ENA Announces Jeff Evans as Emergency Nursing 2025 Keynote Speaker
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (July 10, 2025) – From the emergency department to the highest mountain tops in the world, Jeff Evans continues to pursue unique adventures – and, in September, his journey takes him to a “special place surrounded by my people” at Emergency Nursing 2025 in New Orleans.
On Thursday, ENA announced Evans as the keynote speaker to lead off the biggest event dedicated to emergency nursing. Evans brings with him messages about leadership, teamwork and trust developed by his blended experience of nearly two decades working in emergency departments and a quarter-century of scaling the globe’s tallest peaks, including Mount Everest.
“When I come to New Orleans and I get on that stage with my colleagues, my peers, I can look them in the eyes and I can relate in a way that allows me to share my stories in an even more authentic way,” Evans, a practicing emergency department physician’s assistant, said in an ENA Podcast interview. “Though these stories are taking place on these big mountains, it’s truly relatable to how we all function independently.”
Stories of expeditions, such as guiding the only blind climber to ever reach Everest’s summit, and life as a medic at high altitudes and in war zones, shape perspectives he believes can help make for better, more vibrant people, Evans shared.
ENA President Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC, looks forward to hearing Evans connect the seemingly distinct worlds of the emergency department and mountaineering around themes which resonate with ED nurses.
“I can only imagine what it requires to climb to the heights Jeff has in his career, but I recognize trust, communication and overcoming adversity is needed among teams and leaders – just as it does to make an emergency department the best it can be,” Oglesby said.
Emergency Nursing 2025 takes place in New Orleans Sept. 17-20. For more information and to register, visit ena.org/EN25. Check out jeffbevans.com to learn about adventures.
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The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With nearly 45,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.