Christine Benz Smith, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC Director, School of Nursing Chief Health Affairs Officer
“Being elevated to a college gives weight to this work, but it does not change our mission.”
Each year brings new milestones for nursing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and this one is defining. With action by the UT Board of Trustees and approval from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, we will be the College of Nursing—a distinction that reflects the scope, scale and outcomes of work that has been decades in the making. The excitement here is off the charts.
That momentum is visible across everything we touch. The Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building is rising on campus with simulated environments and capacity that will enable us to educate more nurses for a state that urgently needs them. The MobileMOC team continues putting care on the road—meeting older adults and caregivers where they are, while giving our students a front-row education in what access actually looks like.
You will see that same reach and purpose throughout this issue of On+Call. Our students are stepping into complex clinical settings with confidence. Our faculty are innovating in the classroom, in simulation and in the community. Our graduates are serving patients in the region, the state and beyond, and many begin their careers in the same hospitals and clinics where they trained.
Being elevated to a college gives weight to this work, but it does not change our mission. We remain committed to preparing practice-ready nurses who combine knowledge with compassion and meet patients at their most vulnerable moments.
Thank you for standing with us as we take this next step. It is a privilege to share these stories with you.
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
NEW FACES, SHARED PURPOSE
THE SCHOOL OF NURSING IS WELCOMING FIVE NEW TEAM MEMBERS THIS YEAR. With experience in EMS, anesthesia and advanced practice, they’re bringing fresh energy and real-world perspective to the classroom.
SUSAN
RODGERS
Clinical Assistant Professor
DR. GARRETT SALMON Assistant
Professor
SUSAN RODGERS holds a BSN from UTC, a master’s degree in nursing education from Western Governors University and a post-baccalaureate certificate in wound and ostomy care from Emory University. A Chattanooga resident since early childhood, Rodgers has worked in medical-surgical and mental health settings and became nationally certified in wound and ostomy care in 2013. Her decision to join the UTC faculty was shaped in part by her father’s long career in the UTC Department of Psychology.
“One lesson I try to pass on is to have confidence in what you’ve achieved, especially when you’re feeling discouraged,” she said.
DR. GARRETT SALMON holds dual undergraduate degrees in nursing and political science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia from Northeastern University and a DNP from Walden University. A practicing CRNA and captain in the U.S. Air Force, Salmon brings a combination of clinical experience and military service to the classroom. He was drawn to teaching after realizing he could extend his impact by preparing future providers.
“I felt I could affect more positive change in the world by training the next generation, who would then go out and positively affect the lives of thousands of other patients throughout their careers,” he said.
DAVID THOMPSON earned a bachelor’s degree in emergency medical services administration from Columbia Southern University and an associate degree in health sciences from Volunteer State Community College. He has worked as a paramedic and EMS instructor across Tennessee and Georgia and has clinical experience in emergency departments at Erlanger and Parkridge hospitals. At UTC, Thompson focuses on hands-on instruction in the skills lab and emphasizes critical thinking and adaptability.
“In health care, situations are rarely straightforward,” he said. “There will often be gray areas that require innovation to navigate successfully.”
DR. LASHON WARREN Assistant Professor
DR. LASHON WARREN has been a nurse for 27 years and a CRNA for more than 18. She earned a BSN with a minor in social welfare from the University of Alabama, a master’s degree in nursing from both the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Samford University, and a DNP from UAB. She also holds certificates in project management and nurse education. Warren provided anesthesia care at UAB Hospital—a Level I trauma and burn center—and served on several committees focused on peer support. She brings expertise in quality improvement, simulation and evidence-based care.
“Teaching keeps me learning new technology and keeping my practice current,” she said. “I believe in lifelong learning.”
LINDSEY ZWART
Clinical Faculty
LINDSEY ZWART earned a BSN from Calvin College and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Cincinnati. Her experience spans critical care, primary care and advanced practice roles, with a recent return to full-time teaching after working as a nurse practitioner. Zwart has taught in accelerated BSN programs and worked with nursing students as a preceptor and clinical instructor. She encourages students to connect their personal experiences to their growth as professionals.
“Each student has a background and story that shapes who they are and the type of nurse they can become,” she said.
