Dr. Patricia Benner

Patricia Benner is a Professor in the Departments of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Physiological Nursing in the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Benner received her bachelor's degree in nursing from Pasadena College, her master's degree in medical surgical nursing from the University of California, San Francisco, and the Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in Stress and Coping and Health under the direction of Hubert Dreyfus and Richard Lazarus.

Patricia Benner is an internationally noted researcher and lecturer on health, stress and coping, skill acquisition and ethics. Her work has had wide influence on nursing in the United States and internationally. For example, Benner’s clinical practice models and clinical practice programs are utilized in many hospitals in the United States and New Zealand. Additionally, her works have provided the basis for new legislation and design for nursing practice and education for three states in Australia. Benner is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and was elected an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing.

Dr. Rodney Hicks

Rod Hicks, RN, PhD, is Professor and UMC Health System Endowed Chair for Patient Safety. Dr. Hicks is actively involved in patient safety research and practices throughout West Texas. Previously, Dr. Hicks was Manager, Patient Safety Research and Practice for the United States Pharmacopeia’s Healthcare Quality and Information Department. In this role, he performed numerous studies aimed at improving safety throughout the medication use process. His research, supported through national and other funding, has widely focused on medication errors in children and medication errors during perioperative care. His research has also explored the role of technology in not only preventing errors, but also how technology contributes to errors. Dr. Hicks has published more than 50 articles and has presented more than 50 times at regional, national, and international conferences. While at USP, Dr. Hicks contributed to numerous workshops to train individuals on the detection and analysis of medication errors.

Dr. Hicks received his Ph.D. with a concentration in healthcare administration from Capella University. He also holds dual graduate degrees in nursing administration and public administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. He obtained recognition as a family nurse practitioner by the state board of nursing after completing a post-master certificate in primary care. He also holds undergraduate degrees in nursing from Texas Tech University Health Sciences, School of Nursing and Oklahoma State University at OKC. His peers from Texas Tech University Health Science Center and the University of Texas at Arlington recognize him as an outstanding alumnus.

Dr. Carole Kenner

Dr. Kenner has over 20 years of neonatal/perinatal/pediatric experience. She has taught for 18 years, developed master’s level programs in the United States and abroad and has lectured in over 20 countries. She is the author/editor of many textbooks; including Teaching IOM: Implications of the IOM Reports for Nursing Education which she co-wrote in 2007. Dr. Kenner has had the honor of having two books translated into other languages and is a four time winner of publishing awards including the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year.

Dr. Kenner received her BSN from the University of Cincinnati, an MSN from Indiana University with a specialty degree in Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist-CNS/Neonatal Nurse Practitioner-NNP. In 1988 she received her doctorate from Indiana University in curriculum design and higher education. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), one of the highest honors afforded nurses and is currently Dean and Professor of the University of Oklahoma, College of Nursing, and president of the Council of International Neonatal Nurses.

Dr. Gwen Sherwood

Gwen D. Sherwood, PhD, RN, FAAN is Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing. She has examined caring relationships relative to patient satisfaction with pain management outcomes, the spiritual dimensions of care, and teamwork as a variable in patient safety. She is co-investigator on two Robert Wood Johnson funded grants, Quality and Safety Education for Nurses, Phase I and II, to transform curriculum to prepare nurses in quality and safety consistent with practice expectations. She is nursing leader for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University Interdisciplinary Team Training grant to measure effectiveness of teaching modalities for interdisciplinary teamwork training involving nursing and medical students. In her years with The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center School of Nursing she was nurse leader with the Medical Schools’ Center for Patient Safety and Co-Director for The Methodist Hospital’s Center for Professional Excellence. Among her professional activities are Research Committee of the National Patient Safety Foundation, Past President of the International Association for Human Caring, Chair for the International Network of Doctoral Education Research Interest Group on Work Environments, and current Vice President of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing.