PONL 2025 Annual Conference Schedule

Included in the Conference: Solving Real Problems Through Purposeful Collaboration:  The PA Nursing Workforce Coalition Nurse Leadership Forum

Join the PA Nursing Workforce Coalition for a breakfast and discussion featuring nurse leaders from across the state. PA-NWC Advisory Board stakeholders will engage in roundtable conversations focused on priorities in healthcare and how the PA-NWC can advance healthcare through nursing.

PONL Annual Meeting/Opening Remarks & Welcome Luncheon

Generously sponsored by: 

12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

The american nurse: through a filmmaker's lens

Filmmaker and photographic ethnographer Carolyn Jones has spent her career shining a light on people who make extraordinary differences in the lives of others. She has spent the past fifteen years interviewing hundreds of nurses—creating a book and four documentary films—to better understand the integral role nurses play in our health and healthcare. Carolyn presents an outsider-looking-in perspective with the goal to inspire others to think of nurses in a way that they may never have before and to raise the volume on the voices of nurses everywhere.

Carolyn Jones, BS

Filmmaker, Photographer, and Author, Carolyn Jones Productions                                 

Refreshment break with exhibitors 

Generously sponsored by: 

2:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.

AONL / Region 2 Update

Updates on AONL priorities and Regional Affiliate Activities.

Helene Burns, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAAN

Chief Nurse & Operations Executive, AtlantiCare

Refreshment Break with Exhibitors

Generously sponsored by:   

3:30 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.

SNapshot sessions

Snapshot Sessions will replace last year's rapid roundtable presentations. This invites nurse leaders from various specialties to share
their best practices implemented across the care continuum in a more casual setting. Presenters will give a 15-minute talk on
their project to separate groups of attendees in a roundtable setting and attendees will rotate among the Snapshot Session topics available. Attendees will be able to attend four of the nine listed topics below, for a total of 1 contact hour.

Submit your Abstract Here!

Snapshot Sessions Topics: 

Click here to find descriptions and presenters for the Snapshot Sessions

5:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

Meet the poster presenters

More Information Coming Soon!

Networking Reception        

Generously sponsored by:   

Regional Connection Breakfast

Open to all attendees, this networking opportunity will group you by your geographical region to help you connect with colleagues you already know or whom you have not yet met!

8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Welcome day 2 / awards

More Information Coming Soon!

9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Nursing Leadership in 2025: Leading in the New World of Work

The past five years have been very turbulent, impacting healthcare delivery systems and the nursing workforce. Nursing leaders now struggle to pick up the pieces and navigate the new world of work. In this workshop, we will discuss national trends, workforce challenges, and what nurse leaders need to do differently to lead in this new world of work effectively. We will examine how to become a more effective communicator, restore trust, promote professional accountability, encourage engagement, foster a climate of well-being, and build high-performance teams.

Rose Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Professor Emeritus, Florida Atlantic University                                               

Refreshment Break with Exhibitors

Generously sponsored by:                                                                      

11:00 p.m.-12:00 p.m.

Creating Conditions for NUrse Manager Success

Synopsis TBD

Nora Warshawsky

Networking Lunch

Generously sponsored by: 

12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

HAP Update

Updates on HAP 

Stephanie Watkins

1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Reimagine What's Possible flip Your Script. see your work and your life in a whole new story.

In a world where self-doubt and external pressures often dictate our narrative, many of us are held captive by stories that diminish our true potential. These limiting beliefs create barriers to personal growth, leading to feelings of stagnation and unfulfillment. Kelly Swanson believes if you want to change your life, you must start by changing your story.

In this hysterically funny, motivational program, Kelly draws from her own journey of overcoming challenges and reshaping her narrative, blending humor with profound insights to inspire a shift in perspective.

Participants are guided to rewrite their own stories, cultivating a winning mindset that unlocks passion, purpose, and confidence. With Kelly’s unique storytelling approach, individuals are empowered to not only envision a brighter future but to actively pursue it.

Kelly Swanson, CSP, CPAE

Award-winning Storyteller, Motivational Speaker, Keynote Speaker, The Kirkpatrick Agency

2:45 p.m.

Evaluation, Final Remarks & Adjournment