Faculty, advisors, and state consultants can earn valuable contact hours at the 74th Annual Convention!
This event offers a rewarding experience for professional development, providing ample opportunities for learning, networking, and growth.
This event offers a rewarding experience for professional development, providing ample opportunities for learning, networking, and growth.
Faculty can earn ANCC contact hours from an array of educational sessions offered during the Convention.
This educational activity is jointly provided by Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. (AJJ) and the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA).
Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
This educational activity is jointly provided by Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. (AJJ) and the National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA).
Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
NLN Pre-Convention Faculty Workshop: Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 8:30am - 3:30pm
Faculty Schedule: Thursday, April 9, 2026 - Saturday, April 11, 2026
Faculty Schedule: Thursday, April 9, 2026 - Saturday, April 11, 2026
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
8:30 am – 3:30 pm
NLN Pre-Convention Workshop (6 CH*)
Practical AI for Nursing Faculty: From Planning to Evaluation
*Contact hours awarded separately by NLN.
Description: This 6-hour, in-person, interactive workshop equips nursing faculty to use generative AI to teach more efficiently while protecting the quality and integrity of nursing education. The session begins with AI fundamentals and limitations and includes live demonstrations of AI tools most useful to educators, followed by hands-on practice applying these tools to common faculty needs such as curriculum design, teaching plans, assessment development, simulation-based education, administrative tasks, and competency-based education approaches. Throughout the workshop, faculty learn to use AI responsibly by applying clear guardrails—accuracy verification, privacy protections, and academic integrity practices—grounded in recognized principles for responsible AI use. The workshop concludes with participants developing a practical plan to implement one AI-supported strategy in their curriculum this session.
Speakers: Kellie Bryant, DNP, WHNP, CHSE, FSSH, FADLN, FAAN; Raquel Bertiz, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE-A
Sponsors: National League for Nursing and National Student Nurses’ Association
Thursday, April 9, 2026
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Faculty Session #1 (1 CH)
Fiduciary Responsibility of Faculty Consultants and Advisors
Description: Join us for 60-minute session to learn how to manage the finances of school chapters and state associations, budgets, financial reports, internal asset control procedures, IRS filings, and fundraising issues. Put the concepts to use as you review detailed case studies on fiduciary responsibilities.
Speaker: Dev Persaud, MA
Sponsor: National Student Nurses’ Association
10:45 am – 11:45 am
Faculty Session #2 (1 CH)
Nursing Faculty Excellence: Leveraging NSNA Resources, Governance, and Decision-Making Processes
Description: This presentation equips nursing faculty with a deep understanding of NSNA governance and decision-making processes, fostering their ability to participate confidently and effectively in organizational decisions at both state and school chapter levels. Attendees will discover practical strategies and tools to enhance their leadership impact within the NSNA framework.
Speakers: Mary Foley, PhD, RN, FAAN ; Marlo Robinson, DNP, JD, RN, CD (DONA)
Sponsor: National Student Nurses’ Association
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Faculty Session #3 (1 CH)
Malpractice Insights: Top Nurse Liability Concerns
Description: In a litigious and ever-shifting healthcare landscape, nurses face potential liability in their everyday work. This interactive session will use case studies and claim data from NSO and CNA’s updated nurse liability claim report to provide nurses with immediately implementable practices that they can use to help protect themselves against allegations of malpractice or unprofessionalism. Through the experiences of their peers, nurses can gain valuable tools to improve their patient safety practices and reduce their liability exposure.
Speaker: Brenna Youngs
Sponsor: Nurses Service Organization
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Faculty Session #4 (1 CH)
Helping Generation Z Reach for the Stars: Professional Identity Formation in Nursing
Description: This session will empower educators to better understand and support Generation Z nursing students in the formation of their professional identity in nursing. By understanding the perspectives and experiences of Generation Z—without relying on stereotypes—educators can recognize the implications for each of the four domains of professional identity in nursing: values and ethics, knowledge, nurse as leader, and professional comportment. This session will provide practical, innovative teaching strategies to engage Generation Z nursing students and support the purposeful development of their professional identity, helping them grow into nurses destined to make an impact.
Speaker: Electra Allen, MSN, RN, CPN
Sponsor: Biola University
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Faculty Session #5 (1 CH)
Breaking the Tradition: Ending “Nurses Eating Their Young” – The Role of Nursing Faculty in Socializing New Nurses
Description: This session looks at research from both faculty and student perspectives on the prevalence of horizontal violence and possible interventions to create a more supportive academic and transition to practice environment.
Speaker: Margie Lieck, DNP, MSN, RN-NCCE
Sponsor: San Antonio College
3:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Faculty Session #6 (1 CH)
Together We Rise: National, State, and Chapter Total School Membership, Faculty Sustaining Membership, and Professional Identity in Nursing
Description: Professional identity in nursing rises with membership of nursing students in the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA), its constituent state associations and chapters, and for faculty sustaining members. Total school membership (TSM) is an inclusive NSNA/state membership model that includes membership for all nursing students at a reduced rate in student tuition and fees. This session focuses on the importance of TSM and, using a certain college of nursing as an example, introduces a new model of donor support that provides FREE membership at the national/state and chapter levels for students in the nursing program and FREE individual sustaining membership for the faculty in the program. The session will address successes and challenges of the transition to free TSM and free faculty sustaining membership. Strategies related to such issues as educating students and faculty, handling membership, resources needed for communication, support needed from the university and NSNA, budgeting, and the importance of a transition team of diverse experts within and beyond nursing will be shared.
Speaker: Carol Weingarten, PhD, RN, ANEF
Sponsor: National Student Nurses’ Association
Friday, April 10, 2026
8:00 am – 9:00 am
*Breakfast at 7:30 am
Faculty Session #7 (1 CH)
Update on NCSBN: Update on Evidence-Based Nursing Education Quality Indicators (1 CH)
Description: An update on the 5-year sophisticated, statistical analysis of the quality indicator data of prelicensure nursing education programs will be presented. Faculty will learn how to benchmark their metrics with these national data, using NCSBN's National Nursing Education Database Dashboard. NCSBN programs and resources that are of interest to faculty will be provided.
Speaker: Nancy Spector, PhD, RN, FAAN
Sponsor: NCSBN
10:40 am – 11:40 am
Faculty Session #8 (1 CH)
Impact of International Service Learning: Study Abroad Program Development
Description: This session will explore how the development of an international service-learning program at your school can provide students the opportunity to learn and/or reinforce patient assessment skills, collaborate as a member of a healthcare team in either an urban or rural setting, further develop their leadership abilities, and greatly enhance their ability to provide quality patient care to patients with limited English proficiency.
Speaker: Patrick Hickey, DrPH, MS, MSN, RN, CNOR(E)
Sponsor: International Service Learning
11:50 am – 12:50 pm
Faculty Session #9 (1 CH)
The Power of Healing Circles: A Practice of Authentic Connection
Description: Collegial disconnection is systemic throughout health care. It is evident in interactions among healthcare professionals, staff, leaders, and even with patients. This fragmentation is often a byproduct of healthcare’s pace, complexity, and hierarchical culture. In health care, we witness the consequences of social disconnection through stress, loneliness, incivility, burnout, and illness. Authentic connection is a direct antidote for social disconnection. Healing circles is a practice, grounded in authentic human connection, that brings people together to share, listen, and reflect, cultivating authenticity, open communication, and meaningful relationships guided by respect, non-judgment, and compassion. For nursing faculty, healing circles offer a framework for enhancing collegial relationships and strengthening classroom and clinical learning environments by creating conditions for belonging, reflective dialogue, and mutual support. Healing circles offer faculty and students a portable and relationship-centered tool that is high-impact, low-cost, simple, flexible, and accessible. This session will provide an overview of the well-being crisis in health care and the use of healing circles in academic and healthcare settings to support student and faculty well-being, reflective practice, and psychological safety.
Speakers: Catherine Dodd, PhD, RN; Suzanne Scheller, MS, RN, CNE
Sponsor: Healing Circles
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Faculty Session #10 (1 CH)
Enhancing Resilience in Undergraduate Nursing Students through a Structured Faculty Initiative
Description: Undergraduate nursing students encounter considerable academic and psychosocial stressors, which frequently contribute to burnout and increased attrition rates. This project evaluated a structured faculty initiative to strengthen students' resilience in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Faculty were assigned to students and conducted scheduled check-ins each semester to address workload management, well-being, professional socialization, and self-care. Resilience was evaluated using a validated assessment instrument.
