Debbie Gunter has over thirty years of nursing experience in many different areas of practice and holds multiple certifications, including family nurse practitioner, hospice and palliative care nurse practitioner, and medical-surgical nursing. She is on the faculty at Emory University in the School of Medicine and School of Nursing and is president of her own nursing consulting firm, developing and presenting multiple nursing seminars throughout the country. She previously developed and managed a 25-bed inpatient hospice unit and served as a nurse practitioner in the long-term care setting. She is also a nurse practitioner with the Emory Healthcare System in Atlanta, Georgia, and is part of the team responsible for providing palliative care expertise to outpatient and hospitalized patients within a major academic institution. Some of these responsibilities include pain and symptom management, goals of care discussions, advance care planning, and staff education. Debbie received her BSN degree from Florida State University, her master's degree in adult health-critical care from Emory University, and her family nurse practitioner certification from the University of Missouri.