DAVID THOMPSON Skills Lab Assistant
We Our Veterans
The UTC School of Nursing is proud to highlight the veterans in our community — the students, alumni and faculty whose service didn’t end with the military.
1ST LT. TERRY ELLIS
Georgia Army National Guard
Assistant Professor of Practice, ABSN Program
DNP Candidate ’26,
MBA Candidate ’26
From combat zones to classrooms, they’ve turned their hard-won experience into strength for patients and future nurses.
Terry Ellis thrives on juggling multiple missions at once. The Ringgold, Georgia, native teaches in the ABSN program, runs his own medical device start-up, serves as a first lieutenant in the Georgia Army National Guard, and is pursuing two graduate degrees. Simultaneously.
The DNP was a natural next step for Ellis. The MBA was a different choice that he said gives him the perspective to see how every business decision shapes patient care.
He said the discipline and calm he channels in uniform are the same qualities that strengthen his teaching. “The military’s emphasis on missionreadiness translates directly to nursing education, preparing students for challenging situations where quick thinking saves lives.”
U.S. Army
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
BSN Class of ’24
At Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Arabella Durby steps into some of the most challenging cases in military medicine. It’s the kind of assignment she once only imagined as an undergrad in Chattanooga.
Durby made it happen through nursing school and ROTC, combining both for a career that’s equal parts purpose and service.
“Free college” and a top-ranked nursing program sealed the deal, she said with a laugh. But her choice ran deeper.
UTC’s emphasis on empathy, communication and research has given her the foundation to thrive in both medicine and the military, she said.
“UTC not only helped me be a better nurse but a better person,” said Darby, who graduated from Ooltewah High School in 2020.
“My goal is to just become a wellrounded, competent nurse.”
At 33 years old, Tim Lott brings the perspective of a veteran to his nursing studies. A former staff sergeant in the Air Force, he served from 2012 to 2018 with deployments in Afghanistan and across Southwest Asia before turning to nursing.
“The leadership and attention to detail I learned in the military translate directly into nursing, especially at the DNP level where you’re expected to lead,” he said.
Born in Guatemala City to missionary parents, Lott returned to the U.S. at 17 and later enlisted in the Air Force. After six years of service, he turned to the profession he had long considered. Watching his wife flourish as a nurse practitioner confirmed it was the right path.
With an advanced degree in progress as a nurse anesthetist, Lott is moving into the next phase of a career built on service, precision and care.
SSG TIM LOTT
U.S. Air Force
Current DNP Student
BSN Class of ’20
SSG WARREN SHIPLEY
U.S. Army
ICU Nurse
BS Chemistry ’09, BSN Class of ’19
Warren Shipley split his UTC years between chemistry labs and the cheerleading squad, but it was ROTC that would set his course. A year after graduating with his chemistry degree, he enlisted as a combat medic in the Army.
Over the next six years, Shipley deployed to Afghanistan twice, earned the Combat Medical Badge, completed Air Assault School and achieved the rank of staff sergeant before medically separating from the service in 2016. He eventually returned to UTC to study nursing and continue serving in a different way. Shipley earned Dean’s List honors in four of his five semesters and credits his success to the professors who believed in him.
Today, Shipley is an ICU nurse who has cared for patients in critical care units in Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and Connecticut.
2ND LT. ARABELLA DURBY
U.S. Army
ICU Nurse, 75th Ranger Regiment
BSN Class of ’20
In May 2023, Capt. Josiah Tuch stood on the field at Fort Benning in Georgia as the first Army Nurse Corps officer ever to graduate from Ranger School. It was a milestone reflecting both his grit and his commitment to caring for people.
A Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native, Tuch graduated from nursing school just as COVID-19 overwhelmed hospitals. While waiting to attend the Army’s Basic Officer Leader Course, he spent nearly a year working as a civilian nurse before reporting to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. Within two years, he was selected as executive officer for a 625-soldier company, a testament to his leadership skills as an Army officer and military nurse.
“UTC prepared me for the clinical side and ROTC prepared me for the Army side,” he said.
Tuch plans to begin the Army’s Graduate Program to earn the DNP in Nurse Anesthesia at Baylor University, continuing a career that blends the highest forms of discipline and compassion.
SGT. MATTHEW VEDDER
U.S. Army Rangers
DNP, CRNA, Erlanger Baroness
BSN ’17, DNP ’24
On three combat tours in Afghanistan, former Army Ranger Matthew Vedder learned that in life-or-death moments, survival came down to the people around him.