Speakers: Hershaw Davis, Jr., DNP, MBA, RN; Pawn Johnson-Hunter, MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO-BC, CM/DN
Sponsors: Morgan State University and National Student Nurses’ Association
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm
Faculty Session #11 (1 CH)
Teaching Nurses to Question: Artificial Intelligence and the Value of Authentic Ignorance
Description: This faculty-focused session explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can be intentionally integrated into pre-licensure nursing education to enhance, rather than replace, clinical judgment and critical thinking. Grounded in the concept of authentic ignorance, the session emphasizes teaching strategies that encourage student questioning, reflection, and uncertainty tolerance when engaging with AI-supported tools. Participants will examine practical approaches for using AI in simulation, case studies, and reflective learning activities while addressing ethical considerations, patient safety, and accreditation expectations. The session equips nurse faculty with actionable strategies to leverage AI responsibly and purposefully in contemporary nursing education.
Speakers: Leigh Snead, DNP, RN, CHSE, CNE; Laura Shanteler, BS
Sponsor: NurseHub
4:25 pm – 5:25 pm
Faculty Session #12 (1 CH)
Teaching the Post-Pandemic Nursing Student: Engagement, Accountability, and Support
Description: Nursing faculty continue to navigate the lasting effects of pandemic-related learning disruptions, including gaps in foundational knowledge, challenges with critical thinking, and an increased need for structure and feedback. This session highlights practical strategies to support post-pandemic nursing students while maintaining academic rigor, organized around three core faculty responsibilities: rebuilding engagement through active learning and retrieval practice; restoring accountability by shifting from passive lecture to performance-based learning; and strengthening academic support through structured remediation, coaching, and test-taking strategies. Examples will demonstrate how high-quality instructional tools, such as UWorld, can enhance engagement, deliver actionable performance insights, and build student confidence through targeted practice and detailed rationales.
Speaker: Cheryl Armstrong, DNP, MS, RN
Sponsor: UWorld
Saturday, April 11, 2026
9:45 am – 11:45 am
Faculty Session #13 (2 CH)
Beyond the Band-Aid: Building a Competency-Based Curriculum from the Ground Up
Description: In response to the growing demand for competency-based nursing curricula from accrediting agencies, nursing schools across the country are in the process of redesigning prelicensure programs to meet new standards. In 2024, the Quinnipiac University School of Nursing undertook a comprehensive redesign of its program in partnership with the Minerva Project, a premier education innovation company, to transform the curriculum from a traditional, content-heavy, exam-driven model to an innovative, low-stakes, competency-based curriculum designed to prepare practice-ready graduates for the complexities of modern healthcare. Central to this transformation was the development of a new learning taxonomy framework that focuses on 7 core capacities: critical thinking, effective engagement, adaptive thinking, ethical reasoning, care delivery, quality and safety, and informatics and healthcare technologies. These core capacities are broken down into 44 measurable learning outcomes, which are thoughtfully scaffolded throughout the curriculum to build competence over time and across contexts. The program incorporates four distinct course types, essential, applied, inquiry, and clinical, supported by active learning pedagogies and technology-enabled delivery. The course types allow content to be seamlessly integrated from the classroom to simulation/lab to clinical, ensuring developed skills are durable and transferable across settings. Key program innovations include mid-semester Intersessions dedicated to leadership development, team building, resilience development, interprofessional education, and NCLEX-RN preparation. Students gain flexibility through elective sequences and microcredential opportunities in specialty areas such as oncology, critical care, palliative care, advanced pediatrics, and global health. Faculty development, supported by the Minerva Project partnership, ensures effective implementation of evidence-based teaching practices grounded in cognitive and behavioral learning sciences. This hands-on, two-hour faculty session will detail the rationale, design principles, and implementation strategies for this competency-based curriculum, highlighting its alignment with accreditation standards and workforce demands. Attendees will gain insights into fostering learner-centered environments that promote resilience, adaptability, and professional identity formation, hallmarks of next-generation nursing education. Attendees will have the opportunity to develop learner personas that can be applied to a future learning taxonomy and new curriculum development and explore teaching and learning activities that can be scaffolded to build competence across lifespan and care contexts.
