Session One Recording available here >>> Session Two Recording available here >>> Session Three available here>>>
Session Four of our global ‘Student Nurses' Voices Speaker Series’
“I think it is very important to have opportunities to dialogue with young people who are studying to become nurses. We are honored to be invited to participate in this wonderful project at York University. I appreciate very much for your foresight and creativity.”
Megumi Teshima, Board of Directors, International Council of Nurses Vice President & Dean of the Graduate School at Tokyo Healthcare University |
Session Four of our 'Student Nurses’ Speaker Series’ is the next Series to prepare and engage nurses—including students and retirees—to become inspired and informative thought-leaders across the global public space—to advocate for achieving SDG # 3 and to influence the listening ears of everyone! Building on the success of our Nurses’ Voices Speaker Series— this new Series continues our innovative global multi-media outreach of eight Sessions to be broadcasted from across the world. This Session features leading voices from China, the Cook Islands, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines and South Korea. Spanning wide time zones, it was
broadcast virtually on February 11th & 12, 2025 and Co-Hosted by the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR), UNITAR's CIFAL York Centre for training at York University in Toronto, Canada, and the Nightingale Initiative for Global Health (NIGH). This Session was Co-Sponsored by the Commonwealth Nurses & Midwives Federation (CMNF), the Global Academy for Holistic Nursing (GAHN) and the Integral Nurse Coach Academy (INCA).
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This Session provides a foundation to bring Student Nurses' Voices
into a dynamic global dialogue toward achieving a healthy world.
into a dynamic global dialogue toward achieving a healthy world.
Presenters’ Bios
Western Pacific Regional Introduction
Elizabeth Iro Speaking at minute 8:03
Ms. Iro is the former 2018-2022 World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Nursing Officer who commenced in this role in January 2018. Ms. Iro led the WHO through its very first ‘State of the World’s Nursing’ report in 2020 and oversaw the designation of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife in the same year. As the world’s most senior nurse during the global coronavirus pandemic, Ms. Iro also supported the development of the WHO Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery for 2021-25. Ms. Iro is from the Cook Islands where — prior to taking up her role in WHO — she served as her country’s
Secretary of Health since 2012- 2017. She was the first nurse/midwife and woman to be appointed to this role in the Cook Islands. While in this role, her priorities focused on |
legislative reforms to strengthen the country’s health system and to develop National Health Strategic plans (2012-2016, 2017-2021) and a National Health Road Map 2017-2036. Ms. Iro was trained in New Zealand as a nurse and a midwife and holds a MHSc in Nursing and an MBA. She held various national nursing roles such as Chief Nursing Officer (2011-2012), Registrar of the Nursing Council (2000-2007), and President of the Cook Islands Nurses Association (2002-2010).
Moderator
Dr. Maria Theresa ‘Tess’ Panizales
Speaking at minute 3:23 and throughout the Session Dr. Panizales serves on NIGH's Board of Directors and now as Co-Chair of NIGH's ‘Student Nurses' Voices Speaker Series.’ Previously, she took the lead for our 'Nurses' Voices from the Western Pacific' — Session Four of our 'Nurses' Voices Speaker Series' She also serves as NIGH's United Nations-NGO Representative in New York City. in July of 2023, she proactively participated in the launch of NIGH's 'Nurses' Voices' campaign — shared virtually and onsite from Switzerland and the 2023 Caux Forum 'Healing the Wounds of the Past.'
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She also shared her original language and culture by serving as NIGH's Advisor to establish the Tagalog / Filipino language version of the Nightingale Declaration. Dr Panizales has more than 40 years of professional nursing experience across the spectrum of healthcare both local and international — also including volunteer service. As a nurse leader, her goal is to engage and build the next generation of nurses through mentoring and role modeling. Her first nursing professional work was with the Red Cross. Hence, working with refugees in a public health context is her important connection. She is currently working at the Veterans HealthCare Administration.
