HPNA Hosts 2025 HPNA Annual Conference
The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) hosted the HPNA Annual Conference last week from October 27–28 in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The event kicked off with an insightful keynote presentation delivered by Betty Ferrell, RN, PhD, MA, CHPN®, FAAN, FPCN®. Dr. Ferrell shared insights from her 25 years of experience providing palliative care and urged all nurses to use education as a force for improving care.
Additional sessions focused on improving refugee care, ventilator withdrawal, psychedelic-assisted therapy, maximizing team dynamics, outpatient palliative care, deprescribing, and more.
“Our goal was to bring colleagues in hospice and palliative care together to learn, share, and be inspired,” said HPNA President Masako Mayahara, PhD, RN, FAAN, CHPN®, FPCN®. “With a record-breaking 450 attendees, this conference reflects our efforts to make a meaningful, exceptional impact on the lives of those we serve.”
Attendees also benefited from giveaways and other offerings from nearly 20 exhibitors and sponsors. Event sponsors included the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center, the Joe and Sandy Samberg Family Foundation, the RiverStyx Foundation, and the Washington University Division of Palliative Medicine.
On Monday evening, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) hosted the “To Infinity and Beyond Powered by Empower” reception to celebrate the dedication of hospice and palliative care nurses, sponsored by Empower Healthcare Business Solutions. With nearly 150 attendees celebrating, the festive reception included a drawing for one individual to receive a pair of custom-designed shoes created by renowned sneaker artist Sierato. In total, the shoe giveaway and donations given toward the reception raised more than $10,000. These funds will directly support nurses through the remainder of 2025 and into 2026 through scholarships, grant-funded projects, and more.
In addition to hosting the reception, HPNF supported six individuals with the 2025 HPNA Annual Conference Scholarship. This scholarship covered the cost of registration for attendees Toni Campbell Fellows, RN-CSN II, Leah Gillikin, BSN, RN, CHPN®, Barbara Ann Lee, MSPC, RN, CHPN®, Hannya A. Ornelas, SN, Joseph M. Pugsley, BSN, and Emma T. Smolek, BSN, RN, CHPN®.
On-demand recorded sessions from the 2025 HPNA Annual Conference are now available in the HPNA Learning Center for purchase, and sessions will be available to earn contact hours until December 31, 2026. Learners may view the on-demand sessions and complete evaluations to receive NCPD and Category 1 Pharmacotherapeutic contact hour credit.
Building off the momentum of this year’s event, HPNA will host its 2026 HPNA Annual Conference from May 7–8, 2026 in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Hosted at a new location, this conference will have additional education sessions, addressing both clinical challenges and the emotional aspects of providing care at the end of life. Registration is now open for this conference, with early bird pricing available through March 20, 2026. HPNF is accepting scholarship applications for this conference through January 30, 2026.