Now a nurse anesthetist, he brings that hard-won perspective to the OR, where — as in combat — every second counts and the margin of error is razor-thin.
A South Dakota native and two-time UTC graduate, Vedder recognized in the UTC nursing community the same spirit of trust, teamwork and reliability that carried him through combat.
“Valuing the people that you work with is paramount,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate to work with and learn from exceptional people who’ve pushed me to increase my performance capabilities and become a better human and provider.”
CAPT. ROSEBELLE PETERS
U.S. Army
Senior Lecturer, Simulation Coordinator
DNP, MBA, RN
During her decade-long military career, UTC Senior Lecturer Dr. Rosebelle Peters practiced nursing in some of the Army’s most demanding environments. The rules, the hierarchy and the unrelenting pressure pushed nursing’s already high standards even higher.
“I came away with more confidence and a take-charge attitude,” said Peters, who joined the UTC faculty in 2012. “Those lessons made me a better person and a better educator.”
Now she channels that discipline into UTC’s simulation curriculum and accreditation, building high-stakes scenarios that train students to think fast and act with precision.
“It’s rewarding to watch students build confidence and teamwork as they master their skills,” Peters said.
CAPT. JOSIAH TUCH
Garrett Salmon grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, certain he would join the military.
Every generation of his family had served since World War I; his father was a Vietnam veteran. At 20, he was ready to sign his Air Force papers when his older brother needed a kidney. Salmon was the best match.
Forgoing his dream to save his family “wasn’t even a choice,” he said.
That decision sidelined his commission for nearly 20 years. But at age 40, Salmon finally raised his right hand and joined the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps. Alongside his service, he built a career in nurse anesthesia and discovered a passion for teaching, guiding future nurses both in the classroom and the operating room.
Asked what he hopes students take away from his journey, Salmon doesn’t hesitate: “Improvise, adapt, overcome. Almost no goal is unattainable.”
Throughout her career in the Navy Nurse Corps, Dr. Susan Thul served at bases where signal flags flew with the motto “Charlie Golf One” — Standing By, Ready to Assist.
For her, it was more than a Navy Medicine motto, she said. During her service, she learned that nursing demands both care and leadership.
The lesson, she said, has shaped her teaching at UTC for the past 13 years.
“My military service was the catalyst for advocacy — for my profession, my patients and my community,” Thul said.
Thank
CAPT. GARRETT SALMON
U.S. Air Force
Assistant Professor, CRNA CHI Memorial DNA, CRNA
COMMANDER SUSAN THUL (RETIRED)
U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, 1991–2012, Associate Professor DNP, APRN, CNM
CHRISTINE MACIAS AND DOUGLAS WILSON AREN’T NEW TO BEING NEWCOMERS.
This fall, they entered the first cohort of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program at UTC, a concentration within the Doctor of Nursing Practice program. In January 2024, they were among the first Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) students at UTC when they enrolled as part of the program’s second cohort.
Dr. Jason Peter, Mary B. Jackson assistant professor and coordinator of the PMHNP program, said their path highlights how UTC is addressing urgent health care needs.
“The accelerated program really helped speed them through the process to get to the graduate-level program,” Peter said. “They’ve already had a bachelor’s degree in something, and they knew that they wanted to be a nurse and a psychiatric nurse practitioner. They’re motivated and driven, and they can take all of their life experience and apply that clinically.
“With the rising mental health concerns in our society, coupled with the retiring of psychiatrists, mental health nurse practitioners are going to be in great need—and it’s just going to continue to increase.”
For Macias, it was her experience working in a nail salon that inspired her to join the PMHNP program.
“Being in the beauty industry and dealing with clients for 24 years that I see on a two-week to monthly basis, I just built a relationship with those people,” Macias said. “Mental health is huge when it comes to quality of life. I was with a lot of those women through all of their experiences.”
That role as a listener and confidante shaped her interest in mental health, but her family life provided even more motivation. A mother of four, she recently learned her four-year-old son has attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder.
“I was like, ‘This is going to be a good opportunity for me to learn how to deal with this and to help others have access to the right resources, whether it be medication and/or behavioral therapy,’” she said.
