At the Vine School Health Center, nursing students gain far more than clinical experience, they build relationships, develop confidence, and learn what it truly means to care for patients in a community setting. For seniors Abby Bible, Katie Briglia, Macy Campbell, and Lily Grace Greenwood, their time at Vine has been a defining part of their journey in the Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (TBSN) program.

Abby Bible

Katie Briglia

Macy Campbell

Lily Grace Greenwood

A Lasting Impact

While each student’s experience is unique, a common theme runs through all their stories: Vine is more than a clinic. It is a place where future nurses learn to see beyond symptoms, connect with patients on a human level, and understand the importance of community in healthcare.

These experiences will stay with them long after graduation, shaping not only the nurses they become, but the way they care for every patient they encounter.

Contacts:

Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)

Lauren Bryant ([email protected], 865-974-8250)

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing welcomed middle school students from across Knox County Schools for its inaugural Vol Nurse Discovery Day, an immersive, hands-on experience designed to introduce young learners to careers in nursing and health care.

Held at the UT Medical Nursing Building, the event brought together students from Gresham Middle School, Whittle Springs Middle School, and Halls Middle School for a day of exploration, learning, and inspiration.

The program began with a welcome from Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the college, who emphasized the vital role nurses play in improving health and transforming lives. Students then rotated through interactive sessions that highlighted the many pathways and possibilities within the nursing profession.

Throughout the morning, participants engaged in three core experiences:

• Simulation-based learning, where students explored real-world nursing scenarios and practiced basic clinical skills in a hands-on environment.
• Health care career exploration, featuring insights into specialties such as pediatrics, geriatrics, and surgical nursing.
• Admissions and academic pathways, offering step-by-step guidance on how to become a nurse, including education, certifications, and licensure.

A highlight of the day was the “Day in the Life with Ambassadors” session, where current nursing students shared personal experiences, offered advice, and answered questions about life in the program and the profession.

The event concluded with closing remarks and reflections on the impact nurses have in their communities and beyond.

Vol Nurse Discovery Day reflects the college’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the future health care workforce by engaging students early and providing meaningful exposure to the nursing profession.

“By connecting middle school students with faculty, health care partners, and current nursing students, the college is helping to spark interest in health care careers and build a pipeline of future nurses prepared to meet the growing demands of the profession,” said Niederhauser.

The experience also reflects the goals of Knox County Schools’ 865 Academies, which connects students to real-world experiences and career pathways, helping them explore high-demand fields like nursing and health care at an early age.

Contacts:

Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)

Lauren Bryant ([email protected], 865-974-1271)

The College of Nursing partners with a wide range of local clinical sites and offers state-of-the-art clinical lab environments on campus. Together, these settings give students meaningful opportunities to build skills, gain confidence, and translate classroom learning into practice.

In addition to these local experiences, clinical associate professors Carrie Bailey and Lynn Beeler have helped students expand their learning through an immersive global clinical experience. Their dream led to an unforgettable learning experience in Hawaiʻi.
When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to derail the idea, support from Victoria Neiderhauser, dean of the college, helped turn that dream into reality.
Through Neiderhauser’s leadership, the college established new partnerships with University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the local school system, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and Waimānalo Health Center. These collaborations opened the door for students to learn beyond the familiar communities of East Tennessee.
Once immersed in Hawaiʻi’s culture and communities, students discovered something unexpected: the island paradise shared many similarities with home.

In some areas, they saw challenges that closely mirror those in Appalachia—poverty, families working multiple jobs, and communities relying on schools and local organizations for stability and support. School nurses, in particular, play a critical role, caring for children so students can stay healthy and in class while parents remain at work.

Even amid these challenges, our nursing students were welcomed with warmth and enthusiasm. 

They also witnessed the pairing of Western medicine and traditional healing practices. Alongside clinical care, patients learned how to grow medicinal plants, harvest them, and prepare them to support their health—an approach that highlighted the importance of culturally grounded care and whole-person wellness.

Through the experience Bailey and Beeler created, students not only developed their clinical skills but also broadened their understanding of how culture shapes health and healthcare. From observing traditional healing practices to observing nursing in local schools, students opened their minds and hearts to a new learning environment.

