Every VUSN graduate has exciting things happening in her or his life, both professionally and personally. Class Notes – printed twice a year in the Vanderbilt Nurse Magazine and available online on this page – is an opportunity for you to not only learn what other alumni are doing but also share news about your life. We would love to hear what you've been up to! Please contact us with any updates, or call 615-322-4836. And, when posting on social media please tag us! #VUSN

Look below for news from your classmates as of December 31, 2022. Items received since July 1, 2022 are shown in red font.

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Jane Abanes, DNP'13, PhD'20, is lead author of "Acupuncture for Sleep Disturbances in Post-deployment Military Service Members: A Randomized Controlled Trial," published in Clinical Nursing Research in July 2021.

Susie Adams, PMC'13, was interviewed in February 2021 by Psychiatry Advisor for "Interventions and Other Suicide Prevention Measures Employed or Adapted in the Context of COVID-19." She gave a presentation at the annual conference of the Tennessee chapter of American Psychiatric Nurse Association in April and co-authored "The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Nursing Staff Attitudes toward Patients Experiencing Homelessness and Mental Illness," published in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association in May. That month, she was awarded the status of professor emerita at Vanderbilt. Susie co-authored "Associations between Changes in Resilient Coping and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms," published in Research in Nursing and Health in February 2020, and was inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Nursing Hall of Fame in September. She co-authored "Advancing Community-engaged Research through Partnership Development: Overcoming Challenges Voiced by Community-academic Partners," published that fall by Project MUSE, and co-presented a poster, "Nursing Staff Attitudes toward Medically Hospitalized Patients who are Homeless and Have Mental Illness," at APNA's annual conference in October. Susie was named 2019 Psychiatric Nurse of the Year by APNA and was quoted in NP Schools for "Tennessee NPs: The Fight for Full Practice Authority" in 2018.

Caitlin Allen, MSN'13, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at the Lovelace Medical Group in Albuquerque (2019).

Soheyl Asadsangabi, MSN'04, DNP'13, received the Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in November 2022, and an Excellence in Patient Experience Award from VUMC in October 2021. She manages and staffs the Vanderbilt Center for Women's Health clinic that opened in July 2016 in Thompson's Station, Tennessee.  

Sara Atteberry, MSN'13, and her husband were featured on NBC's Today Show website in May 2015 for the organization they started, the Sing Me a Story Foundation.  

Bronwyn Backstrom, MSN'13, is a pediatric nurse practitioner in Ochsner Health System in New Orleans (2016).

Stephanie Grose Bell, BS'03, MSN'13, is vice president of operations at Curana Health, headquartered in Easley, South Carolina, where she supervises advanced practice providers and physicians who deliver post-acute care to a mostly geriatric population in skilled nursing and long-term care, in multiple states (2022).

Jeffrey Boone, MSN'13, is co-author of "Health and Wellness for Disadvantaged Older Adults: The AFRESH Pilot Study," published in December 2022 in  PEC Innovation .

Stacey Browning, MSN'13, DNP'15, is assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro in the Department of Nursing and the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences (2018). 

Britney Hagy Broyhill, BS'06, MSN'08, DNP'13, was a panelist for "Capturing APP Value: Industry Leaders Share Their Experiences," hosted by the Chartis Group in March 2021, and is featured in the NP Pulse: The Voice of Nurse Practitioners podcast, "NP Leadership: Going the Extra Mile," recorded in November. She co-authored "Developing and Expanding APRN and PA teams," published by American Nurse in December 2020, and received the Pinnacle Award from Atrium Health in November 2019. Brittany presented at the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses National Teaching Institute meeting and at the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Critical Care Bootcamp at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, both in 2018. She received the Alumni Award for Excellence in Nursing presented by the VUSN Alumni Association at the school's annual ceremony in 2016

Pamela Bruce, MSN'13, DNP'15, was a panelist for the VUSN Alumni Board's annual DNP Know Your Value in January 2020. She is director of quality and clinical transformation for Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network.

Eterial Burrell, MSN'13, was a panelist for the VUSN Alumni Board's annual MSN Know Your Value in February 2021 and participated in a VUSN women's health nurse practitioner alumni panel in August 2017. She is a clinician in the Nashville and Davidson County Metro Public Health Department's family planning program.

Grace Appert Campbell, BS'12, MSN'13, is program director of Mission Santa Maria in Olon, Ecuador (2021).

Barbara Carden, MSN'13, is an advanced practice registered nurse specializing in endocrinology at the Health First Medical Group in Viera, Florida (2021).

Mollie Carter, MSN'13, is an emergency department nurse practitioner at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, South Carolina (2016).

Taaka Cash, MSN'12, DNP'13, received the Thomas L. Christenbery Award for Diversity and Inclusion presented by the VUSN Alumni Association during the school's annual awards ceremony in October 2022. She opened Privy Oasis psychiatric mental health care for children, adolescents, adults and geriatric people in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. 

Melissa Chaney , MSN'13, works at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas (2016).

