2025 Nursing Knowledge: Big Data Science Conference

Pre-conference: Wednesday, June 4 

8:00-8:45 Breakfast & Registration
8:45-9:00 Welcome and Introduction
                    Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP
                    Dean, University of Minnesota School of Nursing

9:00-10:30 
                    Track 1: Nursing Terminology and FHIR (Memorial Hall)
                    Susan Matney, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, FACMI, FHIMSS, FHL7, AL2
                    Informatics Consultant, Wise Owl Originals, LLC
                    Laura Heermann Langford, PhD, RN, FAMIA, FHL7

                    Track 2: All of Us Concepts & Hands-on (Ski-U-Mah)
                    Steve Johnson, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Institute for Health Informatics
                    Associate Director, Health Informatics Program, University of Minnesota
                    Lisiane Pruinelli, PhD, MS, RN, FAMIA, Associate Professor, University of Florida’s College of Nursing
                    Joint appointment in the College of Medicine’s Department of Surgery

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Resume Tracks 1 & 2

11:45-12:45 Lunch provided

12:45- 2:15 
                    Track 3: Building Impactful Collaboratories (Memorial Hall)
                    Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP
                    Dean, University of Minnesota School of Nursing

                    Lisiane Pruinelli, PhD, MS, RN, FAMIA, Associate Professor, University of Florida’s College of Nursing
                    Joint appointment in the College of Medicine’s Department of Surgery

                    Rebecca Freeman, PhD, RN, FAAN
                    Vice President of Health Informatics for the University of Vermont Health Network

                    Kelaine Haas, PhD
                    Administrative Director, Office of the Dean, University of Minnesota School of Nursing

                    Track 4: Transforming Documentation H2T Toolkit (Ski-U-Mah)

                    David Boyd, DNP, RN, CNS, CPHIMS, NI-BC, Regional Director for Nursing Informatics in Patient Care Services
                    Kaiser Permanente, Northern

                    Bonnie Adrian, PhD RN NI-BC, Research  Research Nurse Scientist, Clinical Informatic, UCHealth

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-3:30 Resume Tracks 3 & 4

3:30 Adjourn 

Conference Day 1: Thursday, June 5

7:30-8:30 Breakfast & Registration

8:15-8:30 Welcome to the 2025 Nursing Knowledge Big Data Science Conference
                    Connie White Delaney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP
                    Dean, University of Minnesota School of Nursing

8:30-9:30 Keynote: The CONCERN Early Warning System: Leveraging Nurse-Driven Data for Early Prediction and Scalable Implementation in Patient Care
                    Patricia C. Dykes, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI; 
                    Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Research Program 
                    Director for the Center for Patient Safety, Research and Practice at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

The CONCERN (COmmunicating Narrative Concerns Entered by RNs) early warning system (EWS) is a predictive tool designed to harness nurses' expert knowledge and observations within patient health records. By transforming this qualitative data into actionable insights, CONCERN helps to identify early signs of organ failure or other critical conditions in hospitalized patients. This presentation will offer an overview of the CONCERN EWS, highlighting its development, integration with electronic health records (EHR), and key findings from a multisite clinical trial. Additionally, the session will cover the creation of the CONCERN Implementation Toolkit, explaining how it was developed and outlining strategies for scaling the system’s success to support broader adoption and use across healthcare settings.

9:30-10:30 Hot Topic:  Data, Nursing, and Standards: A Multifaceted Perspective for Technology Driven Care

This session brings together three thought-provoking perspectives on how data and emerging technologies are shaping the future of nursing education and practice. Together, these presentations offer a dynamic look at how standards, innovation, and informatics are driving transformation in nursing:

Jane M. Carrington, PhD, RN, FAMIA, FAAN, University of Florida, College of Nursing, explores the intersection of AACN’s competency-based education model and the emerging concept of precision nursing education. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of artificial intelligence in tailoring educational experiences to individual learner needs.

Allen Flynn, PharmD, PhD, University of Michigan Medical School, examines why medication administration remains under-supported by technology and explores opportunities to leverage data and automation to improve safety and efficiency. Insights from the Autonomous Pharmacy Advisory Board will frame a discussion on current barriers and emerging solutions in this essential, ongoing clinical process.

Kelly Aldrich, DNP, RN, NI-BC, FHIMSS, FAAN, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, introduces the concept of “prescribing technology” as a proactive, nurse-centered approach to supporting well-being through immersive digital tools. Using the Technology Acceptance Model and the MIND Lab as a case study, the presentation explores how future-ready technologies can transform nursing education and practice by fostering empathy, resilience, and self-care.