Macias said her education is giving her the tools to better support her son and other families facing similar challenges. Working third shift at Parkridge Valley Hospital’s child and adolescent campus has deepened her understanding of children dealing with behavioral and emotional issues.
She hopes to one day pursue a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry.
“My son was my inspiration,” she said. “Going through the ABSN program and now the PMHNP program feels like the right path because it gives me the knowledge to help my own family and to help other parents who are facing the same challenges.”
For Wilson, the decision to join the PMHNP program was rooted in a long-standing interest in psychology.
“I’ve always been curious about people, probably more so than I am about organ systems and enzymes,” Wilson said. “I knocked the idea around going back to school as a counselor, but there’s something about having a nursing degree and working in nursing that I just think is more stable and offers you more opportunities.”
Born and raised in New Jersey, Wilson built his early career in clinical research. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, he worked at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York as a project manager overseeing National Institutes of Health-funded studies in kidney and liver transplant, then moved into financial operations at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
By 2021, he was ready for a change of pace. During a cross-country road trip, he made a stop in Chattanooga.
“I thought it was a cool-looking town,” he said. “Everything’s very accessible. People are friendly...It’s just got a perfect balance.”
Not long after, Wilson discovered the UTC ABSN program, which offered him a direct path into nursing and, eventually, the PMHNP program.
“I was very close to going to medical school, but a couple of life things popped up at the time that kind of derailed my path,” he said.
“Years later, the idea of nursing entered my brain because I still had that med school itch.
“Nursing is more flexible and there’s a wide variety of things you can do quicker.”
Wilson said the accelerated pace of the ABSN program helped prepare him for the expectations of graduate study.
“I think the (ABSN) program prepared me very well for this,” he said. “Being in the first PMHNP class feels like the right next step.”
AI is transforming health care—and UTC nursing faculty are teaching students to lead the change
LAUREL RHYNE remembers the very first time she heard about generative artificial intelligence.
It was December 18, 2022. She was listening to a National Public Radio story in her car while crossing the Market Street Bridge.
“The focus was all on plagiarism and what it was going to do for higher ed,” explained Rhyne, an associate lecturer in the UTC School of Nursing.
“What I saw was so much more.
“Our whole world is going to change.”
Much of Rhyne’s instruction revolves around teaching critical care, palliative care and leadership, all topics in which AI can be incorporated.
“What I’ve been really focused on is helping students to understand different ways to approach it from study techniques and how they can interface with it in non-scary ways,” she said.
“I also teach a class during their leadership that goes through the history of AI and what some
of the exciting things are in health care that are going to be coming—and also some of the scary things that might happen.”
That’s right. Rhyne said AI isn’t without risks. What scares her the most?
“The fact that AI may become sentient,” she said, adding that algorithms are already teaching themselves and finding their own mistakes.
She noted that environmental impact and algorithm bias are also growing concerns.
“I’m excited for the safety aspects of it,” Rhyne said about AI. “There’s human error in medicine and this will take out some of that. I’m not excited about the bias that’s there, and the bias is real.”
A lot of her students are hesitant about the technology as well, she said.
When she asks students if they use AI, most admit they’ve only used it to make study guides. Rhyne sees that as an opportunity.
“My focus is to help them have a safe interface because they’re very afraid of it,” she said. “They are not early adopters in technology. That’s not their gig.”
Rhyne said she sees enormous potential for AI to ease some of the biggest challenges in nursing.
“We don’t have as many providers coming out. We don’t have enough nurses,” she said. “I think using AI in workflow will bridge some of that gap that we are never going to fill.”
She’s especially hopeful about emerging tools like ambient listening systems, which are already being tested in hospitals.
“They’re actually starting to build it into the walls,” Rhyne said. “Instead of us having to chart and document and do all the things, it is listening and
picking up and understanding those components that need to go into documentation.”
That shift could reduce burnout, she said, freeing nurses to spend more time with patients.
It’s even helping them build empathy.
“They can see how their response is not good and they can learn it in the classroom,” she said. “Getting that feedback, seeing it for themselves and being able to adjust—what an incredible gift for the patients they’ll care for in those difficult moments.”
While Rhyne introduces undergraduates to AI as a concept, Clinical Assistant Professor Chris Doneski brings AI to life in UTC’s graduate nursing curriculum.
