Stephanie Abbu, DNP, RN, CNML, REC-C

Dr. Stephanie Abbu is the Manager for Neonatal Services at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. As a second career nurse, she has 19 years of healthcare experience as a registered nurse, assistant manager, manager, and business coordinator. Dr. Abbu is interested in topics that explore nursing research, nursing practice and professionalism, mentoring, leadership, and family and patient engagement. She completed an editorial fellowship with The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing and is the Chief Executive Editor for the Empowered Nurse: Peer-Reviewed Journal for Innovative VUMC Nursing Research. 

Innovative Way to Engage Nurses in Research and Evidence-Based Practice

At one organization, the creation of a nurse-led peer review journal engages nurses in consumption of evidence in an innovative way, increasing skills, knowledge and disseminating research - offering internal networking and empowering novice writers. Clinical nurses have unique leadership and professional growth opportunities by serving on the journal's editorial board. This session will identify steps in creating a peer-reviewed journal and how to support the implementation of evidence-based practice across an organization.

Thomas Apple, BSN, RN, CCRN

Thomas Apple is a registered nurse with experience in ER and ICU settings. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) with a BSN and is certified in critical care by the AACN. He is also a current student in the Psychiatric Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner program at MTSU. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked in the ICU, caring for patients requiring mechanical ventilation, ECMO, and other vital life support interventions. As a product of these experiences, he began to pay closer attention to the psychological impact of the ICU on patients and staff alike.

The traumatic nature of this environment led to his research of the phenomenon known as compassion fatigue. His work led to the development of a novel intervention for nurses termed the Compassionate Self-Reflection Tool (CSRT), which aims to reduce the impact of compassion fatigue. Mr. Apple is a Tennessee native who calls Bell Buckle home. His career goals are to provide mental health support to healthcare workers and to expand access to psychiatric services in rural areas of the state.

Session - Compassion Fatigue: Translation from Theory to Intervention in the Nursing Workforce

This presentation will provide a general overview of compassion fatigue and related concepts in relation to the nursing workforce. Attendees will learn about the theories behind compassion fatigue and current evidence supporting the topic. The discussion will explore the etiology, symptoms, consequences, and interventions for compassion fatigue. In addition, learners will be introduced to translational research processes in the field with recommendations for applying these concepts and interventions in their organizations. 

Kimberly Best, RN, MA

Kimberly Best, RN, MA, is a TN Rule 31 Listed Civil Mediator, Rule 31 Trained Family Mediator, FINRA Arbitrator, and owner of Best Conflict Solutions, LLC. Her practice includes Mediation, Restorative Practices, and personal and organizational Conflict Coaching and Conflict Consulting, with a Healthcare specialty. She is a speaker and trainer on Conflict Management, Mediation, and Facilitating Difficult Discussions, including end-of-life. Kim is serving her third term on the board of the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators, currently as Chair/President. She is a volunteer Senior Mediator with the Los Community/Police Unification Program and also serves as a community facilitator. Kim is an active member of the Association of Conflict Resolution, is a consultant for Mediators Beyond Borders International, and she serves on the Executive Committee of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section. Kim is passionate about helping others understand and resolve conflict and helping other dispute resolution practitioners excel and succeed in the field. Kim takes pride in being mother to five grown children and grandmother to four little ones.

Session - Conflict Management Skills for Nurses

As care providers in a high-stress field, nurses frequently find themselves at the center of emotionally charged situations with colleagues, patients, families, and management. Unresolved conflicts in these high-stress environments can severely impact morale, focus, the ability to provide optimal patient care, and staff retention.

Ginger Fowler, MSN, RN, CMSRN, NPD-BC

Ms. Fowler has been a nurse for over 15 year. She began her career as a nurse's aid, then LPN, then obtained her BSN, She recently graduated with her Masters in Nursing Education and works as a simulation Coordinator for the VA in Murfreesboro. Ms., Fowler is a certified med-surg nurse and a certified nursing professional development specialist. She lives in Lebanon with her husband and pets.

Session - Jazzing up Microlearning with AI and Videos

This session would talk about leveraging AI to help with learning objectives and microlearning sessions that are on demand. We will go through what we have done and our results using AI and Video to create learning experiences. 

Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN

Dr. Ernest J. Grant is the Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the Duke University School of Nursing. He is also the immediate past president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), the nation’s largest nurse’s organization representing the interests of the nation’s 4.3 million registered nurses. He is the first man to be elected to the office of president of the ANA in its 128 years of existence.