Moderator:  Susan Matney PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, FACMI, FHIMSS, FHL7, AL2 Informatics Consultant, Wise Owl Originals, LLC

10:30-11:00 Break + Poster Viewing

11:00-12:30 Workgroup Reports

12:30-1:45 Lunch Provided + Poster Viewing (Memorial Hall)

Leadership Lunch (Swain)

1:45-3:00 Workgroup Meetings

3:00-3:15 Break

3:15-4:30 Workgroup Meetings

4:30 Welcome Reception (University Hall & Patio)

Conference Day 2: Friday, June 6

7:30- 8:30      Breakfast & Registration

8:30- 9:30      Workgroup Action Plans

9:30-10:00     Break + Poster Viewing

10:00-10:30   Hot Topic: Gravity Project: Data to Address Social Needs and Advance Maternal Health Equity
                      Speaker:  Asha Immanuelle, MAS, RN, PHM-C, CPHIMS
                      Gravity Project, Community Liaison
                      Center for Black Women's Wellness in Atlanta, GA

This session explores the Gravity Project’s effort to integrate social needs data into clinical and community care through consensus-driven standards. Using a maternal health use case, the presentation illustrates how these standards capture both risk and resilience, such as racism, toxic stress, and protective factors, across the arc of matrescence. Participants will learn how standardized SDOH data can inform care, enable cross-sector collaboration, and drive whole-person policy. Gravity’s approach demonstrates the potential to transform maternal health services by addressing systemic inequities and gathering community-level insights.

10:30-11:15 Keynote: A Comprehensive Approach to Address Social Needs Beyond Critical Care
                    Lorena de Leon, DPA, MBA, Senior Director of Population Health and Social Determinants for Maryland Physicians Care 
                    Bryce Parker, MPH, Epidemiologist, Population Health Analytics Team, Maryland Physicians Care

This session will delve into the strategies employed by Maryland's third-largest Medicaid-only Managed Care Organization (MCO). Attendees will gain insights into how this organization addresses social needs outside of critical care via a proactive model of moving using data to identify and address fundamental issues in individuals' lives. Key topics include the role of data in identifying barriers, the development of social risk scores, and the creation of strategic partnerships to improve access and support a closed-loop referral system.

11:15-12:00  Panel:  From Clinical to Social Data: How to Leverage Analytics to Address Social Determinants of Health
                    Moderator:  Kathleen (Kathy) Bobay, PhD, RN, ACHIP, FAAN
                    Professor and Graduate Program Director, Health Informatics
                    Parkinson School of Health Sciences & Public Health
                    Loyola University Chicago

                    Lorena de Leon, DPA, MBA
                    Senior Director of Population Health and Social Determinants
                    Maryland Physicians Care 

                    Bryce Parker, MPH, Epidemiologist, 
                    Population Health Analytics Team
                    Maryland Physicians Care

                    Asha Immanuelle, MAS, RN, PHM-C, CPHIMS
                    Center for Black Women's Wellness, Atlanta, GA

Join Asha Immanuelle, Bryce Parker and Lorena de Leon as they discuss the intersection of clinical science and social data. This panel will explore how data can be leveraged to address social determinants of health (SDOH). Through structured questions and an open Q&A session, attendees will gain insights into the development of interoperability standards, proactive models for addressing social needs, and the role of data in identifying barriers and creating targeted interventions. Engage with our experts to understand how collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships can drive equitable health and social care.

12:00-1:00       Lunch Provided + Poster Viewing (Memorial Hall)
                        Steering Committee Lunch (Gateway)

1:00-2:00         Workgroup Meetings for Action Plan Synergy and NKBDS Strategic Goals Alignment 

  2:00-2:30       Closing Remarks

          2:30       Adjourn

Bonnie Adrian, PhD, NI-BC, is a Research Nurse Scientist, Clinical Informatics, at UCHealth. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Colorado, a PhD in Anthropology from Yale University, and board certification in nursing informatics, with a dozen years applying her skills as a social scientist in informatics, research, quality improvement evaluations, and advanced analytics. Since 2018, Bonnie has led Project Joy to reduce electronic health record burden for nurses across UCHealth’s 15 hospitals. Bonnie recently completed a two-year term of service on the American Nurses Association’s Innovation Advisory Committee for Data Science, AI, and Augmented Intelligence and Epic’s Nurse Wellbeing Steer.

Kelly Aldrich, DNP, RN, NI-BC, FHIMSS, FAAN, is a distinguished nursing informatics executive with over 40 years of healthcare expertise. She serves as Professor of Nursing and Director of Innovation at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) and HIMSS, Dr. Aldrich is also a Board-Certified Informatics Nurse Specialist. She began her career at the bedside in cardiac and trauma critical care before transitioning to executive leadership roles, including ED Director, CNO, Inaugural CNIO at HCA, and Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at the Center for Medical Interoperability. Dr. Aldrich’s passion lies in advancing patient-centered care through innovative technologies, integrating virtual reality and AI-driven immersive models to foster mindful nursing experiences. She holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Systems Leadership and Nursing Informatics and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of South Florida.

Kathleen (Kathy) Bobay, PhD, RN, ACHIP, FAAN, PhD, RN is a Professor in the Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health at Loyola University of Chicago. Her research focuses nurses’ impact in improving patient care outcomes. Her team has a patent pending on two natural language processing engines that can be used with electronic health records for clinical decision support, operations improvement, and clinical research. Dr. Bobay has an Associate Degree in Nursing from Jackson Community College, Jackson, MI; her Bachelor’s degree is Health Sciences from Western Michigan University; a MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Michigan State University; and her PhD in Nursing Systems and Administration from the University of Michigan.

David Boyd, DNP, RN, CNS, CPHIMS, NI-BC is the regional director for nursing informatics in patient care services for Kaiser Permanente, Northern California. David’s areas of interest include using electronic health records and information technologies to enhance professional nursing practice & well-being, advance decision support tools, support nursing leadership and regulatory compliance, and align health care quality and information system governance. David co-chairs the NKBDS Transforming Documentation Workgroup.  He earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in 2013, with informatics focus from the University of Minnesota. He holds national certification as an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Informatics Nurse and is CPHIMS certified.

Jane M. Carrington, PhD, RN, FAMIA, FAAN, Dr. Carrington has 26 years of experience in nursing informatics.  She began her career in nursing informatics as a clinical analyst, building and implementing clinical systems.  Then pursued a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, with emphasis in informatics and nursing systems research.  Her research has focused on nurses’ use of the electronic health record as a communication system for patients with a change of condition.  Her framework that guides her research and suggests that communication and nurses’ experience and education contribute to patient outcomes. 

Connie White Delaney, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, FACMI, FNAP, serves as Professor & Dean, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, serves as Core Faculty in the Institute for Health Informatics, and is the Knowledge Generation Lead for the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. She served as Associate Director of the Clinical Translational Science Institute –Biomedical Informatics, and  Acting Director of the Institute for Health Informatics (IHI) in the Academic Health Center from 2010-2015.  She serves as an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Nursing at the University of Iceland, where she received the Doctor Scientiae Curationis Honoris Causa (Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing) in 2011.  She is an elected Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, American College of Medical Informatics, and National Academies of Practice.  Delaney is the first Fellow in the College of Medical Informatics to serve as a Dean of Nursing.  Delaney was an inaugural appointee to the USA Health Information Technology Policy Committee, Office of the National Coordinator, and Office of the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She is an active researcher in data and information technology standards for nursing and health care, and big data knowledge discovery. Delaney is past president of Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR) and past Vice-Chair of CGFNS, Inc. She holds a BSN with majors in nursing and mathematics, MA in Nursing, Ph.D. Educational Administration and Computer Applications, postdoctoral study in nursing & medical informatics, and a Certificate in Integrative Therapies & Healing Practices.

Lorena de Leon, DPA, MBA, is the Senior Director of Population Health and Social Determinants for Maryland Physicians Care, the 3rd largest Medicaid managed care organization in Maryland. She has over 25 years of experience in program development, strategic planning, social care and health equity, and digital health technology with a focus on improving health outcomes and promoting affordability. She has served in leadership roles for organizations including United Healthcare, Optum, Johns Hopkins, and the Office of Healthcare Quality in Maryland. Dr. de Leon holds a bachelor’s in business management, an MBA in Healthcare management, and a doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore with a published dissertation on social equity disparities and policy implications. She also holds a certificate in Value-Based Care from the University of Houston and is a 2024 graduate of the Leadership Maryland Executive program.

Patricia C. Dykes, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Research Program Director for the Center for Patient Safety, Research and Practice at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She conducts research in the field of informatics and patient safety, focusing on leveraging information technology to enhance patient safety outcomes, including clinical decision support to reduce falls, pressure injuries, diagnostic errors, improve communication, and prevent adverse events. Dr. Dykes is the MassGeneral Brigham site PI for the CONCERN study. She is board member of the National Pressure Injury Prevention Panel, past President/Board Chair of AMIA, elected fellow of American Academy of Nursing, American College of Medical Informatics, International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics, and the National Academy of Medicine.

Allen Flynn, PharmD, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Health Informatics and Learning Systems, in the Department of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School. After earning a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Michigan, Allen Flynn studied Computer Science. He then worked as a network analyst and a hospital staff pharmacist. At Trinity Health, Allen was promoted to Informatics Coordinator and became involved with several major EHR and other health IT projects. Allen went on to have informatics leadership roles at Trinity and Michigan Medicine while developing his expertise in EHRs and medication system safety. Building on that experience, Allen completed a Doctorate in Information Science and Health Informatics in 2018. Today, he is an assistant professor and member of the Knowledge Systems Lab in the University of Michigan Medical School’s Department of Learning Health Sciences. Allen’s current technical research focuses on making large, complex health app knowledge bases easier to manage, deploy, and update. His leadership efforts focus on removing barriers holding back the adoption of new technology and procedures for the medication use process.