Speakers: Larry Slater, PhD, MAc, RN-BC, CNE, ANEF, FAAN; Christine Looser, PhD
Sponsor: Quinnipiac University School of Nursing
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Faculty Session #14 (1 CH)
Empowering Future Nurses through Mentorship, Certification, and Professional Development
Description: Faculty leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of nurses by fostering a culture of growth, excellence, and resilience. This session will explore the critical importance of mentorship as a foundation for student success, emphasizing strategies to build meaningful relationships that inspire confidence and competence. We will highlight the value of professional certification as a benchmark for clinical expertise and a pathway to career advancement, underscoring its role in elevating nursing standards. Additionally, the discussion will address creating opportunities for early professional development—through academic engagement, leadership initiatives, and networking—that prepare students for dynamic healthcare environments.
Speakers: Carey Heck, PhD, CRNP, AGACNP, CCRN, CNRN; Kimberly Meyer, PhD, ACNP-BC, CNRN
Sponsor: American Board of Neuroscience Nursing
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Faculty Session #15 (1 CH)
Safe Sim Space: Promoting Psychological Safety in Simulation-Based Nursing Education
Description: Simulation-based education is an essential part of contemporary nursing curricula; however, students often experience heightened anxiety, fear of judgment, and performance pressure during simulation experiences, which may negatively impact learning outcomes and confidence. Psychological safety, the shared belief that learners can engage, make mistakes, and ask questions without fear of humiliation or punishment, is a critical yet inconsistently addressed part of simulation-based education. The purpose of this session is to present Safe Sim Space, a structured educational initiative designed to promote psychological safety within nursing simulation environments. Grounded in evidence-based simulation standards and educational theory, this project emphasizes intentional pre-briefing, standardized simulation orientation, and supportive debriefing practices to foster a respectful and inclusive learning climate. Faculty facilitators are guided by scripted communication strategies and best-practice training to ensure consistent messaging, learner support, and equitable educational experiences. This session will describe the development, implementation, and outcomes of the Safe Sim Space within an academic nursing program. Attendees will gain insight into common student stressors during simulation, the impact of psychological safety on learning and performance, and practical strategies that can be immediately integrated into simulation and skills-based instruction. Although the project is faculty-led, it places strong emphasis on student empowerment, peer support, and reflective learning. This presentation is relevant to nursing students, faculty, and academic leaders aiming to enhance simulation experiences, reduce learner anxiety, and promote confidence, engagement, and professional growth. The principles discussed are transferable across pre-licensure programs, skills labs, and high-fidelity simulation settings.
Speaker: Rhonnisha Fountain, MSN, RN
Sponsors: Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., North Carolina A&T State University, and National Student Nurses’ Association
8:30 am – 3:30 pm
NLN Pre-Convention Workshop (6 CH*)
Practical AI for Nursing Faculty: From Planning to Evaluation
*Contact hours awarded separately by NLN.
Description: This 6-hour, in-person, interactive workshop equips nursing faculty to use generative AI to teach more efficiently while protecting the quality and integrity of nursing education. The session begins with AI fundamentals and limitations and includes live demonstrations of AI tools most useful to educators, followed by hands-on practice applying these tools to common faculty needs such as curriculum design, teaching plans, assessment development, simulation-based education, administrative tasks, and competency-based education approaches. Throughout the workshop, faculty learn to use AI responsibly by applying clear guardrails—accuracy verification, privacy protections, and academic integrity practices—grounded in recognized principles for responsible AI use. The workshop concludes with participants developing a practical plan to implement one AI-supported strategy in their curriculum this session.
Speakers: Kellie Bryant, DNP, WHNP, CHSE, FSSH, FADLN, FAAN; Raquel Bertiz, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE-A
Sponsors: National League for Nursing and National Student Nurses’ Association
Thursday, April 9, 2026
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Faculty Session #1 (1 CH)
Fiduciary Responsibility of Faculty Consultants and Advisors
Description: Join us for 60-minute session to learn how to manage the finances of school chapters and state associations, budgets, financial reports, internal asset control procedures, IRS filings, and fundraising issues. Put the concepts to use as you review detailed case studies on fiduciary responsibilities.
Speaker: Dev Persaud, MA
Sponsor: National Student Nurses’ Association
10:45 am – 11:45 am
Faculty Session #2 (1 CH)
Nursing Faculty Excellence: Leveraging NSNA Resources, Governance, and Decision-Making Processes
Description: This presentation equips nursing faculty with a deep understanding of NSNA governance and decision-making processes, fostering their ability to participate confidently and effectively in organizational decisions at both state and school chapter levels. Attendees will discover practical strategies and tools to enhance their leadership impact within the NSNA framework.
