Keynote Speaker

Dr. Randy Hamm is the Executive Director of Nursing and Practice at Barton College, bringing over 20 years of expertise in nursing and emergency care. A dedicated leader and educator, he has earned recognition for his scholarly contributions, clinical leadership, and commitment to mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals.

View a full bio of Dr. Hamm here

Dr. Hamm will speak on his experiences transitioning from classroom to practice and provide some insight as to what may be of benefit to new nurses

Speaker

Bonnie Hamrick is a highly experienced nurse with over 21 years in healthcare, specializing in psychiatric mental health and certified in both Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and Nurse Management Leadership. She is passionate about fostering resilience in high-stress environments, with accomplishments including published research on aggression screening tools to reduce workplace violence.

View a full bio of Bonnie Hamrick here

Bonnie Hamrick will speak on “Resilence and the New Graduate Nurse”

Speaker

Dr. Sara Griffith serves as the Chief Nursing Officer for the North Carolina Board of Nursing, leveraging 24 years of experience as a registered nurse with expertise in cardiac surgery and cardiology. As a leader in nursing regulation, she oversees departments such as Investigations, Education, and Strategic Planning, while also editing The Bulletin and managing the Board’s social media to advance patient safety and professional education.

View a full bio of Dr. Griffith here

Dr. Griffith will speak on “Friend, Foe, or Partner: Understanding the Role of the Board of Nursing”

Speaker

Dr. Lisa Foster is a distinguished registered nurse with over 38 years of experience in nursing and more than 20 years dedicated to nursing education. A board-certified Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPD-BC), she is passionate about lifelong learning, professional development, and fostering community involvement among nurses.

View a full bio of Dr. Foster here

Dr. Foster will speak on “Generational Diversity in the Workplace”

Speaker

Ms. Cherniak has been the Durham VA RN Transition to Practice Program Coordinator since 2019 and brings over 30 years of experience in nurse professional development, acute care, and ICU nursing. She facilitates staff learning events, mentors nurses, coordinates programs, and speaks at national conferences on topics for nursing educators.

View a full bio of Ms. Cherniak here

Ms. Cherniak will speak on “Vital Signs of Success: Landing your first nursing job”

New Grad Panel Member— ER

Madison Lane, RN, began her nursing journey at Catawba Valley Community College, earning her ADN in 2024 and now pursuing her BSN at Appalachian State University, with graduation anticipated in July 2025. As the former President of CVCC's ANS chapter and current Vice President of NCANS, she is dedicated to fostering strong connections between NCANS and local chapters while making a meaningful impact in emergency medicine.

New Grad Panel Member— Research

Julia Chan, BSN, RN, graduated in May of 2024 from the Pennsylvania State University. During her nursing school career, she served on the nominations and elections committee for the student nurses association of Pennsylvania (SNAP); and served as the Breakthrough to Nursing Director for the National Student Nurses’ Association and was the first student representative to the ANA commission against racism. She is currently a special advisor to the NCANS board and works as a nurse on Duke’s Early Phase Research Unit. In the fall, she’ll be attending Duke for a Masters in Population Health Sciences.

New Grad Panel Member— NICU

Alexis Ross graduated with her BSN from North Carolina Central University and served as SNA president for her nursing department. She was involved with SNA at both the state and national level, serving as NCANS breakthrough to nursing chair and NSNA resolutions committee member. She is currently a Neonatal ICU nurse at UNC Health and prospective PhD student, passionate about research and social determinants of health. 

New Grad Panel Member— CICU

Caroline Roseman is a Registered Nurse in the Cardiac ICU at UNC Medical Center and a recent graduate of UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Nursing, where she held multiple leadership roles, including president of NCANS and her school's nursing chapter. Passionate about mentoring and advancing critical care, she plans to pursue CCRN certification, participate in unit committees, and precept future nurses.

View a full bio of Caroline Roseman here