Right by Their Side: Spiritual Care and Bioethics in End-of-Life Nursing
October 9, 2026 | 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM CT
Online and In-Person at
Fondren Hall at St. Paul’s UMC
5501 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77004
Continuing Education: 6 CEUs available
Early bird pricing ends September 15!
For 33 years, the Spirituality in Nursing Conference has brought nurses, chaplains, and caregivers together to explore what it means to care for the whole person — body, mind, and spirit. Nurses are often the first to sense when a patient's suffering runs deeper than the physical, and the ones who stay closest, tending to the spirit as carefully as the body, as life draws toward its end. This year's conference turns toward that sacred responsibility: caring well when there is no cure left to offer, and offering spiritual openness and comfort, especially when hard ethical choices arise. Across a day of presentations, our speakers will draw on experience in oncology, hospice, chaplaincy, ethics, and law to explore what compassionate, whole-person care looks like at the end of life. Join us for a day exploring this crucial area of nursing, and leave with practical tools (and renewed purpose!) for the bedside.
This conference is tailored to the goals and experiences of nurses who prioritize spirituality as a key aspect of patient health, as well as a foundation for their own sense of meaning and professional service. Each session incorporates experiential learning activities for deepening the knowledge presented and collaborating with fellow participants.
Registration includes a continental breakfast, boxed lunch, parking, and CEU credits.
The hybrid attendance option is the same price as in-person.
Conference Registration Rates:
Early Bird Registration:
Early Registration for Nurses (CEU-eligible): $100
Early Registration for General Attendees and Nursing Students: $25
*Early bird pricing ends Sept 15, 2026
Regular registration beginning September 16, 2026:
Registration for Nurses (CEU-eligible): $150
General Attendees and Nursing Students: $50.00
Speakers
Joelle Robertson Preidler, Ph.D. | “Relational approaches to end-of-life discussions: Insights from improv and the theatre”
Conflict often arises during end-of-life discussions when clinicians endorse comfort care while the patient’s family wants “everything done.” This session uses an end-of-life case to highlight barriers to effective decision-making. It then employs interactive improv and theater techniques to illustrate ways to support relational communication that can foster effective shared decision-making.
Joelle Robertson-Preidler is an Assistant Professor in the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics at UTHealth Houston. She is fellowship-trained in clinical ethics, and her research and teaching interests focus on equitable communication and decision-making for patients near the end of life.
Marvel Bartley, APRN, CSMRN, FNP-C | “Beyond Clinical Care: Spirituality, Ethics, and Compassion at the End of Life”
This presentation explores the holistic needs of patients and families during the final stages of life. The presentation highlights how spirituality, ethical decision-making, and compassionate communication complement clinical treatment. It emphasizes respecting patients’ beliefs, values, dignity, and end-of-life wishes while supporting families through grief and difficult choices.
Ultimately, the presentation encourages healthcare professionals to look beyond the medical interventions and provide care that addresses emotional, spiritual, ethical, and human needs with empathy and compassion.
Marvel is a dedicated and supportive palliative care nurse practitioner with six years of clinical experience, providing patient-centered care to individuals and families facing serious illnesses. Dedicated to symptom management, goals of care conversations, and holistic support. She partners with patients and interdisciplinary teams to promote comfort, dignity, quality of life, and meaningful care experiences.
Martha Grace Cromeens, JD, PhD, RN | “From Wishes to Care: Putting Advance Directives into Practice”
End-of-life care brings together personal values, clinical decisions, ethical considerations, and legal protections. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore these issues firsthand by working through an advance directive and then translate that experience into practice. We will examine common ethical, legal, and clinical questions nurses encounter, including documentation, family concerns, available resources, and supporting patients as they consider and communicate their wishes.
Martha Grace Cromeens, JD, PhD, RN, is an attorney, nurse, and assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Her interdisciplinary scholarship bridges nursing, law, and health equity. She teaches ethics and health policy and helps develop innovative educational approaches to prepare future nurse-scientists.
Michelle Oakley, RN | “Walking with the Bereaved”
This session examines the clinical distinction between complex and prolonged grief and associated public health risk factors. Attendees will identify key risk factors linked to complicated grief outcomes and review the core components of a bereavement follow-up model. The presentation will also address professional grief among healthcare staff, offering skills and tools to mitigate distress related to patient deaths and poor clinical outcomes. Intended for clinicians and staff supporting bereaved families and coping with the emotional impact of loss in pediatric care settings.
With nearly 18 years of nursing experience, Michelle Oakley serves as a Hospital-Based Nurse Coach, Pediatric Bereavement Coordinator, and Holistic Nurse. She partners with healthcare leaders to design unit-based well-being programs, facilitate workshops, and help shape culture in high-acuity settings. She uses intentional coaching and supportive strategies to help not only staff leverage their strengths, but also families who are navigating grief after loss.
Diana X. Muñiz, M.Div. | “Reimagining a Loteria: A Joy-Centered Approach to Aging and End-of-Life”
Using a familiar, beloved traditional game structure, we will completely lower our behavioral defenses to talk about the joys and sorrows of aging and death. This activity invites spontaneous personal storytelling to foster a developmentally appropriate and honest view of our lifelong journey rather than isolating death as a separate fear. As a group, we will also discuss how contradictory emotions, such as joy and sorrow, can arise together naturally and in ways that enhance our vitality.
Diana X. Muñiz is a Houston-based visual artist and art educator with a background in cultural curation. Her experience includes working with prominent Houston art institutions, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. As a certified bilingual chaplain, she merges her artistic and spiritual practices to engage the community on profound topics.
Anna Marie Adams | “End-of-Life Doulas: Companionship Through Dying, Grief, and Everything Between”
This session provides an evidence-informed overview of end-of-life doula practice. Topics include the doula's role during active dying, models of support for caregivers and the bereaved, and the broader scope of services doulas provide across the end-of-life continuum. The presentation will address doula training pathways, certification standards, and professional scope of responsibility. Attendees will also gain insight into the patient and family experience of doula-supported care, including what this support entails during a loved one's final days.
Anna Marie Adams is an end-of-life doula and educator with over 25 years' experience in hospice and elder care and 10 years' experience in High-Acuity Care with EMS. She is a Certified End-of-Life Doula, Certified Life Planning Doula, and a Certified Companion Doula. Anna is also the owner of Savior Doula Services and founder and lead instructor of the International Doula Life Movement. She administers the Holistic Haven Personal Care Home, a residence for seniors and people nearing the end of life in San Antonio, TX.