A distinguished leader, Dr. Grant is an internationally recognized burn-care and fire-safety expert. For the past four years in a row, Dr. Grant has been recognized by Modern Healthcare Magazine as one of 50 Influential Clinical Executives in Healthcare and as one of 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare. He has been nationally recognized for his work addressing racism, equity, and inclusion within the nursing profession. Modern Healthcare named him as one of 2023 Top Diversity Leaders.

In 2002, President George W. Bush presented Grant with a Nurse of the Year Award for his work treating burn victims from the World Trade Center site. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Grant holds a BSN degree from NCCU and MSN and PhD degrees from the UNC-Greensboro.  

Everybody's Work Documentary film showing and panel discussion

Shift Films (A nursing community supported by RWJF) produced a film addressing racism in nursing — the urgency to understand how it happens, to recognize how it harms everyone, especially people of color — and the urgency to do all we can to make a difference! Titled “Everybody’s Work: Healing What Hurts Us all,” the film features commentary from nurses reflecting on their experiences with racism and the actions they envision for change. The goal is to show this film and have a panel discussion regarding racism within the nursing profession and what it will take to create change. Audience are encouraged to tell their stories and identify how to begin to take action.

Julie Honey, DNP, APRN, CPNP, FNP-C

Experienced nurse leader, professor, and practitioner dedicated to enhancing education through authentic leadership, strategic program development, and collaboration. Devoted to incorporating educational principles and techniques to address the learning needs of diverse student populations. Committed to utilizing appreciative inquiry to cultivate partnerships between faculty, students, staff, and community members. A passionate advocate for improving academic outcomes and population health through interdisciplinary collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and resiliency coaching. 

Co-Presenter: Debbie Gregory, DPN, RN, FAAN

Dr. Gregory is a leader in healthcare design and innovation, leveraging her experience as a nurse, healthcare consultant, and interior designer to advocate for nurse leadership representation in building functional healthcare environments that improve clinical workflow, create healthy environments for nurses and improve patient experience and outcomes. She is co-founder of the Nursing Institute for Healthcare Design, founding member of the Clemson University Academy of Nursing Excellence in Design, and co-editor of the Health Environments Research and Design Journal. As a member of the Center for Health Design’s Environmental Standards Council, her work directly impacts policy and guideline standards. Passionate about education and research, she regularly contributes to industry publications and journals and is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences, serving as Chairperson for the 2021 and 2022 International Nursing Conference for Excellence in Healthcare Design. She serves as mentor to hundreds of nurses and is an adjunct professor at Clemson University School of Nursing and the University of Kansas Center for Design Research. Debbie holds a DNP in Health Innovation and Leadership from the University of Minnesota, a BSN from Vanderbilt University, and an Interior Design degree from Watkins College of Art, Design & Film. 

Nurses as Innovators: Unleashing the Power of Nursing Innovation across Tennessee

This session will describe the purpose, outcomes, and potential future for nurse-led innovation in Tennessee. The session will include outcomes from the Belmont Nursing Innovation Summit held in September, 2024. The Summit featured keynote sessions led by renowned thought leaders Dr. Oriana Beaudet, VP of Innovation at the American Nurses Association, and Rick Rekedal, former DreamWorks Animation Executive. A panel of nurse leaders and innovators shared what is happening across the state and an open mic session highlighted the ingenuity of the nursing community in Tennessee. The outcomes of this recent conference will be shared as a catalyst for the ongoing work of raising the voice of nursing innovation to improve health outcomes and transform healthcare. 

Carla Kirkland, MSN, APRN, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, ENP-BC

Carla Kirkland is an Emergency Department Nurse Practitioner at Saint Francis Hospital, Memphis, and holds NP certifications in acute, primary, and emergency care. She is the current American Association of Nurse Practitioners Tennessee State Liaison and is a Past President for Tennessee Nurses Association. 

Session - Nurses' Role and Assessment in Domestic & Intimate Partner Violence

Domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) numbers are increasing, as is the lethality associated with abuse. Nurses are uniquely situated to assess and assist victims, since they practice in a variety of roles in the community. This presentation was created specifically to reach nursing students, nurses, and APRNs to stress the frequency of abuse, the role of the nurse in screening and recognizing signs of abuse, how the nurse can best help the patient using a safe, non judgmental approach, and provide needed resources. Also discussed are leadership concepts and the importance of the nurse working with community partners to create and advocate for a culture of health.