Speakers: Mary Foley, PhD, RN, FAAN ; Marlo Robinson, DNP, JD, RN, CD (DONA)
Sponsor: National Student Nurses’ Association
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Faculty Session #3 (1 CH)
Malpractice Insights: Top Nurse Liability Concerns
Description: In a litigious and ever-shifting healthcare landscape, nurses face potential liability in their everyday work. This interactive session will use case studies and claim data from NSO and CNA’s updated nurse liability claim report to provide nurses with immediately implementable practices that they can use to help protect themselves against allegations of malpractice or unprofessionalism. Through the experiences of their peers, nurses can gain valuable tools to improve their patient safety practices and reduce their liability exposure.
Speaker: Brenna Youngs
Sponsor: Nurses Service Organization
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Faculty Session #4 (1 CH)
Helping Generation Z Reach for the Stars: Professional Identity Formation in Nursing
Description: This session will empower educators to better understand and support Generation Z nursing students in the formation of their professional identity in nursing. By understanding the perspectives and experiences of Generation Z—without relying on stereotypes—educators can recognize the implications for each of the four domains of professional identity in nursing: values and ethics, knowledge, nurse as leader, and professional comportment. This session will provide practical, innovative teaching strategies to engage Generation Z nursing students and support the purposeful development of their professional identity, helping them grow into nurses destined to make an impact.
Speaker: Electra Allen, MSN, RN, CPN
Sponsor: Biola University
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Faculty Session #5 (1 CH)
Breaking the Tradition: Ending “Nurses Eating Their Young” – The Role of Nursing Faculty in Socializing New Nurses
Description: This session looks at research from both faculty and student perspectives on the prevalence of horizontal violence and possible interventions to create a more supportive academic and transition to practice environment.
Speaker: Margie Lieck, DNP, MSN, RN-NCCE
Sponsor: San Antonio College
3:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Faculty Session #6 (1 CH)
Together We Rise: National, State, and Chapter Total School Membership, Faculty Sustaining Membership, and Professional Identity in Nursing
Description: Professional identity in nursing rises with membership of nursing students in the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA), its constituent state associations and chapters, and for faculty sustaining members. Total school membership (TSM) is an inclusive NSNA/state membership model that includes membership for all nursing students at a reduced rate in student tuition and fees. This session focuses on the importance of TSM and, using a certain college of nursing as an example, introduces a new model of donor support that provides FREE membership at the national/state and chapter levels for students in the nursing program and FREE individual sustaining membership for the faculty in the program. The session will address successes and challenges of the transition to free TSM and free faculty sustaining membership. Strategies related to such issues as educating students and faculty, handling membership, resources needed for communication, support needed from the university and NSNA, budgeting, and the importance of a transition team of diverse experts within and beyond nursing will be shared.
Speaker: Carol Weingarten, PhD, RN, ANEF
Sponsor: National Student Nurses’ Association
Friday, April 10, 2026
8:00 am – 9:00 am
*Breakfast at 7:30 am
Faculty Session #7 (1 CH)
Update on NCSBN: Update on Evidence-Based Nursing Education Quality Indicators (1 CH)
Description: An update on the 5-year sophisticated, statistical analysis of the quality indicator data of prelicensure nursing education programs will be presented. Faculty will learn how to benchmark their metrics with these national data, using NCSBN's National Nursing Education Database Dashboard. NCSBN programs and resources that are of interest to faculty will be provided.
Speaker: Nancy Spector, PhD, RN, FAAN
Sponsor: NCSBN
10:40 am – 11:40 am
Faculty Session #8 (1 CH)
Impact of International Service Learning: Study Abroad Program Development
Description: This session will explore how the development of an international service-learning program at your school can provide students the opportunity to learn and/or reinforce patient assessment skills, collaborate as a member of a healthcare team in either an urban or rural setting, further develop their leadership abilities, and greatly enhance their ability to provide quality patient care to patients with limited English proficiency.
