20th Annual SENSES Conference Agenda

Thursday, October 22, 2026

7:15 a.m. Sign-In / Breakfast / Exhibits

8:50 a.m. Welcome

9 a.m. The E.D.G.E. of Influence: Focused & Fearless Legacy Building

Melissa Godwin Overton, RN, BSN, CEO/Founder MedicalTraining.me & The Overton Experience

In a profession built on impact, nurse educators don’t just transfer knowledge, they shape the future of healthcare through every learner they influence. But meaningful influence doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intention, reflection, and courage to grow. In this powerful keynote, leadership strategist and author Melissa Overton invites participants to pause and take a focused look inward—because the greatest leadership advantage begins with self-awareness. Using a practical and thought-provoking self-SWOT analysis, attendees will evaluate their strengths, identify gaps, recognize opportunities for growth, and confront the unseen barriers that may be limiting their influence. From that foundation, Melissa introduces The E.D.G.E. of Influence Framework—a simple yet transformative approach to legacy building: Experience – honoring the lessons that shaped you Distill – clarifying what truly matters Give it away – intentionally developing others Elevate – multiplying your impact beyond the moment Grounded in the principles of Focused & Fearless Leadership, this session challenges educators to move beyond routine and step into purposeful influence—where what they model, teach, and tolerate creates a lasting ripple effect across generations of nurses.

10 a.m. e-Poster Presentations / Exhibits

11 a.m. Evaluating the Impact of an Academic-Practice Partnership on New Graduate Nurse Recruitment

Katie Fulbright MSN, RN, NPD-BC, PCCN, CHFN, Brooke Kistler, PhD, RN, CNE, Catawba Valley Medical Center

Nursing pipelines continue to face challenges in the post-pandemic era, including high turnover rates and limited educational capacity. Academic-practice partnerships (APPs) offer an innovative approach by bringing healthcare organizations and nursing schools together to strengthen clinical education, workforce readiness, and recruitment. This presentation examines a one-year evaluation of the APP between Catawba Valley Medical Center and Catawba Valley Community College, where senior nursing students completed clinical rotations led by experienced bedside nurses employed by the health system. Guided by Donabedian’s Quality Improvement Systems Model, the evaluation explored how the partnership’s structure, processes, and outcomes influenced student learning experiences, engagement with organizational culture, and new graduate nurse recruitment. Attendees will learn key elements of a successful and sustainable APP, including clearly defining workforce needs, designing meaningful clinical experiences, and developing evaluation strategies that demonstrate impact on recruitment and retention outcomes.

12 p.m. Lunch / Exhibits

1 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

1A: From Student to Professional Nurse: Using Peer-Assisted Learning to Support Professional Role Development in Nursing Students

Caitlin M. Lofton, EdD, MSN, RN, CEN, CNE, Johnson & Wales University

Dana R. Martin, DNP, RN, CNE, University of South Carolina

Preparing nursing students to transition into the professional nursing role requires opportunities to practice leadership, communication, delegation, collaboration, and teaching skills prior to graduation. However, opportunities to actively engage in these role behaviors within clinical environments are often limited. Peer-assisted learning (PAL), in which students facilitate learning among peers, provides one strategy for engaging students in meaningful professional role experiences while supporting peer learning. This presentation will explore how PAL activities can be integrated into prelicensure nursing education to support professional role development. Two PAL experiences implemented within a senior-level nursing course will be described. In the first activity, students served as the Student Charge Nurse during clinical, coordinating patient assignments, delegating responsibilities, and supporting peers throughout the clinical day. In the second activity, students completed a student-designed simulation project in which they developed and facilitated simulation scenarios for junior students and led structured mini-debriefings. Findings from qualitative analysis of student reflections following these experiences will be shared, highlighting student perceptions of leadership, communication, teaching, and professional role development. Implications for incorporating peer-assisted learning strategies within nursing curricula will also be discussed.

