ANA-Illinois 2025 Professional Issues Conference - Embracing AI for New Pathways in Nursing

The one-day conference will be held on November 1, 2025, in Kankakee, Illinois.

Timely and Thought-Provoking Sessions

This year’s conference explores the theme “Embracing AI for New Pathways in Nursing.” Kicking off the event, keynote speaker Amy McCarthy DNP, RNC-MNN, NE-BC, CENP will present “AI and the Art of Care,” a powerful session examining the evolving relationship between technology and the human touch in nursing.

Keynote Session Details -  AI and the Art of Care

Presentation Objectives:

1. Understand the Role of Generative AI in Nursing
   • Explore how generative AI can support and enhance nursing practices, including clinical decision-making and personalized care planning.
2. Identify Practical Applications of Generative AI in Patient Care
   • Examine real-world use cases that demonstrate the integration of AI-driven tools into nursing workflows.
3. Evaluate Ethical Considerations of AI in Healthcare
   • Discuss the ethical implications of adopting AI in nursing, focusing on maintaining patient-centered care and preserving the human touch.
4. Empower Nurse Leaders in AI Integration
   • Highlight the evolving role of nurse leaders in understanding, implementing, and advocating for AI-driven solutions in healthcare settings.
5. Foster Innovation While Upholding Core Nursing Values
   • Gain insights into balancing technological advancements with the compassionate, patient-focused essence of nursing.

About our Keynote Speaker - Amy K. McCarthy DNP, RNC-MNN, NE-BC, CENP

Amy K. McCarthy, DNP, RNC-MNN, NE-BC, CENP, is the Chief Nursing Officer at Hippocratic AI, where she focuses on generative AI solutions to enhance healthcare access. A George Washington University alumna with a DNP in Executive Leadership, McCarthy champions transformational, heart-led leadership to foster innovative, nurse-centric environments.

Currently serving as President of the Texas Nurses Association, she has also held key roles on the American Nurses Association Board, addressing critical issues like safe staffing, workplace violence, and racial equity. McCarthy has also worked on the National League for Nursing’s Accelerating to Practice program and has served on the Nurses on Boards Coalition Board of Directors, overseeing strategic communications.

Her educational background includes a BA in Biology from SMU, and BSN and MSN degrees from UT Arlington. She is certified in Executive Nursing and Maternal-Newborn Nursing.

Other sessions include:

• Human Centered Leadership in the Age of AI: Preventing Nurse Burnout While Embracing Innovations
• Developing Professional Standards for AI Nursing Roles and Responsibilities
• An APRN’s Experience Using AI-Assisted Technology in Psychotherapy Practice

Registration Refunds & Cancellation Policy

Refunds: Refunds on paid registrations will be issued for written cancellation requests received via email at info@ana-illinois.org. A $25 administrative fee for registrants or a $10 administrative fee for student registration will be charged for refunds.

• A full refund, less administrative fee, will be issued for requests received no later than Monday, October 10
• Fifty percent (50%) of the registration fee, less the administration fee, will be issued for cancellations between October 10 and October 23
• NO Refunds will be issued after Sunday, October 23.
• Returned Checks: An administrative fee of $35 will be charged for all checks returned to ANA-Illinois for insufficient funds.

No Shows: If you do not cancel in writing to ANA-Illinois and do not attend, you still are responsible for payment.

Registration Indicates the Registrant's Agreement to the following policies. 

ANA-Illinois Event Policies 

General Policies

•        The recording and/or transmission of the Event in any format is strictly prohibited.

•        All individuals and/or entities are strictly prohibited from electronically recording the Event.

•        ANA-Illinois, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to modify the Event.

Consent Clause

By registering and participating in activities, which include sharing pictures with ANA-Illinois or tagging the Event in social media, the registrant consents to the use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the registrant's image, likeness, comments, or voice in both live and on-demand reproduction of the Event. Further, the Registrant consents to ANA-Illinois and its affiliates, employees, contractors, and assigns use of any and all such image, likeness, comments, voice, videos in which Registrant has participated, and any reproductions thereof, as well as Registrant's name, quotations from a verbal interview in whole or in part, in any manner ANA-Illinois, may deem proper, for any purpose, including without limitation commercial purposes. Registration may also include technology that monitors the registrant's activities at the Event.

Code of Conduct

ANA-Illinois values the participation of each attendee and desires for all attendees to have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Accordingly, all attendees are expected to show respect and courtesy to other attendees. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience, including people of different backgrounds. Attendees are solely responsible for their actions.

ANA-Illinois will not tolerate harassment of any kind, including, but not limited to, harassment based on ethnicity, religion, disability, physical appearance, gender, or sexual orientation. This policy applies to all participants and attendees of all ANA-Illinois events. Harassment includes, without limitation, offensive gestures, verbal and written comments, deliberate intimidation, and sustained disruption of talks or other events. Attendees requested to cease harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately, and failure to comply may serve as grounds for removal from the Event.

When notified of individuals engaging in harassing behavior, ANA-Illinois, at its sole discretion, may take any action it deems appropriate, ranging from a simple warning to expulsion from current and/or future ANA-Illinois meetings, conferences, and events. Decisions to ban individuals from future events are the sole discretion of ANA-Illinois.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact the organizer by email at info@ana-illinois.org.

Cancellation Policies

ANA-Illinois reserves the right to cancel or postpone any or all Event-related activities due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of ANA-Illinois, which include, without limitation, computer-related attacks, hacking, earthquakes, governmental regulation, fire, flood, labor difficulties, civil disorder, public health crisis, or acts of terrorism and acts of God ("Force Majeure Events").