FACULTY/STAFF
Dr. John Russell, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CCRN, RNFA
Rockford, IL
Owner, Primary Nurse Planner, Midwest Workshop Instructor
Content Expert: Procedures, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology
John works full time in cardiothoracic surgery and provides inpatient and outpatient management of surgical patients. Additionally, he teaches at multiple universities and serves as the APRN/PA Program Director - College Division for the National Institute of First Assistants, Inc. His experience ranges from acute to chronic management and his focus is pharmacology, pathophysiology, and high-fidelity simulation techniques.
Elissa Russell, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
Rockford, IL
NiteOwl Podcast
Content Expert: Cardiology, Orthopedics, Family Practice
Elissa is a well-seasoned nurse practitioner currently working in a cardiology practice with both inpatient and outpatient responsibilities. She manages the NiteOwl Podcast and is always looking for interesting new people to interview. If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, click HERE. You can find her on Instagram as @curlsandcardiology.
Christiaan Letsinger, BSN, RN
Rockford, IL
Audio/Video Production and Mastering
Content Expert: Critical Care Nursing, Social Media
In addition to being a rad ICU nurse, Christiaan has his degree in mass media and uses his skills to up the production value of the online continuing education content of Skills On Point, LLC. He is also a FIGS Ambassador and has a lumberjack tie bar. You can find him on Instagram as @redbeardRN.
Kati Kleber, MSNEd, RN, CCRN-K
Champaign, IL
Outreach and Conference Co-Host
Content Expert: Neuro Nursing, New Grad RNs, Online Ed
In addition to being a very articulate and relatable instructor, Kati is a well-known author, nurse influencer, and founder/owner of FreshRN. Her expertise in social media and helping new grad nurses develop confidence make for a perfect niche to inspire confidence and high-level skills early in practice. Check her out at FreshRN.com or on Instagram as @freshRN.
Chad Callison, EMT-P, Firefighter, FP-C
Rockford, IL
American Heart Association Courses
Content Expert: Prehospital Care and Simulation
Chad has been working as a paramedic/firefighter in Rockford, IL for many years and also works as a flight paramedic for a local helicopter-based transportation service. His company AED Essentials, Inc co-facilitates the Skills On Point Simulation Center at 6775 Fincham Rd in Rockford, IL and offers extremely high-fidelity AHA courses such as BLS, ACLS, PALS. Check them out for your next renewal at www.aedessentials.com.
Dean Parsons, BSN, RN, CNOR, RNFA
Bennington, NE
Consultant and West Coast Workshop Instructor
Content Expert: First Assisting and Suturing Techniques
If you ever decide to learn to learn OR-based suturing, make sure you look up Dean. As the program director for the SutureStar Summit workshops for the National Institute of First Assistants, Inc, and a first assistant in his daily job working with plastic surgery, his skills and desire to teach in creative and inventive ways have inspired thousands of nurse first assistants under his guidance, including John Russell, his former student.
Melanie Hamilton, MSN, RN, CNE, CNOR, RNFA
Lebanon, NH
East Coast Suturing Workshop Instructor
Content Expert: Suturing Techniques and Plastic Surgery
Melanie, like all of our suturing instructors, are certified as a RNFA, or registered nurse first assistant. She works full time with an active group of plastic surgeons and brings the expertise of microsurgical and plastics to every suturing workshop she instructs. Melanie serves as the East Coast workshop instructor and concierge course outreach coordinator.
Sean Smith, BSN, RN, CEN, CFRN, FP-C
Durham, NC
Certification Review Instructor
Content Expert: Neo/Peds, Pre-hospital, Transport Medicine
If you decide to get certified in just about anything in medicine, look at your review book. Sean probably wrote it. Not only does he have a incredible mind for high-level knowledge and certification prep, he also has a heart of gold and spends much of the year doing missions work to areas such as Haiti, Nepal, and Guyana. He owns Critical Care Professionals International, PLLC and is a fantastic resource to our audiences.