1B: From Limited Access to Lasting Impact: Sustainable Simulation Solutions to Increase Competence in Nursing Specialties

Kristen Morgan, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE, CHSE; Sarah Martin, DNP, MSN, RNC-OB, AHN-BC, Appalachian State University

Undergraduate nursing programs, particularly those in rural settings, often face challenges in ensuring equitable student exposure to specialty areas such as obstetrics, pediatrics, and community/behavioral health. Limited clinical agency availability, inconsistent specialty rotations, and faculty shortages create barriers to standardized learning experiences necessitating sustainable simulation solutions. To address these gaps, our BSN program has systematically integrated competency-based education (CBE) into the curriculum using targeted simulation strategies designed to meet course and program-level Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). Conference participants will leave with actionable ideas for embedding specialty nursing simulations into their own curricula to overcome clinical placement challenges, maximize limited resources, and support the achievement of competencies in undergraduate nursing education. This presentation will highlight innovative, sustainable simulation solutions that provide consistent, competency-driven experiences across specialty areas.

1C: Beyond the Building: Leadership in Online, Hybrid, and Multi-Campus Nursing Education

Kylee J. Cisneros, DN, RN, CEN, TCRN

As nursing education programs expand across online, hybrid, and multi-campus environments, nurse educators in leadership roles are increasingly responsible for leading faculty they may rarely see in person. This session explores the unique leadership challenges of managing distributed nursing faculty, including maintaining curricular consistency, supporting faculty engagement, and fostering shared expectations across modalities and locations. Drawing on real-world leadership experience, participants will examine practical strategies for communication, alignment, and accountability that support both faculty performance and student outcomes in decentralized program structures. Emphasis will be placed on leadership approaches that promote connection, clarity, and a culture of trust while meeting accreditation and program quality expectations. Attendees will leave with actionable tools and leadership practices that can be immediately applied within their own multi-site or multi-modal nursing programs.

2 p.m. e-Poster Presentations / Exhibits

3 p.m. Concurrent Session

2A: Enhancing Student Learning and Performance Through AI-Generated Prebriefing and Debriefing Frameworks

Austin DesJardin MSN, RN, CNE; Tacuma Womble, MSN, RN, Watts College of Nursing

Skills laboratories are critical for integrating theory with psychomotor skill development, yet inconsistent instructional structure can limit student readiness and outcomes. This session presents a mixed-methods study examining the use of AI-generated structured prebriefing and debriefing frameworks to enhance engagement, reflection, and exam performance in undergraduate nursing skills labs. Participants will learn how to apply, refine, and optimize AI-generated prebriefing and debriefing strategies grounded in experiential learning and simulation design principles. Attendees will leave with practical, ethical approaches to leveraging AI for instructional consistency, improved student performance, and innovation across classroom, lab, and clinical learning environments. Through mixed-methods including statistical analysis and a student-centered focus group, this session addresses the growing need for nurse educators to implement innovative, evidence-informed teaching strategies that improve student-readiness, promote reflective practice, and support the evolving educational workforce through ethical integration of artificial intelligence.

2B: Building Resilient Clinical Judgment with Cognitive Ergonomics

Samantha Bernstein, PhD, RN, CNE, FAWHONN

Nancy Jo Thompson, DNP, RN; Jennifer Alderman, PhD, RN, CNE, CHSE, UNC Chapel Hill

This session explores cognitive ergonomics, a neuro-based approach to understanding how people learn, process information, and develop clinical judgment. Participants will examine how evidence-based strategies such as retrieval, repetition, reflection, and prospective memory can enhance learning, improve retention, and strengthen connections between didactic and clinical experiences. Using a Mind, Brain, and Education framework, attendees will learn how working memory, attention, and fatigue influence student performance and discover practical tools to support clinical reasoning in real time. Strategies including the 4A (Anchor–Add–Apply–Away) learning sequence, clinical debriefing techniques, and prospective memory worksheets will be shared. Participants will leave with actionable tools they can immediately implement to enhance student learning and accelerate the development of clinical judgment in both classroom and clinical settings.

