This month, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Nursing celebrates the first graduating class of its new Nursing Scholars Program. The 40 graduates will go on to work at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, helping to reduce the shortage of nurses, who typically make up about one third of a hospital’s workforce.
Designed to help the college provide the hospital with a continuous pipeline of skilled nurses, the new program is a robust academic–practice partnership offering nursing students an opportunity to learn and train at UTMC, the region’s academic health system. Students enter the program in their junior year and complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just 15 months. They receive tuition assistance from UTMC with a three-year work commitment upon graduation.
Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the College of Nursing, said graduation will mark a significant milestone for these nurses and the partnership.
“This program is about building a stronger healthcare workforce and improving the health and well-being of our community,” she said. “I could not be prouder of the incredible dedication and resilience these students have shown in achieving this accomplishment.”
Knoxville native Maggie Comer will work in the hospital’s Cardiology department. “The BSN Scholars program has given me passion and purpose that I would not have had without this experience,” she said. “It has provided me with numerous opportunities to make a difference in my community, and it means so much to me to be able to make a lasting impact here.”
That desire for a sense of purpose also motivated Camille Charvet of Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York, who will begin her career at UTMC as a pulmonary nurse. After discovering a passion for medical care while working as a New York State EMT, Charvet saw nursing as an opportunity to further her education and make a larger impact in the health care field.
“The BSN Scholars program has facilitated many professional opportunities at [UTMC] that have allowed me to discover what type of nurse I want to become,” she said. “From experiences in the Operating Room, Progressive Care Unit and Oncology, I have been able to see all of the possibilities that this career holds.”
The program provides students with ample opportunities to explore those possibilities while completing clinical rotations and attending classes at UTMC and a state-of-the-art learning lab and simulation center in the UT Research Park. All courses are taught by College of Nursing faculty whose positions are funded by UTMC.
For Marcella Bertke of Pickerington, Ohio, onsite learning opportunities are an essential part of what makes the program special.
“I have fallen in love with the nurses at the hospital and I am so excited to be a new grad here,” said Bertke, who will be working in the Medical/Surgical and Comfort Care Transition Unit. “There is such a wide range of things I can do with nursing, and I am so excited to see where it takes me.”
Lauren Denney of Raleigh, North Carolina, who will be joining the Progressive Care Unit, has found the partnership academically, personally and professionally fulfilling.
“I am proud and truly grateful to be a student of the BSN Scholars Program, an initiative that has enriched my academic journey and deepened my passion for nursing,” she said. “This program has provided me with invaluable professional development opportunities and connected me with a network of dedicated individuals committed to health care excellence.”
Jordan Ballenger of Knoxville will work in Oncology, a specialty that holds deep personal significance for her.
“I knew nursing was the field for me when my father passed away from colon cancer,” she said. “During his fight, I wished I could do more to help him and provide comfort. While I couldn’t help him the way I wanted, nursing has given me the opportunity to be there for others in need, and it’s a passion I hold close to my heart.”
Sandy Leake, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at UTMC, expressed her enthusiasm for the addition of the graduates, emphasizing the bright future ahead for the new nurses as they begin careers and for the contributions they will bring to the medical center.
“We are so fortunate to witness the culmination of immense hard work between our two organizations — and most importantly, the achievements of the 40 BSN graduates — coming together in a truly transformational way for our medical center,” she said. “This partnership is still in its early stages, and I am thrilled to see the growth and innovation that will unfold in the years to come as we continue to strengthen our nursing workforce in the region.”
To learn more about the BSN Scholars Program, please contact the College of Nursing or call 865-974-7606.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Stacy Estep (865-974-8304, sestep3@utk.edu)
Kara Clark (865-974 9498, kmclark2@utk.edu)