Avni Cirpili, DNP'13, returned to Nashville in December 2018 to become chief nursing officer for Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital and Vanderbilt Behavioral Health. 

Lydia Rice Colin, MSN'13, is a family nurse practitioner at Lawndale Christian Health Center in Chicago (2016).

Courtney Cook, DNP'13, co-authored "Incorporating the Lived Experience into Graduate Nursing Education," published in the Journal of Nursing Education in April 2021, and was promoted to associate professor at VUSN in June. She is co-author of "Development and Implementation of a Trauma Team Education Program in Georgetown, Guyana," published in July in The Nurse Practitioner. Courtney co-authored "Acute Pericarditis: Best Practices for Nurse Practitioners," published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners in November 2020.

Kathleen Danhausen, MSN'13, co-presented, "Building Bridges across Practice Sites: Improving Interprofessional Communication and Client Satisfaction with Birth Center to Hospital Transfers," at the American College of Nurse-Midwives conference in May 2022. She is lead author of "Strengthening Interprofessional Collaboration to Improve Transfers between a Freestanding Birth Center and an Academic Medical Center," published in the November issue of the  Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health .

John Derrick, MSN'13, was appointed in 2020 as the first clinical director for MedFest in Washington State, an event during which athletes are medically evaluated for participation in Special Olympics. He is a nurse practitioner specializing in neonatology, autism spectrum disorders and neurodevelopmental delays at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Health Network in Tacoma.

Jessica DiNisco, MSN'13, presented "Compassionate Presence: A Mindful Approach to Care," in May 2017 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She is community facilitator at Wild Heart Meditation Center in Nashville.

Angela Douglas, MSN'13, joined the faculty at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, as an assistant professor in August 2021. She was honored by the Girl Scouts in May 2019 as one of the North East Ohio Women of Distinction for her work mentoring aspiring nurses, completing medical missions and serving as a coach and science Olympiad volunteer. She has been an assistant lecturer at Cleveland State University and a nurse practitioner at the Cleveland Clinic.

Kellie Douglas, BS'12, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner at Rose Pediatrics in Denver (2020).

Stuart Downs, MSN'10, DNP'13, was inducted as a fellow by the American Academy of Nursing in October 2022, and was honored with Atlanta's Executive Nursing Leadership Excellence Award in 2018. He is chief operating officer and vice president of WellStar Atlanta Medical Center.

Lauren Watts Drukenbrod, BA'11, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner in the Metro Public Health Department of Nashville and Davidson County's occupational health and wellness clinic where she cares for civil service employees (2021).

Sara Dalby Drysdale, MSN'13, is a neonatal nurse practitioner at Carle Hospital, in Champaign, Illinois (2016).

Dionne Duplantier, MSN'13, presented, "Technology to Ready Responders," on the American Nurses Association's COVID-19 Nurse Innovation Stories blog, posted in 2021. She is a nurse practitioner at Saint Thomas Community Health Center in New Orleans.

Samantha Eagle, MSN'08, PMC'13, presented at the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Critical Care Bootcamp at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in August 2018.

Nancye Feistritzer, DNP'13, was interviewed by Health Leaders in May 2021 for "Emory Chief Nurses Embrace the Benefits of Rapid Decision-making."

Valerie Garcia, MSN'13, is the founder of Chosen Medical Staffing, a nurse-owned staffing agency in Nashville (2020).

Jessica Gardner, MSN'13, became an adjunct clinical faculty member at Louisiana State University of Alexandria in July 2015.  

Sarah Davis Gast, PMC'13, DNP'15, co-authored "Using a Standardized Rounding Tool to Improve the Incidence of Spontaneous Awakening and Breathing Trials," published in Critical Care Nurse in April 2022, and lead author of "Critical Care Nurses' Experiences of Caring for Patients with COVID-19: Results of a Thematic Analysis," in the American Journal of Critical Care in July. She welcomed a baby that month and received the Sara K. Archer Award from students in the VUSN Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty in August. Sarah is co-author of "Brugada Syndrome: Fatal Consequences of a Must-not-miss Diagnosis," published in Critical Care Nurse in October 2021. She received the Sara K. Archer Award from AGACNP students in August 2020, and presented "Evaluation, Assessment and Differential Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen," at the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association conference in October 2019. Sarah is co-director of VUSN's doctor of nursing practice Critical Care Fellowship and an assistant professor.

Beth Ann Gist, DNP'13 , and her husband, Bill, of Black Mountain, North Carolina, passed away September 5, 2022.

Brittney Goldfarb, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner in cardiac surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago (2018). 

Amber Greeno, MSN'13, was profiled as a Pioneer of Hope at Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt (2018). 

Teri Greer, MSN'13, is a women's health nurse practitioner at the Women's Health Group of Franklin, Tennessee (2016).

Ali Grubbs, MSN'13, co-directs a bachelor's in emergency nursing program for nurses at Georgetown Public Hospital Corp. in Guyana, in collaboration with the University of Guyana and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (2018). 

Margaret Hamilton, MSN'13, DNP'15, is a nurse practitioner in dermatology at the Murfreesboro Medical Clinic in Tennessee (2016).