When he arrived on campus two years ago, simulation was already part of the acute care nurse practitioner program. Drawing from his doctoral research on using simulation with nursing residents, Doneski began expanding the role of technology.
He credited a presentation at the Tennessee Simulation Alliance conference that sparked some ideas. The speaker demonstrated how an AI program could act as a pediatric oncology patient and parent, helping students practice with sensitive communication.
“That’s where the idea really started to grow,” Doneski said.
Since then, AI has become an essential tool in simulation at UTC.
HAL® S5301—a Gaumard-produced manikin described as the world’s most advanced interdisciplinary patient simulator—uses custom software designed by Doneski to “interact” with the student nurses.
In one scenario, it took the form of a patient with chest pain.
“They go in, have a conversation, they assess, and through the AI program, they’re able to hold conversations just like you would with a regular patient,” Doneski explained.
Then, the students move on to procedural simulations where the “patient” suddenly deteriorates and requires intubation.
The AI evaluates whether students place the breathing tube correctly, monitors depth, and provides proper ventilation. When a procedure causes a complication, the AI adjusts the manikin’s lung function to mimic the problem, forcing students to intervene.
“Health care every year becomes more complex,” Doneski said. “Patients are living longer, they’re becoming sicker. Utilizing AI can help as far as helping their clinical acumen and keeping them comfortable with stuff that they’ve already used.”
The technology, he said, aligns with what students are seeing in hospitals. Some radiology departments use AI programs to quickly scan CT images for brain bleeds or blood clots. By the time UTC nursing students graduate, many will be working alongside AI in the workforce.
Doneski said the results are noticeable.
“AI is here whether we like it or not,” he said. “Students are already using it to study or get suggestions, so having it in simulation makes the experience more familiar. Seeing that fit into place with the simulations they’re doing lends a bit of familiarity.”
Rhyne said her goal is to make sure students see themselves as part of the conversation about where AI is headed in health care.
“I have a healthy fear with an understanding that this is our life and it will continue to impact and grow,” Rhyne said. “We have to grow with it. If you don’t have a fear and aren’t learning about it, you won’t know where those guardrails have to come up.
“Health care is going to be the most altered discipline of everything out there. You better know it so that you can have a seat at the table. Who better to be at that table than us?”
IN A REGION WHERE HEALTH CARE ACCESS CAN BE MILES AWAY BOTH literally and financially, the MobileMOC clinic brings health care right to people’s hometowns.
Launched by the UTC School of Nursing, this clinic on wheels visits senior centers and rural communities, giving older adults a chance to meet with health professionals without having to travel far from home. In just a few months, the
clinic has already made regular stops in Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie counties.
Here’s what some of the professionals behind the MobileMOC say about the work they do.
MobileMOC Operator
AQInterprofessional Education and Practice Coordinator
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH MOBILEMOC, AND WHAT DOES A TYPICAL CLINIC DAY LOOK LIKE?
[JOSH] I’m the operator of the mobile clinic. When I get on campus, I do a safety inspection before it ever leaves. I check the tires, make sure there’s water, and double-check everything. Becky Miller, our nurse practitioner, rides with me, so we load up computers and supplies, then head to the site. Once we arrive, we set up the exam table and registration, then the rest of the team gets ready for patients.
[MEAGAN] I coordinate students from different disciplines—nursing, the nurse practitioner program, occupational therapy, music therapy, nutrition and even business. As an occupational therapist, I also work directly with patients on fine motor skills, memory, vision and daily tasks like cooking or getting dressed. Typically, the nurse practitioner sees the patient first. If she identifies OT, nutrition or social work needs, I help set up referrals using available students or faculty.
MobileMOC RN
[LILI] I’m the registered nurse on the bus. I support the nurse practitioner by gathering the patient’s history, medications and chief complaint. I take vitals and help narrow down the reason for the visit. I also do blood pressure screenings and loan out cuffs we received from the American Heart Association. I teach patients how to track their numbers and schedule them for follow-ups. I run point-of-care testing like blood sugar and cholesterol checks, and I help follow up on referrals if patients are sent to specialists.
AQHOW DO YOU SEE YOUR WORK CONTRIBUTING TO MOBILEMOC’S MISSION?