Speaker: Patrick Hickey, DrPH, MS, MSN, RN, CNOR(E)
Sponsor: International Service Learning
11:50 am – 12:50 pm
Faculty Session #9 (1 CH)
The Power of Healing Circles: A Practice of Authentic Connection
Description: Collegial disconnection is systemic throughout health care. It is evident in interactions among healthcare professionals, staff, leaders, and even with patients. This fragmentation is often a byproduct of healthcare’s pace, complexity, and hierarchical culture. In health care, we witness the consequences of social disconnection through stress, loneliness, incivility, burnout, and illness. Authentic connection is a direct antidote for social disconnection. Healing circles is a practice, grounded in authentic human connection, that brings people together to share, listen, and reflect, cultivating authenticity, open communication, and meaningful relationships guided by respect, non-judgment, and compassion. For nursing faculty, healing circles offer a framework for enhancing collegial relationships and strengthening classroom and clinical learning environments by creating conditions for belonging, reflective dialogue, and mutual support. Healing circles offer faculty and students a portable and relationship-centered tool that is high-impact, low-cost, simple, flexible, and accessible. This session will provide an overview of the well-being crisis in health care and the use of healing circles in academic and healthcare settings to support student and faculty well-being, reflective practice, and psychological safety.
Speakers: Catherine Dodd, PhD, RN; Suzanne Scheller, MS, RN, CNE
Sponsor: Healing Circles
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Faculty Session #10 (1 CH)
Enhancing Resilience in Undergraduate Nursing Students through a Structured Faculty Initiative
Description: Undergraduate nursing students encounter considerable academic and psychosocial stressors, which frequently contribute to burnout and increased attrition rates. This project evaluated a structured faculty initiative to strengthen students' resilience in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Faculty were assigned to students and conducted scheduled check-ins each semester to address workload management, well-being, professional socialization, and self-care. Resilience was evaluated using a validated assessment instrument.
Speakers: Hershaw Davis, Jr., DNP, MBA, RN; Pawn Johnson-Hunter, MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO-BC, CM/DN
Sponsors: Morgan State University and National Student Nurses’ Association
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm
Faculty Session #11 (1 CH)
Teaching Nurses to Question: Artificial Intelligence and the Value of Authentic Ignorance
Description: This faculty-focused session explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can be intentionally integrated into pre-licensure nursing education to enhance, rather than replace, clinical judgment and critical thinking. Grounded in the concept of authentic ignorance, the session emphasizes teaching strategies that encourage student questioning, reflection, and uncertainty tolerance when engaging with AI-supported tools. Participants will examine practical approaches for using AI in simulation, case studies, and reflective learning activities while addressing ethical considerations, patient safety, and accreditation expectations. The session equips nurse faculty with actionable strategies to leverage AI responsibly and purposefully in contemporary nursing education.
Speakers: Leigh Snead, DNP, RN, CHSE, CNE; Laura Shanteler, BS
Sponsor: NurseHub
4:25 pm – 5:25 pm
Faculty Session #12 (1 CH)
Teaching the Post-Pandemic Nursing Student: Engagement, Accountability, and Support
Description: Nursing faculty continue to navigate the lasting effects of pandemic-related learning disruptions, including gaps in foundational knowledge, challenges with critical thinking, and an increased need for structure and feedback. This session highlights practical strategies to support post-pandemic nursing students while maintaining academic rigor, organized around three core faculty responsibilities: rebuilding engagement through active learning and retrieval practice; restoring accountability by shifting from passive lecture to performance-based learning; and strengthening academic support through structured remediation, coaching, and test-taking strategies. Examples will demonstrate how high-quality instructional tools, such as UWorld, can enhance engagement, deliver actionable performance insights, and build student confidence through targeted practice and detailed rationales.