Panelists
Dr. Hyeonkyeong Lee Speaking at minutes 13:57 — 20:09 & 1:35:55
Dr. Hyeonkyeong Lee is currently Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center; Director of International Nursing Education Center; and Professor in Community Health Nursing and Global Health at Yonsei University College of Nursing in Seoul, Korea. She also serves as Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, and as an Editorial board member of the Journal of Global Health Science. She serves on the Boards of
resources for health, gender issues and have also expanded her research resources for |
health, gender issues and have also expanded her research to include neglected tropical diseases mainly schistosomiasis. She is a member of several professional organizations such as Botswana Nurses Union, Sigma Theta Tau, Africa Honor Society, AFREhealth; and has served on several national advisory boards.
Kyua Kim Speaking at minutes 16:15 & 1:32:49
Kyua Kim is committed to improving the quality of life for children with medical complexity (CMC) and their caregivers by fostering healthy transitions and bolstering family resilience through targeted nursing interventions and care coordination. Kyua is currently in her fifth semester of the PhD program at Yonsei University College of Nursing, striving to enhance her competencies as a nursing educator. She earned her BSN and MSN degrees from the University of Washington in Seattle and the College of Nursing at Yonsei University in South Korea, demonstrating a profound dedication to acquiring nursing knowledge. Her extensive
seven years of experience — in the pediatric intensive care unit at Severance Hospital |
in South Korea — fueled her passion for delivering exceptional care to children in both acute and long-term settings. She firmly believes that the well-being of a child and their caregiver is the cornerstone of a healthy society. Confronted with the challenges of a declining birthrate and an aging population in Korea, Kyua is determined to identify key health challenges and devise innovative nursing strategies to promote health equity across the nation.
Yuna Kim Speaking at minute 20:55
Yuna Kim is a recently graduated nurse from Yonsei University, where she developed a deep passion for global health throughout her academic journey. This passion led her to become the Director of Global Health at the Youth NGO, FreeMed, where she advocates for sustainable health initiatives worldwide. She has also conducted several research on caregivers and refugees in Korea, with the funding from the Social Engagement Fund (SEF). Yuna is also the founder and leader of the "Nursing to be Global Leaders (NTG)" program, a platform she created to foster collaboration and growth among nursing students interested in global health. Recently accepted into Samsung Medical Center (SMC), Yuna is set to begin
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her professional career in September 2025. With a clear vision for the future, she is excited to continue her journey in global healthcare and make a meaningful impact in the field.
Dr. Pearl Ed G Cuevas Speaking at minutes 27:14 & 37:51
Dr. Pearl Ed G. Cuevas is an Associate Professor at Centro Escolar University Manila. She teaches in the School of Nursing and the Graduate School. She achieved her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the same University in 1993 and her Master of Arts in Nursing at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in 2005. She finished her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing at the University of the Philippines, Manila in 2014. She has also finished all academic units
(pending thesis writing) for the degree Master of Science in Medical Anthropology at the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines, Manila. She is a Fellow of the |
Gerontology Nursing Leadership Academy, Cohort V (2016-2017) of the Sigma Theta Tau International, Honor Society of Nursing in Indiana USA. She has been a Sigma member since 2011 from the Alpha Founder’s Chapter at the University of Indiana. She was also an International Visiting Scholar (2019) at the Center for Global Initiatives, Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing in Baltimore Maryland USA. During this period of scholarship, she was a guest at the Symptom Science Center of the National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland for future research collaborations and networking.
Dr. Cuevas has written, presented and published multiple research in the local and global nursing arena. Namely, her research has been presented at the International Nursing Research Congress is Puerto Rico, Central America; Cape Town, South Africa; Dublin, Ireland; Melbourne & New South Wales, Australia; Hawaii & Indiana, USA; Calgary, Canada, Chang Rai, Thailand; Tarragona, Spain; Seoul, South Korea; Makassar & Bandung, Indonesia and many others. Her research provides in-depth study of nursing interventions that promote the health of special population groups.
