2026 Aspire Convention | March 23 – 27, 2026 | Louisville, KY
The 2026 ANPD Aspire Convention welcomed two incredible keynote speakers.
Schedule subject to change
Tuesday, April 29 | 5:30 p.m. — 6:45 p.m.
Discover how to unlock limitless potential in healthcare teams through practical communication and connection strategies. This fun and insightful keynote will reveal techniques to foster workplace cultures where nurses are engaged, self-motivated, and fulfilled in their daily professional lives.
Dr. Renee Thompson is a sought-after speaker, Best selling author, consultant, and leading authority on creating healthy workforces by eliminating bullying and incivility. With over 30 years of experience as a clinical nurse, nurse educator, quality manager, and nurse executive, Dr. Thompson spends the majority of her time working with healthcare leaders who want to cultivate a healthy workforce.
Renee is the CEO and Founder of the Healthy Workforce Institute and has been repeatedly published, interviewed, and awarded for her work to eradicate disruptive behaviors in healthcare. In 2020, Renee was invited by the Joint Commission to become a member of their Workplace Violence Technical Advisory Panel, has been published in numerous nursing journals, and is a frequent invited guest on radio, podcasts, webinars, and online social media platforms.
In 2016, Renee received the Nursing Excellence award as a nurse entrepreneur, honoring her work to eliminate workplace bullying. She received the first Outstanding Nursing Alumni for Excellence in Leadership Award and Distinguished Alumni recognition from her alma mater, and was a finalist in the Healthcare Heroes Awards as a Healthcare Provider. Her blog has won numerous awards as a Top Nursing Blog “must-read” by the online nursing community, and her anti-bullying videos are viewed by healthcare organizations around the world.
Renee is one of only 30 nurses in the world who have achieved the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional designation. In 2018, she was recognized as one of LinkedIn’s Top Ten Voices in Healthcare for her contribution to their global online healthcare community and in 2022 was identified as one of the top 5 Nurse Influencers on LinkedIn. Also in 2022, Renee was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for her work to eradicate disruptive behaviors in healthcare and in 2024 received the Safe Spaces award from the Florida Nurses Association.
Renee has a Master's degree in Nursing Education and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Pittsburgh.
Friday, May 2 | 11:45 a.m. — 1:15 p.m.
Don't check your attitude at the door! Bring it to our closing keynote! Donna Wright will share her expertise, breaking down the essentials of attitude. From awareness, to development and nurturing, to incorporation into competency management, you'll end the conference with Donna's energy and knowledge of how essential attitude is for professional practice. You won't want to miss this!
Donna Wright is a nurse and professional development specialist with Creative Healthcare Management in Minneapolis, MN. Donna has degrees in Nursing, Family Sociology, and Adult Education. Donna has worked with many health care organizations to help them create meaningful, effective programs that support professional development and competency assessment for all departments. She is the author of the book, The Ultimate Guide to Competency Assessment in Healthcare – which has been translated into Japanese, and is being used throughout Japan. Her other competency book is: The Competency Assessment Field Guide.
She is also one of the co-authors of two national award winning books, Relationship-Based Care: A model for transforming practice and Advancing Relationship-Base Cultures.
Donna has also worked with organizations across the globe with competency topics. She has worked on six out of seven continents. The only one she has not worked on is Antarctica.
Donna received her degrees from the University of Minnesota. She has worked in both staff and leadership roles. Her experiences have taken her around the globe to a variety of health care settings including rural Africa. Donna is a member and past president of the Association for Nursing Professional Development and is a recipient of their “Promoting Excellence in Consultation” award and the Marlene Kramer Lifetime Achievement award. Donna is known for her energy and refreshing approach to education and learning.