Shaunna Parker, MSN’11, WHNP-BC, will become director for the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing’s Women’s Health/Gender-Related NP Specialty program, effective July 1, 2024.
Parker is a board-certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, with interests in providing women’s health services and patient education to adolescent and young adult populations. She also works to promote health seeking behaviors within underserved communities.
“As the needs of the WHGR population continue to grow, I envision the specialty expanding its reach through continued collaboration to advance education, knowledge and resources,” Parker said. “The opportunity to educate and prepare future nurse leaders to go into the world to meet the ever-changing women’s and gender-related healthcare needs will be an amazing journey.”
Parker has served on numerous professional organizational committees and boards, including VUSN’s Simulation Workgroup and Implementation Team, MSN SAAA Committee and Clinical Placement Advisory Group.
“Dr. Parker is highly respected for her thoughtful, inquisitive and direct communication,” said Senior Associate Dean for Academics Mavis Schorn, PhD, FACNM, FNAP, FAAN. “She is committed to high-quality education and innovative, forward-thinking curriculum planning for the WHGRNP specialty. Students highly regard her attention to inclusive teaching and clinical care.”
Parker succeeds Specialty Director and Professor Ginny Moore, MSN’90, DNPC, FAANP, who will retire August 31. Moore has taught at VUSN since 1990, and practiced in diverse settings that include family planning, sexual assault examination, private practice and community-based health care. She has also been key faculty and principal investigator on VUSN’s sexual assault nurse examiner HRSA grants.
“Dr. Moore has been an invaluable asset to the School of Nursing for 34 years,” said Dean Pamela R. Jeffries, PhD, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH. “We are so grateful for her leadership and dedication to the discipline of women’s health. Generations of women’s health providers have been guided by her wisdom and expertise.”