The Bessler Center at Mary Bridge Children’s is pleased to announce our 2026-2027 school nurse educational update. We invite you to join us for a day of learning, connection, and fun as you prepare for the upcoming school year. This training is not appropriate for health techs, office/parent volunteers, or unlicensed staff.
Your licensed nursing staff* (RN, LPN, etc.) are invited to attend the Mary Bridge Children’s School Nurse Update 2026 at the Pacific Lutheran University. Our agenda includes pediatric specialists on concussions, anaphylaxis, behavioral health crises, and more.
Event details
Thursday, August 13, 2026, 8am – 4pm
Pacific Lutheran University
Chris Knutzen Hall – Anderson University Center
12180 Park Ave S, Parkland, WA 98447 (Get Directions)
- Registration: Register Here! Complete registration form with the following information: first/last name, school district, school, approximate student caseload, home address/city/state/zip, summer contact phone, preferred email for future communication (district or personal).
- Cost: $40, with an optional additional fee if you’d like to order a boxed lunch.
- Agenda: You can find a copy of our 2026 agenda here.
- Presentation handouts (agenda, powerpoints, any supplemental materials from speakers) are available via download on this web page. Please print and bring any materials you would like for reference and note-taking. No printed presentations will be provided.
- Wi-Fi is available if you’d like to follow along on your mobile device or computer. Chris Knutzen Hall will be set up with shared, round tables that will allow space for laptops.
- Parking: Free parking is available on site at the University. Harstad Parking Lot is right across from the Anderson University Center. No parking permits are required over the summer.
- Chris Knutzen Hall at PLU: Chris Knutzen Hall in Anderson University Center at PLU will provide capacity for 175 attendees. We are pleased to have this space available to us.
- Lunch: This year, we are giving participants the option to select a boxed lunch during their registration for a small additional fee. We have three sandwich selections available, including a vegan and gluten-free option. We will provide snacks in the morning and coffee, tea, and water throughout the event.
- Tacoma Public Schools is sponsoring free clock hours for this event. To receive these free clock hours, all nurses in attendance must sign in on the attendance form at the event.
We applaud and appreciate all you do in the schools and are grateful for your partnership in caring for our community’s children!
If you have any questions about the event, clock hours, or suggestions for future trainings, please reach out to the Bessler Center’s program manager, Rebecca Sanchez Lazer, at [email protected].
2026 Line Up
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Presented By: Peter Asante, MD, FAAP
Peter Asante, MD FAAP is a board-certified General Pediatric Physician and former Hospitalist and Chair of Pediatrics at MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Asante holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Harvard University. After graduation, he worked as a Medicaid social worker in Bronx, New York. He completed his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and his pediatric residency training at the UW /Seattle Children’s Hospital.
After residency, Dr. Asante spent 7 years at Yakima Pediatrics, a community health clinic in rural Yakima WA, where he also served as founding Medical Director of the Teen Health Clinic. He helped establish the Davis Health Clinic at Davis High School, the first school-based health clinic in Yakima, WA. In Fall 2023, he moved back to the Seattle area, and started his tenure at Mary Bridge Pediatrics in Auburn until June 2026. During his time here, he spearheaded creation and implementation of the Mary Bridge Adolescent Care Clinic in Tacoma WA, which started caring for patients in October 2025.
Today, Dr. Asante works as the Director of Health Services for the Tubman Center for Health and Freedom. In addition to directing a relational medicine model of care through multi-disciplinary primary care services, he also sees youth at the school-based health clinic (“Freedom Clinic”) and community clinic (“Healing House”) in Seattle’s Rainier Valley neighborhood. He continues to advocate for expanding access to comprehensive healthcare for underserved youth in his work as a former Board Trustee and now inaugural co-chair of the Equitable Care Committee for the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as sitting President for the Washington School-Based Health Alliance.
Learning Objectives
- Review the landscape and benefit of school-based health clinics in Washington State.
- Review scope of school-based health services and discuss SBHCs as a unique adjunct of Primary Care.
- Discuss “what is adolescent medicine,” and common conditions teenagers face.
- Recognize signs of poor school functioning, and when students would benefit from a SBHC visit.
- Discuss opportunities for advocacy for school-based health services with district leadership as school nurse.
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Presented By: Chelsey Vadixx, PhD
Dr. Vadixx is a Pediatric Neuropsychologist at Children’s Behavioral Medicine Collaborative. She completed her fellowship at Seattle Children’s Hospital and spent years in the Neurobehavioral Medicine department at Mary Bridge Children’s. She specializes in a wide range of neurodevelopmental disorders and medical conditions, including head injuries, ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, and chronic medical illness. She also provides forensic evaluations and expert witness services for cases involving pediatric head injury.
Learning Objectives
- Deepen understanding of brain injuries and symptoms of concussions.
- Learn about concussion management strategies.
- Identify stages for returning to learning.
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Presented By: Marla Varela, MSN, RN
Marla Varela has been working at Mary Bridge for two years and has been with the Gastroenterology team for the past year. She has a background in a bit of everything, including pediatric emergency/trauma, public health, rehabilitation, and home care.
Learning Objectives
- Build understanding of roles, responsibilities and needs around equipment and formula supplies.
- Discuss commonly used feeding tubes, including types and dislodgement information.
- Develop understanding of decompression systems.
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Presented By: Tricia Strickland, DNP, RN
Dr. Tricia Strickland is a Systems Pediatric Nurse Specialist at The Center for Clinical Practice & Development at MultiCare Health System. Dr. Strickland specializes in clinical education and enjoys advancing education to serve all children. She is a favored lecturer at our education series and has extensive expertise in asthma and respiratory diseases. She has offered multiple trainings throughout our districts over the past decade.
