Speakers

Andrea Novak, PhD, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, FAEN
Field Experience Coordinator/Adjunct Faculty
Aspen University

Dr. Andrea Novak is currently the Field Experience Coordinator and Adjunct Faculty for Aspen University. Her history in adult education spans over 30 years with most recently serving as an AHEC Nurse for about 23 years. Dr. Novak is a member of the NCNA Council on Gerontology and serves as a peer reviewer for NCNA’s CEAU Task Force as well as a Peer Reviewer for the Emergency Nurses Association Education Committee.

Her nursing background began as many of us did as a med-surg nurse which expanded to working in the emergency nursing arena and later as a nurse educator for a high-volume emergency department. Andrea is one of the North Carolina’s 100 Great Nurses, as well as a Fellow in the Academy of Emergency Nursing. She has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Emergency Nursing, the National AHEC Organization and currently on the Aspen Journal. A published author and national speaker, Dr. Novak also received training as a health literacy consultant through UNC Chapel Hill and developed a strong interest in both helping healthcare providers meet the literacy needs of their patients, especially those most vulnerable; the elderly. Dr. Novak holds a PhD in Public Health; community health and education from Walden University, two Masters Degrees, two bachelor degrees, and an ADN.

Speakers

Chika Anueyiagu, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Director of Surgical Services
Yale New Haven Hospital

Dr. Anueyiagu is the Director of Surgical Services at Yale New Haven Hospital with oversight of Inpatient surgical units including, surgical intensive care, trauma, intermediate care, bariatric, general surgery, vascular, and minimally invasive surgery units. She has leadership experience spanning over 20 years in several roles across specialties and settings. In these roles, she had the responsibility of alignment and executing strategic initiatives while ensuring excellent outcomes in nurse-sensitive indicators. Chika earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from Fairfield University in Executive Leadership. She obtained her Nurse Executive Board certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Patricia Span, PhD, RN, CPHQ, CENP
Strategy & Learning Specialist
Yale New Haven Hospital

Dr. Span is the Strategy & Learning Specialist at Yale New Haven Hospital Patient Services Administration with primary responsibility for development and oversight of the nursing strategic business plan and nursing communications comprised of the annual report and nursing news. She has extensive experience as a nurse leader in Education, Professional Practice, Quality, Nursing Research as well as organizational customer service strategies. Patricia received her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing and is Board Certified in Executive Nursing Practice from the Association of Nurse Executives and credentialed in health care quality from the National Association of Health Care Quality.

Speakers

Erica Yu, PhD, RN
Associate Dean and Chair
Department of Undergraduate Studies
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Dr. Erica Yu holds the prestigious Margaret A. Barnett/PARTNERS Endowed Professorship in Nursing and serves as the Associate Dean & Department Chair for Undergraduate Studies at the UTHealth Cizik School of Nursing. With a wealth of experience, Dr. Yu has made significant contributions in the fields of nursing practice and education. Dr. Yu has consistently exhibited a deep-seated commitment to the advancement of nursing education. Her areas of expertise encompass curriculum development, leadership, and the cultivation of meaningful collaborations between the academic and practical spheres.

She has played a pivotal role in forging partnerships between academic and practice, facilitating the establishment of nurse residency programs that streamline the transition of new nurses from the academic environment to the professional practice. Her work has been disseminated through over 50 publications and presentations on national and international platforms. She is a member of the AACN Vizient Nurse Residency National Strategic Planning Committee and serves nationally as a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) on-site evaluator for accreditation.

Rosemary Pine, PhD, RN, NPD-BC
Director of Hospital Education and Professional Development
Memorial-Hermann-Texas Medical Center

Rosemary Pine is the Director of Hospital Education for Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Memorial Hermann-Rockets Orthopedic Hospital. Rosie, with over 30+ nursing experience, has spent most of her professional career in hospital or academic nursing education. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and ANA and has served as a board member for TNA District 9 on and off for 20+ years.

Rosie has over 30+ publications and presentations on such varied topics as outcomes related to transition to practice programs and dedicated education units, creating employee pipelines for employment in health systems, and medication safety. Rosie has been recognized by the Good Samaritan Foundation as a Gold awardee in 2023. In her spare time Rosie enjoys spending time with her family especially her two grandchildren.

Speakers

Susan L. Bindon, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, FAAN
Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Director
Institute for Educators
University of Maryland School of Nursing

Susan Bindon is the Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Director of the Institute for Educators at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She earned her BSN at the University of Pittsburgh, and her MS, graduate teaching certificate, and DNP at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

She has extensive experience teaching in classroom, clinical, and online settings and has mentored many nurses and nurse educators to develop their teaching expertise. She manages a statewide faculty development grant that has prepared over 500 clinical nursing faculty. She is an NLN certified nurse educator and ANCC certified in nursing professional development, has authored peer-reviewed articles and presented widely on effective teaching/learning strategies and professional development.

She is the immediate past-president of the Association for Nursing Professional Development and served as co-editor of the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development. She has won state and national awards for teaching excellence and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Speakers

Darci McCall, PhD, RNC-OB, C-EFM
Clinical Associate Professor
Boise State University School of Nursing

Dr. McCall has been a nurse for 13 years, working primarily in the maternal-child setting. She earned her BSN from Idaho State University, her MSN from Jacksonville University, and her PhD in Nursing Education from the University of Northern Colorado. She discovered her passion for nursing education when she became a clinical instructor working with students in OB, NICU, and pediatrics. She was hooked and in 2015, she moved into a full-time faculty role at Boise State University. Having taught in a variety of settings at Boise State, she currently teaches in the RN-BS completion track program, where she is the lead faculty for several courses. Dr. McCall is passionate about nursing education and helping students learn and apply new information in every setting.

Dr. McCall’s research interests focus on substance use, specifically marijuana, during pregnancy and the stigma surrounding its use. Her interest in substance use disorder stems from her work in different hospital systems providing care to patients experiencing addiction and substance use disorder during pregnancy and as a faculty member working with students who care for this vulnerable population.

Dr. McCall has earned certifications in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing, Electronic Fetal Monitoring and is a Fetal Heart Monitoring Instructor. She is a member of the NCC’s Inpatient Obstetric Content Team, Inpatient Obstetric Item Writing Team, and the Inpatient Obstetrics Standard Setting Committee. She strongly advocates for SUD recognition, treatment, recovery, and educating nurses to care for this population compassionately and effectively.