Frederick Kendall Sawyers has dedicated his life to the service of others, both as a health care professional and a military officer. After graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Sawyers embarked on a career that has spanned over 27 years and continues to make an impact.
Initially aspiring to be a pharmacist, Sawyers changed his career trajectory when he joined the US Air Force and became a military medic.
“This is where I had my first real contact with what nurses were doing as a career,” he said. “As a military medic I had an advantage because I was able to gain certain skills that even some nursing students did not have the privilege of doing or seeing.”
That experience ignited his passion for nursing, leading him to return to UT and enroll in the nursing program.
“My time in the nursing program seemed fast paced and busy, but I felt like I was being prepared for the operational nursing world and also being set up to perform well on my nursing boards,” said Sawyers.
He credits the faculty members at the college for helping him become a caring, compassionate, and competent professional.
“We were taught to be critical thinkers and to be prepared each day to perform in a way that made you a valuable member of the health care team, and I still carry that with me today,” he said. “We were given the skills of how to prepare, how to critically analyze and think about the disease process, and how to view your patient holistically and completely, accounting for all the needs the patient might have.”
Following graduation, Sawyers went on to spend 24 years and 24 days in the Air Force. Eight of those years were active duty and wartime services.
“I was assigned to a fixed-wing aeromedical evacuation unit and responsible for taking care of injured and wounded soldiers, sailors, and airmen from all branches of our military as a flight nurse in the Air Force,” he said. “It has been the most rewarding part of my nursing career.”
As Sawyers reflects on his career and some of its most impactful moments, he immediately jumps to the opportunity to care for wounded troops in war.
“It’s a completely different type of care, as you are taking care of people who have signed up to put their life on the line. So every mission is emotional, and you feel compelled to do things that seem humanly impossible to get that soldier back home to his family,” he said.
Sawyers retired from the Air Force in October 2016 as a lieutenant colonel. He currently works at the VA Medical Center in Nashville as a charge nurse in the cardiac catheterization lab.
Throughout his career, Sawyers has remained committed to compassionate patient care—even during the most trying times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you want to succeed in this career field you need to know that dedication is important and crucial,” he said. “You will not always be thanked and receive a pat on the back for your accomplishments or care you give, so you will need a strong sense of self and to know your own value. Remember nursing is the backbone of health care, so you are an important asset.”
Sawyers’s journey has been marked by significant milestones, including being one of the first Black men to graduate from the nursing program.
“I would like to encourage other Black males to consider nursing, just because I think it would improve community health overall when people have health care providers they can relate to,” he said.
Outside of his professional life, Sawyers is actively involved in his community. He mentors high school athletes, volunteers with groups assisting the homeless in Sumner and Davidson Counties, and enjoys attending UT athletic events. He also has a passion for smoking, barbecue, and grilling meat, often taking cooking classes to refine his skills.