Biographical Sketch

Helen is a registered nurse and advanced nurse practitioner. Her PhD "Professional Identity and the Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care: A Qualitative Study" was an ethnographic study using Social Identity Theory and Positioning Theory to explore the experiences of advanced nurse practitioners working on general practice in England. Helen is a Research Fellow at the University of York and as led research exploring the cultural and structural issues underpinning experiences of nurses in general practice. Her identity work has also led to her exploring identity construction in very old people (over 95 years). She has acted as an advisor for other professions on how professional identity can impact on inter and intraprofessional working. (For associated publications:see CV)

Biographical Sketch

Brittany Beckmann, MSN, RN, NPD-BC is a nursing professional development specialist with experience in clinical education, program coordination, and curriculum development. She currently serves as a Senior Programmatic Advisor at Vizient Inc., supporting hospitals nationwide in implementing and enhancing the Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™. Her background includes roles as a nursing instructor, hospital-based educator, and NRP coordinator. She has published and presented on nursing education and transition-to-practice. Brittany holds a BSN and MSN in Nursing Education from Villanova University, where she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. with a research focus on the experiences of new-graduate nurses in residency programs.

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PhD in Biomedical Sciences and Bachelor of Science in Nursing with over 20 years of experience leading academic, research, and institutional management processes in nursing. Director of the Nursing degree program at Universidad Austral, with a solid track record in training professionals and developing research lines on second victim and the public image of nursing.

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Karen M. Carver, PhD, APRN, FNP-C, is an Assistant Professor at East Tennessee State University College of Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, and StoryCollab Faculty Fellow. Her work focuses on professional identity formation, narrative pedagogy, empathy cultivation, and humanistic approaches to healthcare education. She is particularly interested in how storytelling, reflective practice, and relational teaching strategies help prepare compassionate healthcare professionals. Dr. Carver also conducts research in diabetes self-management, Appalachian health, and qualitative inquiry.

Biographical Sketch

Kimberly Cobb, DNP, APRN has been a registered nurse since 1993 and a nurse practitioner since 2009. She earned her graduate degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing and joined the faculty of the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing in 2022.

Dr. Cobb currently serves as the Director of Experiential Learning at the University of Oklahoma, Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing. In this role, she leads the development, implementation, and evaluation of high-quality student experiences in simulation, laboratory, and off-campus clinical activities designed to strengthen their professional identity, clinical judgment, teamwork, and patient safety. She is particularly interested in preparing students for the transition from the classroom to real-world practice through immersive, evidence-based learning.

Dr. Cobb practiced as a family nurse practitioner in family practice for nine years and in cardiology for five years, experiences that continue to inform her teaching and simulation design. In addition to her clinical work, she has a strong passion for pathophysiology and enjoys helping learners connect complex physiologic concepts to bedside decision-making. She is dedicated to fostering supportive learning environments that challenge students while building confidence and professional identity.

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Jennifer L. Embree, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CCNS, FAAN, is the Chief Wellness Officer, Clinical Professor, and Clinical Nurse Specialist at Indiana University School of Nursing’s core schools of Bloomington, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis and a Nursing Research Scientist at Eskenazi Health. As the Chief Wellness Officer at IU School of Nursing, Dr. Embree leads strategies around wellbeing and facilitates wellness programs to support IUSON faculty, staff, and student wellbeing. Her research includes professional identity in nursing, healthy work environments and interventions for workplace bullying. She is passionate about helping individuals and communities achieve self-stewardship (or their own wellbeing).

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Dr. Katherine Feley is the Chief Executive Officer of the Indiana State Nurses Association, where she leads advocacy and program initiatives for Indiana’s foremost nursing professional association. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Indiana Nurses Foundation. Before joining ISNA, Dr. Feley was the System Director of Patient Safety at Indiana University Health, driving key patient safety initiatives. Her diverse experience spans Pediatrics, Supply Chain, and Risk Management. She earned both her Master’s and Doctorate in Health Systems Administration from Indiana University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Purdue University. Dr. Feley is board executive certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Society of Association Executives.

