The on-demand webinar version of the conference is now available.

The NWRNA Conference, a solution-focused webinar, will provide you with resources to resolve workplace challenges and tools to build your nursing career and business skills.
Recorded September 17, 2022
FREE for NWRNA Members, $40 for non-NWRNA members
Conference Sessions
The Climate Crisis is a Nursing Issue

Elizabeth Schenk, PhD, RN, FAAN, is the Executive Director of Environmental Stewardship at Providence, Assistant Research Professor at Washington State University College of Nursing. She is a Board Member for Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, and the host of the “Nurses for a Healthy Environment” podcast.
Dr. Schenk will discuss climate change and health issues, greenhouse gas emissions in health care, how nursing is related to this crisis, and ideas for what nurses and the nursing profession can do to help address the problems. She will describe her “WE ACT Please” framework as a guide for addressing environmental issues in health care and will give examples of her work in a large health system in the United States that is working hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Learning objectives:
- Describe greenhouse gas emissions in health care.
- Discuss ways that nursing is related to climate change.
- Identify action steps nurses can take to address climate change.
Leadership in Nursing through Entrepreneurialism

Catie Harris, PhD, MBA, CRNP, is a serial entrepreneur and leader in business. She has spent the last decade helping nurses to start their own businesses and step into leadership roles. In addition to running NursePreneurs, Dr. Harris is an associate professor and program director leadership management at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Many nurses are looking to start their own businesses and cultivate their leadership skills. We’ll discuss why nurses want to start businesses and the struggles they encounter. We’ll examine the primary types of entrepreneurialism that nurses pursue.
A successful business cannot be started without the individual stepping into a leadership role. Learn more about different leadership styles and how they impact the outcome of the business launched.
This session will be of interest to any nurse who has thought there is probably a better way to do things. There is, and nurses are large part of the answer.
Learning objectives:
- Describe two types of entrepreneurialism that are common for nurses.
- Identify three leadership styles that are effective in business roles.
Nursing on the Front Lines: Staying Safe and Sane by Creating a Culture of Safety

Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is a Board-Certified Nurse Coach, writer, and host of the “Nurse Keith” podcast. Keith has more than two decades of experience in nursing and healthcare as a clinician, administrator, and entrepreneur.
The 21st-century healthcare workplace is fraught with uncertainty and danger, and some organizations and individuals are more successful than others when it comes to making the workplace safe and retaining high-quality staff who feel valued and cared for.
Keith will explore several well-documented aspects of healthcare workplace safety, as well as actions that both individuals and organizations can take to mitigate risk, reduce harm, and achieve improved outcomes for all concerned.
Learning objectives:
- Define the term high-reliability organization (HRO).
- Identify three risk factors for harm to staff in the healthcare milieu.
- Identify three strategies for improving safety in the healthcare workplace.
Difficult Workplace Conversations

Moonwater is Executive Director of the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center. She has served on various Boards, including Whatcom County’s Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force. An experienced mediator, facilitator, and trainer, Moonwater is attuned to a broad swath of nonprofit, justice, and dispute resolution issues, needs, and opportunities.
Moonwater will provide practical advice for managing common interpersonal issues with co-workers, management, and patients including difficult conversations, conflict resolution, and saying “no” without guilt.
Conflict is a normal and natural part of everyday life—even in the workplace. Learning how to transform destructive conflict into productive dialogue and resolution takes practice and intentionality. Developing an awareness of unhealthy conflict patterns allows us to make the shifts and changes necessary to begin using more effective strategies.
Learning objectives:
- Describe examples of unhealthy conflict patterns.
- Identify types of conflict strategies.
- Describe techniques for approaching conflict effectively.