Keeping with our mission of providing the highest quality of continuing nursing education, our consultants are highly qualified and respected nursing professionals who remain approachable and grounded in real-life clinical nursing practice. Let them provide the the challenges to your staff development activities.
Susan E. Thornton, MN, RN Founder,
Educational Consultant
Ms.
Thornton founded Acute Care Education Associates in 1999.
She is a dynamic speaker with vast experience
experience practicing inpatient-critical care
nursing in a wide range of military and civilian
settings. Her background includes clinical staff nursing in
medical-surgical and intensive care nursing, clinical education for LPN
and RN's,
as well as management positions in within healthcare
organizations, academia,
and in business. She has spoken in on a variety of topics at
the local and national level.
Ms. Thornton
holds a Master's in Nursing as an Acute Care Nurse
Practitioner from Washington State University and a Bachelor of
Science in Nursing from Seattle Pacific University.
She is a member
of the
American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Ms. Overbay has engaged audiences with her dynamic nursing tales in a variety of settings. She has spoken at national conferences, local symposiums, and for in-hospital staff development. She currently educates nursing students as a full-time faculty member as assistant professor. Ms. Overbay's skill for providing patient care while educating students has placed her in a variety of clinical arenas. Her experience covers intensive care, cardiac surgical recovery, oncology, renal transplant, liver transplant, and medical-surgical speciality areas.
Ms. Overbay holds a Master's in Nursing as a Critical Care/Cardiovascular Clinical Nurse Specialist from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Washington.
Diane L. Paulson, MSN, RN Educational
Consultant
Ms.
Paulson joined us after retiring from the Army Nurse Corps in 2006. Her years of service have led her to a variety of clinical and management areas in healthcare.
Her most notable assignments range from staff nurse medical/oncology,
head nurse of a large family practice clinic,
head nurse of the emergency treatment section
of 2 deployed Combat Support Hospitals (Kosovo
and Kuwait), head nurse of a post anesthesia care
unit, and emergency department Clinical Nurse
Specialist for a Level II Trauma Center.
Ms.
Paulson's areas of expertise include moderate
sedation, pain management, trauma management and disaster
preparedness. She has spoken at local and international
conferences during her career.
Ms. Paulson holds a Master's in Adult Medical/Surgical
Nursing with an emphasis on emergency services
from Armstrong Atlantic State University and a
Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of
Washington.
She is a certified PALS and ACLS instructor.
Jennifer Bevacqua, MS, RN, CPNP-AC/PC, CCRN Educational Consultant
Ms.
Bevacqua’s experience as a pediatric nurse and Pediatric Nurse
Practitioner (PNP) bring depth to our educational services. Her
inpatient experience in Pediatric Surgery & Trauma brings a wealth
of knowledge to her educational discussions. Ms. Bevacqua has taught
RN's, nursing students, medical students and surgical residents.
Ms. Bevacqua holds a Master of Science as a Pediatric Nurse
Practitioner from Oregon Health & Science University and a Bachelor
of Science in Nursing from Indiana University. She holds
certifications as a pediatric CCRN, and is dually board-certified in
Acute and Primary Care as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.
Ms. Bevacqua is well published on topics such as diabetic
ketoacidosis and surgical complications of appendectomies. She is
involved in the National PNP organization (NAPNAP) and currently is
President of the Oregon PNP Assn (OPNPA). Ms. Bevacqua teaches PALS
(Pediatric Advanced Life Support) and continually strives to improve
the care she gives to children.
Ms. Krumpelmann has been in the health carearena
for 20years. She has worked in several health care areas from
outpatient clinics, oncology, PACU, to the surgical intensive care
unit. Ms. Krumpelmann has taught to hospital staff as well as lecturing
as a clinical faculty member to novice and returning students.
Ms. Krumpelmann’s area of expertise includes
hemodynamics, conscious sedation, pain management, preceptorship and
leadership in our current changing healthcare environment.
Ms. Krumpelmann holds a Master’s in Nursing with a
minor in Health Care Policy from the University of Washington. Ms.
Krumpelmann has a strong background in the health sciences and
anesthesia from Albany Medical College. She is an active AACN member,
AACN liaison of critical care knowledge, and holds her CCRN. Ms.
Krumpelmann is a member of Sigma Theta Tau.
Margaret Voelker, MN, RN Educational Consultant
Ms. Voelker’s thirty years of nursing experience cover many areas of acute nursing care. As a case manager for many populations, including bariatric, at a regional medical center in Washington, Ms. Voelker is dedicated to the highest quality clinical practices. She has effected change by developing the Gastric Bypass Pathway, educating the bariatric/gastric bypass population, and was a member of the Obesity Guideline Workgroup that developed guidelines through evidence based literature. Ms. Voelker is a published author with articles in the perianesthesia patient population and the bariatric population.
Ms Voelker’s active leadership within her past and present organizations includes multiple committees, including Geriatric, Ethics, Staff Nurse Council, and Clinical Practice Committee (Nursing Leadership). Ms. Voelker, a founding member of a nursing committee, helped write the initial draft of Multicare’s Professional Excellence Program, a clinical career ladder for the advancement of nursing. Ms. Voelker holds a Master’s of Nursing from the University of Washington. She is or has been a member of Sigma Theta Tau, American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses and American Medical Writer’s Association.