Equally important was the sense of community built throughout the experience. By forming relationships and learning from local partners, nursing students gained deeper insight into how meaningful connections help providers better care for the people they serve.

Looking ahead, the partnership continues to grow. The long-term vision includes welcoming nursing students from Hawaiʻi to Knoxville to learn alongside the College of Nursing. Plans for future exchanges and expanded opportunities are still being discussed.

Contacts:

Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)

Lauren Bryant ([email protected], 865-974-1271)

The College of Nursing invites you to an evening of celebration, connection, and recognition during National Nurses Week. Join us on Thursday, May 7 for a special event honoring our graduates and celebrating Dean Victoria Niederhauser and her remarkable leadership and service to the college.

This evening will bring together alumni and friends of the college to recognize the impact of nursing and the community that supports it.

Guests will enjoy:

• A silent auction
  
• A community market featuring local partners
  
• Bar service and hors d’oeuvres
  
• Live entertainment from DJ Sterl the Pearl
  

Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour the UT Medical Nursing Building, the college’s cutting edge facility that opened in Fall 2025.

Whether you’re reconnecting with colleagues, celebrating our graduates, or experiencing the college’s newest space, this event promises to be a memorable evening.

The event is free and open to the community and will take place from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at the UT Medical Nursing Building, 1200 Volunteer Boulevard. Parking will be available for all guests.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Contacts:

Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)

Lauren Bryant ([email protected], 865-974-1271)

This March, the college had the privilege of hosting the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Nursing Faculty Professional Development (NFPD) Consortium. 

Each year, nursing faculty from SEC universities gather to share ideas, discuss common challenges, and explore practical ways to better support nursing educators across the region.

Led by Tami Wyatt, associate dean of research, this year’s session also spotlighted the college’s new Innovation Room, an energizing space designed for connection, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving.

The environment set the tone for meaningful dialogue and forward-thinking outcomes.
Wyatt shared, “There were two goals: help the SEC consortium clearly identify their need and establish ideas (ideate) toward meeting their need. In their case, they wanted to figure out a way to host a number of professional development resources for SEC nurse faculty. The activity helped establish the work they completed during the day-long retreat.

The second goal was to demonstrate how design thinking may be used to identify problems and solutions. “

As conversations unfolded, ideas and plans moved quickly, shifting from notes on paper to sketches on the tables, then onto the windows as the group mapped possibilities in real time. Participants moved beyond simply exchanging strategies to using design thinking as problem solving. 

In a space shaped by shared purpose, honest concerns and hopeful ambitions began to align. 

What could have felt like a room of competing perspectives became something far more powerful: a group of partners listening closely, learning from one another, and working together toward stronger support for nursing faculty.

In a space of encouragement and understanding this team was able to identify problems, create solutions, and better faculty support.

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CONTACT:

Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)

Lauren Bryant ([email protected], 865-974-1271)

For Ashley Curl, MSN ’16, nursing has always been about more than treating symptoms. It’s about restoring quality of life, dignity, and hope. Curl is now the founder of AgeWell Medical, a nurse-owned, woman-led concierge clinic redefining how patients experience care.

Curl’s leadership journey began during her graduate education, where she served as a graduate teaching assistant for the College of Nursing’s bachelor’s program. Over the course of three semesters, she worked directly with undergraduate students, an experience that shaped her passion for mentorship.

“That role was incredibly rewarding,” Curl says. “Helping train the next generation of nurses showed me how powerful our profession really is.”

Her early clinical career took her into urgent care, where she treated a wide range of illnesses, from minor to life-threatening emergencies. While the fast-paced environment sharpened her skills, it also revealed a troubling reality: many patients relied on urgent care as their only access point to health care, with little opportunity for long-term treatment or prevention.

“I didn’t want to be the provider who had to say no,” she explains. “I kept asking if no one else is going to help these patients, who will?”

After the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread burnout, Curl made a career shift. She joined a hormone clinic, where she saw firsthand how insurance-driven models often denied care to patients who needed it most. Many had been told their lab results were “normal,” even as their quality of life deteriorated.

