AWHONN Convention

Pre-Con 1: Current Topics in Women’s Health Pharmacology
2026-06-06 08:00 - 12:00 UTC
Presenters: Heidi Fantasia, Michelle Flanagan
This session provides an in-depth review of pharmacological management strategies for two areas that affect women across the lifespan. We will discuss management of perinatal mental health conditions, with a specific focus on depression and anxiety and symptomatic patients in the menopause transition. Participants will explore evidence-based approaches to the treatment of perinatal mental health conditions, including during preconception, pregnancy, postpartum and lactation. Implications for maternal and fetal outcomes will be reviewed. Evidence-based approaches to menopausal care will include non-hormonal treatments, hormone therapy, and adjunct therapies for managing bothersome symptoms such as vasomotor symptoms, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, sleep concerns, irregular menses and mood changes. Emphasis will be placed on individualizing patient care with shared decision making and counseling on risks and benefits. This session will help build confidence in using evidence-based practice in managing women’s health during the childbearing and midlife years.

Pre-Con 2: Impact and Sustainability: Doing Change RIGHT
2026-06-06 08:00 - 12:00
Presenter: Cathleen Opperman
How do you know the results of the change are worth the effort? Maintaining competence and developing your clinical team takes resources. In this workshop you will explore inquiry paths to assure that the change is best practice; examine an implementation checklist as a guide to sustainable change; and practice identifying measurable outcomes of change initiatives. Whether you are in professional development, an educator, or leader of clinical teams, this workshop will give you the “how tos” for doing change right.

Pre-Con 3: In Our Category II Era: The Management Version
2026-06-06 13:00 - 17:00
Presenter: Lisa Miller, Allison Rodriguez
The management of category II fetal heart rate tracings often prompts challenging conversations among clinicians in intrapartum settings. This interactive session uses case studies and group discussion to support standardized, evidence-based interpretation, collaborative decision-making, and effective communication strategies. Participants will explore how to create and reinforce a shared mental model in Category 2 interpretation & management, create individualized plans of care based on context, and utilize an interdisciplinary safety-focused approach. The session with include a FHR tracings practicum as well as risk reduction and risk mitigation approaches, including documentation strategies and conflict resolution.

Pre-Con 4: Moving our Mamas (MOMs) Hands on Labor Support
2026-06-06 13:00 - 17:00
Presenters: Cheryl Bellamy, Patricia Klassa
The purpose of this program is to provide education about the different forms of support during pregnancy & childbirth, including hands-on techniques, alternative therapies, coping strategies, and respectful maternity care.

President's Address & Opening Keynote
2026-06-07 11:30 - 13:00
Chaunté Lowe, 4-Time Olympian, Author, TEDx Speaker, Breast Cancer Thriver
If there’s an art to facing obstacles and coming out on top, Chaunté Lowe takes the Gold!
The world-renowned high jumper lives to conquer barriers, racking up 4 Olympic Games Appearances, 3 Global Championship medals, 3 American records, and several global accolades. Many are surprised to learn that she achieved most of these accomplishments while also holding the title of “mother of three.”
Her performances on the field have earned her inductions into three separate halls of fame and four separate invitations to be honored at the White House by several US Presidents. Lowe, a world-renowned resilience speaker, has been featured in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Huffington Post, Vogue, Glamour, Essence, and Sports Illustrated.

Advancing Our Mission: Leadership Updates, Recognition, and the Future of AWHONN
2026-06-08 08:00 - 09:15
Join AWHONN for the annual general session featuring the State of AWHONN address, recognition of member achievements, and introductions of candidates for the Board of Directors. Celebrate excellence, leadership, and the shared vision guiding AWHONN’s future.

CE1M: Spectrum of Care for Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS)
2026-06-08 15:00 - 16:15
June 8, 2026 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm
June 9, 2026 @ 8:30 am – 9:45am
Presenter: Dr. Karin Fox
Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) involves abnormal placental attachment, requiring a multidisciplinary, regionalized care approach. Nurses play a vital role in supporting patients and families. Ongoing simulation and education strengthen team readiness, ensuring safe, coordinated care and improved outcomes for those affected by this complex obstetric condition.

