faculty profile

S. Cole Powers DNP, FNP-BC

Assistant Professor
VUSN Pride Faculty Support

Bio

Dr. Powers has 20 years experience in clinical practice and management experience, including a decade as APRN and clinic director at Planned Parenthood. Additionally, she started the first APRN-managed sexual assault service in Nashville at Metro General Hospital. She has been VUSN faculty for the past 18 years, with a teaching focus in Community Health and the professional development series. Her special interests are around health literacy, disparities, and outcomes in at-risk populations, as well as student learning outcomes using non-linear teaching methodologies. She has collaborated in numerous related poster presentations and published in The Journal of Nursing Education.

Dr. Powers serves as a pre-specialty student and faculty adviser, as well as a volunteer for Sigma Theta Tau International Honorary Nursing Society, Iota Chapter. She is a member of the American and Tennessee Nurses Associations and the National League for Nursing.

Education

DNP, University of Alabama at Birmingham
MSN, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
BSN, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

Certifications

Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, ANCC
American Heart Association, Basic Life Support

Current Research/Scholarly Interests

Improving teaching strategies utilizing non-linear learning theories
Empowering vulnerable populations toward appropriate healthcare decisions and healthier lifestyle behaviors

Academic Interests

Health disparities, health literacy, and outcomes in vulnerable populations
Aggregate-level client-centered, evidence-based quality improvement projects
Legal and ethical considerations within healthcare delivery
Leadership and politics/policy in nursing/healthcare

Representative Publications

Journals

Transitioning Community Health Clinical to an Online Format During Covid-19. Journal of Nursing Education. 2022; 61(3):159-161.

Simulated Home Visits to Promote Chronic Disease Management Competencies in Pre-Licensure Nursing Students, Nurse Educator Online Ahead of Print, June 2022.

Faculty-Led Role-Play Simulation: Going Live to Teach PCC to Nursing Students, Journal of Nursing Education, Vol 58, No 11, Nov 2019.

Representative Presentations

2021 - Home Visit Simulation to Promote Skill Acquisition and Competency for Pre-Licensure Nursing Students. Presented at NLN Conference, September 25, 2021; Baltimore, MD.
2019 - Non-pharmacological Sleep Improvement in Substance Use Disorder Recovery, TN Public Health Assn
2018 - Improving Health Literacy in A&D Addiction Population, TN Public Health Assn
2016 - Empowering International Adolescents Toward Healthier Lifestyles, TN Nurses Assn
2016 - Live Simulation To Enhance Clinical Reasoning In Pcc, TN Nurses Assn
2016 - Self Care Behaviors In An A&d Addiction Population, TN Public Health Assn
2015 - Determinants Of Health In The News, Vanderbilt Univ Medical Center
2013 - DNP Project - APRN SOP And National Morbidity/mortality Rates, Univ Of Alabama at Birmingham

Professional Organizations

American Nurses Association
National League for Nursing
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Nursing Society - Iota Chapter

Honors/Awards

2023 VUSN Award for Faculty Achievement in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion