Expert in Community Health Nursing & Public Health Disaster Preparedness & Response to Headline NLN 2026 Education Summit

Expert in Community Health Nursing & Public Health Disaster Preparedness & Response to Headline NLN 2026 Education Summit

Save the Date for September 23-25 in Washington, DC

Washington, DC — The National League for Nursing welcomes Linda MacIntyre, PhD, RN, PHN, FAAN, senior nurse consultant to the American Red Cross and clinical professor at the University of California at San Francisco, to deliver the Keynote Address at the NLN 2026 Education Summit on Wednesday, September 23, in Washington, DC.

Registration has just opened for this year’s Summit, which will focus on Beyond the Storm: Reshaping Resilience and Recovery. Natural disasters, human-made disasters, and other public health emergencies will all be covered within the scope of the conference through a robust schedule of presentations, lectures, seminars, and interactive workshops.

During her Keynote Address at the Opening Session, From Impact to Recovery: Preparing Future Nurses for Their Roles in Disasters, Dr. MacIntyre will lead an exploration of disaster readiness and recovery. She will emphasize the ethical responsibilities of nurses and their roles before, during, and after a disaster, as attendees examine practical approaches to disaster readiness, including personal preparedness, understanding local risks, and recognizing the value of knowing one’s neighbors before an emergency may occur.  

Additionally, her presentation will highlight effective learning triage strategies and the importance of assessing an individual’s strengths and listening skills to promote recovery. She will also focus on nurses’ own mental health and stamina, incorporating disaster education throughout the curricula, and how faculty readiness works to support student learning and confidence in disaster-related nursing practice.

Dr. MacIntyre comes to her deep knowledge of the subject through decades of academic, clinical, and management experience in disaster zones throughout the United States. Currently a volunteer to the American Red Cross in her capacity as senior nurse consultant, she served as the national organization’s chief nurse from 2013 to 2024, providing leadership to nurses and other health professionals working throughout the Red Cross in all lines of service. As a seasoned nurse educator, Dr. MacIntyre oversaw the Academic Service-Learning Program and represented the Red Cross externally, collaborating with major federal and civilian health and nursing organizations, government agencies, universities, hospitals, and other key stakeholders.

She also served on the Federal Nursing Service Council and on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Nursing from 2014-18; on the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters (NACCD) to the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and taught community health nursing at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. MacIntyre earned a bachelor’s degree in theology from Westminster College in Oxford, England, a bachelor’s nursing degree from Texas Christian University, and a PhD in nursing from UCSF.

“Dr. Linda MacIntyre is uniquely qualified to introduce the high stakes and strategic and practical approaches to nursing education in disaster response and recovery. We are excited to welcome her to the Summit this fall to show us how to better prepare our students to practice intensive onsite emergency nursing, as well as inspire us to be role models and mentors who can lift up our communities when disaster strikes,” said NLN Chair Yolanda VanRiel, PhD, RN, MEDSURG-BC, OCN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN, chair of the Department of Nursing, North Carolina Central University and patient placement coordinator at First Health of the Carolinas-Moore Regional Hospital.

“As we all know, we live in a world of increasing risk to life and limb, beset by a host of contemporary threats like climate change, terrorism, gun violence, pandemics, and more. We look forward to Dr. MacIntyre sharing her wisdom and guidance at the NLN Education Summit as we continue to navigate our journey of transformative excellence in nursing education to advance the health of our nation and the global community,” said NLN President and CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN.

Registration is now open. For more information about the NLN Education Summit, visit Summit.NLN.org.

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