Speaker: Cheryl Armstrong, DNP, MS, RN
Sponsor: UWorld
Saturday, April 11, 2026
9:45 am – 11:45 am
Faculty Session #13 (2 CH)
Beyond the Band-Aid: Building a Competency-Based Curriculum from the Ground Up
Description: In response to the growing demand for competency-based nursing curricula from accrediting agencies, nursing schools across the country are in the process of redesigning prelicensure programs to meet new standards. In 2024, the Quinnipiac University School of Nursing undertook a comprehensive redesign of its program in partnership with the Minerva Project, a premier education innovation company, to transform the curriculum from a traditional, content-heavy, exam-driven model to an innovative, low-stakes, competency-based curriculum designed to prepare practice-ready graduates for the complexities of modern healthcare. Central to this transformation was the development of a new learning taxonomy framework that focuses on 7 core capacities: critical thinking, effective engagement, adaptive thinking, ethical reasoning, care delivery, quality and safety, and informatics and healthcare technologies. These core capacities are broken down into 44 measurable learning outcomes, which are thoughtfully scaffolded throughout the curriculum to build competence over time and across contexts. The program incorporates four distinct course types, essential, applied, inquiry, and clinical, supported by active learning pedagogies and technology-enabled delivery. The course types allow content to be seamlessly integrated from the classroom to simulation/lab to clinical, ensuring developed skills are durable and transferable across settings. Key program innovations include mid-semester Intersessions dedicated to leadership development, team building, resilience development, interprofessional education, and NCLEX-RN preparation. Students gain flexibility through elective sequences and microcredential opportunities in specialty areas such as oncology, critical care, palliative care, advanced pediatrics, and global health. Faculty development, supported by the Minerva Project partnership, ensures effective implementation of evidence-based teaching practices grounded in cognitive and behavioral learning sciences. This hands-on, two-hour faculty session will detail the rationale, design principles, and implementation strategies for this competency-based curriculum, highlighting its alignment with accreditation standards and workforce demands. Attendees will gain insights into fostering learner-centered environments that promote resilience, adaptability, and professional identity formation, hallmarks of next-generation nursing education. Attendees will have the opportunity to develop learner personas that can be applied to a future learning taxonomy and new curriculum development and explore teaching and learning activities that can be scaffolded to build competence across lifespan and care contexts.
Speakers: Larry Slater, PhD, MAc, RN-BC, CNE, ANEF, FAAN; Christine Looser, PhD
Sponsor: Quinnipiac University School of Nursing
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Faculty Session #14 (1 CH)
Empowering Future Nurses through Mentorship, Certification, and Professional Development
Description: Faculty leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of nurses by fostering a culture of growth, excellence, and resilience. This session will explore the critical importance of mentorship as a foundation for student success, emphasizing strategies to build meaningful relationships that inspire confidence and competence. We will highlight the value of professional certification as a benchmark for clinical expertise and a pathway to career advancement, underscoring its role in elevating nursing standards. Additionally, the discussion will address creating opportunities for early professional development—through academic engagement, leadership initiatives, and networking—that prepare students for dynamic healthcare environments.
Speakers: Carey Heck, PhD, CRNP, AGACNP, CCRN, CNRN; Kimberly Meyer, PhD, ACNP-BC, CNRN
Sponsor: American Board of Neuroscience Nursing
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Faculty Session #15 (1 CH)
Safe Sim Space: Promoting Psychological Safety in Simulation-Based Nursing Education
Description: Simulation-based education is an essential part of contemporary nursing curricula; however, students often experience heightened anxiety, fear of judgment, and performance pressure during simulation experiences, which may negatively impact learning outcomes and confidence. Psychological safety, the shared belief that learners can engage, make mistakes, and ask questions without fear of humiliation or punishment, is a critical yet inconsistently addressed part of simulation-based education. The purpose of this session is to present Safe Sim Space, a structured educational initiative designed to promote psychological safety within nursing simulation environments. Grounded in evidence-based simulation standards and educational theory, this project emphasizes intentional pre-briefing, standardized simulation orientation, and supportive debriefing practices to foster a respectful and inclusive learning climate. Faculty facilitators are guided by scripted communication strategies and best-practice training to ensure consistent messaging, learner support, and equitable educational experiences. This session will describe the development, implementation, and outcomes of the Safe Sim Space within an academic nursing program. Attendees will gain insight into common student stressors during simulation, the impact of psychological safety on learning and performance, and practical strategies that can be immediately integrated into simulation and skills-based instruction. Although the project is faculty-led, it places strong emphasis on student empowerment, peer support, and reflective learning. This presentation is relevant to nursing students, faculty, and academic leaders aiming to enhance simulation experiences, reduce learner anxiety, and promote confidence, engagement, and professional growth. The principles discussed are transferable across pre-licensure programs, skills labs, and high-fidelity simulation settings.
Speaker: Rhonnisha Fountain, MSN, RN
Sponsors: Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., North Carolina A&T State University, and National Student Nurses’ Association
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