How to Remain Mission-Driven When the World Wants to Distract You
The 2026 Institute for Nursing Leadership (INL) Workshop will feature an inspiring keynote followed by two sets of breakout sessions. Breakout sessions offer attendees engagement with peers on topics related to mission-focused leadership and acquire guidance and perspectives through moderated dialogue. Attendees may choose two of the four breakout sessions featured below.
October 8, 2026
Purpose Statement:
Leaders today face a growing number of pressing issues vying for their attention, making it challenging to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting. In a rapidly changing environment, many leaders find their focus drawn towards navigating large-scale policy shifts, some of which may compete with their mission. Therefore, leaders must successfully lead through change while remaining steadfast in their service of others. Hosted by the American Academy of Nursing’s (Academy’s) Institute for Nursing Leadership (INL), this workshop will inspire attendees to leverage their capacity to influence the transformation taking place in the world.
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The American Academy of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Attendees will receive 2.5 NCPD hours after attending the workshop and completing the post-event evaluation.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending this workshop, participants will be able to:
Describe strategies to advance one’s leadership to remain mission-focused in a rapidly evolving environment.
Identify opportunities to improve health for individuals and populations through policy.
The American Academy of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Attendees will receive 2.5 NCPD hours after attending the workshop and completing the post-event evaluation.
Opening Keynote:
Transforming Policy Through Personal Experience
When Mercedes and Leon Wells were discharged from the hospital without physician evaluation, despite Mercedes’ insistence their daughter’s birth was imminent, Mercedes delivered her daughter roadside eight minutes later. Their experience reflects profound systemic failure, and one that affects Black mothers far too often. Today, the Wells are using their voice to advocate for policy change to ensure better health care and accountability. In this opening keynote, attendees will hear how Mercedes and Leon are supporting mothers, working to mitigate health care provider bias, shaping policy, and educating policymakers and the public. Their story underscores the vital importance of listening and believing patients, the power of collective action, and the critical role nursing leaders have to ensure that people, rather than systems, remain at the center of health care.
Breakout Sessions
Attendees are invited to select two breakout discussions to attend. Breakout sessions are 45 minutes long with a 15-minute break in between to allow for attendees to move to the next session.
Agents of Change: Utilizing Your Leadership to Improve Policy
Individual experiences often illuminate critical opportunities for policy change at the local, state, and national levels. This breakout session will explore how nursing leaders can leverage their health care expertise to become more effective advocates and agents of change, advancing system-level solutions that protect both patients and clinicians while navigating political dynamics.
Swimming Upstream: Leading Innovatively
When faced with competing priorities and unexpected challenges, it is natural for leaders to gravitate towards maintaining essential operations. What sets exceptional leaders apart, however, is their ability to continue innovating and thinking boldly. In this breakout session, attendees will explore how to strengthen operations and strategy to build more responsive, resilient, and mission-focused health systems and organizations.
Exercising Courageous Decision-Making in the Advent of Risk
Strategic leaders recognize that every decision carries a level of inherent risk. That risk can seem especially daunting amid increasing internal and external pressures, whether financial, political, or reputational. In this breakout session, attendees will explore strategies for exercising critical decision-making while maintaining confidence and alignment with their core values when the stakes are high.
Leading in Times of Disruption
In a rapidly moving environment, whether in academia, practice, industry, or policy, nursing leaders must cultivate strong collaboration and connections across their organization. This can be particularly challenging in times of disruption. This breakout session will explore strategies for building trust, ensuring psychological safety, and guiding high-performing teams through uncertainty and change.
Registration Rates
Early Bird Rates
Early bird registration will be available through July 31, 2026.
Regular Rates
Regular registration will be available from August 1 - October 7.
Onsite Rates
Onsite registration and guest tickets will be available from October 8-10, 2026.
Member | Non-Member | Student | Emeritus Member | New Fellow Inductee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
$1,025 | $1,225 | $625 | $975 | $975 |
$1,225 | $1,425 | $625 | $975 | $975 |
$1,425 | $1,625 | $625 | $975 | $975 |
Important Registration Dates
Registration includes access to all general session presentations and receptions from October 8-10 (excluding invitation-only events).
Early Bird
Registration
available through July 31.
Regular
Registration
available from August 1 - October 7.
Onsite Registration
& Guest Tickets
available from October 8-10.
INL National Advisory Council
Gale Adcock, MSN, RN, FNP-C, FAANP, FAAN (Chair)
Kenya Beard, EdD, AGACNP-BC, ANEF, FAAN (Vice Chair)
Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN, FAAN
Aisha Brooks, DNP, MPH, RN, FAAN
Elizabeth Dowdell, PhD, RN, FAAN
Kimberly Harper, MS, RN, FAAN
Mary Beth Kingston, PhD, RN, FAAN
Sharon Pappas, PhD, RN, NEW-BC, FAAN
Laura Reichhardt, MS, APRN, AGPCNP-BC, FAAN
Elaine Tagliareni, EdD, RN, CNE, FAAN
Jing Wang, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN
Susan Grant, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN (Board Liaison)
Sponsors
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