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Nelda Godfrey is Professor, Professional Practice, and Director, Nursing Career Success, Identity and Innovation at the Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. A thought leader in nursing innovation and nursing education, Dr. Godfrey writes often on new care delivery models that can be influenced by a stronger emphasis on the nurse within—researching and developing strategies to create the whole person experience in nursing practice going forward. Her work with the International Society for Professional Identity in Nursing is transforming the way nurses, health care professionals and society understanding what it means to “think, act and feel like a nurse.” This work offers new language and new knowledge for the journey—helping nurses heal, flourish and expertly care for others.

Biographical Sketch

Full Professor at the School of Nursing, University of Navarra; Senior Policy Service Professor at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University; and Visiting Professor in Latin American universities: Andes, Austral, and Piura.

Her research focuses on the social image of nursing, professional identity, and the development of communication and policy competencies. She has participated in 15 research projects, presented her work at national and international conferences and authored numerous journal articles. She has been recognized as an Honorary Member of Sigma Theta Tau International and the Academy of Nursing Sciences of Bizkaia.

Biographical Sketch

I am a UK-based mental health nurse who specialised in Forensic mental health care. Following a leadership fellowship, I worked for a decade in senior regional strategic roles in the NHS focusing on workforce transformation. This is where I commenced a PhD by portfolio researching why nurses stay in, or leave, their roles in health and care. My research has highlighted the prevalence of dispassionate leadership in healthcare and the importance of identity and valuing nursing careers (so now I work in a University supporting the next generation!).

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Judith W. Herrman, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, is a registered nurse, educator, and researcher interested in teaching and learning across the lifespan, nursing education, and health promotion. Judy published over 100 publications and speaks nationally and internationally. As a Senior Clinical Content Specialist-Nursing with Wolters Kluwer, Judy works with nursing schools and customers to explore brain science and the biology of learning, active teaching strategies, and thought leadership. Judy published the fourth edition of Creative Teaching Strategies for the Nurse Educator in 2025.

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Amy Hite is the Director of the Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing at Pittsburg State University. Amy has also served on the ISPIN Board.

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Matthew S. Howard, DNP, RN, CEN, TCRN, CPEN, CPN, FAEN, FAAN, the Manager of Business Development at the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), is an association professional with over 15 years of experience. Dr. Howard serves as adjunct faculty at Northern Kentucky University and continues to work in his specialty as a staff nurse in the emergency department at Deaconess Gateway Hospital. Dr. Howard is an internationally recognized leader in nursing workforce resilience who advances evidence-based strategies to combat workplace incivility, foster safer environments, empower nurses, and shape sustainable workforce solutions. Dr. Howard’s nursing career has taken him from stretcher-side nursing to academia and back. His clinical background includes emergency, flight, and trauma nursing, as well as several leadership positions.

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Dr. Stacy King, DNP, RNC-OB, CNE, is the BSN Program Director at the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing at the University of Oklahoma Health Campus. She has extensive experience in undergraduate nursing education, curriculum innovation, competency-based education, and faculty development. Dr. King and her team lead an initiative for student advising and implementation of the Professional Identity in Nursing Framework throughout the college culture. Her clinical expertise is in obstetric and women's health nursing. She is co-author of A Trauma-Informed Approach to Nursing Education: A Scoping Review in Nurse Educator and is committed to advancing nursing education through scholarship and leadership.

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Registered nurse, educator, supervisor, and health management professional with experience in nursing education, clinical practice, professional development, research, and organizational leadership. Serves as a Board Member of the Latvian Nurses Association and Head of its Education, Research and Innovation Centre, as well as Chair of the Latvian Association of Supervisors. Professional and research interests include nurses’ and nursing students’ professional identity, leadership, organizational culture, mentoring, qualitative research, and supervision in healthcare and nursing. Her research examines factors shaping professional identity and the role of supervision in professional support, growth, and retention. She provides supervision to students and practising nurses.

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Dr. Landis completed her PhD in Nursing at the Washington State University College of Nursing under the guidance of Dr. Billie Severtsen. She is board certified as a Medical-Surgical Nurse from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and as a Clinical Nurse Leader from the American Association of the Colleges of Nursing. As a nurse scientist, she is experienced in leading and publishing research in philosophical hermeneutic phenomenology as well as other qualitative methods. Her research interests including professional identity in nursing scale development, nurse workforce issues, and nursing education strategies.

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Diana M. Layne, RN, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing and serves as Lead Faculty for the PhD Program. As a caregiving researcher, her work centers on improving the well-being of family caregivers and strengthening the environments in which professional caregivers provide care. Her scholarship spans dementia caregiving, palliative care, healthcare quality, workplace culture, and professional identity in nursing. Together with Dr. Teresa Stephens, she has explored the role of ethical clarity, moral courage, and professional values in shaping nursing practice. She is passionate about mentorship, research, and advancing compassionate, person-centered care.

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Dr. Ludy Llasus is a tenured Professor of Nursing at Nevada State University and a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with 34 years of nursing experience spanning academic leadership, clinical practice, and organizational governance. She has served in senior leadership roles including Interim Dean, Associate Dean, and Pre Licensure Director, providing strategic oversight for curriculum innovation, program development, and faculty engagement. A WCSI Caritas Coach® and Caritas Leader®, she leads the integration of Caring Science in the BSN Curriculum at Nevada State. She is a champion in fostering nurse well-being and creating healthy work environment.

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D. Stewart MacLennan, PhD, NP, CCHP, is a Full Teaching Professor and Director of Quality Assurance in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. He also practices as a nurse practitioner in provincial correctional health services and is affiliated with the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre. His expertise includes correctional nursing, correctional nursing identity formation, health ethics, quality improvement, advanced practice nursing, and nursing education. His scholarship examines the ethical and professional dimensions of correctional nursing, the health consequences of incarceration, and strategies to strengthen nursing practice, education, and professional identity in complex care environments.

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Dr. Tese Stephens is a nurse leader, educator, researcher, and consultant with almost 4 decades of experience in both practice and academic settings. She has devoted much of her career to radically transforming the culture of nursing, advocating for compassionate courage in positively disrupting the status quo. She is the author of Stephens’ Model of Resilience and the founder and of RN P.R.E.P. (Personal Resilience Enhancement Plan). Her research is focused on RESILIENCE, specifically as a tool to promote well-being and professional fulfillment and flourishing in nurses, nursing students, and interprofessional teams. Much of this work is built upon the narratives of Holocaust survivors. Tese enjoys helping organizations build RESILIENT TEAMS to embrace collective efficacy to eradicate the systemic issues leading to moral distress and burnout. She is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and serves on multiple advisory boards and task forces devoted to nurse/clinician well-being. She is an ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation and a member of the Harvard Human Flourishing project.

Dr. Stephens is a tenured professor at the Medical University of South Carolina they she serves as the Associate Dean for Academics. She is the author of multiple publications and book chapters and a frequent presenter at regional, national, and international conferences and workshops. She is married to Scott and her favorite role is as "Nonnie" to her beloved Emmie, Owen, and Murphie Jo.

Biographical Sketch

She is a Spanish nurse based in Buenos Aires and a faculty member at the School of Nursing, Universidad Austral (Argentina). Her background includes intensive care nursing and experience as a project analyst within the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation team at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. She has worked across diverse healthcare and cultural settings, including India and Bolivia, and served as co-director of an interprofessional Master's programme at the University of Barcelona. She currently teaches research methods, leads patient safety education and nursing research projects and is pursuing a PhD on professional identity and communication in collaboration with Dr Hildegart González at the University of Navarra

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Dr. Laurel Matthews is a nurse educator and faculty leader dedicated to advancing professional identity development in nursing through curriculum design and targeted faculty mentorship. Her work focuses on bridging the gap between academic preparation and clinical excellence, utilizing innovative teaching strategies to instill strong professional values. Laurel’s scholarly contributions include researching faculty orientation programs and professional competency. By focusing on how educators model and cultivate professional identity across diverse campuses, her insights directly support this conference's mission to strengthen leadership, core competencies, and professional growth in the next generation of nurses.

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Dr. Lori McElroy is an experienced nursing educator and academic leader with 23 years in nursing education. Since joining the College of Nursing in 2007, she has taught across undergraduate nursing programs, including LPN, traditional BSN, accelerated BSN, and RN-to-BSN pathways, and has contributed to DNP and PhD education over the past five years. As Coordinator of Degree Completion Programs since 2022, she has led online RN-to-BSN and LPN-to-BSN initiatives, supporting curriculum, faculty, and student success. As Assistant Dean of Online Programs, she champions innovative, student-centered online education, faculty development, and expanded access to high-quality nursing education.

