Biography
Dr. Newnam received her PhD from the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She earned her MSN (nursing administration) and BSN degrees from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Newnam has received her post-masters certificate as a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner from Old Dominion University. Additionally, she received her post-masters certificate as a neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC and continues her clinical practice in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Dr. Newnam teaches in the graduate program at the University of Tennessee, College of Nursing. Her teaching interest includes research, theory, evidence-based practice methods, and advanced assessment and diagnostic reasoning. Dr. Newnam serves on the editorial board of Advances in Neonatal Care and as an active member of several professional organizations.
Dr. Newnam’s areas of scientific interest include improving respiratory outcomes of the neonate, reducing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in the fragile infant, improved access to human milk in the NICU and the use of maternal voice as a strategy to reduce neonatal stress markers. She collaborates with local and national researchers to advance scientific knowledge in the field of improving neonatal outcomes. Current collaborators include; University of Tennessee Medical Center, University of Tennessee, Department of Psychology (Early Language Center), Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA and the University of Arizona, College of Nursing.