About Me
Passionate Educator
Welcome to the challenge of taking on the hard stuff in education. My name is Erin Putney. I am a mom-nurse-educator. I have a BSN from UNMC and an MSN specializing in Nursing Education from Nebraska Wesleyan University and now currently taking courses seeking my Doctorate of Education at Doane University with a focus in Educational Leade
Welcome to the challenge of taking on the hard stuff in education. My name is Erin Putney. I am a mom-nurse-educator. I have a BSN from UNMC and an MSN specializing in Nursing Education from Nebraska Wesleyan University and now currently taking courses seeking my Doctorate of Education at Doane University with a focus in Educational Leadership.
This site is dedicated to improving education, specifically for healthcare providers, both pre- and post-licensure, for the general public and empowering all educators to take on the challenges that come with education. While end of life was the start their are vastly more challenges then this one (very large) topic.
Mission and Passion
My Experience and Research
My Experience and Research
Life is too short to not have fun or avoid the hard stuff. Finding the space where this mixes, is the sweet spot.
We can take it on Together if We:
Utilize the power of emotional intelligence to take on so many challenges if we are willing to lean into the discomfort of growth.
Adapt to an ever changing world in education and healthcare.
Ce
Life is too short to not have fun or avoid the hard stuff. Finding the space where this mixes, is the sweet spot.
We can take it on Together if We:
Utilize the power of emotional intelligence to take on so many challenges if we are willing to lean into the discomfort of growth.
Adapt to an ever changing world in education and healthcare.
Celebrate the diversity that is filling our learning spaces.
Listen and Believe the lived experiences of others to create a focused goal.
We are stronger together as a team.
My Experience and Research
My Experience and Research
My Experience and Research
My working experiences have been varied in healthcare. I started as a nursing assistant in long-term care facility, and as a nurse, I worked full-time in a hospital for nearly ten years in oncology and trauma ICU, and part-time in home healthcare, infusion, and management. Currently, I am a full-time nursing instructor.
My personal experi
My working experiences have been varied in healthcare. I started as a nursing assistant in long-term care facility, and as a nurse, I worked full-time in a hospital for nearly ten years in oncology and trauma ICU, and part-time in home healthcare, infusion, and management. Currently, I am a full-time nursing instructor.
My personal experiences in life includes being the caretaker to my mom while she battled cancer, have been the advocate for my family through just the living experiences. I am a mom of four children plus being a blended family. Sometimes, life is the best teacher of patience and helps you focus on what is really important.
While working on my Masters, I became curious about how well end of life is taught in healthcare, since I got very little during my own nursing school. My research project looked at the effectiveness of End of Life education, starting with a post-graduation survey for new nurses. What I found through literature reviews was surprising: it isn't being taught. Helping healthcare providers through the death experience is an on the job learning modality. We can do better. We NEED to do better!
Now as a Doctoral Student, I am building research to look at Advocacy Education, but not shying away from the challenges that are in the system.
Giving voices to and for things that are often hidden. Welcome to the Journey that is messy, well lived and always learning.
CV for Erin Putney MSN, RN
Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator
Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator
Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator
My strengths have allowed me to be a passionate educator pushing students to grow in their own way, a collaborative nurse working with the healthcare team and a fun speaker presenting ideas in ways for everyone to connect to them.
Current :
Assistant Professor of Nursing at Nebraska Wesleyan University
Speaker/Presenter - End of Life, Education and Emotional Intelligence
Professional Experience:
Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator
Strategic - Ideation - WOO - Empathy- Activator
Educator:
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nurse Faculty- 2024- current
Courses- Med-Surg 3 (ICU), Pharmacology 2, Med-Surg 1, Healthcare Ethics, & Insights to Death, Dying and Grief
Nebraska Methodist College Nurse Educator- 2021 to 2024
Southeast Community College- Nurse Educator
2014- 2021
- Favorite part of teaching is seeing the "light bulb mome
Educator:
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nurse Faculty- 2024- current
Courses- Med-Surg 3 (ICU), Pharmacology 2, Med-Surg 1, Healthcare Ethics, & Insights to Death, Dying and Grief
Nebraska Methodist College Nurse Educator- 2021 to 2024
Southeast Community College- Nurse Educator
2014- 2021
- Favorite part of teaching is seeing the "light bulb moments", the moments of connection and the moments of realization that they can do this.
- Teaching allows me to be creative, find fun ways to help information stick or apply the information to something tangible. I use art to help build connections with mental health. I use a watermelon falling to teach about traumatic brain injury, and gummy bears to teach about the importance of fluid balance. Engaged, active and experimental learning creates lasting connections and application.
Nurse (RN):
Bryan Health ICU - Floor Nurse
2010- 2014
Nebraska Medical Center - Floor nurse Oncology and Trauma ICU
2007-2010
- Favorite part of being a nurse is showing kindness to people during their most vulnerable moments.
