Slideshow

In her 30 years at Vanderbilt School of Nursing, Linda Norman has been teacher, administrator, leader, colleague and dean--and always a nurse. These photos represent those roles and memorable occasions in her career and eight years as dean. Read More

As Vanderbilt University leadership considered whether it could bring students, faculty and staff back to campus safely in the fall, they knew that COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and symptom management were going to be necessary to protect the campus community. Fortunately for Vanderbilt, it has a world-renowned School… Read More

When Jay Huang enrolled at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in 2019, he was well aware of the statistics: Just 9 percent of nurses in the United States are male. Role models may be scarce, but Huang is undeterred. The Californian, who holds an undergraduate degree in biochemistry,… Read More

When Vanderbilt University School of Nursing PreSpecialty students Ashley Allington and Sara Moran arrived in Nashville in August 2018, they noticed a problem that kept popping up for them and many of their female friends: How do you find a health care provider in a new… Read More

Watching his aunt struggle with bipolar disorder, Asa T. Briggs, DNP, MSN’12, traded in his legal aspirations to pursue a career in mental health care. “She would have extensive inpatient hospitalization, but then would come out with no continuity of care,” Briggs recalled. “It was a crystallizing moment for… Read More

Illustration by James Steinberg What drives a nurse-scientist? A problem to be solved, curiosity, observation, inquiry and passion — and a deeper, simpler motivation. Nurses want the best outcomes for their patients. Nurse-scientists and researchers are determined to find ways to make them happen. For Terrah Foster… Read More

Tam Le, DMD, and Duc Pham, MD’98 Duc Pham, MD’98, often speaks about how lucky he has been in his life. He recounts acts of kindness by teachers who helped him succeed in school, by organizations that offered him scholarships to attend medical school, and by the United States for… Read More

Clark Atlanta University junior ShaVaughn Thomas admits she knew little about nurse practitioners and their role in patient care, but after taking part in an intensive, hands-on summer program at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, she not only knows what advanced practice nurses do, she has great respect for their contributions. Read More

Every day, every hour, Vanderbilt nurses make an impact. They do so in patient care, helping patients and families and collaborating with colleagues and co-workers. They do so in education, imparting knowledge to the next generation of nurses and advanced practice nurses and academic leaders, then sharing best practices with… Read More

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing lost two trailblazing and visionary icons just 80 days apart in 2018 – one a longtime dean who transformed nursing education at Vanderbilt and nationally, and the other a champion of nurse practitioners and founder of the school’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program. They were… Read More

Illustration by Getty Images Tucked away in an Olin Hall conference room on the Vanderbilt University campus, 36 adults huddle over Lego pieces. Eleven teams have been assigned to assemble multicolored Legos using the written directions included in the packet. The result should be a Frankenstein figure. Each team must… Read More

Photo by John Russell Carol Ziegler, DNP’12, MSN’06, spent her younger years discussing climate change with her environmentalist father, but it wasn’t until a trip to Kenya in 2009 that she saw the direct impact it could have on every aspect of a society. “They’re agrarian, so their lives are… Read More

On clinic day every week, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing student Brooke Hazen gets to the hospital early. Her 12-hour day starts at 6:30 a.m. with the charge nurse’s report on patients and case review with an instructor before hands-on patient care begins. “We’re taking vital signs, helping patients… Read More

Photograph by Joe Howell For years, Jennifer Wilbeck, DNP, PMC’06, MSN’99, FAANP, pieced together nursing knowledge much like working a jigsaw puzzle. Each course’s curriculum interlocked with teachings from another to form a complete picture of what she wanted to learn. Ultimately, Wilbeck gained instruction from a… Read More

April Kapu, one of eight School of Nursing alumni who talk about the DNP advantage in leadership. Photo by John Russell They live and work across the U.S. — some in bustling cities, others in scenic mountain settings. Their backgrounds range from surgical nursing to labor and delivery. Some of… Read More

Rendering of soon-to-open School of Nursing Building. Illustration by Hastings Inc. The $26.3 million Vanderbilt University School of Nursing expansion, which began last spring, is nearing completion at the intersection of historic Godchaux Hall, Patricia Champion Frist Hall and the Nursing Annex. The project was aided recently by a range… Read More

Illustration by Leigh Wells There’s no shortage of need regarding health care in America today. Whether it’s finding a provider, having health insurance, preventing premature birth or helping someone with hypertension manage their disease, health issues are extensive and in the news. From its founding more than 100 years… Read More

