2026 Nurse Practitioner Spring Symposium

The North Carolina Nurses Association is proud to host the Annual Nurse Practitioner Spring Symposium on March 22–24, 2026, in Asheville, NC. The NCNA Council of Nurse Practitioners invites you to join us for this exciting event, offering opportunities to connect with colleagues, engage in valuable professional development, participate in high-level policy discussions, and meet with quality vendors. We look forward to welcoming you to Asheville!

Date & Time
March 22-24, 2026

Location
The Omni^® Grove Park Inn & Spa
Asheville, NC

Registration Information

Register ›

Registration Deadlines
December 19, 2025: EARLY BIRD RATES END — register by 12/19 to take advantage of discounted pricing!
January 23, 2026: PRE-REGISTRATION ENDS — ensure your spot by registering no later than 1/23!

Hotel Information

Reserve Hotel Room ›

Hotel Address
The Omni^® Grove Park Inn & Spa
290 Macon Avenue
Asheville, North Carolina, 28804

Phone
800.438.5800

Room Block Discount ends 2/16/26 or when block is full.

Full Agenda

CONTACT HOURS — Earn up to 15.0 CH PHARMACOTHERAPEUTIC HOURS — Earn up to 4.75 CH
Sunday, March 22
11:00am	Sunday Registration Opens
12:00pm	Social Distancing: Patient Provider Engagement (PPE) Strategies to Protect Your Community from the Infodemic Dr. Kandyce Brennan, DNP, CNM
1:00pm	Harm Reduction Toolbox: Strategies to Prevent Opioid Mortality Dr. Leigh G. Mullen, DNP, APRN, FNP-C Dr. Beth Mills, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES
2:00pm	KEYNOTE \| The Business of Nursing Lynn Rapsilber, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, FAANP
3:15pm	Refreshment Break
3:30pm	NCBON Updates Dr. Kimberly Luisana, DNP, NP-C
4:30pm	Legislative Updates
5:30pm	DNP Council Meeting
Monday, March 23
7:00am	Monday Registration Opens & Breakfast
8:00am	Navigating Evolving Lipid Guidelines: Practical Insights for Nurse Practitioners Dr. Carrie Palmer, DNP, RN, ANP-BC
9:00am	Rapid Fire Panel The Pressure Is On: Guideline-driven Blood Pressure Monitoring - Automated and Ambulatory Approaches that Improve Care Dr. Leslie Sharpe, FNP-BC Breaking Through the Pressure: A Practical Guide to Managing Resistant Hypertension Dr. Tracy Vernon-Platt, DNP, ANP-NC Making Hearts Beat: Taking the Fear Out of Caring for Patients with Implantable Devices Tonya Carter, DNP, MSN, FNP-C
10:35am	Dialysis Decoded: What Every Primary Care Provider Needs to Know from the Latest Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Guidelines Dr. Sharona Johnson, PhD, MSN, FNP-BC
10:35am	Split Concurrent Improving Pain Management During IUD Insertion: Best Practices for Patient-centered, Trauma-Informed Care Dr. Mariana Da Costa, DNP, RN Dr. Brittany Hudgins-Graham, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, CNE(cl), NBC-HWC Taming Vaginal Troublemakers: Using Probiotics to Improve and Preserve Vaginal Health Dr. Donna Roberson, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC
10:35am	Start a Practice: Yes You Can! Lynn Rapsilber, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, FAANP
11:35am	Exhibit Hall
12:35pm	Lunch & Nurse Practitioner Council Meeting
2:15pm	Break
2:30pm	Diagnosing Celiac Disease: Algorithm-based Education for Nurse Practitioners Dr. Kimberly Barcus, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, MSRN-BC
2:30pm	Mental Health in Primary Care: Recognizing Unipolar versus Bipolar Depression Dr. Torica Fuller, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, FNP-C, WHNP-BC, CDP, CGRN, CPN, NRCME Dr. Angela Allen, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC
2:30pm	Level Up Your Precepting: Integrating GPT to Enhance Clinical Education Dr. Rachel McInerney, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC Dr. Leslie Sharpe, FNP-BC
3:30pm	Exhibit Hall & Refreshment Break
4:15pm	Ready! Set! Pull! Ventilator Weaning Strategies and Readiness Dr. Dennis A. Taylor, DNP, PhD, ACNP-BC, FCCM
4:15pm	Split Concurrent Tick Bites and Red Meat Allergy: How are they related? Alpha-Gal Syndrome Dr. Tamara Link, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC Dr. Rhonda Y. Vega, DVM Mosquito Matters: An Overview of Mosquito-Borne Diseases Dr. Katie Alwes, DNP, FNP-C
4:15pm	Beyond Narcan: Understanding the Biopsychosocial Factors in Addiction and Recovery Dr. Ramesh C. Upadhyaya, DNP, MSN, MBA, APRN, CRRN, CCHP, FNP-BC
5:15pm	Exhibit Hall & Networking
Tuesday, March 24
7:00am	Tuesday Registration Opens & Breakfast
7:00am	Exhibit Hall
8:00am	Recognizing the Rare: A Case of Dapsone-Induced Methemoglobinemia Identified Through Nursing Vigilance and Interprofessional Collaboration Dr. Julie Harrison-Swartz, DNP, MSN, RN, FNP-BC CPT (Ret.) Alfred L. Swartz, BSN, RN
8:00am	Exploring the Complex Dynamics of Religion, Coming Out, and Mental Health in LGBTQ Individuals Dr. Amie Koch, DNP, FNP-C, RN, ACHPN, FAANP
8:00am	Silent Wishes or Shared Goals? Why Early Advance Care Planning Matters Dr. Jamie Lee Rouse, DNP, AGNP-C, ACHPN, CLE Rikki Hooper, MBA, MSN, FNP, ACHPN, NE-BC, FPCN
9:05am	Closing the Loop: Communication and Team-based Care in High-acuity Settings Dr. Abigail H.B. Baugh, DNP, AGAC-NP
9:05am	Beyond Prescribing: Advancing the Fourth "P", Psychotherapy, through EMDR in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Practice Dr. Anka Roberto, DNP, MPH, PMHNP-BC, APRN, FNAP
9:05am	Leveraging Generative AI for Enhanced Patient Education in Nurse-led Health Clinics Dr. Jean Ann Davison, DNP, FNP-BC, FAAN
10:05am	Exhibit Hall
11:00am	Lunch & Product Theater
12:00pm	Exhibit Hall
12:30pm	Meniscus Tears: From Buckets to Discoids and Everything in Between April Berndt, FNP-BC
12:30pm	Split Concurrent Improving Autism Screening: Integrating the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) in Pediatric Primary Care Dr. Amber Collins, DNP, PMHNP-BC Advancing Adolescent Substance Use Screening and Early Intervention in Primary Care Dr. Ann Bell, DNP, APRN, NP-C Dr. Chandra Speight, PhD, RN, NP-C, CNE
12:30pm	Menopause, Movement, and Mindfulness: A Holistic Update for the Midlife Women’s Wellness Visit Dr. Erin Wax, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC
1:35pm	CLOSING KEYNOTE \| Mentorship as an Investment: Empowering Nurse Practitioners, Strengthening Organizations Jennifer Woody, MSN, FNP-C, MHA

The 2026 Nurse Practitioner Spring Symposium schedule is subject to change. Last revised 9/8/2025.

Exhibitor and Sponsor Opportunities

For exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities at the 2026 Nurse Practitioner Spring Symposium, view the 2025–26 NCNA Exhibitor and Sponsor Prospectus › for all available options.

Questions? Contact Logan Barber ›, NCNA Manager of Events.

North Carolina Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.