 | The Voice of Nursing Leadership in Pennsylvania |
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Interested in sponsoring?
Download the Exhibitor Prospectus and Register to Exhibit!
PONL 2026 Annual Conference Schedule
* 11.5 contact hours pending - PONL is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This activity will be submitted to award Nursing Continuing Professional Development hours.
Interested in sponsoring?
Download the Exhibitor Prospectus and Register to Exhibit!
Click the links below to jump to the following respective sections:
PONL 2026 Annual Conference Schedule
Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Included in the Conference: Designed With You: Advancing Nurse Leadership Through Workforce Partnership Join the PA Nursing Workforce Coalition for a breakfast and discussion, featuring nurse leaders from across the state. Daniel W. Hudson, MSN, RN, CENP This interactive, in‑person gathering invites nurse leaders to step into a bold conversation about the future of nursing in Pennsylvania. What do leaders truly need to thrive? What tools, insights, and partnerships would make the biggest difference in their daily work? Through facilitated discussions and collaborative sessions, participants will help shape the priorities of the state’s Nursing Workforce Center, ensuring its programs, data, and initiatives directly support the realities of frontline leadership. This conference centers one powerful question: How can we help you be better, stronger, and more supported as a nurse leader? This session will offer additional contact hours and is included in the registration for the PONL Annual Nursing Leadership Conference at no additional cost to you! Agenda Breakfast and Welcome | 8:00 - 8:50 AM Closing | 10:00 - 10:30 AM Please note that photographs will be taken throughout the event. These will be used by the PA Nursing Workforce Coalition for their website and in social media. If you have any concerns, please reach out to Jilian Bohn, PA-NWC Manager. |
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| 9:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Exhibit Hall Open | |
| 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. |
Break with Exhibitors | |
| 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
PONL Annual Meeting/Opening Remarks & Welcome Luncheon Generously sponsored by: The Morel Company |
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12:00 p.m. - 12:15 p.m.
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AONL / Region 2 UpdateUpdates on AONL priorities and Regional Affiliate Activities. Helene Burns, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAAN Chief Nurse & Operations Executive, AtlantiCare
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| 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. |
Jeff Doucette Jeff Doucette Press Ganey |
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| 1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Demo Showcase presented by | |
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1:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. |
Refreshment break with exhibitorsGenerously sponsored by: |
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| 1:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. | Demo Showcase presented by | |
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1:45 p.m.- 3:15 p.m.
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SNapshot sessionsSnapshot 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. Snapshot Sessions Topics:
Descriptions and Additional Presenter Information HERE! |
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| 3:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. |
Refreshment Break with Exhibitors
Generously sponsored by: |
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3:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
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One size misfits all: personalization, performance, and the power of aiOne-size-fits-all leadership no longer works in a workforce shaped by five generations, hybrid environments, and AI-driven change. Today’s employees expect personalized experiences, meaningful communication, and leadership that recognizes how they work best. Research shows that 74% of employees now expect personalized workplace experiences, yet fewer than half feel their organization delivers. That disconnect impacts engagement, trust, collaboration, and performance. In this keynote, Penny Zenker shows leaders how to close the expectation gap by combining human-centered leadership with AI-powered insight. Leaders who embrace the right mindset and tools create stronger relationships, improve communication, and build cultures where people feel seen, valued, and motivated to perform at their best. Personalization creates connection. Connection drives engagement. Engagement drives performance. Leaders will walk away with practical strategies to lead smarter, connect faster, and scale personalization across hybrid and in-person teams. Penny Zenker, The Focusologist |
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4:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
Meet the poster presentersWe will offer Virtual Posters for attendee review. Contact Hours will be offered for those that review and complete the evaluation associated. For those in attendance, you will have the opportunity to meet and discuss the posters with their respective authors at the start of our Networking Reception. Read more HERE! 1.2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Title | Author |
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| 5:00 p.m-6:30 p.m. |
Networking ReceptionGenerously sponsored by: |
Friday, October 2, 2026
| 8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. |
Breakfast with exhibitors |
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8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
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Welcome day 2 / awardsPennsylvania State Nurse Leader DAISY Award Announced Congratulations to all our nominees: |
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9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
Meaningful recognitionThe 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. Deb Zimmerman |
| 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. |
Refreshment Break with Exhibitors Generously sponsored by: |
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11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
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culture by design: Aligned with self-empowerment and emotional resilienceIn today’s healthcare environment, leaders are navigating workforce fatigue, emotional exhaustion, rapid change, and increasing operational pressure. This engaging and practical keynote explores how intentional cultures can foster self-empowerment, emotional resilience, accountability, and hope. Drawing from decades of executive leadership experience, Dr. Bob Dent shares actionable strategies for creating psychologically safe, emotionally healthy, and high-performing work environments where people feel connected, valued, and inspired to thrive. Attendees will leave with practical leadership tools to strengthen engagement, reduce toxic emotional negativity, and build resilient teams capable of sustaining excellence during times of uncertainty and change. Dr. Bob Dent, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, ACC, FACHE, FAAN, FAONL |
| 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. |
Networking Lunch Generously sponsored by: |
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12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
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HAP UpdateUpdates on the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania |
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1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. |
titleDescription TBD Title |
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2:45 p.m. |
Evaluation, Final Remarks & Adjournment |
2026 Registration Rates |
Early Bird
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Regular
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| PONL Member | $500 | $575 |
| Non-Member* | $600 | $675 |
| Retired PONL Member | $275 | $350 |
| Student | $275 | $350 |
| One-Day Rate (Thursday or Friday) |
$350 | $375 |
| Group Discount Member** | $475 | $550 |
| Group Discount Non-member | $575 | $650 |
*Non-Member registration INCLUDES one-year membership to PONL for first-time members.
**Must have five or more attendees register for group discount
Hotel Information
Hotel Information:
Hilton Harrisburg
One N Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717-635-7299
Take advantage now before the PONL room block is gone!
Use the following Group Code if you are calling into the hotel: 92O
Parking Information
New Self-Parking Information
Garage Address: 215 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
The Walnut Street Parking Garage is now managed by Metropolis Parking and uses a License Plate Reader (LPR) system. Parking passes are no longer utilized for garage access. All guests will need to provide license plate information ONLY to the Hilton Harrisburg Front Desk for the garage gate to open anytime a guest departs. Do not do anything in the garage, but bring your license plate number to the front desk.
All attendees will still be required to visit the hotel Front Desk to process the parking validation
Attendees will scan the group specific QR code at the Front Desk to activate the validation
Attendees should be prepared to create a Metropolis Parking account, that will require your license plate number, credit card information, and phone number.
If this is your first-time using Metropolis Parking, a $9.99 pre-authorization (to verify the card is valid) will be placed on your card and released within a few days. On your next visit with us, simply scan the QR code at the Hilton Front Desk.
If attendees would like, they can create their accounts before visiting the hotel via this link: Metropolis
Parking validations remain active for 10 hours, starting at the time you entered the garage. After 10 hours, standard Metropolis parking rates will be charged to your card on file.
Overnight guests may park in the connecting Walnut Street parking garage at a reduced rate.
Current rates:
Overnight Guest Self-Parking: $20/evening - unlimited exits**
Valet parking is available at additional rates. Please note: Parking tickets must be validated at the Front Desk to receive the discounted rates.