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Alison Partridge, PhD, RN, NPD-BC is Research Nurse Scientist at Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston, SC. She leads nursing research and evidence-based practice initiatives that advance patient outcomes and support Magnet designation. Dr. Partridge earned her PhD from Walden University (2019), MSN in Nursing Education (2011), and BSN (2008) from Charleston Southern University. With a clinical background in perianesthesia nursing, her scholarship focuses on professional identity, resilience, professional governance, and opioid safety. She has published in The Journal of Nursing Administration and presented nationally at ANCC Magnet/Pathway and ASPAN conferences. She is NPD-BC and an active IRB member.

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Dolores Pereira Vázquez is the Director of the Master’s in Communication for Change Management at Universidad Austral (Argentina). She holds a BA in Social Communication (Universidad Austral), a BA in Psychology (USAL), an MA in Social Communication, and is a PhD candidate. Her expertise bridges organizational consulting, communication psychology, and healthcare. She researches internal communication, empathy, and palliative care, and authored the book Communication, Empathy, and Nursing (2022). With international experience, Dolores also serves as a communication advisor for prominent healthcare and human resources associations.

Biographical Sketch

I am a retired US Army Critical Care Nurse and have served as the Commander of a Forward Resuscitative Surgical Team. Since 2016, I’ve also served as a Master Resiliency Trainer, gaining extensive knowledge and training in supporting the well-being of others. Throughout my career, I’ve held progressive leadership roles within large academic health systems, ultimately leading professional practice for 2,600 nurses. In these leadership roles, I have always found a way to improve nurse well-being, engagement, and autonomy within the practice setting. I’m passionate about using self-care and well-being resources to improve the lives of nurses, which in turn enhances the outcomes for the patients they serve. As the Director of Career Well-being, I strive to promote the positive aspects of a nursing career and elevate the profession’s overall capacity. I am well-suited for this project as I bring critical care experience across multiple settings and have studied nursing well-being for over a decade.

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Danielle Quintana, PhD, MSN-Ed, RN, CNOR-E is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at Texas Woman's University in Houston, Texas. She has more than 25 years of perioperative nursing experience and is a member of the AORN National Committee on Education. Dr. Quintana's program of scholarship focuses on surgical conscience, professional identity formation, perioperative nursing education, and ethical nursing practice. Her work seeks to prepare future perioperative nurses through innovative educational strategies that integrate reflection, mentorship, experiential learning, and professional development.

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Alicia Ramirez, Ph.D., RN, CNS, CCRN-K, is an assistant professor at Texas Woman's University and serves as a clinical mentor at Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH). Employment at HMH spans 29.5 years and includes nursing practice from medical/surgical, cardiovascular critical care, outpatient heart/lung transplant coordinator, on-call donor/recipient duty, quality department as a performance improvement specialist, and has served in leadership roles and is currently working in the perioperative setting. Research interests include advancing frontline nursing care through interprofessional education (IPE), implementing evidence-based research addressing failure-to-rescue initiatives, and mentoring healthcare professionals to practice individualized nursing care.

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Laura L. Reilly, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CCRN, CNRN, PhD(c) is a nurse executive, researcher, and doctoral candidate at Rutgers University with more than 30 years of experience in critical care, nursing leadership, quality improvement, and workforce development. She serves as Director of the Pathways to Ensure Access to Clinical Excellence in Nursing (PEACE) Program at Atlantic Health, leading a U.S. Department of Labor H-1B Nursing Expansion Grant. Her research focuses on professional identity formation, transition to practice, healthy work environments, and early-career nurse retention. Laura's work integrates qualitative research, leadership, and workforce policy to strengthen the future nursing workforce.

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Dr. Kimberly Seaman, PhD, RN, PED-BC, CNE, is an Assistant Professor at Oregon Health & Science University with over 30 years of experience in nursing practice, education, and leadership. Her research focuses on implementing professional identity formation throughout undergraduate nursing curricula, nursing education, innovative teaching strategies, and pediatric nursing. She has presented on professional identity formation, simulation, inclusive nursing education, and active learning. Dr. Seaman’s scholarship advances evidence-based approaches for integrating professional identity into prelicensure nursing education to strengthen students’ sense of belonging, professional development, and readiness for practice.