Dr. Cuevas has written, presented and published multiple research in the local and global nursing arena. Namely, her research has been presented at the International Nursing Research Congress is Puerto Rico, Central America; Cape Town, South Africa; Dublin, Ireland; Melbourne & New South Wales, Australia; Hawaii & Indiana, USA; Calgary, Canada, Chang Rai, Thailand; Tarragona, Spain; Seoul, South Korea; Makassar & Bandung, Indonesia and many others. Her research provides in-depth study of nursing interventions that promote the health of special population groups.
Rhyan A. Hitalla Speaking at minutes 31:14 & 1:41:56
Rhyan A. Hitalla is a professor at the School of Nursing at Centro Escolar University, Mendiola, Manila, and is completing his Master of Science in Nursing with a major in Medical-Surgical Nursing. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2000 from Centro Escolar University, Manila and currently serves as the Department Head of the Stoma & Complex Wound Care Center at The Medical City Hospital in Manila, Philippines, where he has worked for 22 years.
For the past 13 years, he has specialized in Ostomy & Wound Care, having trained in Penang, Malaysia, in 2010 for his Enterostomal Therapy Nurse Education Program (EGNEP) |
under the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET). He is the international delegate for the Philippines. He also holds certifications in Breast Cancer Lesion Management (Kuala Lumpur, 2010), Diabetes Foot Nursing (NUHS, Singapore, 2013), and a specialized trainer certification in Tissue Viability and Chronic Wound Management (Hamburg, Germany, 2017) recognized by the European Wound Management Association (EWMA).
He holds a Diploma in Leadership and Management from Ateneo de Manila School of Business, a certificate in Entrepreneurship from Harvard edX, and a certificate in Innovation in Healthcare and Management from Thunderbird Business School. He is the current National President of the Enterostomal Therapy Nurses of the Philippines (ETNAP), a founding member of the Philippine Wound Care Society, and a member of the ASEAN Wound Council and the Asia Pacific Enterostomal Therapy Nurses Association. He is also involved in various other associations and societies related to ostomy and wound care both in the Philippines and internationally.
He holds a Diploma in Leadership and Management from Ateneo de Manila School of Business, a certificate in Entrepreneurship from Harvard edX, and a certificate in Innovation in Healthcare and Management from Thunderbird Business School. He is the current National President of the Enterostomal Therapy Nurses of the Philippines (ETNAP), a founding member of the Philippine Wound Care Society, and a member of the ASEAN Wound Council and the Asia Pacific Enterostomal Therapy Nurses Association. He is also involved in various other associations and societies related to ostomy and wound care both in the Philippines and internationally.
Mae Angeline Lontoc Speaking at minute 39:01
Mae Angeline M. Lontoc is a Nursing Student in the Master of Arts in Nursing program at Centro Escolar University Manila. She adds this preparation to her achievements as the
Program Head of the Nursing Department at Centro Escolar University Makati. With over 21 years of experience as a Nurse Educator and 11 years in her current leadership role, she has already made significant contributions to the field of nursing education. Mae Angeline is dedicated to preparing future nurses to be globally competent and well-equipped, ensuring they are ready to meet the challenges of the global healthcare profession. She currently serves as the Treasurer of the Philippine Association of Diabetes Care and Education Nurse |
Specialists, Inc. (PADCENS) — demonstrating her commitment to advancing diabetes care and education in the Philippines.