Megan Wenk Hammerbeck, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner at Regional Health in Rapid City, South Dakota (2018). 

Karen Hande, DNP'13, is lead author of "Nurse Practitioner Transition to Practice: Recommendations and Strategies for Designing and Implementing a Nurse Practitioner Fellowship," published in the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development in January 2022,and co-author of "Results of a National Survey: Ongoing Barriers to APRN Practice in the United States," in Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice , and "Utilizing Patient Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life Measures in the Management of Obesity," in the Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice , both in February. She co-wrote "Cancer Antigen," a chapter in the book, Laboratory Screening and Diagnostic Evaluation: An Evidence-based Approach for Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants , published by Springer in May, and "Linking Process Improvement with DNP Projects: Strategies to Advance Clinical Leadership Initiatives," published in Nurse Leader . She was promoted to professor at VUSN in June. Karen presented, "CBD: All Hype or a Novel Way to Manage Symptoms?" at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners conference in June, and co-authored "Exploration of Vaccination Attitudes among Parents and Caregivers in a Rural Appalachian Health Clinic," published in the Journal of Appalachian Health in July . In September, she presented, "Cannabinoids for Patients with Cancer," at the Oncology Nursing Society Bridge conference, and wrote "Oncology Nurses: What Cannabinoid Is Your Patient Taking?" published by Dabbin' Dad . She received the Colleen Conway-Welch Alumni Award for National Leadership presented by the VUSN Alumni Association during the school's annual awards ceremony in October, and co-authored "A Scoping Review of Measures Utilized to Assess Patient Satisfaction with Acupuncture Treatments within Randomized Controlled Trials," published in Medical Acupuncture . She co-authored "Changes in Telehealth Experienced by Advanced Practice RNs during COVID-19," in Computers, Informatics, Nursing in November. Karen co-presented, "Scholarship in Progress Peer Support: A Faculty Initiative to Promote Best Practices in Publishing and Presenting," at the International Association of Nursing Editors conference in August 2021. In September, she became the first Vanderbilt faculty member inducted as a fellow of the National League for Nursing's Academy of Nursing Education, and, in October, Karen co-presented, "Identifying Barriers to APRN Practice: Results from a National Study," at the Tennessee Nurses Association conference. She co-authored "Optimization of Patient Scheduling in a Hematology Outpatient Setting," published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, and "Implementing a Hematology-Oncology Nurse Practitioner Fellowship," published in Oncology Issues, both in November. Karen received funding from the VUSN Faculty Scholarship Program for "Exploring Measurements of Competencies and Outcomes among Accredited NP Fellowships," in April 2020. She is lead author of "Supporting Student Success: A Meaningful and Efficient Teaching Strategy to Document Practice Hours," published in Nurse Educator in July, and received the VUSN Ingeborg Mauksch Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring the same month. In August, she accepted an Oncology Nursing Foundation award as well as an NLN scholarship. An article Karen co-authored, "Social Boundaries in Young Adult Females with Down Syndrome as a Foundation for Sexuality Education," was published in October in the American Journal for Sexuality Education, and she presented at the NLN Summit about her experience as an American Nurses Credentialing Center Practice Transition Accreditation Program fellow. She was elected to the board of trust of the Tennessee Nurses Foundation in December 2020. Karen was interviewed in April 2019 by CBS News about cannabidiol (aka CBD) oil and was inducted as a fellow of the American Association of Nursing Practitioners that June. She co-wrote "Leveraging School Nurse Expertise to Meet Children's Health and Nutrition Needs in Afterschool Programs," published in NASN School Nurse, and "Mentoring Nursing Faculty: An Inclusive Scholarship Support Group," published in Nurse Educator, both in September. In 2018, Karen published in Vanderbilt University Medical Center's The Empowered Nurse: Peer-Reviewed Journal for Innovative VUMC Nursing Research, Volume 1, Issue 2, and co-authored "Developing Best Practices to Mitigate Opioid Abuse Is a Priority in Cancer Care," published in Oncology Live. (It appeared on the front cover.) That year, she co-authored "Appreciative Advising Pilot Study: An Innovative Approach to Advising Doctor of Nursing Practice Students," published in Nurse Educator with a podcast on the same subject. She was interviewed for a Nurse Educator video about the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching's Nursing Junior Faculty Teaching Fellowship. Karen was selected by VUSN students to receive the Doctor of Nursing Practice program's Dean Colleen Conway-Welch Faculty Award in October 2017. She received the 2016 VUSN Dean's Award for Faculty Achievement in Academic Endeavors and was named a 2015 American Nurses Advocacy Institute fellow by the TNA. Karen is chair of the Wellness, Populations and Health Systems Community at VUSN, an adult oncology pain management nurse practitioner and a board member of TNF.