[JOSH] I keep it on the road. If I see a problem, I try to fix it before it becomes an issue. Dr. Kristi Wick told me a high percentage of mobile clinics miss appointments due to breakdowns. Since we started in February, we haven’t missed a day. That’s something I’m proud of.
[MEAGAN] Our mission is to improve the health and wellness of older adults, and my work brings all the moving parts together. I help identify needs— whether it’s memory, blood pressure, nutrition or even something like not having running water—and connect patients to the right services. We’re also a University. The mobile unit has the Power C on it, and students are at the heart of this. Faculty have limited time, but students get to demonstrate their skills, build confidence and learn how to work on an interprofessional team. We’re helping older adults and students at the same time.
JOSH EPPERSON
MEAGAN OSLUND
LILI REYNOLDS
AQA[LILI] Most of the older adults we see are medically complex. They’ve had surgeries, more chronic illnesses. Appointments are short—30 minutes for new patients, 15 for return. If the nurse practitioner spends that time reviewing their meds and history, there’s not much time left for assessment. I help streamline that so we can focus on the important stuff, like the ‘5Ms’: mobility, mind, medications, what matters most and multi-complexity. Those screenings take time, and most primary care clinics don’t have the capacity. But we do.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING PART OF THE JOB SO FAR?
[JOSH] At first, I thought I’d just be driving a clinic, but I didn’t realize how much of a difference it would make. We’ve seen people who didn’t have any health care at all. In Bradley County, a neighbor brought in a caregiver who had no support. Dr. Wick said, “We’ve done a good thing today.” That really stuck with me.
[MEAGAN] This summer, we had a public health student who was nervous at her first health fair, and she only collected one survey. By the end, she was confidently starting conversations and gathering everything she needed. Watching students grow like that has been the most rewarding part for me.
[LILI] We had someone come in who hadn’t seen a doctor in over 20 years. Just being able to bring free care to their neighborhood and help people who might not otherwise get seen. That’s huge.
AQWHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING PART OF THE JOB SO FAR?
[JOSH] I’d love to see it grow so much that we need another one. There are still counties we haven’t reached and I hope we keep expanding.
[MEAGAN] I hope we can have a consistent interprofessional team each clinic day—an OT student, a nursing student, a social work student, and more. There are challenges, but the more people see what we do, the easier it will be to make that happen.”
[LILI] Sustainability. There’s clearly a need, and I hope this continues long-term. Access to care in rural areas is a real problem. This program is making a difference and I want to see it grow.
Take an online tour of the MobileMOC mobile clinic. Scan here!
BUILDING A WORKFORCE CONTINUUM
WITH TENNESSEE and its neighboring states facing persistent shortages of nurses and advanced practice providers, the UTC School of Nursing is taking a long view of the state’s health care needs—shaping a workforce pipeline that stretches from undergraduate preparation to advanced clinical practice.
That work is supported by three active, multiyear awards from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Each grant backs a different stage of nursing education; together, they strengthen UTC’s ability to prepare practiceready graduates who are filling critical gaps in hospitals, clinics and rural communities across the region.
The initiatives span the workforce continuum.
Dr. Brooke Epperson’s AHEAD-RN grant is enhancing undergraduate training through advanced simulation experiences; Dr. Amber Roaché’s Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) program is preparing family nurse practitioner students to serve rural and underserved populations; and Dr. Linda Hill’s Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship is supporting students in a field vital to patient care across the state.
UTC’s Nurse Anesthesia program has been preparing Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists for more than 50 years.
“This program has been in existence since 1972, first through Erlanger Medical Center as a certificate-based program,” said Hill, a professor and coordinator of the nurse anesthesia
concentration. “We have a strong history here in this community of educating CRNAs—and we have a national reputation.”
That reputation is built on results. The program attracts more than 400 applicants each year for 33 available seats, Hill said, “and our students all have jobs when they graduate. We have a 100% employment rate.”
The impact is felt across the region. In addition to the Chattanooga-area hospitals, students rotate through rural sites such as the Rhea Medical Center in Dayton, Tennessee, and Ascension Saint Thomas in Winchester, Tennessee, gaining hands-on experience in health professional shortage areas.
Many graduates stay in Tennessee and the surrounding region, helping address persistent workforce needs in both metropolitan hospitals and rural community clinics.
