Education

PhD, East Tennessee State University
MSN, University of North Carolina Greensboro
BSN, Appalachian State University
ADN, Caldwell Community College

Common Courses Taught

Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice
Transition to Professional Nursing
Clinical Reasoning
Informatics

Scholarly and Professional Achievements

My area of study is two-fold: nursing practice and nursing education. My research has centered on nursing education and nursing practice in rural Appalachia with the associated cultural influences and regional challenges. My clinical area of expertise is end-stage renal disease, a terminal condition resulting from kidney failure. My passion is teaching others the competencies and skills needed to care for others but, more importantly, the holistic focus on the client as an individual.

Institutional Service and Responsibilities

I currently serve as the assistant dean of Nursing, which includes traditional BSN, online RN-BSN, Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses (RIBN), and LPN-BSN RIBN students at Lees-McRae College. It is an honor to serve in this position as I am committed to the ongoing development and professional growth of registered nurses. I am an active member of faculty senate and the curriculum committee. I also serve as the faculty sponsor of the Student Nurse Association and the counselor of Omega Tau, the local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Personal Interests

I am committed to my family and church. My husband and I have two daughters and two grandchildren. We also have a three-year-old Brittany Spaniel who loves to play catch. In my spare time I like read, knit, cross-stitch, garden, hike, take pictures of the beauty all around me, and sleep!