Centerstone’s LaTisha Pike, MSN’13, left, a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, serves as preceptor for PMHNP student Christine Matthews. Matthews, who graduated from Peabody College in 2016, receives the School of Nursing Alumni Scholarship in recognition of her deep commitment to volunteerism. Photo by Joe Howell. Matthew Hardy, PhD, regional vice… Read More

The STEPP Clinic provided the bridge to prenatal care — and peace of mind that Blossom Olmos needed when she first moved to Tennessee. She delivered her son, Aiden Kai, in mid-December, attended by a nurse-midwife at Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital. Photo by Joe Howell. When 24-year-old Blossom… Read More

First-year PreSpecialty students Abby Smith (center) and Ankith Donthi (right) help second grader Saray Caravajal Hernandez identify and manage her asthma symptoms. Photo by Susan Urmy. During the past school year, Napier Enhanced Option Elementary School in Nashville had the second largest population of elementary school-aged children with asthma in… Read More

School of Nursing faculty-led programs teach seniors like Debbra Lynn Cherry (center) to use what they learn to improve their health and know what to discuss with their health providers. Photo by Daniel Dubois. This wasn’t the kind of library they remembered from their childhood. The group of… Read More

Illustration by Michael Austin Metro Nashville Public Schools, Gaylord Opryland Resort and Mercury Courts housing all have one thing in common. Each is home to a Vanderbilt clinic that is managed by faculty nurse practitioners and offers health care to diverse populations. Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) provides faculty… Read More

Tristan Strong is one of five VUSN students with unusual backgrounds that led them to Vanderbilt. Photo by Daniel Dubois. Miss Mississippi, a seismologist, a paramedic, a football player and a Peace Corps worker walk into a nursing school. No, no joke. Those are the backgrounds of some current Vanderbilt… Read More

Illustration by Michael Austin When Joyce Laben, JD, MSN, BC, FAAN, came to Vanderbilt University School of Nursing as an associate professor of Psychiatric Nursing in 1970, she didn’t see herself as a reformer. But encountering horrific treatment of inmates with mental health challenges in Tennessee prisons during her clinical… Read More

The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) will soon break ground on a new 29,947-square-foot addition connecting to its existing buildings on the Vanderbilt campus. Construction is expected to begin in late spring and be completed in August 2018. “This expansion will strengthen the School of Nursing’s position as… Read More

University of Arizona first-year student Dante Zelaya is an 18-year-old former football player with brain cancer in remission. He participated in a digital storytelling research project with Vanderbilt University School of Nursing Associate Professor Terrah Foster Akard. Photo by Jacob Chinn By Matt Batcheldor Even before she began working directly… Read More

Anna-Gene O’Neal talks with Knox Ownby at Alive Hospice Residence Nashville. Photo by Daniel Dubois. By Tom Wilemon Frequently busy with meetings, planning sessions and administrative responsibilities, Alive Hospice President and CEO Anna-Gene O’Neal welcomes the chance to slip out of her office and spend time with residents and staff… Read More

Brittany Hooks. Photo by Joe Howell. Vanderbilt University School of Nursing is a collective of nurse scholars and educators who are constantly moving forward on behalf of our students and the profession of nursing through teaching, research, practice and informatics.  The following links include a sampling of some of these… Read More

Little did Marilyn Kronsbein realize that her annual outdoor Christmas light decorating project in 2013 would land her in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Trauma Department. A series of surgeries, plus months of follow-up and rehabilitation, have kept her from returning home for nearly two years. Long-admired by… Read More

Certified Nurse-Midwife Taneesha Reynolds examines expectant mother Lauren Jordan at Baby+Company’s Nashville location. Photo by Daniel Dubois. After co-authoring a landmark study demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of birth center care, Cara Osborne, SD, CNM, took the data published in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health (JMWH) in… Read More

Photo by John Russell A national study of young cancer patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and four other sites doesn’t focus on experimental medications or therapies, or even the doctors and nurses who administer them. The most important member of this health care team is a… Read More

Photo by Daniel Dubois Robert Carver Bone, MD, beat cancer, but there was another foe lurking behind him. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 head and neck cancer that was successfully treated with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, but he wasn’t the same as before. “I couldn’t open… Read More

Photo by John Russell   Leslie Hopkins, DNP, APRN-BC, FNP-BC, ANP-C, director of the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) specialty, shares why our nation’s aging population, referred to as a “silver tsunami,” and health care reform are coming together to make Adult- Gerontology Primary Care Nursing… Read More