“Our students go out as graduates and are our best ambassadors,” she said.
While UTC’s anesthesia graduates are stepping into critical roles across the state, another effort is aimed at expanding access to primary care. Family nurse practitioners trained at UTC are increasingly filling positions once held by physicians, particularly in rural and under-served communities where health outcomes are often the lowest.
That effort is strengthened through the ANEW program led by Dr. Amber Roaché, an associate professor and coordinator of the
nurse practitioner concentration. Thanks to the federal grant, the School of Nursing provides traineeships, simulation training and extended clinical placements that help students transition directly into practice.
Roaché said the grant “emphasizes both clinical readiness and understanding the barriers patients face outside the exam room.” The curriculum addresses social determinants of health, “such as housing, transportation and income, factors that often determine whether patients can follow through with care.”
“Students are trained to recognize challenges and adapt their approach, and they are prepared to meet patients where they are,” Roaché said. “That makes a difference for families across this region.”
By graduation, UTC’s FNP students complete more than 1,000 hours of clinical practice, well above the national minimum. They rotate through community sites across the region—from large hospital systems to small private practices— preparing to serve patients across the lifespan.
For undergraduate students, the path to the nursing workforce is being strengthened through AHEAD-RN, a three-year project led by Epperson, the associate director of the School of Nursing and undergraduate program coordinator.
The grant is simulation-based, designed to ensure UTC’s BSN and ABSN graduates are ready to care for patients in complex and often underserved settings.
“Our grant is primarily focused on making sure that our graduates are practice-ready in three specific patient care areas or patient populations: homeless, mental health and the aging populations,” Epperson said. “Using simulated patient actors—trained individuals who portray patients in real-life scenarios—students gain experience navigating difficult conversations, unconscious bias and end-of-life care.”
Epperson said that while the simulations target specific skills, the larger impact is on the nursing workforce continuum. By giving undergraduates these experiences early, UTC is building a stronger pipeline of nurses prepared to meet the needs of diverse patient populations.
“At the core, it’s all about reaching the community and how we can serve the community better,” she said. “Even though our grants have different deliverables, at the foundational level, that’s what all of our grants in the School of Nursing are working toward—having that presence and letting the communities know that they have a resource with UTC.”
SISTERS AMBER HONEA AND ALEXIS
MURRAY have found their place helping others.
The UTC alums are working as nurses for their respective hospitals in Chattanooga. Honea, who received a BSN from UTC in 2014 and an MSN in 2021, is an acute care nurse practitioner with the pulmonology and critical care department at Erlanger Hospital.
Murray, who earned a BSN in 2019, is currently enrolled in the DNP program and is on pace to graduate in spring 2026. She works at CHI Memorial Hospital as an ICU floating nurse.
LIVESSAVINGSISTERS
“I always knew I wanted to do something in medicine because I’ve enjoyed helping people ever since I was young,” Honea said. “I first started out wanting to be a Life Flight nurse after my middle sister Alexis was life-flighted as a baby. I thought it was a really cool experience.
“I really love helping people. I found my niche.”
Both realized their passion for helping people on visits to the hospital for family emergencies.
AMBER HONEA (LEFT) ALEXIS MURRAY (RIGHT)
PHOTO COURTESY OF AMBER HONEA
? WHERE ARE THEY NOW
A year into their careers, UTC’s first Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) grads are hitting their stride
WHEN UTC LAUNCHED ITS FIRST ABSN COHORT in 2023, the 16 students who enrolled knew it would be demanding. The program compressed the traditional four-year degree into just three semesters—twelve months of lectures, labs, clinicals and studying at full speed.
Now, a year after crossing the finish line, those graduates have passed their boards and stepped into some of the most intense health care environments in Tennessee.
Two of the graduates, Katelyn Nash and Sierra Davis, say the program didn’t just prepare them for nursing; they said it gave them the discipline and confidence to thrive from day one after graduating.
JUGGLING “HEALTHY FEARS” AND THE NIGHT SHIFT
Soon after graduating, Nash got a job working in the surgical intensive care unit at Erlanger Baroness Hospital, where her team often shares patients with the neuro and shock trauma units.