Dr. Drew DeMann, DC, MA, FNP, RMSK, GCSRT
Manhattan, NY
Joint Injection Workshop Instructor
Content Expert: Ultrasound-Guided Injections, Antatomy
Dr DeMann started his professional life as a chiropractor and after many years, became a nurse practitioner. His company Manhattan Medicine is well-reputed as a destination-grade service for minimally-invasive restorative and regenerative medicine for MSK and orthopedic care. His vast experience with ultrasound technology and as a certified sonographer makes him a priceless resource for teaching high-fidelity skills in cadavers for our joint injection course.
Dr. Suzanne Herrera Phipps, EdD, APRN, FNP-BC
Lakewood, IL
Women's Health Instructor
Content Expert: Family Medicine, Women's Health
The FNP Program Director for Olivet Nazarene University, Dr. Phipps provides university-grade mastery of women's health and knowledge to inspire students and practitioners alike to be prepared for entry to practice with hands-on skills. In addition to this all, she works in retail medicine and has a huge heart for progressive techniques and high-fidelity simulation.
Ila Minnick, MS, BSN, RN
Caledonia, IL
Nursing Leadership Workshop Instructor
Content Expert: Nursing Management, Leadership, Staff Development, Measurable Outcome Tracking
In addition to a long career as a nurse in Rockford, IL, Ila Minnick is the fixer. She has a career of stabilizing hospital service lines and transitioning them into high-functioning units. Her ability to engage middle managers and instill the necessary skillset for success makes her the ideally-qualified expert for our nursing leadership workshop.
Dr. Catherine Rogers, DNP, APRN, CWCN, CNS
Rockford, IL
Wound Care Instructor
Content Expert: Wound Management and Debridement
In addition to running a very successful hyperbaric and wound care clinic, Dr. Rogers is a consummate learner and equally a dedicated instructor of hands-on content. By integrating her skillset of taking incredibly awful wounds and making them beautiful once more, she earns the title of the Wound Whisperer in my book. She teaches one mean wound care class.
Richard McLaughlin, MS, ACNP-BC, FAANP
South Beloit, WI
Acute Care Skills/Procedures Instructor
Content Expert: Acute Care and Office Procedures
In addition to a long career in acute care medicine, including hospitalist, intensive care, and surgical medicine, Rich is the program director of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program at Saint Anthony College of Nursing in Rockford, IL. His skills in both office procedures and acute care skills such as chest tubes and central lines are on display annually at the conference held by the AANP, of which he is a fellow.
Dr. Mary McNamara, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Rockford, IL
Procedures Instructor
Content Expert: Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine
Dr. MacNamara serves as a content expert throughout her exposure to emergency care working at the busiest emergency room in northern Illinois and now as an instructor for the UIC College of Nursing at Rockford as well as a nurse practitioner with SwedishAmerican Medical Group. Her depth and breadth of knowledge is amazing and her students can't get enough. She currently works full time at SwedishAmerican Medical Group in Rockford, IL.
Dr. Tanya Munger, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
Rockford, IL
Pharmacology Continuing Education Lecturer
Content Expert: Pain Management, Endocrinology
Dr. Munger shares a very diverse knowledge base with our students. From a background in prison medicine, pain medicine, refugee medicine, and endocrinology, she truly has a skillset to bring conversation to life with all her experiences. She currently works in a full time capacity as an endocrinology nurse practitioner at OSF Saint Anthony in Rockford, IL.
Dr. Susan Swart, EdD, APRN, ACNP
Manteno, IL
Pharmacology Continuing Education Instructor
Content Expert: Nursing Legislation and Healthcare Policy
Dr. Swart shares her vast knowledge of both local and national healthcare politics through her first-person knowledge working as the executive director of the American Nurses Association of Illinois (ANA-IL) and the Illinois Society of Advanced Practice Nursing (ISAPN). In addition, she owns SYS Consulting Solutions, Inc and is a wealth of knowledge to any healthcare business. Her heart for nursing is tangible in every encounter.
Sean Dent, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC
Girard, PA
Acute Care Skills Instructor
Content Expert: Procedures, Production, Outreach
Sean is both a full time nurse practitioner working in intensive care and a part time hospitalist nurse practitioner in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is well known for his online following at Hey Sean and SeanDent.com and has a heart for reaching the future of nursing through highly educational and entertaining videos and social media. His daily skillset is put to full use through our acute care skills courses.
Laura Padron, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC
Loves Park, IL
Pharmacology Continuing Education Instructor
Content Expert: Cardiology, Pain Management, Integrative
From emergency and critical care nursing to integrative and cardiology nurse practitioner with a special interest in heart failure, Laura reflects her diverse knowledge of the human condition through her engaging lectures. Laura is also the founder of Advanced Education for the Bedside Nurse and had a very successful business providing simulation based education and American Heart Association courses to the public. Laura currently works full time at Mercy Hospital in Rockford, IL.
Dr. Tom Maggio, PharmD
Rockford, IL
Pharmacology Continuing Education Instructor
Content Expert: Critical Care Pharmacology
Dr. Maggio is a wealth of knowledge of all things. Period. His experience in critical care clinical pharmacy provides a very unique understanding of the prevalence of contagious diseases and the up to date medications being used to treat acute care conditions. Tom currently works full time at OSF Saint Anthony in Rockford, IL.
Dr. David Huhtelin, PharmD
Rockford, IL
Pharmacology Continuing Education Instructor
Content Expert: Emergency Pharmacology
Dr Huhtelin provides his day to day experiences working in the busiest emergency department in northern Illinois as a clinical pharmacist. Not a day goes by that Dave isn't seen running with needles from room to room. His clinical expertise is particularly highlighted through our opioid prescription and substance abuse education conference every two years before licensure renewal for Illinois nurse practitioners.
Dr. Brandon Pierce, PharmD
Rockford, IL
Pharmacology Continuing Education Instructor
Content Expert: Inpatient and Anticoagulation Pharmacology
Dr. Pierce shares an affinity for inpatient clinical pharmacology as well as anticoagulation management in his role at SwedishAmerican Hospital in Rockford, IL. His relaxed and thoughtful style teaching style creates a fantastic learning environment for questions and students leave knowing they were met at their level, however novice or advanced that may be.
Dr. Michael Ellerbrook, PharmD
Rockford, IL
Pharmacology Continuing Education Instructor
Content Expert: Anticoagulation Pharmacology
Not a big fan of wearing pants, Dr. Ellerbrook can be usually spotted in running shorts between his seemingly unending ability to run for long distances and his love of anticoagulation, not particularly in that order. Mike helps to oversee the SwedishAmerican Anticoagulation Clinic and loves to share his passion for the clotting cascade and its offending agents. His knowledge and experience speak for themselves and his content is highly regarded for simplifying the complex into digestible pieces.
Dr. Wendy Slipke, PharmD
Woodstock, IL
Pharmacology Continuing Education Instructor
Content Expert: Critical Care and Emergency Pharmacology
Dr. Slipke works both as a critical care clinical pharmacist with SwedishAmerican Hospital and also serves as a preceptor for their pharmacy residency program. Her desire to teach pharmacology and pharmacists of tomorrow with high-quality content is so valuable. She contributes to the NiteOwl Podcast and will be developing a podcast of her own to help pharmacy residents prepare for practice.
Dr. Kirk Schubert, PharmD
Rockford, IL
Pharmacology Continuing Education Instructor
Content Expert: Emergency Pharmacology
Much like the emergency department, every day is new and exciting when you work with Dr. Schubert. Working in the SwedishAmerican Hospital emergency department, Kirk's vast exposure to emergency, trauma, and medical pharmacology provide a invaluable background to teach any audience. He also supports the opioid prescription and substance abuse education conference with his lecturing skills and knowledge.
Like what you see?
We are constantly looking for other team-minded individuals who value education over ego, knowledge over title, and sharing of ourselves. We unapologetically pour our time and knowledge into our students. Contact us to see what might be in store for you!
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