CE3M - High Tech v. Human Tech impact on Teamwork and Team Performance in Neonatal Resuscitation
2026-06-08 15:00 - 16:15
June 8, 2026 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm
June 9, 2026 @ 8:30 am – 9:45am
Presenter: Nathan Sundgren
The talk explores the interplay between human factors and technological tools in neonatal resuscitation, drawing on research, simulation-based studies, and neonatal resuscitation guidelines. It highlights the importance of teamwork behaviors to enhance resuscitation outcomes. The presentation also examines the impact of team size, decision support tools, and standardized protocols while addressing challenges like noncompliance and errors in high-stakes resuscitation scenarios.

CE6M: Measuring the Impact of Change
2026-06-08 15:00 - 16:15
June 8, 2026 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm
June 9, 2026 @ 8:30 am – 9:45am
Presenter: Cathleen Opperman
As we navigate constant updates, new technologies, shifting policies and evolving patient needs, CHANGE is constant. How do we measure the value of change initiatives? Come to learn how to determine measurable outcomes appropriate to the planned change. Whether they are patient, employee, organizational and/or economic outcomes, they demonstrate the impact of change.

CE4M: Reproductive Justice in Nursing: Beyond Health and Rights
2026-06-08 15:00 - 16:15
June 8, 2026 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm
June 9, 2026 @ 8:30 am – 9:45am
Presenter: Joia Crear-Perry
Explore the origins and meaning of reproductive justice, distinguishing it from reproductive health and reproductive rights. This session highlights its relevance to nursing practice and calls nurses to action as advocates for equity. Learn how to integrate justice principles into care, education, and policy to advance inclusive, patient-centered reproductive health.

CE2M: The NEST Approach: Remote Nurse Led EFM
2026-06-08 15:00 - 16:15
June 8, 2026 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm
June 9, 2026 @ 8:30 am – 9:45am
Presenters: Lisa Miller, Cristina Haas, Crystal Hicks
Explore how the NEST approach revolutionizes virtual electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) interpretation and management. This session addresses development challenges, integration strategies, and core components for establishing a virtual nursing center. Learn how this innovative model enhances collaboration and improves neonatal outcomes through timely, expert-driven EFM oversight.

CE5M/T: Policy, & The Power of a Personal Story
2026-06-09 08:30 - 09:45
June 8, 2026 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm
June 9, 2026 @ 8:30 am – 9:45am
Presenter: Danielle Pendergrass
This session will explore the intersection of nursing and policy with a focus on issues affecting patients in rural communities. Participants will examine critical topics such as access to care, emerging trends in telehealth, the implications of changes under HR 1, and practical strategies, rooted in personal storytelling, to close care gaps and improve health outcomes in marginalized and under-resourced communities.

Closing Keynote - The Power of Kindness and Resilience
2026-06-09 16:15 - 17:30
Kath Koschel, Founder, Kindness Factory; Resilience Expert
A testament to the power of the human spirit, Kath Koschel is a survivor who has overcome incredible odds and unimaginable tragedy to inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Koschel is formerly an elite cricketer and Ironman competitor whose world came crashing down when she broke her back twice in the span of five years and was told she’d never walk again. Instead, she faced the challenges head-on and defied all medical prognoses by teaching herself to walk again on three separate occasions. Driven by a passion to spread gratitude in the world, she founded Kindness Factory with the goal of encouraging one million acts of kindness and helping people find the light during dark times — just as she has done so many times.

Post-Con 5: Tales from the Witness Chair
2026-06-10 08:00 - 12:00
Presenter: Lisa Miller, Suzanne McMurtry Baird, Stephanie Martin, Adam Snyder, Shannon Bockelman
This dynamic half-day educational program brings together leading voices from medicine, nursing, midwifery, and law to explore the intersection of obstetric practice and malpractice litigation. Through an engaging combination of live deposition demonstrations, real-world case studies, and interdisciplinary discussion, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how clinical decisions, fetal monitoring interpretation, and documentation translate into legal scrutiny — and how to strengthen both patient outcomes and professional testimony.

Post-Con 6:Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety – A Review
2026-06-10 08:00 - 12:00
Presenter: Jean Salera, Tony Ann Swinton
Prepare for the Obstetric and Neonatal Quality and Safety (C-ONQS) certification with an instructor-led review designed to sharpen your clinical judgment and clinical safety skills in perinatal care. This focused session blends high-yield review of the NCC exam domains to reinforce evidence-based protocols for maternal and neonatal safety. Interactive discussions and actionable test-taking strategies ensure participants leave confident in core topics such as risk reduction, quality improvement, team communication, and emergency response. Ideal for nurses, midwives, and perinatal clinicians seeking a concise, practical boost before sitting the national certification exam.