Dr. Ying Helen Wu
Speaking at minutes 47:26 — 58:02 — 1:37:00 & 1:52:52 Dr. Ying Wu is Dean of Clinical Nursing College and former Dean of the School of Nursing, Capital Medical University in Beijing, China. She is appointed by the China Ministry of Education as the Chair of the Working Committee for Accreditation of Nursing Education, Vice Chair of the Steering Committee for Higher Nursing Education, and the Leader of the Nursing Discipline Group of the Discipline Appraisal Group of Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council. Member of Nursing Division of Medical Professional Degree Steering
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Committee of Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council. Dr. Ying Wu's leadership roles in various nursing associations and committees underscore her influence and impact in the field. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Chinese Nursing Association and has been instrumental in the creation and leadership of several sub-associations. She is the founding Chair of the Nursing Informatics Sub-Associate under the Chinese Health Information and Big Data Association and the founding President of the Sub-Association of Smart Care for Elderly under the Aging Well Association. Her contributions extend beyond China, as she has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Council of Nurses and held leadership positions in the International Medical Informatics Association and the Asia Pacific Association for Medical Informatics.
She has more than 40 years of cardiovascular (CVD) experience in nursing practice, Education, and research. Her research areas include CVD acute care and behavior changes for CVD patients as well as elderly care, especially using mobile health technology and artificial intelligence. She is the principal investigator of 8 National Grants funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China, including one International (Regional) Collaborative Project and one Key Project. To date, she is the only nursing scientist in China who has had the honor of receiving these two types of research grants. She also has more than ten projects from other funding sources with total funding of over 10 million (approximately over 1.4 million US dollars). She is also the PI of a big research project, “Development of a Virtual Hospital for Nursing Training and Performance Assessment,” From the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, with a funding of 40 million RMB (approximately 6 million US dollars). She has more than 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Nige papers were published in the top 1 nursing Journal, International Journal of Nursing Studies. She was also approved for 16 National Invention Patents and is the editor or vice editor for 20 books and the author of more than 20 other books. She has served as the deputy editor or member of the editorial board of eight professional nursing journals, including the Journal of Nursing Scholarship.
She has more than 40 years of cardiovascular (CVD) experience in nursing practice, Education, and research. Her research areas include CVD acute care and behavior changes for CVD patients as well as elderly care, especially using mobile health technology and artificial intelligence. She is the principal investigator of 8 National Grants funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China, including one International (Regional) Collaborative Project and one Key Project. To date, she is the only nursing scientist in China who has had the honor of receiving these two types of research grants. She also has more than ten projects from other funding sources with total funding of over 10 million (approximately over 1.4 million US dollars). She is also the PI of a big research project, “Development of a Virtual Hospital for Nursing Training and Performance Assessment,” From the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, with a funding of 40 million RMB (approximately 6 million US dollars). She has more than 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Nige papers were published in the top 1 nursing Journal, International Journal of Nursing Studies. She was also approved for 16 National Invention Patents and is the editor or vice editor for 20 books and the author of more than 20 other books. She has served as the deputy editor or member of the editorial board of eight professional nursing journals, including the Journal of Nursing Scholarship.
Huiying Wang Speaking at minutes 53:45 & 1:50:16
Huiying Wang is a PhD student at the School of Nursing, Capital Medical University. Her research focuses on nursing knowledge representation and its intersections with artificial intelligence. She has developed databases and a scenario-generating system to enhance high-fidelity clinical decision-making training for nursing students. As a student leader in the university's Master’s and PhD student organizations, she is dedicated to amplifying the voices of nurses.
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Rongrong Guo Speaking at minute 59:07
Rongrong Guo is a PhD student at the School of Nursing, Capital Medical University. Her research focuses on smart older care, nursing informatics, and the intersections with economics. Under the guidance of her supervisor, she participated in one International (Regional) Collaborative Project and one Key Project funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China, as well as a project supported by the Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing, which enhanced her academic capabilities greatly. Ms. Guo has published a paper in the top 1 nursing Journal, the International Journal of Nursing Studies entitled
"Inclusion of frailty improved performance of delirium prediction for elderly patients |
in the cardiac intensive care unit (D-FRAIL): A prospective derivation and external validation study.” She has presented her research findings at the Nursing Informatics Conference 2024 in Manchester, UK. With a commitment to improving healthcare systems, she aims to contribute innovative solutions for aging populations through her interdisciplinary studies. She has also received the “Future Star” award, along with a series of innovation awards for her research projects.