Nicole Herndon, MSN'92, DNP'13, presented a poster, "Reducing Modifiable Factors that Contribute to Preventable Birth Injury," at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Patient Safety Congress in May 2022. was elected to two terms as Tennessee state chair of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. She is corporate director of women's and pediatric services at Community Health Systems in Nashville where she, among other things, serves as expert resource in maternal-child, women's health and pediatric/newborn services. She is a member of the American Nurses Association Nursing Scope and Standards advisory council and the American Nurses Association's Workplace Violence and Incivility Professional Issues Panel (2016). 

Christin Huff, MSN'13, is an instructor at VUSN (2018). 

Linda Hughlett, MSN'04, DNP'13, co-moderated "Educators, Leaders and Nurses: Resetting Relationships," presented in April 2022 to VUSN students, alumni, faculty and staff. She is chief nursing officer and senior vice president at Regional One in Memphis, Tennessee, where she had been director of women's services. 

Craig Hutto, MSN'13, was interviewed by the Wilson County Post (Tennessee) in June 2016 regarding his experience surviving a shark attack. 

Skyler Jacobs, BS'11, MSN'13, is an assistant in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (2019).

Therese Jamison, DNP'13, was recognized in Crain's Detroit Business in November 2016 for her position as founding director of the nursing program at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan.

Kimberle Jones, PMC'13, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Mercy Community Healthcare in Franklin, Tennessee (2016).

Pam Orebaugh Jones, BSN'81, MSN'92, DNP'13, was a panelist for "COVID Perspectives, Values and Vaccination Hesitancy," presented by the VUSN Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee in January 2022. She was appointed in June to the Vanderbilt University task force charged with addressing the impact of Tennessee law and reproductive rights on the campus community. She presented , "Building Organizational Resilience in Turbulent Times," at the DNP Summit hosted by the University of Rochester School of Nursing in October 2022. She is co-author of "Promoting Nurse Manager Professional Well-being," published in the December issue of The Journal of Nursing Administration . Pam was featured in Vanderbilt's MyVU for a January 2021 story about her leadership of the university's COVID-19 public health central command center. She co-authored "A Systems Approach to Addressing Covid-19 Health Inequities," published in NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery that month. In April, she became the first recipient of the Vanderbilt Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Service and was a panelist for "Women's Leadership in the COVID-19 Era: How Women Responded and Led the Charge to Mitigate the Pandemic," part of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center's celebration of Women's History Month. She was promoted to associate vice chancellor for health and wellness at Vanderbilt in September (as noted in the Nashville Post), and was the presenter for "Building Organizational Resilience in Turbulent Times," that month, part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum. She is lead author of "Showcasing Nursing Leadership and Contributions to a University's COVID-19 Student Contact Tracing Process," published in the October/December Nursing Administration Quarterly. In March 2020, Pam was appointed to serve on the Vanderbilt Public Health Advisory Task Force, formed as a resource during the pandemic, and spoke at two town hall meetings in July to share information about COVID-19 with faculty, staff, students and families, as well as about VUSN's leadership in campus contact tracing and educating patients. She was named a Women to Watch by Nashville Medical News in May. Pam moderated the VUSN Alumni Board's annual DNP Know Your Value in January 2019, and was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing that October. In May 2018, she met with Surgeon General Jerome Adams while he visited Vanderbilt, received the Rebecca Culpepper Award from VUMC, and was honored as the March of Dimes Tennessee Chapter Nursing Administration Nurse of the Year. Pam received the State Advocate Award from American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2015.

Keri Jordan, MSN'13, is a neonatal nurse practitioner at Pediatrix in Nashville (2016).

Amanda Jurls , MSN'13, is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, specializing in children and adolescents at Centerstone Clinic in Nashville (2017).

Florencia Kantt, MSN'13, completed an adolescent medicine fellowship through Harvard Medical School/Boston Children's Hospital in June 2022 and was accepted into the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She co-authored a chapter on sexual and reproductive health in a textbook and accepted a position as assistant professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health and Sciences University's School of Medicine and the OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland. Florencia published "A Letter to a Suicidal Transgender Teen," on the @kevinmd blog, and received an award from Lane County, Oregon, for her post "Straightforward Office Visit with a Teenager Turns to Something Much More," on the @KevinMD blog in December 2015. 

April Kapu, MSN'05, DNP'13, was interviewed in January 2022 on Fox News for "Nurses Face Burnout as COVID Enters Third Year," and by CNBC for "Here Are the Top Jobs in the U.S. and How to Land Them." That month, she was featured on the RN-Mentor Podcast , quoted in Clinical Advisor , HealthLeaders and MedPage Today , and published "New Year, New Commitment to Nurse Practitioner (NP) Excellence," in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners . She was interviewed by Contemporary Clinic and HealthLeaders in February, and, in March, spoke again with Contemporary Clinic and twice with HPCLive (and here ). April published "Choosing the Ideal Advanced Practice Leader for Your Organization," in The Journal of Nursing Administration in April. That month, she was interviewed by Forbes and HealthLeaders , and presented at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties conference. April is lead author of "Encouraging and Facilitating Research Opportunities for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses: The Role of the Chief Nursing Officer," published in May in JONA , was featured in Contemporary Clinic and presented "How the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Can Support You in Your Career: A Visit with President April Kapu, DNP'12, MSN'05," to VUSN students, alumni, faculty and staff. That month, she also presented the Vanderbilt Mobile Vaccine Program with an American Association of Nurse Practitioners award (covered by Nashville Post and Vanderbilt University Research News ). In June, she was quoted in the American Journal of Nursing , Contemporary Clinics and the Nashville Scene , and was recognized as one of Modern Healthcare's 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives . April was interviewed by Nurse.com in July regarding states with full practice authority. That month, she was on a Facebook Live panel called "A Conversation with Dr. Loretta C. Ford and Dr. April Kapu," hosted by Nurses Care Hub . In August, she spoke about monkeypox with Clinical Advisor Online , and was nominated for the Modern Healthcare 100 Most Influential People in Health Care list in September. April is author of "Nurse Practitioner Leadership Essential: Ensuring a Positive Onboarding Experience for New Nurse Practitioners," published in the September issue of The Journal of Nursing Administration , and co-author of "Promoting Adaptation in Female Inmates to Reduce Risk of Opioid Overdose Post-release through HOPE," in Nursing Science Quarterly in October. In December, she was interviewed by HealthLeaders and MedpageToday about issues affecting NPs. April was interviewed in a Vanderbilt Magazine article in February 2021 about the emotional impact of caring for COVID patients had on Vanderbilt University Medical Center providers. In March, she was a panelist for the VUSN Alumni Board's annual DNP Know Your Value, and for "Capturing APP Value: Industry Leaders Share Their Experiences," a webinar hosted by the Chartis Group. That April, she spoke before the Tennessee Nurse Practitioners Association and was a panelist for "Leadership in the Time of Coronavirus: Stories from the Top," part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum. She was also active in VUSN/VUMC's efforts to get COVID-19 vaccines to refugees, immigrants and other underserved communities in Nashville, which covered by Fox 17, Nashville Post, Nashville Scene, NewsChannel 5, Tennessean, Tennessee Tribune and WSMV. In July, April became president of AANP and VUSN's associate dean for clinical and community partnerships. The news was picked up by many outlets, including Fierce Healthcare, The Hill and The Tennessee Tribune. She co-presented, "Advanced Practice: State and Federal Updates," in July during VUMC Advanced Practice grand rounds, and, in October, gave the Viana McCown Lectureship hosted by the Center for Nursing Leadership at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing. Hers was the lead story in HealthLeaders; she appeared July to December in interviews by HealthLeaders, Wall Street Journal, WSMV, HealthTech, GoodRX, Advisory Board, Clinical Advisor, WRCB, HealthLeaders, Hematology Advisor, NewsChannel 9, Clinical Advisor, Vice and the Modern Medicaid Alliance website. In the fall, she was interviewed on a variety of nursing, staffing, COVID and health care topics, including 17 times in November around Nurse Practitioner Week. In September, she published "Patients are Choosing Nurse Practitioners as Their Primary Care Provider in Many Communities across the U.S.," in the Journal of Nursing Administration, and is lead author of "Development and Testing of an Advanced Practice Clinical Advancement Program within an Academic Medical Center," in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. An opinion piece April wrote about full practice authority in Tennessee was published in the Tennessean in May 2020. She was interviewed by Medical Ethics Advisor for "Burnout Prevention Is Central Ethical Concern for Hospitals," both that July. She presented "Crisis and DNP Opportunity: Practice and Policy during COVID," in October at the DNP Summit hosted by the University of Rochester School of Nursing, and co-authored "Developing and Expanding APRN and PA Teams," published by American Nurse in December. April received a Society of Critical Care Medicine Presidential Citation in February 2019, and presented "NP Value: Know Your Why and Know Your Worth," at the TNPA conference in March. She co-presented "Preventing Burnout," and "Deployment of NPs to Combat America's Opioid Crisis," at the AANP conference in June, and co-authored "Dedicated, Proactive, Nurse Practitioner Rapid Response Team Eliminating Barriers," published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, and "Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in Acute and Critical Care: A Concise Review of the Literature and Data 2008–2018," in Critical Care Medicine. April was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in October, and shared the spotlight with Dean Linda Norman to receive the American Association of Colleges of Nursing New Era for Academic Nursing Award for a partnership between VUSN and VUMC. She co-authored "Assessing and Addressing Practitioner Burnout: Results from an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Health and Well-being Study," published in November in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. In 2018, April was appointed by Governor Bill Haslam to the Tennessee Commission on Pain and Addiction Medicine Education. She was director of the VUMC Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Critical Care Bootcamp, and was published in VUMC's The Empowered Nurse: Peer-Reviewed Journal for Innovative VUMC Nursing Research , Volume 1, Issue 2. She received funding from the Fellows of the AANP to recruit participants and conduct an expanded advanced practice registered nurses Choosing Wisely collaborative study in 2017, and co-directed the sixth annual ACNP/PA Critical Care Boot Camp at VUMC that September. She co-presented "Optimized Efficiency and Effectiveness: Impact of an Academic Medical Center APRN Workflow Analysis," at the National Magnet Conference, and received the Tennessee Hospital Association's Clinical Nurse of Distinction Award, both in 2015.  

