Beyond the Chart: Nursing Stories that Heal and Advocate

Friday, October 2, 2026, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Mt Marty University Marian Auditorium, 1105 W 8th St, Yankton, SD, Yankton, SD

Fees:

No charge but registration is necessary

Zoom link will be sent to those registering as attending virtually 3 days prior to the event. 

Every shift leaves a mark, yet too many healthcare stories remain confined to breakroom rants or buried in silent burnout. The 2026 Endowed Chair of Nursing Conference at Mount Marty University breaks this silence, inviting nurses to transform raw clinical experiences into powerful instruments for mental healing and systemic advocacy. Grounded in our shared heritage, this immersive event bridges the proud legacy of the Avera Sacred Heart Hospital’s former nursing school with the urgent realities of modern bedside practice. The conference centers on the reclamation of the nurse’s voice through a unique tripartite experience. Attendees will first journey through The Ancestors of Advocacy, a keynote presentation illuminating the lives of historic Mount Marty and Avera Sacred Heart nurses who navigated past healthcare crises with resilience and courage. This narrative history comes alive in a curated, museum-style archival exhibit. Featuring vintage artifacts, student diaries, and historical photographs, the exhibit demonstrates that today’s nurses are part of an unbroken lineage of vital caregivers. The cornerstone of the event is an interactive, skill-building workshop designed to move nurses past passive coping mechanisms like repression or gossip. Participants will learn core storytelling and narrative structure techniques to organize their emotional data, process moral injury, and find catharsis. A panel of nurses from various walks of life (including Sisters from Sacred Heart Monastery) will give examples of how they’ve navigated the challenges of nursing in their careers. More importantly, the workshop equips nurses with the communication tools needed to translate personal experiences into professional agency. Attendees will leave knowing how to craft compelling, strategic narratives that command the attention of hospital leadership, influence community policy, and drive systemic change. Join us to honor our history, heal our minds, and prepare our stories for a better healthcare future.

1. Analyze historical examples of nursing leadership to identify communication and advocacy strategies that can be applied to contemporary nursing practice.
2. Examine historical nursing artifacts and archival materials to describe how the evolution of nursing practice informs professional identity and patient care today.
3. Identify at least one communication, resilience, or advocacy strategy shared by experienced nurses that can be incorporated into personal professional practice.
4. Reflect on personal and professional experiences to develop one strategy for strengthening resilience, well-being, and authentic nursing practice.

Accreditation Statement:

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Avera and Mount Marty University. Avera is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Designation Statement:

Nurse CE:  Avera designates this activity for a maximum of 3.5 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

ADA Statement:  ADA accommodations will be made in accordance with the law.  If you require ADA accommodation, please indicate what your needs are at the time of registration.  We cannot ensure the availability of appropriate accommodation without prior notification.  

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Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Avera adheres to the Joint Accreditation’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.

Individuals in a position to control the content of this CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies. An ineligible company is any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. All of the relevant financial relationships listed below have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.