Deborah Lee, PhD, RN, NBC-HWC

Deborah Lee, PhD, RN, NBC-HWC, is the NHC Chair of Excellence in Nursing at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Mufreesboro. She is the founder and director of the MTSU Positive Aging Consortium. The goals and priorities of the Consortium are focused on service, research and education that support healthy aging practices. Dr. Lee's area of expertise is communication skills based in Motivational Interviewing and she teaches a communication skills clinical rotation in the undergraduate nursing program. Dr. Lee has practiced as a health and wellness coach since 2011. She is a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and has been an instructor and mentor in the Duke and Vanderbilt Health Coaching Programs. She created and coordinates the health and wellness coaching option for undergraduate nursing students, which she will discuss during her presentation. She holds Associate and Bachelor degrees in Nursing from Western KY University, a Master of Nursing degree from Emory University, and a PhD in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Session - Building Resilience in Undergraduate Nursing Students through Health and Wellness Coaching

Nursing students are entering a complex healthcare field that they may be unprepared for. They experience stressors in school that may even prevent them from completing school and entering the profession. Seeing the need to address this issue while students are in the throes of their nursing studies, a health and wellness coaching option for students was implemented as a component of a second semester nursing clinical course. Health and wellness coaching is an intervention that uses evidence-based practices to promote positive change and support participant well-being. Over the last several years offering health and wellness coaching to second semester nursing students, surveys demonstrate satisfaction with coaching. How the program is designed and implemented, and student responses to health and wellness coaching, will be presented.

Mark Miller, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC

Mark is a Board Certified Adult Geriatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with an emphasis and experience in Addiction Medicine and Mental Health. He is a dual graduate of Vanderbilt University, earning his Master of Science in Nursing, leading to his licensure as an Advanced Practice Provider, and his Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership. He originally hails from Upper East Tennessee, where he completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in business at Tusculum College before continuing his educational pursuits in nursing. He has over 25 years of healthcare experience, including as a Nursing Faculty teaching the next generation of nurses, professional lobbying experience, and C-suite roles nationwide, before he returned to direct patient care. At the patient’s side, Mark’s experience includes critical care and emergency department nursing, inpatient medically managed detoxification, outpatient recovery and concurrent mental health support, and whole-person care in the mental health residential treatment setting.

During his professional experiences, Mark learned the importance of actively participating in policymaking decisions at the state and federal levels. These experiences led to the focus of his Doctoral project, which focuses on removing practice restrictions for Advanced Practice Providers to make healthcare more accessible for Tennesseans. In fact, Mark’s research helped him become the Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA) Director of Government Affairs, representing Tennessee’s more than 115,000 Registered Nurses and more than 20,000 Advanced Practice Nurses. Mark is active in his community as well and serves on numerous Boards and Committees.

Session - Examining the Attitudes, Perceptions and Beliefs of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Tennessee related to Full Practice Authority

This presentation will include a brief history of the legislative attempts to achieve full practice authority for advanced practice registered nurses in Tennessee. The primary focus, however, will consist of a discussion regarding the current landscape, how a doctoral project compiled the most comprehensive survey to date specific to Tennessee, a reporting of the primary findings, a discussion about additional data to be analyzed, and how this data may be used to influence change using the transtheoretical model. 

Jennie Mnich, MSN RN; MI Level 4; Preventive Health Specialist

Jennie Mnich is a Registered Nurse with 29 years of experience in the health care industry, including Medical/Surgical, Adult Critical Care & Cardiac Transplant, Case Management, and Primary Care. She is currently a Patient Care Coordinator with the Primary Care Quality Team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Passionate about patient care, Jennie is involved in promoting and implementing Patient Centered Medical Home quality initiatives for Ambulatory Care. She also is certified as a Preventive Health Specialist from the Coalition for Better Health. In this capacity, Jennie works with individual patients and groups to help prevent chronic disease complications. Jennie holds a BS in Nursing and a Masters in Nursing Education. 

From Transactional to Transformational 

After more than four years of study, planning, development, and implementation, the Coalition for Better Health and its Preventive Health Network – inclusive of Vanderbilt University Medical Center -- have research that demonstrate there is a measurable, sustainable, scalable, and evidence-based way to change health-related behavior that can help prevent chronic disease and improve health outcomes across Tennessee and beyond.

VUMC and the Coalition, with the support of dozens of other private and public health-focused organizations across the state, created a training and certification program designed to empower healthcare professionals, including RNs, with the communication tools needed to drive behavior change. The approach went upstream to the source of behavior change: personal motivation. Thirty health professionals, a third of which are nurses, were trained as part of four different cohorts, including candidates from Cherokee Health Systems, Ballad Health, Methodist LeBonheur, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and One-One Health.

During this session, you'll hear about how this training and approach has improved the way nurses support patients, often rejecting the norms of a directive and prescriptive approach and instead inspiring patients to make lasting change.

Patricia Patterson, RN, BSN, CDCES

Patricia Patterson is a Registered Nurse with forty years’ experience in health care including Medical/Surgical, Public Health, Endocrine and Primary Care nursing. Patricia graduated in 1984 with an Associates of Science in Nursing and in 2008 with Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She has been a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist for 32 years. She is currently a Patient Care Coordinator with Primary Care Quality Team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her responsibilities include collecting and translating health data and quality metrics, coordinating care in a defined population, engaging, and educating patients and healthcare teams, and proposing and implementing best evidence-based practices in personalized patient care.

In her role, Patricia promotes & implements Patient Centered Medical Home QI initiatives for Ambulatory Care to meet key pillar outcomes. Certified by the Tennessee Coalition for Better Health as a Preventive Health Specialist, she aims to prevent chronic disease and complications in high-risk patient populations by educating and coaching patients on the importance of preventive care.

She is dedicated to improving the practice of Nursing in research, education, and evidence-based practices to continually improve the quality of nursing care.

From Transactional to Transformational

Daphny Peneza, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM, FAORN

Daphny Peneza is a Perioperative Services Manager for Neurosurgery ORs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.Her professional practice is centered on meaningful collaborations through innovative education and transformational leadership. As an internationally educated nurse, she enhanced nursing practice through her diverse global experience via the following innovative ventures: as Project Head of a COVID–19 Perioperative Task Force, Lead Author for the Perioperative Chapter of the Core Curriculum for Neuroscience Nursing, and Contributor to the Neuroscience Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice.

Ms. Peneza's leadership prowess is a cornerstone of her extensive nursing career. She has successfully built and led teams at various levels, from grassroots to global. Her roles span a wide spectrum, including supporting periop educators worldwide as AORN’s Clinical Nurse Educator Specialty Assembly Chair (2019-2022), fostering member engagement as AORN of Greater Houston President (2020-2021) and AANN of Houston - Galveston President (2022-2023), contributing to the development of three perioperative certifications as CCI Certification Council Member (2020-2022), and nurturing aspiring leaders as a national AORN Nominating Committee Member (2022-2024).

Ms. Peneza's exceptional contributions to nursing have not gone unnoticed. She has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Promising Professional Achievement Award by the AORN (2018), Excellence in Neuroscience Education from the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (2020), Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Education by AORN (2021), Nursing Hero Award by Texas Nurses Association District 9 (2021), and induction as a Fellow of AORN (2023).

Session - From NEOPHYTE TO FELLOW: An Internationally Educated Nurse’s Journey

Globally, the need for nurses will continuously skyrocket as the current geriatric population and healthcare demands rise. Internationally educated nurses are hired to support the growing needs of countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA. Although there are many benefits, importing this valuable resource can be challenging.

To pay forward through sharing, an internationally educated nurse (IEN) leader will take you on a unique neophyte to the new fellow success story of grace and grit in continuous motion. Successful global approaches to innovative leadership and creative education will be shared to highlight how true strategic collaborations propel acculturation and holistic excellence in IENs.

Kendra Todt, PhD, RN, CNE, CNEcl

Dr. Kendrea Todt is an assistant professor and honors coordinator for the East Tennessee State University College of Nursing in Johnson City, TN. Dr. Todt earned her PhD in nursing from the University of Tennessee with a focus on nursing education. She has 30 years’ nursing experience working in various areas, such as medical surgical, intensive care, emergency department, operating room, and school nursing. Her research interests include addiction science, end-of-life care, and nursing education. She is primarily a qualitative researcher, focusing on phenomenology and photo elicitation. She is an early career scientist who has presented at state and international conferences and is excited to share her work with you. 

Session - Death by a Thousand Cuts: Stop the Bleed

In this session, we will discuss microaggressions and the associated harms in healthcare. The concept of microaggression will be defined and described, as well as the the various types and level of microaggressions discussed. Attendees/learners will leave with the tools necessary to combat microaggressions in healthcare to stop the bleed and associated harms. Learners will learn how to take V.I.T.A.L.S (validate, inquire, take time, assume, leave opportunity, speak up) of the situation to stop microaggressions in situ.