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I am lead for the ISPIN Correctional Nursing Specialty sub-group comprised of international scholars from academia and practice. We are currently conducting research on Correctional Nurse PIN (C-PIN). One publication has been published, one accepted and one under review as well as a poster session and two presentations at national conferences. As an entrepreneur, I am building a Center for Correctional Nursing as a Knowledge Hub which strongly features C-PIN through featured research and the developing professional development curriculum.

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Mary Ann Siciliano McLaughlin is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Rutgers University - Camden School of Nursing. Dr. McLaughlin is passionate about developing and mentoring future and current professional nurses while contributing to the advancement of the nursing profession.

Her scholarship mainly revolves around ethical practice in nursing. She has presented locally, nationally, and internationally relating to her scholarship on ethics and her model, The Siciliano-McLaughlin Model of Ethics. Recently, Dr. McLaughlin developed The Theory of Nursing Professional Identity Formation.

Dr. McLaughlin is a Fellow, in the National League for Nursing (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education.

Biographical Sketch

Sue Smith has been a correctional nurse for 38 years, starting as a staff nurse in a state prison setting and continuing as a nurse administrator and a nurse educator in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Since retirement, Sue has remained active in correctional nursing as a nurse educator, author, consultant, and co-founder of the American Correctional Nurses Association. Sue is presently a research associate with the Center for Correctional Nursing.

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Tese Stephens is a nurse leader, educator, researcher, and consultant with almost 4 decades of experience in both practice and academic settings. She has devoted much of her career to radically transforming the culture of nursing, advocating for compassionate courage in positively disrupting the status quo. She is the author of Stephens’ Model of Resilience and the founder and of RN P.R.E.P. (Personal Resilience Enhancement Plan). Her research is focused on RESILIENCE, specifically as a tool to promote well-being and professional fulfillment and flourishing in nurses, nursing students, and interprofessional teams. Much of this work is built upon the narratives of Holocaust survivors. Tese enjoys helping organizations build RESILIENT TEAMS to embrace collective efficacy to eradicate the systemic issues leading to moral distress and burnout. She is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and serves on multiple advisory boards and task forces devoted to nurse/clinician well-being. She is an ambassador for the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation and a member of the Harvard Human Flourishing project.

Dr. Stephens is a tenured professor at the Medical University of South Carolina they she serves as the Associate Dean for Academics. She is the author of multiple publications and book chapters and a frequent presenter at regional, national, and international conferences and workshops. She is married to Scott and her favorite role is as "Nonnie" to her beloved Emmie, Owen, and Murphie Jo.

Biographical Sketch

John "Theo" Theobald, DNP Candidate, MSA, BSN, CMSRN, RN, is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing and a Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse. He is pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and holds graduate degrees in leadership and the arts. His professional experience spans clinical practice in medical-surgical nursing and cardiology, nursing leadership as a charge nurse, and university teaching. Prior to nursing, he served more than 20 years in the United States Army, retiring as a Company Commander. His interests include nursing education, clinical leadership, evidence-based practice, nurse retention, and rural healthcare improvement.

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Dr. Kendrea Todt is an Assistant Professor and Honors Coordinator in the College of Nursing at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. She earned her PhD in Nursing from the University of Tennessee–Knoxville, with a focus on nursing education. As a nurse scientist, primarily focusing on qualitative research, her research interests include addiction science, end-of-life care, empathy cultivation in nursing through digital storytelling, and nurse professional identity formation. She remains steadfast in her endeavors to advance nursing science through research.

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Cathy Wichman, MSN, RN, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Indiana Organization for Nursing Leadership and a doctoral student in executive nursing leadership. She brings extensive experience in nursing administration, organizational strategy, workforce development, accreditation readiness, public policy, and professional advocacy. A former chief nursing officer and healthcare consultant, Cathy works with nursing leaders across Indiana to advance leadership development, workforce innovation, and legislative priorities. Her current interests include the practical use of artificial intelligence, informatics, and technology to strengthen nursing organizations, improve decision-making, and support the future of the nursing profession.