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As we look back on 2024, the College of Nursing celebrates a year of incredible milestones, achievements, and growth. Here are the key highlights that shaped an unforgettable year: January The year began on a high note with the reaccreditation of our simulation program, from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSiH) in teaching/education and…

Perinatal mental health is a critical concern, with studies showing that up to 1 in 5 women suffer from maternal mental health disorders. Conditions like perinatal depression and anxiety can have severe consequences, affecting both mothers and their infants. “A lot of my family and friends really struggled with postpartum depression,” shard Breslin Gillis, Psychiatric…

Grace Gardner’s path to becoming a nurse has been shaped by one thing in particular, resilience. Gardner recalls the first time she surrounded by nurses. She was seven years old, in the hospital, waiting on her baby brother to be born. “After witnessing the nurses in that setting, and again when my grandmother got sick…

Camp Koinonia is an outdoor education program that serves up to 150 campers a year between the ages of seven and 21, each with disabilities. Campers engage in activities like horseback riding, canoeing, arts and crafts, sports, and music. The heart of these experiences is made possible by the support of approximately 200 University of…

Assistant Dean of Simulation Susan Hébert’s career spans nearly four decades. It began after she graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a BSN.  “My first nursing position was in a neonatal intensive care unit in a Level III regional perinatal center in Springfield, Illinois,” said Hébert. “I worked at this facility for the first 10…

Pleased that their daughter had a challenging and successful experience in the College of Nursing, Allan and Sonja Burk created an endowed scholarship fund to help other students have the same experience. The Burks’ daughter, Amanda, completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2019. She is now a cardiology nurse at Duke University Hospital in…

The Nurse Anesthesia Concentration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville has been granted continued accreditation for the maximum period of 10 years by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA). The COA, nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), establishes standards that…

Allyson Neal, assistant dean of graduate programs, has been elected as President-Elect for the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA). APNA is largest organization in the U.S. for psychiatric-mental health nurses at all levels. Guided by a strategic direction and governed by its Board of Directors, APNA is committed to the practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing,…

The new Nursing Building is on schedule for fall 2025 occupancy.  The building is now dried in at the roof level, and the roof is complete except for the green roof plantings, which will be added at a later stage. Window installations are finished except for the lanterns and storefronts. The north side facade is…

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.…