Nurses Week Illumination Speaker Series 2025

Welcome to our Illumination Speaker Series for Nurses Week 2025

This year, our series brings together five incredible nursing leaders who will inspire, educate, and empower us with their expertise. We’ll kick off on Monday, May 5, with Dr. Tim Porter-O’Grady, who will take us on a journey into the next 10 years of nursing and what the future holds for our profession. On Tuesday, May 6, Dr. Ashley Kellish will explore the professional identity of nurses, helping us define who we are beyond our daily tasks.

Midweek, on Wednesday, May 7, Dr. Nora Warshawsky will share insights on how nursing leaders shape professional practice environments, creating space that support quality care and innovation. Then, on Thursday, May 8, Aphriekah O. Duhaney-West will introduce the Baldrige leadership framework, offering key strategies for diving excellence in healthcare. We’ll close out the series on Friday, May 9, with Dr. Daniel Pesut, who will reflect on legacy leadership, guiding us through lessons of the past, present, and future.

Get ready for an exciting week of learning and growth. We can’t wait to celebrate Nurses Week 2025 with you!

Tim Porter-O’Grady, DM, EdD, ScD(h), APRN, FAAN, FACCWS

Illumination Series Presentation Title: A Glimpse Over the Horizon: The Next 10 Years – The nurse’s journey toward a preferred world of practice

Presentation Description: In this visionary session, Dr. Tim Porter-O’Grady, a renowned expert in healthcare innovation and leadership, will explore the transformative path of nursing over the next decade. Participants will gain insights into the evolving role of nurses as critical assets in healthcare systems, emphasizing their economic, societal, and clinical value. The presentation will highlight strategies for interdisciplinary collaboration, development of robust career pathways, and the importance of onboarding programs that support emerging generations of nurses. Through engaging case studies and evidence-based insights, attendees will be inspired to envision their future roles, lead with courage, and shape a preferred world of nursing practice grounded in compassion and innovation.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Tim Porter-O’Grady has been a nurse for 50 years. He is currently senior partner-health systems for TPOG Associates LLC, an international health consulting practice in Atlanta, GA. and Tucson, AZ. Tim is an advanced practice nurse, board certified in geriatrics and wound specialties and holds two earned doctorates, one in learning behavior and another in complex systems leadership.

He has been Clinical Professor, Leadership Scholar at The Ohio State University, College of Nursing and Professor and Innovations Scholar at Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation, and is currently a Clinical Professor at Emory University, School of Nursing. He is nationally/internationally recognized as an expert/futurist in clinical health systems, nursing leadership, nursing professional governance, and health systems innovation.

Dr. Porter-O’Grady has consulted with over 300 clinical systems world-wide and has lectured at over 500 settings globally. He has authored/co-authored 26 books and over 225 professional journal publications and is a 10-time winner of the AJ N “Book of the Year Award”.

Tim is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a clinical fellow in the American College of Clinical Wound Specialists. Tim is immediate past Chair of the Board of the American Nurses Foundation, and has served on the board of Catholic Community Services, a community health system for the underserved in Tucson. He has also served on the editorial boards of five proctored healthcare journals.

Tim has received numerous awards including the American Organization of Nurse Leaders Lifetime Achievement Award, American Nurses Association Luther Christman Health Leadership Award, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Healthcare Pioneer Award, the American Academy of Nursing, President’s Award, and is a 2020 inductee into the ANA Nursing Hall of Fame and a 2022 inaugural inductee into the Georgia Nurses Hall of Fame.

Ashley Kellish, DNP, RN, CCNS, NEA-BC

Illumination Series Presentation Title: Professional Identity in Nursing: A Call to Action

Presentation Description: Dr. Ashley Kellish invites nurses to reflect on the heart of their profession in this powerful session on professional identity. Drawing from nursing’s rich history and current challenges, participants will explore how embracing professional identity fosters resilience, strengthens patient care, and empowers nurses to lead with authenticity. Through stories, reflective exercises, and practical strategies, this session will inspire nurses to cultivate environments where courageous conversations thrive, driving personal and professional growth. Attendees will leave with renewed purpose, connected to the transformative power of nursing as both a calling and a force for change.

Presenter Bio: 

Ashley Amorello Kellish, DNP, RN, CCNS, NEA-BC is a dynamic and inspirational leader in healthcare, with a robust career dedicated to advancing nursing practice and improving patient outcomes. With a deep commitment to quality and process improvement, she has leveraged her expertise to drive excellence in healthcare through evidence-based practices and strategic planning.

Dr. Kellish’s career is marked by extensive hands-on and progressive leadership experience across diverse healthcare settings. She has served in a variety of leadership roles from manager to director, allowing her to provide vision and guidance to multidisciplinary teams, including clinical nurse education specialists, quality improvement coaches, accreditation experts, data analysts, and administrators. Her leadership is characterized by the creation of psychologically safe environments that empower teams to grow and thrive. She also played a pivotal role in designing and implementing the Academic Practice Partnerships at several organizations.