2C: The Accidental Educator No More: A Purposeful Approach to Educator Onboarding

Lorraine Wilson Batts, DNP, RN, CNML, Lorraine Nurse Consulting

Healthcare systems and academic programs often depend on expert clinicians to step into educator roles with little preparation. This “accidental educator” model assumes clinical expertise will naturally translate into teaching skill. In practice, it creates inconsistent learning experiences and leaves many educators feeling unsure of how to teach effectively. Expectations in nursing education have shifted. Today’s learners need engagement, critical thinking, and real-world application. Organizations such as the National League for Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing continue to emphasize the importance of preparing educators with intention. Faculty development is no longer something extra. It is part of building a safe, competent workforce. This session focuses on a practical shift. Faculty development is reframed as part of onboarding, with intentional checkpoints built into the transition from clinician to educator. Instead of a one-time orientation, clinicians move through structured moments of learning, practice, and feedback. These checkpoints help them build teaching skills, understand their role, and grow into the educator identity over time. Participants will walk away with a clear, realistic approach to strengthening educator onboarding in their own settings. The strategies shared are designed to fit into existing structures such as residency programs, preceptor development, or faculty orientation. This session offers a grounded path forward for developing confident educators and improving the learning experience across nursing education.

4 p.m. Break

4:15 p.m. Leading Change and Staff Development Using the DiSC Communication Model

Matilda Cooper MSN, RN, Cape Fear Valley Health System

This lecture provides practical strategies for understanding personality driven communication styles and for using the DiSC Communication Model to lead change and foster staff development. Participants complete a one-page DiSC self-assessment, which serves as the framework for the session and introduces how individuals tend to communicate, prioritize tasks, and interact with their teams. Participants examine how each DiSC style typically responds to organizational change and explore strategies leaders can use to support staff effectively. Examples and scenarios are presented to demonstrate how DiSC informed communication enhances staff development, coaching, and performance conversations. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their own dominant communication style and to identify practical applications within their organizations. Teaching methods include an interactive lecture, DiSC self-assessment, reflective prompts for model integration, and leadership focused storytelling and discussion.

5:15 p.m. Adjourn

5:30 p.m. Networking Reception

Friday, October 23, 2026

7:15 a.m. Sign-In / Breakfast / Exhibits

8:50 a.m. Welcome

8 a.m. Mi-yo-mah-chi-wi-n: Rethinking Wellness Through Indigenous Perspectives and Academic Practice Partnerships

Jamie Lord, DNP, MSN, RNC, PMHNP-BC; Kristin Turner, B.S., M.S., Duke University

This session invites participants to reimagine wellness through Indigenous perspectives that emphasize relationality, balance, and holistic well-being beyond traditional Western frameworks. Using a six-strand model of wellness, participants will explore the interconnected dimensions of physical, emotional, spiritual, social, environmental, and intellectual health and examine how cultural context influences health, illness, and healing. Practical examples from nursing education will demonstrate how this framework can be integrated into curricula and adapted across educational and professional settings. The session will also explore how Academic Practice Partnerships can strengthen culturally responsive, community-engaged education through reciprocal collaboration among academic institutions, healthcare systems, and communities. Participants will leave with practical strategies to incorporate cultural humility, holistic wellness, and equitable partnership principles into teaching, learning environments, and clinical practice.

9 a.m. e-Poster Presentations / Exhibits

10 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

3A: Beyond the Lecture: Active Teaching Strategies That Transform Nursing Education

Emily Palladino, DNP, BSN, RN; Rebekah Overcash, MSN, RNC-OB, UNC Charlotte

This presentation explores the evidence-based benefits of active teaching strategies compared to traditional lecture methods in nursing education. While lectures often promote passive learning, strategies such as case studies, gamification, flipped classrooms, escape rooms, hands-on activities, and team-based learning actively engage students and enhance critical thinking, knowledge retention, concept application, and clinical judgment. Participants will examine practical examples of these instructional approaches and learn how to implement them in their own classrooms to better prepare students for clinical practice. The session concludes with an interactive group activity that allows attendees to apply active learning principles firsthand.

