Education
Hilton Head Island, SC | November 13-15, 2026
Approved for up to 9 CEUs by the California Board of Registered Nurses
Approved for up to 9 CEUs by the California Board of Registered Nurses. OR Today is a Continuing Education Provider with the State of California Board of Registered Nursing: CEP 16623.
Approved for up to 6 CEs by CBSPD
The Southeast Councils of periOperative Registered Nurses has been approved for 6 Contact Hours by CBSPD.
Approved for up to 6 CEs by HSPA
The Southeast Councils of periOperative Registered Nurses conference has been approved for 6 CEs by HSPA. Approval code: OR Today 260605
Approved for up to 10 CE credits
OR Today has been approved and is licensed to be a Continuing Education Provider with the State of California Board of Registered Nursing; License No. CEP 16623.
Approved for 6 CE credits
Southeast Councils Annual Conference is approved for 6 CE credits by the Association of Surgical Technologists, Inc. for continuing education for the Certified Surgical Technologist, Certified Surgical First Assistant, and Associate members of AST. This recognition does not imply that AST approves or endorses any product or products that are included in presentations.
Saturday, November 14
8:30-9:30 am
David Reinhart, DNP, MBA, RN, CNOR, FAAN, Director of Education EHC Perioperative Services, Emory Healthcare, President AORN and Stuart Downs, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, CPHQ, FACHE, FAONL, FAAN, SVP and Systems Chief Nurse Executive, President-Elect AONL
Shared Vision, Collective Action: Unifying Nursing Voices for Nation-Wide Impact
The nursing profession possesses unparalleled potential to influence healthcare delivery, policy, workforce development, and patient outcomes across the nation. However, maximizing this impact requires a unified approach that empowers nurses at every career stage to grow as leaders, advocates, and change agents. Participants will learn how collaborative mentorship models and leadership initiatives can break down silos across specialties, generations, and practice settings, creating a shared vision that amplifies nursing’s influence in decision-making and policy arenas. The presentation will also discuss strategies for cultivating inclusive environments that support lifelong learning, professional engagement, succession planning, and workforce resilience.
9:45-10:45 am
DeNene G. Cofield BSN, RN, CNOR, Vice President of Perioperative Services, TriStar Centennial Medical Center
Morning Keynote: Leadership Legacy from a Lifetime in Perioperative Nursing
In this presentation the speaker with share key leadership lessons from over 40 years as a Perioperative Nursing Leader. Both evidence-based leadership principles and lessons learned from experience will be shared focusing on real life examples using storytelling and humor. The importance of “Joy” in the workplace will be discussed along with one theory on “The meaning of Life!”
11 am-12 pm
Balancing Technology with Human Judgment: AI & Safety
As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in perioperative practice, nurses face a challenge that is both practical and ethical: knowing when to trust the technology and when to trust themselves. This session explores the intersection of AI, patient safety, and human judgment — examining how clinicians can maintain moral agency and ethical accountability in environments where algorithmic tools increasingly influence clinical decisions. Through discussion and interactive exercises, participants will examine real-world tensions between data-driven systems and the irreplaceable role of human judgment in keeping patients safe.
2-3 pm
Afternoon Keynote:
Beyond the Mask: Professional Citizen
The nursing profession has long enjoyed positive recognition for safe, high-quality, compassionate care across various healthcare settings, selfless contributions to society, and, according to Gallup, being the most trusted profession. Both historical and social mandates position nurses and our profession to generate positive social change during a time when it is needed. This session will identify strategic actions and exemplars of professional citizenship by nurses that have made a difference beyond the mask.
Sunday, November 15
10-11 am
The Healthy OR
Perioperative professionals are uniquely positioned to reshape the culture to better support the health, engagement, and retention of OR employees. This session explores how together we can reshape the culture to foster psychological safety, strengthen teamwork, and promote healthier work environments. The audience will examine common cultural barriers in surgical environments—including hierarchical communication, workload pressures, and normalization of stress—and identify practical strategies to create more supportive and resilient perioperative teams. Through leadership-driven approaches, attendees will learn how to assess the health of their OR culture and implement sustainable changes that benefit all team members, and patient outcomes.
11:30 am-
12:30 pm
Closing Keynote:
Professionalism, True North and Finding the Human Connection
Professionalism, ethics and moral direction (described as True North) along with themes of change, innovation, caring and humanistic elements of practice will be explored during this presentation.