Cathy Karunaratne, MSN'13, is a clinician at AdventHealth's Center for Sleep Disorders in Central Florida (2020).

Rachel Kromer, MSN'13, co-authored "Imagining an Orientation Built on Trust," published in the January/February 2020 issue of the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, and was quoted in a December VUMC Reporter story about the Vanderbilt University Medical Center's biennial Nursing Staff Bylaws Convention, the first to be held virtually. She is an editorial board member of The Empowered Nurse: Peer-Reviewed Journal for Innovative VUMC Nursing Research and was published in its second issue in November 2018. 

Jessica Bell Luckman, MSN'13, is a women's health nurse practitioner at Providence Urogynecology Center in Medford, Oregon (2019).

Misti Lynn, MSN'13, started an integrative health practice, Halcyon Health of the Southwest, in Las Cruces, New Mexico (2018). 

Jasmyne Lyons, MSN'13, is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at Psychiatric Consultants of Tennessee in Clarksville, an outpatient facility serving primarily Tricare/military-based individuals. She also practices at Pennyroyal Community Mental Health Center in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, treating children and adolescents (2017).

Misti Martinez, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner with Gastroenterology and Hepatology Associates in Hendersonville, Tennessee (2018). 

Travis McCall, MSN'13, received the VUSN DAISY Award for Small Group Facilitator at the MSN Level in May 2022, and the Sara K. Archer Award from students in the VUSN Emergency Nurse Practitioner specialty in August. He is lead author of "Was Definitely Different Because They Were Kids: Caring for Patients from a School Shooting," published in the September/October issue of the Journal of Trauma Nursing. Travis received support from the VUSN Faculty Scholarship program in October 2021 for his project, "Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Peer Support Program for Vanderbilt LifeFlight." He published "Caring for Patients from a School Shooting: A Qualitative Case Series in Emergency Nursing," in the Journal of Emergency Nursing in September 2020, and presented a poster, "Caring for Patients from a School Shooting: A Qualitative Case Study in Emergency Nursing," at the 2019 Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nursing Research Day. Travis is an assistant professor at VUSN.

Sarah McGuire, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner at Stillwater Medical Center in Blackwell, Oklahoma, where she specializes in internal medicine for patients twelve years and older (2022).

Karen McIntosh, MSN'13, was recognized in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette in April 2020 for her new position on the board of WelcomeHealth in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was named vice president of care transition at Washington Regional Medical System in Fayetteville in 2017.

Maggie McLoughlin, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner at Centric Physicians in Boerne, Texas, where she provides psychiatric care for a mostly geriatric population in assisted living and skilled nursing facilities (2018). 

Mary Muchendu, MSN'13, DNP'15, was photographed for the June 2018 issue of Vanderbilt Magazine for an article about the university's 'Dores of Distinction program. 

Liz Munoz, MSN'13, DNP'21, was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, gave a workshop on her doctor of nursing practice project, "Clinical Pathways to Expanding Midwifery Care and Increasing Vaginal Birth for Individuals of Size," and co-presented, "Addressing Weight Bias in Clinical Conversations," at the ACNM conference in May 2022. She was featured by the Nashville Scene in January 2020 for a story about the Vanderbilt Volunteer Doula Program she and VUSN faculty started when she was a student, and where she is the nurse-midwifery liaison. She received the March of Dimes Tennessee Chapter Women's Health Nurse of the Year Award in December 2016.

Hilary Murphy, MSN'13, is a family nurse practitioner at STRIDE Community Health Center in Wheat Ridge, Colorado (2020).

Kaitlin Neary, MSN'13, moved to Austin, Texas, in November 2018, where she is a heart failure nurse practitioner at Seton Hospital, working on an inpatient heart failure team. 

Ken Nelson, MSN'11, DNP'13, moderated the VUSN Alumni Board's annual DNP Know Your Value in March 2021 and in April, was a panelist for "Leadership in the Time of Coronavirus: Stories from the Top," part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum. He was interviewed in January 2020 by WFRV about the early stages of coronavirus in the United States. He served as moderator for DNP Know Your Value that month, and was interviewed in September by Up North News about the rising number of COVID-19 cases in rural areas of Wisconsin. Ken is chief nursing officer at both HSHS Saint Vincent and Saint Mary's Hospitals in Green Bay.

Nicole Mercer, MSN'13, is a family nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife at Vanderbilt Nurse-Midwives Melrose and West End Women's Health Center. She was interviewed by My Southern Health in December 2018 for an article about the advantages of seeing a nurse practitioner. 

Joseph Ojibway, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner at Neighborhood Health in Nashville (2020).

Zoe Harran Panizzi, MSN'13, joined FirstHealth Behavioral Services in Southern Pines, North Carolina, as a nurse practitioner in February 2018.

Sam Paris, MSN'13, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Mercy Community Healthcare in Franklin, Tennessee (2016).

Brittany Powell, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner at Health Central Women's Care in Dallas (2016). 