3B: Precepting with Purpose: Crafting an Interprofessional Curriculum for Healthcare Excellence

Allyson Kirkman, MSN, RN-BC, Cone Health

This presentation will focus on the development of an interprofessional preceptor curriculum and its impact on healthcare teams. Attendees will explore strategies for designing a comprehensive preceptor training program that fosters collaboration across healthcare disciplines. We will delve into key approaches for developing a curriculum that supports interprofessional learning, enhances communication, and equips preceptors to mentor effectively within diverse healthcare teams. By the end, participants will gain practical insights into creating a training framework that strengthens healthcare teams and promotes high-quality patient care.

3C: Sustaining Innovation: Mobile Clinical Curriculum Design in an HBCU Nursing Program

Shinel Stephens, DNP, APRN, FNP-C; Tina Scott, DNP, PMC-NE, CHSE RN, North Carolina Central University

This session highlights a proven, innovative model integrating a mobile health unit into an undergraduate nursing curriculum at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The model has demonstrated effectiveness in improving student learning outcomes while expanding healthcare access in underserved communities. Building on this success, the presentation focuses on strategies to sustain and scale the initiative, including a standardized, modular curriculum design integrated across clinical levels. A modular curriculum design, integrated across courses and clinical levels, provides a scaffolded approach to learning, ensuring that all students achieve progressive competency development regardless of placement variability. A central focus of the presentation will be the evaluation of measurable student competencies attained through mobile clinic experiences. These competencies include therapeutic communication, interprofessional collaboration, health screening, patient education and health literacy, cultural humility and empathy, and leadership development. The session will detail assessment strategies such as Objective Clinical Skills Examination (OSCE)-style evaluations, structured reflective journaling, and standardized skills checklists, all of which provide multidimensional measures of student performance and readiness for practice. By showcasing an already implemented and effective model within an HBCU context, this presentation moves beyond theory to practice. Attendees will gain actionable, evidence-based strategies to sustain mobile health initiatives through a standardized curriculum design and rigorous competency evaluation, ultimately advancing both nursing education and access to healthcare in underserved areas.

11 a.m. e-Poster Presentations / Exhibits

12 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

4A: Bridging Theory and Practice: The Design and Impact of an Immersive Interactive Nursing Education Environment

Tina Scott DNP, PMC-NE, RN, CHSE; Michael B. Render II, MIS, M.Ed; Alexis Salgado-Cervantes AAS, North Carolina Central University

This presentation explores the development, implementation, and evaluation of an immersive interactive learning environment designed to strengthen the connection between classroom instruction and clinical practice. Grounded in experiential learning and constructivist principles, the initiative addresses challenges such as limited clinical exposure, variable student confidence, and difficulties applying theoretical knowledge to clinical decision-making. Participants will learn how realistic, scenario-based experiences were integrated into nursing coursework through the use of simulation, technology, and collaborative faculty design. Students engaged in dynamic patient care scenarios that promoted assessment, prioritization, communication, teamwork, and clinical reasoning within a safe learning environment. Evaluation findings demonstrated improvements in student confidence, engagement, clinical judgment, and perceived readiness for practice. The immersive format also supported diverse learning preferences by incorporating visual, auditory, reading/writing, and hands-on learning opportunities. Attendees will gain practical insights for implementing immersive educational strategies that enhance learner engagement and better prepare students for clinical practice.

4B: Rethinking Summative Preparation: Bridging the Gap Between Didactic, Simulation, and Clinical Practice

Lindsay Arthur PhD, RN, CNE, CPN, UNC Greensboro

This presentation highlights an innovative, highly interactive summative review designed to bridge didactic, simulation, and clinical learning in a prelicensure pediatric nursing course. Using unfolding case studies, patient visualization boards, QR code-enhanced assessments, care scenarios, and high-fidelity simulation, students applied clinical reasoning and the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model to reinforce key course concepts. Implemented with approximately 90 BSN students, the activity promoted active learning, immediate feedback, and flexible participation through individual and group engagement. Attendees will learn how creative, technology-enhanced strategies can strengthen clinical judgment, improve student engagement, and support preparation for summative assessments.