Megumi Teshima Speaking at minutes 1:04:52 — 1:12:21 & 1:43:12
Prof. Megumi Teshima has been the Vice President and Dean of the Graduate School at Tokyo Healthcare University since 2024. Tokyo Healthcare University has five campuses and has the largest number of nursing students in Japan. The graduate school has APN courses and many graduate NPs throughout Japan. Since 2021, she has served as Director of the Western Pacific Sub area of Asia of the International Council of Nurses. As a board member, she supports the nursing profession so that people around the world can live healthy, fulfilling lives. She graduated from Tokushima University and completed her Master's degree at the
Chiba University Graduate School. After working in a hospital, she moved to St Luke's |
College of Nursing, where she worked for seven years. She had an appointment at the University of Minnesota in 1993 as a visiting researcher and then returned to Japan in 1998 after completing her doctoral coursework. Since 2001, she has been a professor at Chiba University, where she engaged in graduate education, mainly in nursing management and ethics. She has also been involved as a committee member in the revision of the ethical code of the Japanese Nursing Association and the International Council of Nurses as a committee member. In 2000, she was involved in a workshop to improve clinical practice education in Kenya, and in 2022, she was involved in continuing education for nurses in Mongolia. Prof. Teshima is pleased to have presented at the ‘Student Nurses' Voices from the Western Pacific.’
Kiri Fukushima Speaking at minute 1:08:44
Kiri Fukushima is a soon-to-be 4th year nursing student at Tokyo Health Care University.
During the past year, she has taken multiple internships to gain hands-on experience in her future profession. She is interested in Psychiatric Nursing and how nursing can contribute to the creation of a society where people who are mentally challenged can live in peace. When she has downtime, Kiri likes watching Japanese professional baseball and attending live music concerts. |
Nana Saito Speaking at minute 1:13:15
Nana Saito is a nursing student at Tokyo Health Care University who will soon-to-be 4th year university student. When she was in middle school, she was inspired by a nurse in the field and decided to become a nurse. Additionally, due to her calm analytical skills and tenacity, she is interested in the emergency department and aims to become a nurse who can be active in the field. When she has downtime, Nana is very fond of traveling around Japan, and whenever she finds time, she travels both by herself and with friends. In addition to going out, she also likes spending time indoors, such as watching movies, playing musical instruments, and making handicrafts.
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Dr. Jean Ross Speaking at minutes 1:15:57 — 1:23:14
Dr. Ross is Professor of Nursing, originally from Wales, UK. She has more than 30 years’ experience of working with the rural nursing workforce in New Zealand. The cumulation of her work associated with rural nursing, includes activism, research, and education. Education includes undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral engagement. Jean’s initial work with rural nurses commenced in Wales and continued in 1994 with the establishment of the Centre for Rural Health in New Zealand of which she was co-director. Jean is also an advocate for sustainable rural community development and nurse education. Jean’s focus is research directive which both informs and directs her practice. Jean has published widely in journals and four books dedicated to rural health and rural nursing.
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Bailey Beecher Speaking at minutes 1:17:46 & 1:34:24
Bailey Beecher is a third-year student nurse at Otago Polytechnic in Dunedin, New Zealand. Born and raised in Dunedin, Bailey is passionate about health and with nearly a decade of healthcare experience under her belt with jobs ranging from youth mental health consumer advisor to a theatre assistant in the main operating theatres, she has cultivated a diverse experience of what healthcare looks like. Bailey is an aspiring community health nurse as she has a passion for delivering healthcare and education to patients in a way that increases autonomy and enthusiasm around what health and wellbeing looks like for everyone she works with. Bailey currently lives in Dunedin with her partner and their two cats, Gizmo and Winny.