“I believe care should be based on how people feel and function. Not just a number on a lab report,” Curl says. “So many of these patients had exhausted every option and were still suffering.”

Within months of treatment, she watched patients return with measurable improvements and renewed lives. That experience sparked the vision for AgeWell Medical.

Curl launched her clinic without outside investment, handling everything from licensing and compliance to branding and marketing. Drawing on prior small-business experience and a self-taught design skillset, she built a practice that was intentionally personal.

“I saved for a year to open and went more than six months without a paycheck,” she says. “It was hard, but I believed in what I was building.”

Operating outside the traditional insurance model allows Curl to remove barriers to care. Without third-party restrictions, treatment decisions are made collaboratively with time, trust, and individualized plans at the center.

“It becomes a true provider-patient relationship,” she explains. “Care moves faster, and patients have autonomy.”

AgeWell Medical focuses on proactive, root-cause care, addressing issues like obesity, hormonal imbalance, and metabolic disease before they escalate. The results have been transformative.

Curl has seen patients reverse prediabetes, discontinue blood pressure and cholesterol medications, eliminate the need for CPAP machines, and regain energy and confidence they thought they’d lost forever.

“This is about quality of life, more energy, less risk, and more years lived well,” she says. “The ripple effects are endless.”

Mentorship remains central to Curl’s work, shaped by her own experience navigating entrepreneurship without a clear roadmap. From licensing hurdles to leasing space, she learned many lessons the hard way and now shares that knowledge freely.

“I want other nurses to know they can do this,” she says. “We can own businesses. We can fill gaps in care. We can build the future of healthcare ourselves.”

She’s already helping fellow nurse practitioners take their first steps toward opening clinics, and she’s actively developing a nonprofit to support underserved veterans. Motivated by disparities in how hormone deficiencies are treated within the VA system, Curl hopes to bridge the gap so veterans don’t have to pay out of pocket for life-changing care.

“This will save lives,” she says simply.

Curl credits her graduate education at UT with teaching her adaptability and confidence across specialties from rural health and women’s health to dermatology and NICU care.

“UT showed me the gaps,” she says. “And it taught me that nurses are capable of filling them.”

Now, just seven months into opening her clinic, receiving an alumni award feels humbling.

“Having my dream and small-town business recognized by UT and the college is truly unbelievable,” said Curl. “Two years ago, this dream felt out of reach. Today, I’m living it. I hope to serve as an example that when you have a dream and are willing to work for it, incredible things can happen.”

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CONTACT:

Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)

For most of Jenny Burghardt’s life, everything unfolded just as planned.

A Knoxville native and Bearden High School graduate, she met her husband while attending Clemson University. The couple moved to Aiken, South Carolina, where she worked in tourism and settled into a carefully imagined five-year plan. Time to enjoy the newlywed life, followed by the desire to start a family. When she became pregnant with their first child, Ruthie, everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place.

At 35 weeks pregnant, she noticed something strange. Ruthie wasn’t moving.

She went to the hospital to make sure everything was okay. But as soon as they did an ultrasound she could tell something wasn’t right. Ruthie’s heart was no longer beating and there was nothing they could do. She was induced on a Sunday morning, and Ruthie was born Monday morning. She was stillborn.

Family and loved ones rushed to be at the couple’s side.

“Going home was the hardest part,” she says. Leaving the hospital without her baby was a pain she never could have imagined.

Just weeks before, Jenny’s sister saw a segment on the news about The Precious Prints Project, an organization through UT College of Nursing that creates fingerprint keepsakes for families experiencing child loss. She immediately called, secured a kit in Knoxville, and drove it down to South Carolina. Before leaving, her sister took Ruthie’s fingerprint and told her that a charm would be coming.

That small, tangible piece changed everything for Burghardt.

“She was real,” she says. “Here is a piece of her.”

That moment did not mark the end of grief, but the beginning of carrying Ruthie’s life forward in a different way.

Not long after Ruthie’s passing, she became pregnant again with their son, Jones. While the joy of new life was real, it was layered with unanswered questions and quiet fears. She had never known what happened to Ruthie, and yet, through it all, she felt the steady presence of the Lord.

Jones was born three days before Ruthie’s first birthday.