Rebecca Freeman, PhD, RN, FAAN is the Vice President of Health Informatics for the University of Vermont Health Network. She has just enough policy background to be dangerous, having previously served a 2-year term as the Chief Nursing Officer for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (now the ASTP/ONC).  She combines that experience with many years of technical knowledge, a PhD in research methods, and a near-total lack of filter…into a really fun and successful career as an informatics executive.  Rebecca’s favorite informatics topics are: the inclusion of informatics concepts on the nursing professional development pathway, data and analytics, population health, downtime preparedness, and (much to her chagrin) EHR implementations.  Lately, she has dusting off her crystal ball and thinking about how nursing informatics can transition away from so much focus on the EHR and back to their scope and standards expectations…where they focus on data and the use of great data to drive exemplary care.

Kelaine Haas, PhD is a seasoned academic administrator and educator with extensive experience in strategic leadership, curriculum development, and student success. She has held key leadership roles at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, particularly within the School of Nursing and the Medical School, where her work has significantly influenced institutional growth and innovation in education.  As the Administrative Director at the University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing, Kelaine facilitates strategic initiatives and operations throughout the organization. In collaboration with the Dean, Kelaine plays a pivotal role in strategic planning, aligning resources, and ensuring the timely execution of key initiatives. A key component of Kelaine’s leadership is her ability to manage complex initiatives and coordinate multiple stakeholders across the school, university, and community. She serves as a vital liaison between senior leadership, faculty, students, and external stakeholders, ensuring that strategic goals are communicated clearly and executed effectively. Her strategic vision, collaborative approach, and commitment to fostering inclusive and innovative academic environments have made her a leader in advancing educational excellence at the University of Minnesota and beyond. Kelaine holds a Ph.D. in Genetics, Cellular Biology, and Development from the University of Minnesota and a B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University.

Dr. Laura Heermann Langford, PhD, RN, FAMIA, FHL7, is a nationally recognized nurse executive and health IT leader with an extensive career in healthcare and nursing informatics. She currently serves as the Associate Chief Nursing Informatics Officer at the Veterans Health Administration, where she contributes to the strategic advancement of informatics across the organization.  Previously, Dr. Heermann Langford was the Chief Clinical Information Officer at Graphite Health, where she led the development of two long-term strategic plans for both internal operations and external stakeholder engagement.  During her tenure at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Dr. Heermann Langford held multiple leadership roles in informatics, including a nine-year appointment as Director of Nursing Informatics at the corporate office. In this position, she worked closely with executive leadership and senior informatics teams to plan and implement strategic IT initiatives that improved clinical care delivery.  She also served as Chief Operating Officer of Logica, a non-profit dedicated to healthcare interoperability, co-founded by Intermountain Healthcare, Louisiana State University, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  Dr. Heermann Langford has played a significant leadership role at Health Level Seven (HL7) for over 15 years, helping develop and internationally ballot numerous consensus-based standards aimed at improving healthcare interoperability. Through her work with HL7 and other standards organizations such as Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE), she has shared Intermountain Healthcare’s expertise in standardized terminologies with national and international stakeholders.  In addition to her industry work, Dr. Heermann Langford has contributed to academic nursing informatics through her ongoing role as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the University of Utah College of Nursing Informatics Program, where she has also served in various instructional and advisory capacities.  Her professional service includes significant contributions to the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), where she has served on the Board of Directors, the FAMIA Executive Committee, and the Nursing Informatics Working Group. She is also an active member of the Strategic Planning Committee for the Nursing Knowledge Big Data Group.  Dr. Heermann Langford is a Fellow of both AMIA and HL7, reflecting her sustained impact and leadership in advancing health informatics and nursing practice.

Asha Immanuelle, MAS, RN, PHM-C, CPHIMS, is a seasoned Community Health Nurse Specialist focusing on Maternal and Child Health, a Health Informaticist, and a Community-Engaged Researcher. As a leader at the Center for Black Women's Wellness in Atlanta, GA, Asha drives impactful maternal health equity initiatives emphasizing community-clinical integration and holistic approaches to healthcare. In her role at the AIM-AHEAD CLINAQ Fellowship, she is committed to leveraging AI for clinical problem-solving, engaging in multidisciplinary team science, and effectively translating community-clinical insights to address maternal health disparities. Asha's work extends to her role as the Health Equity Lead and Community Liaison at the Gravity Project, where she enhances data infrastructures to facilitate community-clinical integration. Educated at Emory University and Johns Hopkins University, where she earned her Master of Applied Science in Population Health Management, Asha's academic background provides a solid foundation for her data-driven and community-focused healthcare initiatives. Additionally, her service on the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) highlights her advocacy for systemic improvements in maternal health, demonstrating her dedication to transforming healthcare practices and policies to serve women and children across Georgia better.