There is a sense of excitement permeating throughout the School.  Leadership, faculty, students and staff are building momentum and advancing the School’s mission in new and profound ways.  We welcomed new faculty who will further infuse our community of clinicians and scholars.  We celebrated the many professional accomplishments of… Read More

Illustration by Michael Austin Curiosity, critical thinking and continuous learning are requirements for successful nursing students and faculty alike. The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) recently launched its Scholarly Practice Program, which empowers non-tenure track faculty to seek answers for their clinical practice. “Our faculty… Read More

Marian Dudley, left, has been dealing with heart failure for nearly 10 years. She calls Melissa Smith a “lifesaver” for her consistent care. Photo by Susan Urmy. For people with a chronic illness, leaving the hospital after an acute episode can be overwhelming, confusing and scary. They… Read More

Photo by Daniel Dubois When the Clinic at Mercury Courts opened in the summer of 2012, the staff expected to be inundated with patient visits. Designed to provide medical care for people and families transitioning from homelessness and other poverty situations, the clinic on Murfreesboro Road is… Read More

Photo by John Russell Vanderbilt Nurse recently sat down with Sarah Fogel, PhD, RN, director of the newly re-named Associate Degree in the Science of Nursing to MSN (ASN to MSN) program. Fogel has more than 20 years’ experience as a nurse and nursing educator on top of… Read More

Illustration by Michael Austin In the dictionary, a preceptor is “an instructor; teacher; tutor.” At Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, a preceptor is one of the most important roles in the evolution of a nursing student. Preceptors are one-on-one mentors responsible for training students during… Read More

Photo by Daniel Dubois When she was just 9 years old, Linda Norman knew that she wanted to become a nurse and a teacher. She just didn’t know how far she would go. Parents Harold and Becky Boggs told Linda at a young age that she was… Read More

Photo by Daniel Dubois Vanderbilt Nurse recently sat down with Terri Donaldson, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Donaldson has nearly 30 years of experience in cardiac and critical care nursing, has been on faculty since 2001, and became the DNP program… Read More

  Children in the Palajunoj Valley of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, play before Carnival—note the paper confetti in their hair. In 2011, eight VUSN students joined Primeros Pasos staff to help provide health care, education and community outreach to the rural clinic that serves 10 surrounding communities. Photo courtesy… Read More

Sigma Theta Tau International’s Iota Chapter was founded in 1953 at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.  In honor of the group’s 60th Anniversary, Vanderbilt Nurse sat down with Senior Associate Dean of Informatics Betsy Weiner and Tom Christenbery, professor and IOTA Chapter president, to discuss the… Read More

Photo by Lauren Holland Nutrition instructor Jamie Pope lectures to her students on the power of superfoods, with a rainbow-colored collection of nutrient-rich fare on the table before her and a green screen draped behind her. Her class is 50,000 students strong and growing. Except for a… Read More

In 1985, after Colleen Conway married Ted Welch, she signed an informal written agreement between the two of them that she would resign as dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing after five years. Eight years later Welch lovingly tore up the agreement and handed… Read More

Photo by Daniel Dubois   VUSN’s Pre-Specialty Level of the MSN program is thriving with more than 160 incoming students each year, representing a variety of non-nursing educational backgrounds.  After serving as interim director and leading the faculty through a major curriculum revision, Mary Ann Jessee, MSN,… Read More

Photograph courtesy of the drug enforcement agency The putrid smell of her own flesh burning was not enough to make Jade Wilhite seek medical attention. She was following the methamphetamine user code: do not get caught. The day she tilted her head back to administer what she… Read More

Photo by Daniel Dubois Tyler Ralph slumps into the yellow chair looking as limp as the untied shoelaces on his back-to-school sneakers. But the fourth grader knows to get down to business – swabbing his fingertip, pricking it with the lancet, putting the drop of blood on… Read More

Photo by Lauren Owens Frances Raines knows the secret to successful aging. “Keep busy,” says the 97-year-old resident at Bethany Health & Rehabilitation nursing home, flashing a knowing smile that momentarily erases the wrinkles on her face. With a bright red crochet hook and yards of sky… Read More

Susan Hellervik. Photo by Daniel Dubois. Minutes from now, the newly conscious patient will flail softly in her bed and try to pull out her breathing tube. A nurse will be there to stay her hand. Right now, though, she’s slipping toward death. As she was being… Read More