Educational Advisory Committee (EAC)

The Educational Advisory Committee provides guidance to help AWHONN develop the highest levels of educational products and services to our members, and to assure the engagement and development of nurse educators practicing in women’s health, obstetric and neonatal nursing while supporting those educators working in unique and diverse practice settings.

The mission of the Educational Advisory Committee (EAC) is to provide the highest level of educational products and programs for AWHONN members, and to promote engagement and development of nurse educators practicing in women’s health, obstetrics, and neonatal nursing, including those educators working in unique and diverse practice settings. This includes:

  • Ensuring that AWHONN members and others have access to quality educational programs and resources that enhance patient care.
  • Increasing knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nurses caring for women and newborns.
  • Elevating the practice of nursing.
  • Ensuring resources are available to support adaptation to the rapid pace of healthcare change and challenges
  • Supporting novice specialty nurses to respond to workforce needs
  • Promote broad dissemination and implementation of evidence-based care resources
  • Review, advise, and evaluate education resources and programs, as requested
  • Recommend repurposing current products and programs into new educational resources based upon member needs
  • Solicit and receive feedback on recommendations for education
  • Collaborate with other AWHONN committees, as indicated
  • Explore and establish novel approaches for delivery of education (micro-learning) in partnership with cross departmental teams.
  • Understand and assess learning needs for multi-generational learners.
  • Adapt to rapid paced learning needs
  • Promote scholarship within the obstetric, neonatal, and women’s health specialties (certifications, etc.)

2026 Committee Members

Chair: Jamie Agunsday MA, MSN, RNC-OB
AWHONN Staff Liaison: Sarah Copple, MSN, RNC-MNN, C-ONQS
AWHONN Administrative Support: Mari Vega

  • Ciara Britt MS, RN, RNC-OB, FNP-BC
  • Lisa-Marie Cook BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, ICCE, CD
  • Meghan Duck, MS, RNC-OB, CNS- CNS
  • Lisa Engel DNP, RNC-OB, CNE
  • Tracy Jones BSN, RNC-OB
  • Yasmine Llerena, DNP, MSN, C-EFM, CPAN- DNP
  • Erica Macmillan, MSN, RNC-OB, CBC- MSN
  • Jessica McNeil-Santiel, DNP, APRN, CNM, RNC-OB, C-EFM
  • Autumn Mels, DNP, MSN-Ed, RNC-OB, C-EFM, CNE- DNP, CNE
  • Veronica Shake MSN, RN, PHN
  • Tonya Wert, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, C-ONQS
  • Nikole Wunder MSN, RNC-NIC, C-ELBW

Emerging Leader(s):

  • Jessica Cham, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, IBCLC
  • Lauren Johnson, PhD, RN

Ex-officio (2025 EAC Committee Chair):

  • Robyn Garrett C-EFM, MSN, RNC-OB

2025-2027 Educational Priorities

Priority 1 Accessibility of Education: Enhance accessibility to AWHONN’s educational offerings to support members’ diverse needs.

  • Awareness: Increase visibility of AWHONN’s educational products through LMS partnerships, improved website/store navigation, and new member onboarding resources.
  • Cost: Explore pricing strategies to reduce financial burden.
  • Time: Offer flexible, accessible formats (on-demand, mobile-friendly, short modules) to fit busy schedules.

Priority 3 Tailored Education for Diverse Care Settings: Develop targeted education for hospitals of varying sizes, rural facilities, and critical access settings to address unique challenges in maternal and neonatal care.

  • Care Coordination & Transport: Maternal/neonatal transport, EMS collaboration, mobile care units
  • Access & Equity: Solutions for maternity care deserts, integration of doulas/midwives, telemedicine support
  • Clinical Preparedness: OB/neonatal care in non-OB environments, emergency response training, regulatory compliance
  • Workforce & Staffing: Workforce pipeline development, safe staffing models, cross-training, and support in mixed-care settings

Collaborate to explore diverse and additional modalities to bring education to members.

Priority 2 Expansion of Educational Content: Broaden the scope of educational offerings to include specialized and subspecialty areas, ensuring content is regularly updated to reflect evidence-based practices and emerging trends.

  • Obstetric Nursing: Complications, fetal monitoring, supporting vaginal birth, cardiac disease, substance use disorders
  • Maternal Newborn: Hypertensive disorders, postpartum care, cardiac disease, mental health, adoption/surrogacy
  • Neonatal: ELBW care, HIE/therapeutic hypothermia, IVH, pulmonary hypertension
  • Women’s Health/Outpatient OB: Reproductive and sexual health, reproductive cancers, adolescent health, mental health
  • Public Health/Non-Profit: Collaboration, health disparities, policy, trauma-informed education
  • Nurse Research/Academia: Community-engaged research, instructional methods, translational research
  • Home Visiting Nurses: Mental health assessment, safe sleep/SUD prevention, maternal-newborn assessment, warning signs

Priority 5 Innovative Educational Modalities: Expand and diversify educational delivery through flexible, engaging, and accessible formats that enhance learning and skill development.

  • Flexible Access: On-demand, mobile-friendly, and microlearning options
  • Interactive Learning: Virtual simulations, escape rooms, case scenarios, and hands-on training
  • Collaborative Formats: Flipped classrooms, panels, and patient experience integration
  • Multimodal Approaches: Blending microlearning, simulation, games, and focused reviews (e.g., tracing reviews)

Develop additional bundled educational products.