Steve Johnson, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Institute for Health Informatics and Associate Director, Health Informatics Program at the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the University, he had a successful career as VP/CTO in leading healthcare companies where he led technology, product development and data analytics teams. His research is focused on enhancing the secondary use of EHR data using healthcare data science and machine learning, improving clinical decision support and using rich ontologies to model clinical knowledge.

Susan Matney, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, FACMI, FHIMSS, FHL7, AL2 is a distinguished figure in the field of nursing informatics, with a career spanning over three decades in nursing and more than 20 years in informatics. She combines her clinical experience with expertise in informatics to address the challenges faced by nurses in the digital age. Her work often bridges the gap between clinical practice and technology. She currently works as an Informatics Consultant at Wise Owl Originals, LLC holding contracts with JP Systems, standardizing documentation for the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA), and Next Level Health Innovations, developing data elements for the United States Core Data for Interoperability Plus (USCDI+). Previous employment in her career included working with the Healthcare Data Dictionary at Intermountain Healthcare and at 3M Health Information Systems, standardizing care plans for the Siemens Soarian product, and developing clinical information models for Logica and Graphite. She led the development of the HHS Family Planning Annual Report HL7 FHIR profile. She has played a significant role in integrating clinical data into electronic health records (EHRs) and other clinical systems to enhance patient care and decision-making.

Dr. Matney is particularly known for her contributions to the development and implementation of nursing terminologies and standards. She has been instrumental in advancing the use of Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) for nursing data, which she helped get recognized by the American Nurses Association (ANA) as an approved terminology for use by nursing. She has been on the Nursing Knowledge Big Data (NKBD) Steering Committee since its inception. Through the NKDB Initiative, she chaired the terminology working group and led teams in the development of standardized nursing assessments (with mappings to LOINC and SNOMED CT) including a head-to-toe assessment, pain assessment, and wound assessment. Additionally, she has been involved in various committees and working groups related to Health Level 7 (HL7) and SNOMED CT, contributing to the interoperability of nursing data across different healthcare systems. She is past chair of the Nursing Clinical LOINC Subcommittee, the SNOMED Nursing Working Group, and the HL7 Patient Care Committee.

Bryce Parker, MPH, has been with Maryland Physicians Care in the role of Epidemiologist for the past two years on the Population Health Analytics Team. On the team, Bryce develops models and provides technical and analytical expertise to improve health outcomes for Maryland Medicaid members. He has served as an epidemiologist at the local, state, and federal levels working on projects ranging from COVID-19 variant sequencing analysis with the CDC Foundation to providing oversight and guidance for infectious disease outbreaks for the West Virginia Department of Health. Bryce obtained his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Epidemiology from Indiana University.

Lisiane Pruinelli, PhD, MS, RN, FAMIA, is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida’s College of Nursing, with a joint appointment in the College of Medicine’s Department of Surgery. Dr. Pruinelli is a renowned expert in nursing informatics, data science, and artificial intelligence, with extensive experience in leveraging big data to improve patient outcomes, particularly in the realm of transplantation and chronic disease conditions. She collaborates with multiple centers and institutions across US to leverage large amounts of data for smart clinical solutions. Her work has been pivotal in advancing predictive analytics in healthcare, and she has made significant contributions to the development of AI-driven models for chronic disease management. A recipient of multiple prestigious awards, Dr. Pruinelli is a fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association, and a co-founder and co-director of the Nursing and Artificial Intelligence Leadership Collaborative – the NAILCollab. She is also the co-chair for the Nursing Knowledge Big Data Science Initiative, a member of the UF Learning Health System Steering Committee, and has been actively engaged in several organizations, such as the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (iEEE), the Association of Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), and the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. She has over 100 peer-reviewed publications in the intersection of informatics, data science, and chronic disease conditions and speaks nationally and internationally about the topic.

Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented the National Center Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development (National Center OICPD). The National Center OICPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Nurses: This activity is designated for 16 nursing contact hours through ANCC.

Register

Student Registration

Students must upload proof of current enrollment in a higher education program at the time of registration.  Please attach any document of official correspondence from your educational institution in which your university/college states your name, the university/course of your choice, and course enrollment information. Some examples are: 

• Photocopy of your DATED student ID (with current date)
• Photocopy of your class registration
• Photocopy of your class schedule
• Photocopy of your school bill
• URL of your institution's publicly accessible web page or web directory that proves your student status
   

Cancellation policy: If you need to cancel your registration, a refund, minus a $50 administrative fee, will be issued if you cancel in writing by May 15, 2025. If you cancel after this date, you will not be eligible for a refund.  You must send an email to [email protected] to request a cancellation.

The conference hotel is the Graduate Minneapolis.  The negotiated conference rate is $174 per night, plus taxes.  Please note that Daily Mandatory Destination Charge does NOT apply to this special rate. This rate is good until May 12, 2025, but please book as early as possible as rooms could sell out. 

You must use the link below to obtain the special rate.

Book your room

1. Click the link above
2. Select the exact dates of your stay (top of page)
3. Click on check availability
4. Select room type – “Book now”
5. Confirm your stay, enter your name & credit card

The Graduate Minneapolis is located kitty-corner from the conference venue, McNamara Alumni Center.  The hotel has a restaurant, the Beacon. Also attached to the hotel is Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and Sweetgreen.  Across the street are additional food options as well as a Walgreens.  A Metro Light Rail stop is about half a block away and goes directly into downtown Minneapolis.  Overnight parking is available at the hotel for $28 per night, plus taxes (subject to change).

In the event you are unable to find room at the Graduate Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota Office of Admissions maintains a list of other hotels in the area, as well as information about special discounts, where applicable.  To review the list, click here.

Achieving Value-based Care Success with an AI Driven SDOH Actionability Score 

Kerry Son, MSN, BSN; Rivka Atadja, DNP, RN; Matt Wilson, DPT; Derek Olsson; Anant Vasudevan, MD, MBA; Radial, Concord, MA 

Although the gap in outcomes between those with and without social risk factors has narrowed, disparities persist. For entities in value based care arrangements, CMS has put forth guidelines for the documentation and use of SDOH data, making it more important than ever. Despite this, existing data sources and tools have many shortcomings when it comes to social risk adjustment. Programs that link payment to outcomes, such as those established by the Affordable Care Act, have led to improvements in many quality measures. However, these improvements have not been uniform across all patient groups. Health systems and payers need a mechanism to consistently and accurately identify and adjust for social risk as well as a simple, synthesized assessment of how to mitigate the impacts for any given patient. 

Alliance for Nursing Informatics (ANI) Emerging Leader Project: Enhancing Nurse Competency and Advocacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence 

Ann M. Wieben, PhD, RN, NI-BC, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA 

The increasing integration of AI tools into healthcare settings necessitates active nursing involvement. AI, as defined by the World Health Organization, is “a branch of computer science, statistics and engineering that uses algorithms or models to perform tasks and exhibit behaviors such as learning, making decisions and making predictions.” While AI offers potential benefits in healthcare, such as improved diagnostics and workflow optimization, it also presents complex challenges related to safety, ethics, and equity. The nursing profession needs to be actively involved in shaping how AI tools are evaluated, used, and governed in nurse practice and education settings. Nurses must possess AI literacy and competencies to shape the future of AI in healthcare. AI literacy, as defined by Long and Magerko, involves “a set of competencies that enables individuals to critically evaluate AI technologies; communicate and collaborate effectively with AI; and use AI as a tool online, at home, and in the workplace” with competencies being understood as the understanding, knowledge or skills needed to perform a task.

Artificial Intelligence Tools in Healthcare 

Carolyn S. Harmon, PhD, DNP, RN, NI-BC, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA Heather Carter-Templeton, PhD, RN, NI-BC, FAAN, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV Leyla Pordeli, DNP, MBA, MSN, NI-BC, RN Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL, USA Tonya Judson, DNP, RN, NI-BC, CNE, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA Amy M. Rosa, DNP, MSMI, RN, Sentara, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA Katherine Taylor Pearson, DNP, RN, NI-BC, CPHIMS, CLSSBB, CPBI, CKM, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Nursing, Lubbock, Texas, USA 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining healthcare, with tools ranging from diagnostic imaging systems to predictive analytics platforms. These technologies promise to improve clinical efficiency, patient outcomes, and healthcare accessibility. However, AI's potential to exacerbate health disparities underscores the need for frameworks that emphasize equity, transparency, and ethical responsibility. Drawing from recent systematic reviews, there is evidence to suggest AI tools are being implemented across diverse healthcare settings. Large language tools such as ChatGPT and Co-pilot have shown promise in simplifying patient communication, offering tailored health education, and streamlining administrative workflows. IBM Watson Health has been instrumental in oncology care, providing treatment recommendations aligned with clinical guidelines and peer-reviewed evidence. Case studies, including AI-based breast cancer screening tools, highlight their enhanced sensitivity and ability to detect malignancies in underserved populations. The analysis integrates frameworks like the FUTURE-AI Medical AI Algorithm Checklist to evaluate tool performance, adaptability, and bias mitigation.

Bridging the Gap: The Need for Nursing Informatics Programs in Ugandan Public Universities 

Aidah Nanvuma, BNS, PGDPPM, MPH (c) Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Uganda; University of Minnesota Charles Osingada, MA, MPH, PhD University of Minnesota Rebecca Wurtz, MD, MPH, IDI, University of Minnesota 

Nursing informatics is a fundamental discipline that leverages the nursing body of knowledge, information technology, and management to advance patient care outcomes, simplify health care administration, and ease decision-making in the clinical setting. Although the field of nursing informatics is steadily growing globally, its adoption and implementation in Africa remain challenged by the limitations in infrastructure, training, low investments, and weak policy frameworks that guide the processes. A significant knowledge gap in nursing informatics in Africa is the limited understanding of how nursing informatics content is integrated into pre- and post- licensure nursing education programs and how it is taught within these programs. This leads to an inadequately prepared workforce to meet the increasing informatics demands in clinical settings. There is limited research on how nursing informatics is incorporated into pre- and post-licensure nursing programs in Uganda and its impact on preparing nurses for real-world clinical settings. This study aims to investigate integrating nursing informatics education into pre- and post-licensure nursing programs in Uganda.

Clustering Fibromyalgia Patients Using the All of Us Research Program 

Marisa Sileo, MSN, RN, NI-BC, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA Victoria Menzies, PhD, APRN, FAAN, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Steven G. Johnson, PhD, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN Lisiane Pruinelli, PhD, RN, FAMIA, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that significantly impacts quality of life. With no known cure, treatment is focused on managing symptoms. Despite fibromyalgia’s impact on pain and quality of life, it remains challenging to diagnose and manage effectively. This study sought to characterize fibromyalgia patient clusters, identifying factors and patterns in the fibromyalgia population and their relationship with patient-reported outcomes.

Collecting and Evaluating Perioperative Physiological Waveforms from the Patients during Major Surgeries 

Dan Li, Ph.D, RN (Corresponding author) Fei Zhang, Ph.D, CRNA, RN, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA 

There has been an increase in anesthesia-related mortality among older adults with morbidities undergoing surgery. Anesthesia devices measure physiological waveforms, but it is challenging to acquire and store this data for clinical research due to limited interoperability and integration with AIMS. AIMS can only record low-fidelity physiological data for medical records and billing, but high-fidelity data like waveforms is often not captured and saved.

Navigating the Digital Tightrope: Nurses Perspectives on Fall Prevention Technology 

Quetina R. Jones, MSN-ED, BSN, RN, CNEn, University of Florida, College of Nursing Nicole M. Cope, MEd., EdS., LMHC, BSN, University of Florida, College of Nursing Joslyn Sofia Massie, BSc, BSN, University of Florida, College of Nursing Kimberly Martinez, MSN, RN, CCRN, UF Health Shands Hospital Ragnhildur I. Bjarnadottir, PhD, MPH, RN, University of Florida, College of Nursing 

Falls in the acute care setting continually present a major threat to patient safety. Technology has become increasingly integrated into healthcare, offering valuable tools for fall prevention. However, the implementation of these technologies, and how it impacts nursing practice and clinical decision- making in fall prevention, have not been well explored. This study aimed to describe nurses’ perspectives on the current state of fall prevention in an acute care hospital. This abstract focuses on a subset of findings from the study related to nurses' perspectives on the benefits and challenges of technology use in fall prevention. 

Normal Mixtures Analysis Reveals Racial and Ethnic Differences in Hospital Breastfeeding Support and Breastfeeding Intensity 

Tiffany T. Gallagher, BA, IBCLC, PhD(c), University of Minnesota School of Nursing Robin R. Austin, PhD, DNP, RN-BC, FAMIA, University of Minnesota School of Nursing Carrie E. Neerland, PhD, APRN, CNM, University of Minnesota School of Nursing Michelle A. Mathiason, MS, University of Minnesota School of Nursing Ellen W. Demerath, PhD, University of Minnesota School of Public Health Wendy S. Looman, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, University of Minnesota School of Nursing Anne C. McKechnie, PhD, RN, University of Minnesota School of Nursing 

Inequitable care may contribute to persistent disparities in breastfeeding rates across different racial and ethnic groups in the United States.1 The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in breastfeeding support provided and feeding outcomes of infants using electronic health records (EHR) from nine urban and rural hospitals within a single hospital system in Minnesota.

Review of Standards-based Electronic Case Reporting (eCR) for Public Health Surveillance 

Chanhee Kim, RN, MPH, CIC, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Larry Chen, BS, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts Sarah Solarz, MPH, Minnesota Department of Health, Saint Paul, Minnesota Sripriya Rajamani, MBBS, PhD, MPH, FAMIA, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 

Efficient surveillance of notifiable infectious diseases is critical for public health, yet traditional reporting methods (phone/fax/paper) are delayed, incomplete and inefficient. Electronic Case Reporting (eCR), built on HL7 standards, automates case reporting from healthcare to public health, enhancing timeliness, accuracy, and scalability of disease surveillance. This study evaluates the impact of eCR on key metrics: timeliness, completeness, and reporting volume.