Learning Objectives
- Define anaphylaxis.
- Identify common triggers of anaphylaxis.
- Identify anaphylaxis clinical criteria.
- Identify steps for managing anaphylaxis.
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Presented By: Sarah Malyon, BS-HHS, RRT-ACCS
Sarah is a Respiratory Therapist with over 15 years of experience in respiratory care and patient education. She has earned degrees in both Respiratory Therapy and Health and Human Services and is currently working on her MBA in Healthcare Leadership. Known for her dedication to evidence-based care and continuous learning, she excels at transforming clinical knowledge into opportunities for educational growth and professional empowerment. In her current role as a Clinical Specialist with MultiCare Health System, Sarah collaborates closely with multidisciplinary teams to optimize treatment strategies, improve patient outcomes, and uphold clinical best practices through education and operational support.Learning Objectives
- Explain principles of routine tracheostomy care, basic ventilator considerations, and emergency response for students with respiratory support needs in the school setting.
- Describe tracheostomy components, suctioning, and emergency management techniques.
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Identify common tracheostomy adjuncts nurses may see in a school setting.
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Presented by Vanessa Adams, LICSW, and Jasmine Gregory, LICSW
Vanessa Adams, LICSW, is a Program Coordinator with Kids Mental Health Pierce County. Prior to her current role, she worked in Mary Bridge Emergency Department for several years as a Crisis Social Worker and as Complex Behavioral Health Social Worker. Vanessa supported youth with severe behavioral health crises and served youth detained under involuntary treatment act, youth with multisystemic involvement and youth with challenging dispositions in navigating connection to appropriate support and services. Vanessa’s passion is supporting youth in their mental wellness while promoting equitable access to resources for marginalized communities.
Jasmine Gregory, LICSW is a Professional Development Specialist – Social Worker at MultiCare’s Mary Bridge Children’s with over a decade of experience in the social services field. Jasmine has worked as a medical social worker throughout MultiCare Health Systems since 2015 providing crisis interventions and support to adult and children patients to include behavioral health assessments and referrals, resources for basic needs and management of stress related to hospitalizations.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Recognize and assess behavioral health crises in school settings Identify early warning signs and distinguish between escalation, crisis, and emergency to guide timely response.
- Apply developmentally appropriate crisis management and de-escalation strategies Use trauma-informed techniques to support students, promote safety, and stabilize situations.
- Engage resources and collaborate appropriately with necessary partners Determine to collaborate with school staff, community crisis teams, emergency services when needed.
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Presented by Emily Lyro, RN, CDCES, BC-ADM
Emily Lyro works at Mary Bridge Diabetes Clinic where she provides diabetes technology education helping patients and families confidently integrate these tools into their everyday life. She is passionate about helping families and their support people grow confident in managing their diabetes technology while they manage a difficult diagnosis. And if anyone is keeping track, she now has 7 beautiful grandchildren with another one coming in December.
Learning Objectives
- Differentiate diabetes technology including CGM and AID systems.
- Describe how CGM’s measure glucose and explain key metrics.
- Review insulin pump therapy and compare advantages and limitation.
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Presented By Alison Bradywood, DNP, MN/MPH, RN, FAAN
Alison Bradywood is the Executive Director for the Washington State Board of Nursing and a community health nurse at heart. She came into nursing by way of working in indigenous public health in the Peace Corps Panama and has carried this commitment to working across communities throughout her professional career.
Her experience spans acute care, academia, long-term care, and community health settings. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University and her master’s in public health and in nursing leadership from the University of Washington. Alison’s areas of expertise include system improvement, quality, leadership development, nursing practice, education, and workforce development.
Alison worked at Virginia Mason Medical Center for 19 years, first as a nurse technician and eventually as the Chief Nursing Officer. She has published several peer-reviewed articles on hospital quality, social determinants of health, and COVID-19 interventions. She continues to volunteer locally supporting underserved communities and abroad to support the development of healthcare delivery systems and nursing practice in low- and middle-income countries.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the Washington State regulatory framework governing nurse delegation and parent-designated adults in the school setting, including the RN’s role and responsibilities under applicable nursing laws and rules.
- Differentiate between nurse delegation and parent-designated adults by identifying the scope, requirements, accountability, and appropriate application of each care delivery model.
- Apply the Washington State RN delegation process to school-based clinical scenarios to determine when nursing tasks may be delegated safely and appropriately.
- Analyze factors that influence delegation decisions, including student-specific health needs, predictability of outcomes, complexity of care, caregiver competency, supervision requirements, and evaluation of outcomes.
- Implement strategies for effective collaboration among school nurses, parents/guardians, educators, administrators, and other caregivers to promote safe, equitable, and legally compliant student health services.
2025 resources & presentations
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Download the presentation (PDF)
Presented by:
Peter Asante, MD
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Download the presentation (PDF)
Presented by:
- Tricia Strickland, DNP
Learning Objectives
- Identify four key elements to achieve optimal asthma control.
- Identify ways to control asthma triggers in the school setting.
- Describe updated asthma guidelines for SMART therapy.
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Download the presentation (PDF)
Presented by:
- Emily Lyro, RN
- Melissa Stoliker, RN
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Download the presentation (PDF)
Presented by:
- Vanessa Adams, MSW, LICSW, Program Manager, Kids Mental Health Pierce County
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Download the presentation (PDF)
Presented by:
- Corey Nygaard
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Download the presentation (PDF)
Presented by:
- Erica Lewis, RD
- Colleen McMeen, RD, CD
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Presented by:
- Jennelle McClaughry, RN
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Presented by:
- Clara Chan, MD, Pediatric Neurologist, Mary Bridge Children’s Pediatric Neurology