Michael Ackerman is currently the Director of the Master in Healthcare Innovation Program and Professor of Clinical Nursing at The Ohio State University.  Mike has held just about every role in nursing a nurse could hold including Candy Striper to Senior Director.  His entire career has been in the critical care arena from staff nurse, nurse manager, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner and most recently Senior Director of Nursing.  He has over 50 publications as well as several funded studies.  In addition, he has held leadership roles in a number of academic settings.  Mike has a passion for critical care nursing as well as innovation.  This is evident in his much sought-after presentations on a variety of critical care topics in critical care.  He also has a passion for the “Crucial Conversations” program which he has implemented in two of his recent institutions.  This implementation has been a catalyst in much of Mike’s work in the area of culture change.  Mike is a disruptive innovator, a skilled clinician, avid researcher, motivational speaker and caring leader.  Leading from the bedside has been a consistent theme in Mike’s career.  When he is not busy following his work passion he spends time with his family as well as various athletic activities.