Biography

Dr. Brewer is a clinical professor and DNP Program Chair in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has been a nurse for over 30 years, practicing obstetrics and neonatal nursing, including acute pediatric respiratory disorders. Her teaching and advisement duties are in the DNP program, including evidence-based practice (EBP), quality improvement (QI), and DNP project design and evaluation. Her practice scholarship includes understanding the organizational culture of practice and academic settings for implementation and beliefs towards adopting evidence-based practice (EBP). She has published and presented on various topics, including breastfeeding support, EBP and QI initiatives, effects of synthetic cannabinoid use, best practices in DNP education, mentorship for practice scholars, and team-based learning to improve nursing students’ standardized test scores.

Dr. Brewer earned her DNP in Educational Leadership from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, an MSN in Nursing Education from Drexel University, and a BSN in Nursing from Miami University in Oxford, OH, her native hometown. She maintains national certification as an inpatient obstetrical nurse (RNC-OB), is a certified lactation counselor (CLC), and is certified in evidence-based practice (EBP-C).

Dr. Brewer is an active member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrical and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), the Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN), and Sigma Theta Tau. She is a peer reviewer for Nursing for Women’s Health and Nursing Outlook. In addition, she serves as a consultant and mentor in EBP and QI for healthcare organizations and curricular design and best practices for DNP projects for nursing programs throughout the United States.

Biography

Beeler, a Clinical Associate Professor and ABSN Track Chair, began her nursing career by earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from East Tennessee State University. She continued her education at the same institution, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and later earned a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a concentration in Nursing Administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Beeler’s leadership experience includes serving as a unit manager and director in acute care settings across two hospitals within a large healthcare system. She also holds a Post-Master’s Certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Beeler furthered her education by earning a PhD in Educational Psychology and Research with a focus on Adult Learning from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. With extensive experience in adult health and critical care nursing, she has dedicated over 12 years to undergraduate nursing education. As the current Accelerated BSN Chair, she actively teaches throughout the ABSN curriculum.

Beeler is passionate about bridging the gap between academia and clinical practice, leading initiatives in both classroom and clinical innovation. She is a board-certified Medical-Surgical Nurse and a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator. Her research interests include self-directed learning, resilience, emotional intelligence, and strategies to combat nursing burnout.

Known for her commitment to teaching excellence, Beeler is deeply dedicated to fostering student potential and advancing the field of nursing education.