Call Us Toll Free: 
Additional Faculty to be Announced Soon.
Encore Symposiums is currently working with faculty members on scheduling and topics.
Spring on Hilton Head Island Encore Symposium 2026
April 20-23
An Encore to Lifelong Learning
Dawn Bent, DNP, MSN, CRNA
Dr. Dawn Elizabeth Bent began her career as an adult critical care nurse in a neurosurgical intensive care unit. She segued into a pediatric intensive care unit and it is not by chance that she remained with this patient population for over 25 years.
Dr. Bent is a practicing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and serves as Program Director for the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program at Penn. Dr. Bent's pursuit of anesthesia began when she was approached by an anesthesiologist who felt she would excel as a CRNA. She has practiced anesthesia for 17 years and served as an anesthesia educator for 14 years.
Dr. Bent has been awarded by students for her clinical preceptorship and strives to improve patient experiences at St. Christopher’s Hospital where she currently practices pediatric anesthesia. Dr. Bent believes remaining invested in the clinical practice of anesthesia is essential to excelling as an educator.
Dr. Bent feels a personal commitment to the success of each of her students through mentoring, and leadership which helps her guide the next generation of CRNAs.
Steve Wooden, DNP, CRNA, NSPM-C
Dr. Wooden is a graduate of the University Tennessee College of Nursing, The University of Nebraska Medical Center Nurse Anesthesia Program, The Kansas University Medical Center Nurse Anesthesia Masters program, and the Duke University DNP program.
Over the past 40 years, he has been managing partner in two private practice anesthesia group in central and east central Nebraska. The practices had a strong non-surgical pain management focus and provided comprehensive anesthesia services to over 26 hospital facilities in Nebraska.
Dr. Wooden is the Past President of the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA), Past Chairman of the Nebraska State Board of Health, and Past Chairman of the Nebraska Advanced Practice Nursing Board. He is also the recipient of the AANA Ira P. Gunn Award for professional advocacy (2009) and the AANA Clinical Practitioner of the Year (Alice McGaw Award) (2001), as well as a former AANA Regional Director and Treasurer.