- I built relationships with people when they need someone in their corner. Working ICU helped me become an out of the box problem solver, and honed my ability to simplify the complexities of ICU treatments so the families in high anxiety moments could understand what was going on.
Nurse (RN) PRN Experiences: (2015-2021)
- Tabitha Rehabilitation- Night Shift Supervisor
- Option Care Home Infusion Care- Home Infusion Nurse
- Neurology and Surgical Progressive Care
- -Transitioned to Covid Nurse
Speaking
Education & Conferences:
Education & Conferences:
2025 June- Nurse Educator Conference (NEC) of the Rockies
- Playing Smart: Build Critical Thinking with a Deck of Cards
- Priority Mapping: Connecting all the dots
2025 April- Leading Age Kansas Spring Conference
- Emotional Intelligence & Managing the Room (two times)
2025 March- Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association Conference
- Emotiona
2025 June- Nurse Educator Conference (NEC) of the Rockies
- Playing Smart: Build Critical Thinking with a Deck of Cards
- Priority Mapping: Connecting all the dots
2025 April- Leading Age Kansas Spring Conference
- Emotional Intelligence & Managing the Room (two times)
2025 March- Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association Conference
- Emotional Intelligence & Managing the Room
2024 June- Nurse Educator Conference (NEC) of the Rockies
- Playing Smart: Build Critical Thinking with a Deck of Cards
- Mastering “Soft-Skills” Learning through rapid cycle deliberate practice
2023 November- Storytelling Festival- Lincoln Nebraska
· Personal story of Laughter in Hard moments
2023 October- Methodist Student Nursing Association
- Resilience in a Tough Career
2022 October- End of Life Empowerment- Creighton University Faculty
- Empowering Self Choice through End-of-Life Decisions
- Facilitated conversations around legal and ethical challenges related to End of Life
2022 August- Podcast in Education- Nebraska Methodist College Faculty Development Day
- The power of creating a Podcast for your students
- Start simple- how to create a podcast for learning.
2022 September- Utilizing Teams to Build Relationships- Nebraska Methodist College
- Focusing on Relationship Building
- Consistency in the Communication tool
2022 Spring- NICU End of Life Outreach Podcast- Methodist Hospital Professional Development
- Exploring the unique aspects of end of life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- Communication techniques with families struggling with hard decisions.
2021 Mary Lanning Hospital Annual Hospice Conference
- Hastings, Nebraska
- Emotional Intelligence at the Bedside
- Covid Conversation
- Culture and Dying
2021 Examined Life Conference
- University of Iowa
- What's My Action: Applying Lessons from the Stage to Craft an Authentic Clinical Approach
- Panel Discussion
2021 & 2022 April- SCC Paramedic End of Life Education
- Entering those vulnerable and high intense spaces
- Self-awareness of personal grief
2019 NNA/NNP Joint Convention- Nurses Putting the Pieces Together: Where do you fit?
- Death and Dying
- Focus on how to have an end of life conversation
- Kearney Nebraska October 2019
End of Life Care: A new approach to difficult conversations (6 CEUs)
- Engaging workshop
- Lincoln Nebraska 2018, & 2019
- Virtual June & August 2020
Reviews:
- erin is fantastic! She has taken the hardest subject in anyone’s life to talk about to a understanding that makes sense. feel more confident in discussing death.
- erin was great! she was motivating and upbeat and informative and interesting
- amazing speaker!! I loved her way of teaching
- 10+ years as a hospice nurse, this was the most fulfilling seminar regarding end of life care I’ve been to. this seminar should be a requirement for all healthcare providers including doctors.
Branson MO Poster Presentation 2018
- Effectiveness of End of Life Education
Education & Conferences:
Education & Conferences:
Education & Conferences:
University Nebraska Medical Center- Lincoln
Bachelors of Science in Nursing
2006
University Nebraska Wesleyan- Lincoln
Masters of Science in Nursing- Focus on Education
2018
Doane University- Crete Nebraska
Doctorate of Education- Focus on Education Leadership
Current
Conferences Attended:
Nurse Educator Conference in the Rockies- June 2025
Inclu
University Nebraska Medical Center- Lincoln
Bachelors of Science in Nursing
2006
University Nebraska Wesleyan- Lincoln
Masters of Science in Nursing- Focus on Education
2018
Doane University- Crete Nebraska
Doctorate of Education- Focus on Education Leadership
Current
Conferences Attended:
Nurse Educator Conference in the Rockies- June 2025
Inclusive Classroom May 2025 (NWU)
Nurse Educator Conference in the Rockies- June 2024
Moving Forward: Strategies to Implement Competency-Based Education June 2024
NCLEX exam writing preparation May 2022- Nebraska Methodist College
Next Gen Prep - Lincoln- June 2021
Think Like a Nurse- Lincoln- June 2020
Nurse Educator Institute April Conference 2020
Nurses: 20/20 Vision (NNA) February 2020
When grief gets stuck- Alan Wolfelt Summer 2019
Educator Conference at SCC- Spring 2019
Nurse Educator Institute April Conference 2018