Patricia Kelly Vana Editor & Author

Patricia Kelly Vana, MSN, RN, earned a Diploma in Nursing from St. Margaret Hospital School of Nursing, Hammond, Indiana; a Baccalaureate in Nursing from DePaul University in Chicago ,Illinois; and a Master's degree in Nursing from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. She is Professor Emeritus, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Indiana. She has worked as a staff nurse, head nurse, travel nurse, school nurse, and nurse educator. Patricia has traveled extensively in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, teaching conferences for The Joint Commission, Resource Applications, Pediatric Concepts, and Kaplan, Inc. She currently teaches nationwide National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses® (NCLEX-RN®) review courses for Evolve Testing & Remediation/Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI), Houston, Texas. Patricia now volunteers part-time in a Level One Trauma Center Emergency Room in Oak Lawn, Illinois, half the year. She volunteers part-time in an Emergency Room in Fort Myers, Florida, the other half of the year. She has been a nursing volunteer at the Old Irving Park Free Community Clinic in Chicago, Illinois, and a nursing volunteer at the Gladiolus Free Food Pantry in Fort Myers, Florida, for several years.

Beth A. Vottero, PhD, RN, CNE, earned a baccalaureate degree in liberal studies with a focus in business management from the University of Maine at Presque Isle; a baccalaureate degree in nursing from Valparaiso University; a master's degree in nursing from University of Phoenix; and a PhD in nursing education from Capella University. Beth currently is an associate professor of nursing at Purdue University Northwest, teaching courses including Evidence-Based Practice and Knowledge Translation at the doctoral level and Informatics as well as theory courses in theGraduate Nurse Educator program. At the undergraduate level, she teaches Quality and Safety for Professional Nursing Practice and Evidence-Based Quality Improvement in the Capstone course.

Gerry Altmiller, EdD, APRN, ACNS-BC, ANEF, FAAN, earned a diploma in nursing from Our Lady of Lourdes School of Nursing in Camden, New Jersey, a baccalaureate degree from La Salle University in Philadelphia, and an advanced practice degree as a clinical nurse specialist from Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. She later returned to Widener and earned her doctoral degree in higher education leadership. Gerry is a professor of nursing at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, New Jersey. As a board-certified clinical nurse specialist, she has served in a consultant role for Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for over a decade, supporting direct care nurses in their research, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement projects.