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Daniela Gaylarawan Speaking at minute1:24.33
Daniela is a second-year Bachelor of Nursing student at Otago Polytechnic. She has gained hands-on clinical experience in a variety of healthcare settings including rehabilitation care, general surgery, dementia care, and urgent care. As a student, Daniela is particularly interested in oncology research, rural health nursing, maternal nursing and neonatal care. Outside of academics, Daniela works at an aged-care facility as a part-time caregiver and would sometimes be involved in volunteer work. Passionate about providing care and improving outcomes, Daniela looks forward to contributing to the future of nursing and making a positive impact on patient lives.
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Anah Aikman Speaking at minute1:30:32
Passionate about empowering transformational change, Anah utilises both the Integrative Nurse Coach and Māori worldview perspectives to address barriers to health equity, belonging and self-determination. Her hope is to inspire communities towards flourishing futures, Pae Ora. Anah role models a trauma-informed, value-based, relational and mindful leadership approach to wellness. As a distinguished Integrative Nurse Coach, she represents a SNVSS Co-Sponsor the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy and Integrative Nurse Coach Association (INCA).
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Representing the Nightingale Initiative for Global Health
Dr. Deva-Marie Beck Speaking at minutes 1:54 — 7:01 & 1:56:18
Dr. Beck is a Canadian American nurse, global citizen, and award-winning Nightingale scholar. For 20 years, she has served as a volunteer International Co-Director for the Nightingale Initiative for Global Health — leading workshops, keynotes, webinars, feature articles, videos, UN briefings, and to achieve NIGH’s UN ECOSOC ‘Special Consultative Status.’ She has recently been recognized as an Honorary Scholar of the Global Academy of Holistic Nursing (HSGAHN) for her leadership to promote and sustain global health care transformation and
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advocacy to achieve the United Nations SDGs. After a 30-year clinical career in Critical Care & Women's Health settings, she received her doctorate in 2002, from Union Institute & University, for her groundbreaking research to articulate Florence Nightingale’s relevance to today’s international health, development, education, and media. She has since authored and co-authored articles for numerous peer-reviewed journals and textbooks. Dr. Beck has recently achieved the highest-level Education Award from Toastmasters International — as a Distinguished Toast Master ‘DTM’. She now aims to use this ‘credential’ to develop innovative ways to encourage and engage nurses and concerned citizens to share their voices and tell their stories in the global public arena.
Dr. Barbara M. Dossey Speaking at minute 1:44:49
Dr. Dossey is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the holistic nursing and nurse coaching movements. She is a Florence Nightingale scholar, nurse theorist, and national and international speaker and teacher on Florence Nightingale’s legacy and the role of integrative nurse coaching in the emerging integrative health care paradigm. She is the International Co-Director and Board Member, Nightingale Initiative for Global Health (NIGH), Ottawa, Canada, Switzerland, Washington, DC, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Gatineau, Quebec. She is
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the Co-Founder, International Nurse Coach Association (INCA) and the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy (INCA), Miami, Florida. Barbara is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is certified in Holistic Nursing (AHN-BC) and is an Honorary Scholar Global Academy of Holistic Nursing (HSGAHN). She is an 11-time recipient of the prestigious American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award and has received many other awards.
She has authored or co-authored 31 books. She contributed to Dossey and Keegan’s Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice (8th ed., 2022; co-author and editor on 1st to 7th editions). Her most recent publications include The Art and Science of Nurse Coaching: The Provider’s Guide for Coaching Scope and Competencies (2nd ed., 2021); Nurse Coaching: Integrative Approaches for Health and Wellbeing (2015); and Florence Nightingale: Mystic, Visionary, Healer (2010, Commemorative Edition).
She has authored or co-authored 31 books. She contributed to Dossey and Keegan’s Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice (8th ed., 2022; co-author and editor on 1st to 7th editions). Her most recent publications include The Art and Science of Nurse Coaching: The Provider’s Guide for Coaching Scope and Competencies (2nd ed., 2021); Nurse Coaching: Integrative Approaches for Health and Wellbeing (2015); and Florence Nightingale: Mystic, Visionary, Healer (2010, Commemorative Edition).