The Scope of Nursing Informatics in Africa: A Systematic Review 

Aidah Nanvuma, BNS, PGDPPM, MPH (c), Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, University of Minnesota Richard Kwizera, PhD, Infectious Diseases Institute Charles Osingada, MA, MPH, PhD, University of Minnesota Rebecca Wurtz, MD, MPH, University of Minnesota 

Nursing informatics is crucial in modern healthcare, and it integrates information science and technology to enhance nursing education, clinical decision-making, and patient outcomes. However, in Africa, the adoption and implementation of nursing informatics remain limited due to infrastructural, educational, and systemic challenges. A lack of formal training, insufficient resources, and inadequate policies impede progress. Understanding these barriers and identifying potential solutions is essential for advancing nursing informatics in the region. 

A Theoretical Data Science Framework for Neonatal Care: Advancing Predictive Analytics in the NICU 

Janet Northcote, RN, PhD Student, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA Lisiane Pruinelli, PhD, RN, MS, FAMIA, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA 

The NICU is a high-acuity environment where clinicians must make critical, time-sensitive decisions while managing vast amounts of patient data. Despite the availability of electronic health records (EHRs), real-time physiologic monitoring, and clinical documentation, neonatal decision- making remains predominantly reactive rather than proactive. This is due to fragmented data systems, unpredictable patient trajectories, and limited integration of predictive decision-support tools. Care inefficiencies not only increase the cognitive workload of NICU nurses but also contribute to delayed recognition of clinical deterioration, inconsistencies in care delivery, and challenges in resource allocation. Additionally, neonatal critical care imposes significant emotional and financial burdens on families and healthcare systems. The proposed adapted theory presents a structured, scalable data science framework that leverages predictive analytics to enable early risk detection, reduce cognitive burden, and optimize nursing decision-making in the NICU.

The Unique Nurse Identifier (UNI) 

Nancy J Beale, PhD, RN, NI-BC, FAMIA, Catholic Health Services of Long Island, Melville, New York, USA There has been debate about which number should be used as a unique nurse identifier, which has led to confusion and division among professional stakeholders. In April 2024, a task force comprised of representatives from the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Alliance for Nursing Informatics (ANI), the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), and the Nursing Knowledge Big Data Science Policy and Advocacy Workgroup (NKBDS) identified a collaborative solution for use as a Unique Nurse Identifier that comprised both the NCSBN ID and the NPI.

Using Machine Learning to Identify Developmental Screening, Delay Diagnosis, and Service Use Patterns 

Megan A. Foradori, PhD, RN, VA Quality Scholar, Interprofessional Improvement Research Education Evaluation Clinical Center; VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, Cleveland, Ohio; Case Western Reserve University, School of Nursing, Cleveland, Ohio, USA Valerie Boebel Toly, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, FAAN, Case Western Reserve University, School of Nursing, Cleveland, Ohio Faye A. Gary, EdD, RN, FAAN, Case Western Reserve University, School of Nursing, Cleveland Barbara A. Lewis, PhD, CCC-SLP, Case Western Reserve University, Department of Communication Sciences, Cleveland, Ohio Nicholas K. Schiltz, PhD, Case Western Reserve University, School of Nursing, Cleveland, Ohio 

One in six children in the United States have developmental disabilities, with signs of delay often appearing in infancy or toddlerhood. Despite modest gains in screening rates, less than 20% of children with known delays receive early intervention or special education services, and those remaining are left to struggle with undiagnosed and untreated deficits until they are identified upon entering kindergarten. Machine learning can help identify these children by uncovering patterns in large datasets that smaller studies might miss.

Utilizing a Multilabel Classifier in Predicting the Severity and Mortality of In-patients with COVID-19 in South Florida 

Debarshi Datta, Subhosit Ray, Laurie Martinez, David Newman, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL Safiya George Dalmida, University of Virgin Island, VI Javad Hashemi, College of Engineering & Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton Candice Sareli, Paula Eckardt, Memorial Healthcare System, Hollywood, FL 

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is posing significant health and economic challenges in the United States, with new virulent strains continuously emerging. Predicting critical clinical events such as mortality, mechanical ventilation (MV) requirements, ICU admissions, and IMCU (Intermediate Care Unit) necessities for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is a promising approach to alleviate these burdens. An AI-driven decision support system that can analyze the severity of disease and deaths enables more effective management of disease for patients with COVID-19. Utilizing this powerful classification tool, the current model can forecast treatment plans for critical clinical events by employing the essential features in the model predictions. The study aims to use a multilabel classifier to classify mortality and the other three severity of the diseases, including MV, ICU, and IMCU. This study also finds the most important features (predictors) that cause the four different outcomes.