“It’s an intense job,” said the Chickamauga, Georgia, native. “You’re responsible for keeping someone alive and making sure you don’t miss anything. Things like strokes or vascular changes can happen so quickly. You can’t ever assume you’ve got it all figured out.”
She calls that awareness a “healthy fear,” something she began developing in nursing school.
“I’ve fallen in love with the constant learning in the ICU,” Nash said. “Every patient is different, every surgery is different, and you can’t ever walk in thinking you know exactly what’s going to happen. That perspective really started at UTC.”
Much of that mindset came from Assistant Professor of Practice Terry Ellis, also an officer in the Georgia Army National Guard. A longtime trauma and ICU nurse known for his lunchtime
“Terry Talks,” Ellis said: “A lot you can learn from a book, but when you’re in the room making life-ordeath decisions, it doesn’t always go by the book.”
Nash said those extra lessons left a lasting mark.
“The wisdom Professor Ellis passed on sticks with me every day,” she said.
Even with that foundation, the demands of her first year have been intense.
“Night shift is brutal,” she said. “I didn’t realize how much it would affect me physically and emotionally. I’ve had to get really meticulous about sleep—blackout curtains, no caffeine after midnight, magnesium glycinate before bed.
“As tough as the nights are, I wouldn’t trade this job. It’s where I’m meant to be, and every shift reminds me of that.”
Married just before entering the ABSN program, Nash said her husband also helps keep her balanced.
“Our schedules are opposite a lot of the time, but he’s met me where I’m at,” she said. “We even got a dog a little earlier than we planned because we don’t get to see each other a lot.”
She wouldn’t trade her job in the ICU for anything but admits it has affected her perspective on life.
“You can’t see what we see and not be changed,” Nash said. “You realize how fast life can turn. It makes me think about how to prevent people from ending up here in the first place. Long-term, I’d love to help people build healthier lives before the ICU.”
Both are thriving in critical care, shaping the next wave of nurses, and carrying UTC’s reputation into hospitals across Tennessee.
INSPIRED BY THE RESILIENCE OF KIDS
Soon after graduating, Davis got a job at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native had previously worked in a pediatric outpatient clinic after earning her undergraduate degree in exercise science at UTC in 2021. It foreshadowed her future in pediatric nursing, she said.
“I’ve known since a young age that my purpose was to serve children,” Davis said. “I’ve always had a passion for working in the pediatric setting.
“The ABSN program at UTC prepared me so well. Doing nursing school in one year required me to learn quickly and pay attention to detail. Both the program and this first year pushed me in ways I never expected.”
Every shift in the pediatric intensive care unit is different.
“We see everything. Burns, trauma, severe respiratory issues, chronic illnesses,” Davis said. “It’s fast-paced and requires precise intervention. That intensity feels like a continuation of what I learned in UTC’s ABSN program, where you have to pick things up quickly and pay close attention.”
Davis has already stepped into leadership. “When I started orientation, I was just trying to keep up,” she said. “Now I’m precepting new nurses. I’m in awe of how much I’ve learned.”
Working with children has been especially meaningful. “Their resilience is incredible,” she said. “The tragedies I’ve seen, and then to watch kids go home after all that, it’s amazing and so rewarding.”
BUILT FOR RIGHT NOW
Named the best in Tennessee by Nursing.org, UTC’s nursing program offers several tracks: a traditional four-year BSN, the one-year ABSN, an online RN-to-BSN and six Doctor of Nursing Practice concentrations.
The accelerated track was designed for students like Nash and Davis—graduates from other fields ready to move quickly into nursing. The program requires 59 credit hours, including 21 in clinical settings. The content mirrors the traditional BSN, but is delivered in just one year.
The rigor is intentional, Ellis said.
“It’s labor intensive,” he explained. “These students already have experience in other areas of life, and that makes them better at processing information when things are moving fast.”
For Nash, the ABSN prepared her to step straight into the intensity of a surgical ICU and start building the discipline and perspective she’ll carry into a long career in health care.
For Davis, it sharpened the skills she needed to pursue her calling in pediatrics and grow quickly into a leader at Vanderbilt.
Both are thriving in critical care, shaping the next wave of nurses, and carrying UTC’s reputation into hospitals across Tennessee.
Their journeys show exactly what UTC had in mind when it launched the ABSN—fast, rigorous preparation for nurses at a moment when communities need them most.