4C: Developing the Universal Acceptor Nurse: A Structured Preceptorship Model for Clinical Excellence and Practice Transition

Malissa Hiott RN, CAVRN; Amy Ashe, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, CPEN, CAVRN, NPD-BC, Atrium Health

This presentation highlights the development and impact of Atrium Health’s Universal Acceptor (UA) Program, a nurse-driven transfer model designed to improve patient placement, optimize capacity, and enhance patient flow across a large healthcare system. UA nurses use standardized protocols and advanced clinical judgment to review transfer requests and determine the most appropriate level of care and facility, reducing inappropriate placements and improving operational efficiency. As the program expanded, a structured UA Nurse Fellowship was developed to prepare nurses for this unique system-level role. The fellowship incorporates scenario-based learning, competency validation, preceptor development, and a progressive pathway to independent practice. Participants will learn how innovative nurse-led models and intentional onboarding strategies can strengthen clinical decision-making, improve workforce readiness, and support emerging nursing roles in complex healthcare environments.

1 p.m. Lunch / Exhibits

1:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

5A: Micro CBE Practical Competency-Based Learning Design for Nurse Educators

Audrey Bryk-Lee, M.S., M.L.I.S.; Stephanie Guzman, M.A., UNC Chapel Hill

Competency-Based Education (CBE) is reshaping nursing education, but for many educators, the idea of adopting a CBE framework feels daunting. Where do you even start? This interactive session invites nurse educators to start small. Instructional designers from UNC Chapel Hill's School of Nursing will guide participants through the process of designing a single, competency-aligned lesson plan using a micro-level CBE approach. Rather than overhauling an entire curriculum, attendees will leave with a completed lesson-level CBE template they can implement immediately. Through peer collaboration and expert guidance, this session demystifies CBE and gives educators the confidence and tools to get started and build on their experience.

5B: From Classroom to Courtroom: A Pilot Study of Mock Trial Experiences for Prelicensure Nursing Students

Brittany Nicole Hudgins Graham, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, CNEcl, NBC-HWC, Western Carolina University

Prelicensure nursing students often report feeling unprepared for the legal and ethical dimensions of professional practice, particularly related to documentation, scope of practice, and professional accountability. Traditional classroom instruction frequently emphasizes theoretical legal principles but offers few opportunities for experiential learning that mirrors real-life legal processes and implications. A pilot study completed by the presenters examined the use of a structured mock trial experience as an innovative teaching strategy to enhance nursing students’ legal knowledge, critical thinking, and confidence related to the legal responsibilities related to their role as future licensed nurses. This interactive session introduces a mock trial simulation as an innovative, experiential teaching strategy to enhance legal preparedness in prelicensure nursing education. Presenters review the conceptual foundation for experiential learning and summarize the design and outcomes of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved pilot study examining the use of mock trials in nursing curricula. The structure, logistics, and lessons learned from implementing the mock trial experience will be shared. Participants will then engage in a facilitated mock trial allowing nurse educators to experience the instructional strategy firsthand. The session will conclude with guided reflection, practical implementation recommendations, and discussion.

5C: Upping Your Game: The Educator's Role in Engagement, Development, and Retention

Jody Cherniak, MSN, MBA-HCM, RN, VHA-CM, Durham VA Medical Center (Retired)

Nursing educators play a critical role in addressing workforce challenges by preparing nurses for success and supporting their ongoing professional development. This session examines how NPD practitioners, clinical educators, and faculty can influence learner engagement, competency development, and retention through intentional educational strategies and supportive learning environments. Participants will leave with practical tools to strengthen their impact on both individual learners and the broader nursing workforce.

2:45 p.m. Break

3 p.m. From Bedside to Legislature: How Policy Shapes Nursing Education and Practice

Gale Adcock, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, United States Senator, Associate Professor, Duke University

This session explores the critical connection between healthcare policy and nursing education and practice. Participants will examine how legislative decisions influence curriculum design, scope of practice, workforce development, and patient care delivery. Through real-world examples, attendees will gain insight into the policy-making process, and the role nurses play in shaping healthcare systems at the local, state, and national levels.

4 p.m. Adjourn