Virtual Professional Issues Conference

All times listed in Central Time (US & Canada).
Download event agenda (PDF)

Saturday, November 6, 2021

• 8:30am - 8:45am

  Intro/Welcome by President

• 8:45am - 9:45am

  Morning Keynote

  Andrea Dalzell

  Andrea Dalzell was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis when she was five and was using a wheelchair full-time by age 12. She received her degree from the City University of New York, College of Staten Island. After 76 interviews, she finally got a position as a registered nurse and the very first nurse in a wheelchair in the state of New York. As an advocate and activist, she has been recognized in the spotlight over the years including being named New Mobility’s Person of the Year (2021) and Craig H. Neilsen Visionary Prize Winner.

• 9:45am - 9:55am

  Morning Keynote Sponsor

• 9:55am - 10:40am

  Spiritual Roots in Nursing

  Alan "Tony" Amberg MS, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC

  Amberg is a graduate of Rush University as a psychiatric NP in 2013. He was the sole psychiatric provider for Rush Oak Park hospital for over a year before coming to Northwestern. Amberg also works to teach and support RNs with complex behavioral issues in the medical-surgical and ICU areas of the hospital. Popular teacher and speaker at conferences in the region (ISAPN, Nurses in Neuroscience, NMH APP Conference, Illinois Academy of PAs, Illinois chapter of APNA) and nationally (American Psychiatric Nurses Association -APNA National, International Society of Psychiatric Nursing).

  Amberg is also a psychiatric consult liaison APRN for Northwestern Memorial Hospital Consult Liaison team, specializing in psychiatric or substance use treatment in people with complex medical conditions. Outpatient clinic focused on complex psychiatric Medicaid patients. Immediate past-president of the Illinois Chapter of APNA. Popular regional and national conference speaker.

• 10:40am - 10:45am

  Sponsor

• 10:45am - 11:15am

  Health Literacy

  Denise Sanchez DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC

  Denise Sanchez is a Critical Care Nurse and Advanced Heart Failure Nurse Practitioner at Rush University in Chicago, IL. She is a graduate of the DNP-Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program at Rush University where her doctoral work focused on improving staff nurse ability to recognize and respond to low health literacy among acute and critically ill inpatients. Drawing from 15+ years of critical care nursing experience, she has developed professional interests in improving healthcare provider health literacy competencies, developing strategies to accelerate patient activation, and emerging heart failure therapies.

• 11:15am - 12:15pm

  Membership Meeting

  President Address
  Report from the Treasurer
  Recognition

• 12:15pm - 12:45pm

  Lunch

• 12:45pm - 2:15pm

  Afternoon Keynote - Strengthening Essential Skills to Rebound, Recover, & Thrive

  Buck Davis

  I was born and raised in a small town in South Carolina called Abbeville. Most of my family are still there. After stints in Chicago and Los Angeles, I now proudly call Atlanta, GA my home. For 20 years, I’ve been working in the field of diversity and inclusion, a profession that has brought me great joy and a tremendous amount of meaning in my life (along with an occasional appearance on CNN).

  My work has always been about helping people find ways to bring out the best in others and themselves. I have an MBA and a Masters in Professional Counseling, which, together, have provided a nice blended foundation for understanding the business to human connection at work. I’m also relentlessly positive. And I am unabashedly passionate about sharing what I’ve learned (and still learning) that helps make life a more positive experience.

• 2:15pm - 2:25pm

  Afternoon Sponsor

• 2:25pm - 2:35pm

  Break

• 2:35pm - 3:35pm

  The Role of Nursing Leadership in Dismantling Racism

  Carol Alexander DNP, APRN, ACNS/NP-BC, Tamara Bland EdD, Simendea Clark DNP, RN, Deena Nardi PhD, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN BSN, Monique Reed PhD, RN

  Eliminating racism in nursing education and practice is a dynamic and challenging commitment. This commitment is dynamic since it requires an informed understanding of the role that racism and colonialism have played for centuries in nursing, and of its effects continuing to the present day. Nurses in leadership roles especially, have a responsibility to advocate for more of a voice and presence in education, in policy, and in practice by nurses of color, who comprise 19 % of nurses in the U.S. (AACN, 2015). The purpose of this presentation is to provide evidence based antiracism strategies for nursing leaders to use to identify and address racism in nursing education and practice settings. To promote diversity, equity and inclusion in U.S. healthcare generally and in nursing specifically, these essential strategies include:(a) Critical self-reflection on this issue; (b) Updating one’s knowledge and understanding of what is meant by “antiracism” actions and approaches, and why it is critically needed in healthcare and nursing today; (c) Use resources to prepare you for advocacy, such as the free antiracism resources and mentorship available through the ANA-Illinois Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Expert Panel website; (d) Be intentional in advocacy decisions and actions; (e) Challenge White Privilege; (f) especially if you are considered White, then use your privilege to end “White Privilege”. If indeed every nurse is a leader, then informed and intentional activism from each professional nurse is called for to halt racism and discriminatory policies and practices in healthcare, nursing education, and all of nursing practice.

• 3:35pm - 3:40pm

  Sponsor

• 3:40pm - 4:40pm

  Rural Health: Putting the Pieces Together to Elevate Outcomes

  Janice Albers DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, EBP-C, CLC

  Bringing over 30 years of experience serving rural and underserved areas through primarily leadership roles in public/community health, Jan Albers DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, EBP-C, CLC is currently an Assistant Professor of Nursing at McKendree University, Director of the MSN Program, and created an innovative MSN specialty curriculum in Population Health.

  Building on her experiences spanning from a direct care provider to the administrator of a health department, she teaches population health, ethics, and leadership coursework at the MSN and DNP levels. Dr. Albers believes that all nurses have the capability of leading healthcare change. As an educator, her mission is to ignite the leader in each student to create and facilitate the needed change in the experience of health for those who are underserved and experience disparities. Through innovative integration of brain-based learning, Transformational Learning Theory, and Heutagogy, Dr. Albers focuses on empowering changed thinking and expanded perspectives in the context of population health practice.

  Dr. Albers is passionate about promoting a culture of wellness through community collaborative efforts. She continues to practice in the population health realm through a county wide health improvement coalition encompassing membership from over 25 community organizations. She also served as a Coaching Fellow for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Leadership and Organizing for Change course, as well as the statewide Academic/Public Health Partnership funded by the RWJF and INF and the lead for the Telligen Community Initiative grant work focused on academic/practice partnerships in rural and underserved areas. Thus, she brings real life experience and evidence-based practice connecting the care continuum with a focus on rural and underserved areas.

• 4:40pm - 5:00pm

  Wrap Up