced curriculum, and provided evidence for policy change. Shawn guided AJN's innovative digital and social media strategy, positioning AJN as a leader among nursing and medical journals. Her work in advancing standards for nursing publications was recognized in 2016 by the International Academy of Nursing Editors with the Margaret Comerford Freda Award for Editorial Leadership and in 2017, she was awarded The Nightingale Initiative for Global Health Advocacy in Action Award for excellence in promoting nursing scholarship. Author of several book chapters and numerous articles in AJN and other journals, her editorials in AJN have received six Clarion awards from the Association of Women in Communications. She currently serves as a trustee of the Foundation of the National Student Nurses Association and of New Jersey’s Valley Hospital System and is on the national advisory board of R3-Resilient Nurse Initiative Maryland at The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. She presents internationally on scholarly publishing issues, authorship ethics, and writing, with the goal of getting ALL nurses to tell their stories.