"We have been on the front line, swabbing noses, giving more injections than we ever thought possible and serving as contact tracers for the campus."
Christine Benz Smith, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC Director, School of Nursing Chief Health Affairs Officer
director Christine Benz Smith
graphic designer Meghan Phillips
editor Gina Stafford
photographer Angela Foster
writers Shawn Ryan Chuck Wasserstrom
videographer Michael Andrews Jacob Cagle
creative director Stephen Rumbaugh
contact Chris-Smith@utc.edu
UTC is a comprehensive, community-engaged campus of the University of Tennessee System. UTC is an EEO/AA/Titles VI & IX/ Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution. E040950-001-22
letter from the director
I
t is hard to believe we have lived in a pandemic for almost two years and have weathered remarkable challenges. Some have lost loved ones and friends because of COVID-19. Some have experienced this disease firsthand, being isolated from family and friends. Others have been fortunate to “escape” infection all together. Our faculty has never experienced anything like this, so we are learning with our students. We have been on the front line, swabbing noses, giving more injections than we ever thought possible and serving as contact tracers for the campus. The continued presence of COVID has taken its toll on physical and mental health for many. We have tried to ensure that faculty, staff and students understand the need for recharging and downtime. We were able to take off the Labor Day weekend and fall break this year and realized what a gift each of those three-day vacations are. There are still great things happening. We are venturing into virtual reality with our nurse anesthesia students. The Virtual Dementia Tour is now offered in our undergraduate and graduate programs. The Nurse Practitioner Program has a new home in Davenport Hall with a suite for standardized patients which is dedicated to Dr. Richard Krause through a generous gift from Dr. Rebecca Corey. Our curriculum is changing from top to bottom. We enrolled our last master’s classes and are transitioning to the doctor of nursing practice. The Nurse Anesthesia concentration will enroll its first cohort in January 2022, and the Nurse Practitioner program will follow in August. The bachelor of science in nursing program will roll out a new curriculum in January 2023. We are all working toward incorporating the new Essentials from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, which were adopted in March. Thank you for taking the time to read this edition of On+Call. There are great things happening in the School of Nursing. Please come by and see what’s going on in the Metro Building.
