Steed chosen to direct Family Nurse Practitioner program
Julia Steed
Assistant Professor Julia Steed, PhD’18, MSN’10, will become academic director of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner Program, effective Aug. 1, 2023. She replaces Professor Courtney Pitts, DNP, FAANP, who led the top-ranked specialty for the past seven years.
“We’re pleased to have Julia serve as our next FNP director. Her expertise in internal and primary care at a variety of diverse sites gives her insight into the kind of knowledge our FNP students need,” said Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Mavis Schorn, PhD, FACNM, FNAP, FAAN. “Her knowledge and interest in the impact of social determinants of health will continue to mark our FNP program as one of the best in the country.”
The School of Nursing’s Family Nurse Practitioner program is one of the top in the United States, coming in at No. 2 in the latest U.S. News & World Report “Best Graduate School” rankings released April 25.
“I am confident in the quality of our program to successfully prepare graduates to provide patients with safe, high-quality, evidence-based, culturally appropriate primary care services,” Steed said. “However, I recognize the importance of continuously improving and advancing our program to meet the evolving needs of our students, faculty and the health care industry. I am eager to work collaboratively with our expert faculty and executive administration to assess our program, build upon its strengths and address any areas for improvement.”
Steed has been a member of the FNP faculty since 2017. She is an experienced advanced practice nurse with a focus on functional/integrative medicine. She currently practices as a family nurse practitioner in internal medicine/primary care. She is a certified tobacco treatment specialist and her research interests include health promotion/risk-reduction strategies and identifying the influence of health determinants such as quality and individual behavior on related outcomes.
In addition to teaching, she chairs the school’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is a former VU Junior Faculty Teaching Fellow
“I am committed to maintaining VUSN’s institutional values by promoting universal teaching strategies and curriculum changes that acknowledge the diversity of our student cohorts’ backgrounds, life experiences and academic needs,” Steed said. “Creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment can encourage academic success and empower our students to make meaningful contributions to health care and society.”
Steed earned an MSN and PhD in Nursing Science from the Vanderbilt School of Nursing and a BSN from Middle Tennessee State University.
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