The joy was overwhelming but also complicated. “I was so thrilled to be pregnant again,” she says. “But it wasn’t Ruthie.”

She wrestled with how to carry Ruthie’s memory well while welcoming Jones fully. How do you tell a child about a sister they never met?

She searched for a resource that could help but couldn’t find one, so she created one.

From the beginning, she read her own words to Jones. Cutting phrases, pasting them into an existing book, shaping language that a child could understand. She needed something tangible and something she could place in the hands of other parents walking the same road.

That need became a children’s book titled More Love to Pour Out.

“One in four babies are lost through miscarriage or stillbirth,” she says. “I asked myself, what is mine to give to the world? This book was that.”

Written specifically for families welcoming children after loss, the book reflects on her lived experience with child appropriate language. She didn’t want Ruthie’s story to become something unspoken or postponed until her children were older. “This is part of our family story,” she says. “I wanted my kids to always know they have a sister.”

Explaining miscarriage and infant loss to children can feel overwhelming, but her approach was simple: focus on love.

“The gift of that baby’s life brought love into the world,” she says. “And that love remains.”

Rather than centering on grief, the book invites families to unleash that love and to let it shape kindness, generosity, and compassion in everyday life.

A portion of the book’s proceeds will support the Precious Prints Project.

“They’re doing the same thing I’m trying to do just in different ways,” she says. “They honor these babies. They encourage families. They offer hope when grief feels overwhelming.”

And hope, she says, is everything.

For families navigating pregnancy and infant loss, her message is: don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to speak a child’s name. Don’t be afraid to ask how someone is doing.

“Good can come from even this,” she says. “Not as a way to minimize the pain, but to show that love is even bigger.”

For more information about More Love to Pour Out or to purchase the book please click here.

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CONTACT:

Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)

Elizabeth Sowell (’14, ’17, ’24 ) has embedded herself into the UT and nursing family for life. First as an alumnus and now as faculty, her nursing journey is deeply rooted in tradition, shaped by meaningful mentorship, and driven by a passion for advancing the future of our nursing students. 

A Fourth Generation Calling 

Nursing has always been a natural fit, an art and a science intertwined. As a fourth-generation nurse, she grew up surrounded by strong role models in the profession. Watching her mother and grandmother care for others inspired her early on, and she found that her love of science blended perfectly with the human-centered art of nursing. 

Her ties to UT run just as deep. Her mother, who grew up in Louisville, KY, chose UT for its strong nursing program and ended up meeting her father here. That connection to the College of Nursing is now shared across two generations. 

Memorable Faculty & Mentors 

During her undergraduate years, several faculty members made a lasting impact. She fondly remembers Laurie Acred-Natelson, who had also worked with her mother, and Gail Griffith, her first clinical instructor. Their dedication to teaching and investment in their students helped shape her early development as a nurse. Later, in her graduate studies, Karen Lasater became a key mentor, someone she now credits as a model for the educator she has become. 

Working alongside former instructors still feels a bit surreal, she admits, but also incredibly rewarding. 

Advice for Today’s Nursing Students“ 

“Nursing school is hard at every level,” Sowell says. “But stick with it.” 

Her biggest piece of advice is to develop strong time management and prioritization skills early on. And just as importantly: take care of yourself. She emphasizes that nurses must protect their own well-being, whether through regular exercise or personal time, in order to sustainably care for others. 

Her Current Role: From Clinician to Leader to Educator 

Her career began in the ICU and later as a family practice nurse practitioner. During that time, she decided to pursue her DNP, just as a new opportunity emerged with the college’s Community Registered Nurse Navigator Project. 

She stepped into the role of APRN director, overseeing 16 nurse navigators and providing clinical and administrative leadership for the multi-year grant. The position offered invaluable experience in management, evaluation, and large-scale public health work. 

When the grant concluded, her longtime goal became reality, and she transitioned into a faculty position. She now teaches in the graduate program, including core DNP courses and soon, clinical FNP courses. 

Most Rewarding Part of the Journey 

What stands out most to Sowell is the versatility of nursing. 

“You realize nurses are equipped to meet so many different needs,” she reflects. “We’re trained to think critically, lead, and adapt across settings.” 