Jacqueline Renner-Bangura, DNP'13, is owner and practitioner at Cape Sierra Family Clinic with her husband in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (2017).

Bethany Andrews Rhoten, MSN'09, PhD'13, co-authored "Association of Inventory to Measure and Assess imaGe Disturbance—Head and Neck Scores with Clinically Meaningful Body Image-related Distress among Head and Neck Cancer Survivors," published by Frontiers in Psychology in December 2022. She co-authored "Perceived Effects of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms on Functional Status in Early-stage Huntington Disease," published in February 2021 in the Western Journal of Nursing Research, and "Perceived Benefits of a Brief Acupuncture for Sleep Disturbances in Post-deployment Military Service Members," in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in March. She is lead author of "Impact of an LGBTQ Cultural Competence Training Program for Providers on Knowledge, Attitudes, Self-efficacy and Intensions," published in the Journal of Homosexuality in April. She co-authored "First Data from OUT: The National Cancer Survey of LGBTQ+ Survivors," published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in May, and "Acupuncture for Sleep Disturbances in Post-deployment Military Service Members: A Randomized Controlled Trial," published in Clinical Nursing Research, and "Factors Associated with Risk of Body Image-related Distress in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer," in JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery in July. Bethany is lead author of "A Qualitative Examination of Patient Priorities and Preferences during Treatment Decision-making for Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer," published in Supportive Care in Cancer in May 2020, and "Priorities and Preferences of Patients with Head and Neck Cancer for Discussing and Receiving Information about Sexuality and Perception of Self-report Measures," in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in August. She co-authored "Randomized Clinical Trial of a Legacy Intervention for Quality of Life in Children with Advanced Cancer," published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine in September, and "Measuring Functional Status in Huntington's Disease," published in Movement Disorders, and "Assessing Preferences in Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Phase I and II of Questionnaire Development," in Cancers, both in October. That month, VUSN announced that she is co-primary investigator for OUT: The National Cancer Survey, a research project to document experiences of LGBTQI+ people with cancer. Bethany was named one of three Valere Potter Distinguished Dean's Faculty Fellows at Vanderbilt in June 2019. That year, she received the Sexual Tipping Point Mental Health Award from the Sexual Medicine Society of North America and the MAP Education and Research Foundation, and co-authored "A Comparison of Symptoms among Patients with Head and Neck or Truncal Lymphedema and Normal Controls," published in Lymphatic Research and Biology. She received the March of Dimes Tennessee Chapter Nurse of the Year Award for research and was selected by VUSN doctoral students to receive the Dean Colleen Conway-Welch Award for PhD faculty, both in 2018. She was awarded an American Cancer Society grant in 2017 to investigate the impact of head and neck cancer treatment on a patient's sexuality. Bethany is an assistant professor at VUSN.

Helen Ramsey Rominiecki, MSN'13, joined the Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute at Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2019, as a nurse practitioner.   

Lydia Rotondo, DNP'13, was co-moderator of "Educators, Leaders and Nurses: Resetting Relationships," presented in April 2022 to VUSN students, alumni, faculty and staff. She is the associate dean for education and student affairs and director of the doctor of nursing program at the University of Rochester School of Nursing in New York and a member of the Systems-Based Practice Working Group of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.  

Michelle Ruslavage, MSN'10, DNP'13, was the moderator for "The American Indian Health Care Delivery System: How and Why it Works," in June 2021, part of the VUSN Dore to Door Alumni Forum, and a panelist for "Loan Repayment Programs: What Are They and How Do They Work?" hosted by the VUSN Alumni Board Mentoring Committee in July. She received the Alma Gault Award for Public Service presented by the VUSN Alumni Association during the school's annual awards ceremony in October 2020, and was deployed earlier in the year to operationalize and perform COVID-19 screenings in Massachusetts at the Boston Logan International Airport quarantine station. Michelle is a captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, a public health analyst with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an instructor at VUSN.

Denise Savage-Desai, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner at Vanderbilt Student Health, specializing in the care of young adults (2021).

Michele Sazama, DNP'13, is an adult nurse practitioner at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center Clinic in Gilbert, Arizona (2018). 

Laurel Kagan Schaefer, MSN'13, DNP'19, received the Patient Experience Award from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in November 2022.

Jessica Rogers Searcy, MSN'13, DNP'15, welcomed a baby in March 2018 and received the VUSN Sara K. Archer Excellence in Teaching Award from students in the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner specialty that year and in 2017.

John Shields, DNP'13, received the Clinical Excellence Award from Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia in Madison, in June 2016. He is a nurse anesthetist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Erin Black Shankel, MSN'03, PMC'13, was honored in May 2022 as one of 50 outstanding graduates of Belmont University School of Nursing in Nashville, where she is an associate professor and family nurse practitioner coordinator.

Lauren Barber Shurson, MSN'13, co-wrote "Development of an Interprofessional Home Healthcare Management Service within an Urban Housing Development," published in the September/October 2019 issue of Home Healthcare Now. She is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing in Tucson.