Dr. Kellish serves as a Senior Consultant for the American Nurses Association and the founder of H.I.V.E. Network Group (hivehospital.com), a boutique facilitation firm dedicated to excellence across teams. She provides custom services to healthcare organizations of varying sizes and complexities, both nationally and internationally. Her work has significantly contributed to raising the quality and expertise of nurse leaders, nurse residencies and transition to practice programs worldwide.

Nora Warshawsky, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Illumination Series Presentation Title: Empowering Excellence: The Role of Nurse Leaders in Shaping Professional Practice Environments

Presentation Description: In this dynamic session, Dr. Nora Warshawsky examines how nurse leaders influence professional practice environments, a key element of the Magnet journey. Participants will explore the evolution of professional practice environments, the critical role of leadership in shaping nurse and patient outcomes, and how leadership models like ANCC Magnet and Pathway to Excellence guide best practices. Dr. Warshawsky will share data-driven insights on effective leadership, focusing on relational versus task-oriented approaches, resource management, and strategies to foster environments that prioritize patient safety, mentorship, and professional growth.

Presenter Bio:

Nora Warshawsky, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN is the nurse scientist for Press Ganey Associates where she leads the research and development o the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. Dr. Warshawsky is internationally known for her cutting-edge research focused on identifying the impact of leadership development and job structure on nurse manager performance outcomes. Her expertise is built on more than 40 years in nursing practice, leading graduate nursing academic programs, and coaching nurse executives. Her work is widely disseminated through publications and presentations to national and international audiences.

Aphriekah DuHaney-West, MSN, MBA, FACHE

Illumination Series Presentation Title: Aligning Excellence: Integrating Baldrige, Magnet, and Leadership Attributes

Presentation Description: Aphriekah DuHaney-West will guide participants through an exploration of how the Baldrige Framework, Magnet principles, and leadership attributes intersect to elevate nursing practice and organizational performance. This session will highlight the foundational elements of these globally recognized models, emphasizing how their integration fosters transformational leadership, enhances professional identity, and drives clinical and operational excellence. Participants will learn from real-world examples of organizations that have achieved top-tier outcomes through strategic alignment and leadership development.

Presenter Bio:

Aphriekah has executive oversight of the Kaiser Permanente Modesto and Manteca Medical Centers and joint leadership responsibility for Kaiser Permanente’s partnership with St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton and the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. She is also responsible for Kaiser Permanente Health Plan and services provided to members outside the hospital, including LTAC, SNF, dialysis, hospice, rehab, pharmacy, and others. With more than 30 years of healthcare experience and 20 years of executive leadership in academic, tertiary, and quaternary settings, Aphriekah has held many roles, including Chief Nurse Executive, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Executive Officer. Her areas of expertise and demonstrated success and delivering business efficiency and value, developing organizational environment and conditions for improved and sustained success, physician partnerships, Societal alignment and collaboration, exceptional consumer experience, employee engagement, highly reliable top decile performance, and disciplined system perspective and execution. She serves on economic development, healthcare, education, and chamber boards. Aphriekah strongly believes in servant leadership and valuing people and shares her experience and passion for health care with others through mentoring and as a leadership coach. She lives by grace, not perfection, and is humbled by the privilege to serve.

Daniel J. Pesut, PhD, RN, FAAN

Illumination Series Presentation Title: Celebrating Legacy Leadership with Hindsight, Foresight & Insight

Presentation Description: Dr. Daniel Pesut invites participants on a reflective journey to explore the concept of legacy leadership in nursing. This session introduces a dynamic model of legacy leadership, emphasizing the lasting impact of values-based practice on education, research, and clinical care. Participants will engage in nursing career legacy mapping, exploring how their strengths, values, and contributions shape their leadership journey. Through interactive discussions, attendees will gain practical strategies to cultivate a meaningful leadership legacy, fostering resilience, purpose, and innovation in nursing practice.

Presenter Bio:

Daniel J. Pesut, PhD, RN, FAAN, is an Emeritus Professor of Nursing at Indiana University and the University of Minnesota. He has a PhD in Nursing from the University of Michigan, a master’s in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center, and a BS in Nursing from Northern Illinois University. He is also a certified coach and a graduate of the Harvard Institute Higher Education Management Development program.

Dr. Pesut served in the US Army Nurse Corps and created the first Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist position at Brooke Army Medical Center’s Burn Unit. He was President of Sigma Theta Tau International from 2003 to 2005. His research focuses on self-regulation of health, clinical reasoning, creative teaching methods, leadership development, and futures thinking in nursing.

He has received numerous awards, including the Sigma Theta Tau International Edith Moore Copeland Founder’s Award and the University of Michigan Nursing Alumni Society Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Pesut is an Honorary Member of the Global Academy of Holistic Nursing and serves on several advisory boards, including the Watson Caring Science Institute and the ANA Innovation Enterprise National Advisory Board.

Currently, he chairs the ANA Innovation Enterprise National Advisory Board and is honored by the Sigma Theta Tau International Daniel J. Pesut Spirit of Renewal award.