Her experiences, from bedside care to community health to academic leadership, have shown her how wide-ranging and impactful a nursing career can be. 

A Passion for Preventive and Population Health 

She is especially interested in advancing preventive care and precision population health. Moving health care toward a model that is proactive rather than reactive. It’s an area she continues to explore in her teaching and scholarship. 

A Legacy of Giving Back 

Her connection to the college is also a family legacy. Her grandmother, a proud diploma nurse, established a scholarship to support future nursing students, an act of generosity that reflects her family’s commitment to the profession. 

“To help others become nurses means so much,” she shares. “We need nurses in so many ways, and I’m grateful my family can help provide that opportunity. It’s something they were incredibly proud of and something I’m proud to continue.” 

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CONTACT:

Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)

The college has completed its first five months in its new home with remarkable momentum, building connections, and a growing sense of community. Since opening its doors in August, the college has welcomed new and returning students, launched state-of-the-art simulation teachings, and cultivated a collaborative learning environment rooted in the Volunteer spirit. 

For many students, the new building has already transformed the nursing experience. 

“As a senior in the nursing program, the new UT Medical Nursing Building has given me something I didn’t realize I was missing, which is a true sense of community,” said senior Miana Rankin. “It is so special to finally have a place where all of us can learn, grow, and support each other under one roof.” 

A Strong Start to the Semester 

The fall semester opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony, students learning their way around, and the first classes held in the college’s advanced simulation and skills labs. By September, students had settled into routines of coursework, sim lab practice, and study groups, quickly building the supportive networks essential in nursing education. 

“I have never felt more part of a community thanks to the UT Medical Nursing Building,” shared senior Jiro Greenberg-Oster. “I see my classmates, professors, and colleagues every day pursuing their goals alongside my own.” 

A Semester of Milestones 

December marked a significant milestone as the College hosted its third pinning ceremony, the first held in the new building. The event celebrated not only the achievements of graduating students, but also the promise of a new chapter for the College of Nursing. 

“Since we have been in the new UT Medical Nursing Building, I have a renewed sense of pride,” said Takia Faniyi, Office of Student Services administrator. “Our space allows our team environment to thrive and creates a workplace that feels like home.” 

Graduate Programs assistant Katie Perry echoed that sentiment: 

“Even after being in the new building for several months, I still find myself in awe that we are finally here. Having a space for our students to experience the best education they can is rewarding in itself. It’s nice to finally have a home sweet home for nursing.” 

Students Find Their Home Base 

For many seniors finishing their final year, the new building represents both comfort and community. 

“As a senior nursing student, the timing of the new building could not have been better,” said Madison Dennis. “It’s become our home base for our final year. The place where we come together, support each other, and finish strong.” 

Others have celebrated the building’s features and its central location. 

“I absolutely love the new nursing building, especially all the different study spaces,” said Grace Li. “It has been an amazing experience utilizing the skills labs and SIM rooms. I love having all of my classes in a central location. My favorite thing is that the building faces Neyland, and when the weather is nice, I love studying on the patio.” 

Graduate clinical coordinator, Hailey Hernandez, shared her thoughts. “It’s been wonderful being in the new building. After years of being spread across campus, it’s so nice to see all your colleagues in one place. Our graduate students have come to campus twice for doctoral intensives since the building opened, and having all their classes and events in one building has led to better networking and experiences with faculty and student colleagues. Having worked in the old nursing building and our temporary space on the Hill in the Nursing Education Building, I am so excited to settle into Nursing’s forever home.” 

Looking Ahead 

The new building has already become a place where students learn, faculty lead, and the Volunteer community grows stronger every day. As the College continues to expand its programs and experiences, its new home will remain at the heart of a bright future for Tennessee’s next generation of nurses. 

“Moving into the new building has truly felt like coming home; only this time, it feels like we’re home for good. I’ve already been able to reconnect with colleagues I’d only seen a handful of times since the transition, and it’s been such a gift,” shared clinical instructor Staci Wheeler. “What I love most is seeing our students finally have a place to call their own. They bring so much joy to this space.” 

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CONTACT:

Kara Clark Cardwell ([email protected], 865-974-9498)