Rebecca Silvers, MSN'13, DNP'21, co-received a Best Abstract Honor at the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies conference in July 2022, where she presented a poster, "Capacity Building in Northern Laos: An Evaluation of the Pediatric Nursing Training Program at Laos Friends Hospital for Children." She is lead author of "Capacity Building in Low- and Middle-income Countries: The Essentials of Sustainable Education Programs," published in the August issue of The Nurse Practitioner . In September, Rebecca was named inaugural director of the Center for Global Nursing at the University of California San Francisco, where she is a pediatric neurosurgery and critical care nurse practitioner at the Benioff Children's Hospitals, and assistant clinical professor in the School of Nursing. She is lead author of "Capacity Building in Northern Laos: An Evaluation of the Pediatric Nursing Training Program at Laos Friends Hospital for Children," published in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine in November. Rebecca is VUSN's Founder's Medalist for 2021.

Megan Simmons, MSN'05, PMC'13, DNP'13, presented at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties conference in April 2022 and wrote "Older Adult Mental Health," for the May issue of Tennessee Nurse . She was named academic director of the VUSN psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner specialty, effective August, and was featured in Nurse.com in the article, "Mental Health Nursing Fast-growing Field with Diverse Possibilities," published in October. Megan co-presented, "Innovative Strategies for Optimizing Virtual Learning and Telehealth Simulation Experiences for PMHNP Students," at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association conference in October 2021. She welcomed babies in July 2020 and in March 2018. Megan spoke about mental and emotional health in older adults during Vanderbilt's January 2017 Boomers, Elders and More series, and earned the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association's first-ever Rising Star Award in August 2015.  

Edward Sizemore, DNP'13, is a family nurse practitioner for KentuckyOne Health Primary Care Associates in Clay City, and an instructor at University of Kentucky College of Nursing in Lexington (2018). 

Ben Small, MSN'13, is a research nurse at the Vanderbilt Center for Undiagnosed Diseases (2020).

Ebony Smith, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner at Regional One Health in Memphis, Tennessee, where she works in ambulatory and inpatient care for high-risk pregnancies (2020).

Jud Smith, MSN'13, received the 2020 VUSN Tradition Meets Innovation Award for Faculty in July 2020.

Andrea Sporck, MSN'13, is an in vitro fertilization nurse practitioner at Nashville Fertility Center (2020).

Shannon Morris Stevenson, BA'11, MSN'13, joined Emory University in Atlanta in September 2021 as an assistant professor in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She welcomed a baby in November 2020.

Meredith Stringer, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner in the neurosurgery section of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and an instructor in surgery at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, both in Lebanon, New Hampshire (2020).

Jennifer Tourville, MSN'13, DNP'16, is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Nursing (2020).

Dawn Vanderhoef, MSN'00, PMC'13, is co-author of "The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Nursing Staff Attitudes toward Patients Experiencing Homelessness and Mental Illness," published in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association in May 2021. She co-authored "Implementation of a Collaborative Smoking Cessation Referral Process in a Psychiatric Setting," published in the Journal for Interprofessional Education & Practice in March 2020, and received the VUSN Sara K. Archer Excellence in Teaching Award from the students in the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialty in August. Dawn presented "Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: A Treatment Team Approach," at the Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Association conference in March 2019. She was selected to participate in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's 2018 Leadership for Academic Nursing Program, and was interviewed about the role of neuropsychology nurses in mental health treatment that April on SiriusXM's Doctor Radio. She presented "Wait, What Mood Disorders are on a Spectrum? Identification of Mood Disorders in Primary Care," at the TNPA conference that year. Dawn received the Sara K. Archer Award in August 2017, was selected as a fellow of the American Association for Nurse Practitioners in 2016, and received the 2015 Award for Excellence in Education from the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.  

Jade Ward Vergara, MSN'13, received the Excellence in Community Service Award from the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, and support from the VUSN Faculty Scholarship Program for the project, "Examining Quality of Life in Older Adults Living Near a Rock Quarry in a Historically Black Community," both in September 2022. She received the Alma Gault Alumni Award for Public Service presented by the VUSN Alumni Association during the school's annual awards ceremony in October. Jade received the DAISY Award for Recognition of Small Group Facilitator at the PreSpecialty Level at VUSN in June 2021, and co-presented a poster, "Structured Debrief: From Theory to Integration," at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association annual conference in October. She is an instructor at VUSN.

Lauren Watts, MSN'13, is a nurse practitioner at Unity Medical Center in Antioch, Tennessee (2017).

Tim Wilson, MSN'13, DNP'14, is in the PhD program at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland as a William Randolph Hearst Scholar (2016). 

Briana Witherspoon, MSN'11, DNP'13, co-presented "Advanced Practice Fellowship: Supporting Transitions to Practice," at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in May 2018 during Aprilfest, and presented at the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Critical Care Bootcamp at VUMC that August. 

Kathy Davis Yoder, DNP'13, gave a presentation to the public in Bloomington in February 2019 about the effects of opioid abuse. She is the coroner for McLean County, Illinois.