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NPD Forecast Podcast: Being a Change Agent Through Grant Writing
May 13, 2025 — Charlie Hawknuff, MBA, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CEN, TCRN, NE-BC, NPD-BC
Cecilia Lopez, MSN, RN
SPONSORED
In this episode of the NPD Forecast Podcast, Charlie Hawknuff, MBA, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CEN, TCRN, NE-BC, NPD-BC, and Cecilia Lopez, MSN, RN, share their experience securing and implementing a grant from the American Nurses Association to support the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing.
Together with hosts Stephanie Zidek, PhD, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, and Naomi Fox, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN, they discuss:
- The meaning and impact of grants on achieving improved healthcare outcomes.
- The timeline, goals and challenges of creating the grant proposal.
- How they used their grant funding, including funding NPD specialists to deliver microlearnings.
- How grant writing aligns with NPD roles, especially Change Agent.
- Practical advice for NPD departments with limited grant writing experience or resources.
Listen to the episode in this article or through your favorite podcast app.
This podcast is sponsored by Post University.
Charlie Hawknuff, MBA, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CEN, TCRN, NE-BC, NPD-BC
Director of Clinical Excellence, Carle Health
Charlie Hawknuff is the director of clinical excellence for Carle Health. She started her nursing career at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, and served in a variety of roles including bedside RN, charge RN, and clinical practice specialist. In 2020, Hawknuff moved to Urbana, Illinois and became the Carle Foundation Hospital emergency department manager. She found herself in a unique position to help lead her team through the COVID-19 pandemic. In June of 2022, she took on the role of director of clinical education with oversight of education for all clinical roles within the Carle Health System. In 2024, Hawknuff took an expanded role as director of clinical excellence with an expansion of oversight and support of clinical practice and additional professional development. In 2024, Hawknuff also completed her MBA, DNP, and post-master’s in nursing education at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Hawknuff has also served as the co-editor of the Journal of Emergency Nursing blog and has published manuscripts in a variety of publications.
Cecilia Lopez, MSN, RN
Nursing Manager, OB Services, OB Services CIA and Breastfeeding Clinic, Carle Foundation Hospital
Cecilia Lopez is the manager of OB services, OB services CIA, and the inpatient breastfeeding clinic. She started her nursing career at Carle Foundation Hospital in 2007 in the neonatal intensive care unit. She has served in a variety of roles such as: perinatal coordinator and inpatient maternal-child practice manager. In 2018, Lopez completed her master’s degree in nursing leadership from Illinois State University. In 2023, Lopez led Carle Foundation Hospital with Gold Certification for Cribs for Kids – Safe Sleep Certification, an initiative that achieved system-wide. Lopez serves on the Neonatal Advisory Committee and Community Advisory Committee for the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative.