UVA School of Nursing

09/11/2026

This morning, I had the privilege of joining UVA ROTC, our students, and members of our community to run the stadium steps in remembrance of September 11, 2001.

Twenty-five years later, we remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the extraordinary courage of the first responders, healthcare professionals, service members, and countless others who answered a call to serve.

As a nurse and as dean of the UVA School of Nursing, it was especially meaningful to spend this morning alongside students who understand that service to others is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Grateful for the opportunity to remember together.💙🧡

We remember. We honor. We serve. —Dean Jeanne

UVA Army ROTC

09/07/2026

Meet FNP Student Allison Gleason. 👋

Colorado native who grew up on a farm and now calls Lynchburg home after six years in D.C. Avid gardener of both vegetables and cut flowers, and reality TV watcher (“it’s my black hole when I need to unwind”). Wife and mom to a two-year-old daughter, balancing school, work, and family life with intention. Hands-on home renovator who’s flipped kitchens, added bathrooms, and isn’t afraid of a power tool. Once firmly against becoming a nurse despite a family full of them, she now finds passion and purpose in the very role she resisted, working as a cardiac nurse across stepdown, ICU, and PACU during COVID. Now a Family Nurse Practitioner student at UVA School of Nursing, building on nearly a decade of bedside experience and hoping to expand access to specialty care in rural communities.

HER PATH TO NURSING
“I was very firmly against nursing for a long time. Everyone in my family—all the women—were either teachers or nurses, and my dad always thought nursing was the most respectable job on the planet, so as a young person, I was like, ‘I’m not doing that.’ But then in college at the University of Colorado, I started to come around to it and think, ‘You know, this actually does seem like something I would like to do.’"

"That shift was also reinforced by both of my grandmothers, Eleanor and Paulann, and my cousin, Mary, who were and are nurses I deeply admire. I’ve always looked up to them, and they constantly pushed me. My grandma cheered me on and even gave me her old medical textbooks and stethoscope from when she was in school, and my cousin gave me my first stethoscope, quizzed me on vacations to help me prepare for boards, and even pinned me at graduation. They had such a deep impact on my decision to pursue this field. Once I was in college and made the decision to shift, I transferred to the Denver School of Nursing for my BSN.”

“The biggest catalyst for me was when my brother passed away when I was nine. It was a traumatic, really short hospital stay, and I remember the nurses so clearly. I had never been exposed to anything medical before, and it was such a scary time for my family, but they were just there to support us in a way that I had never seen before.”

“They weren’t fazed by how traumatic it was for us—they were steady, compassionate, and prepared. I still remember the nurse who told us my brother had passed. That level of compassion stuck with me, and I think about those nurses almost every single day at work now. It reminds me why I do what I do.”

EARLY CAREER
“I knew I wanted to get experience in the field before going back to school, so I worked for about eight or nine years before applying to the NP program at UVA.”

“I started in a cardiac/telemetry unit in Colorado, then moved to D.C. for my husband’s job where I worked in cardiac ICU and stepdown before transitioning into PACU during COVID. That was a big shift, but it was a really valuable experience.”

“After we moved to Lynchburg, I started working on a cardiac floor at Centra. My path has been pretty straightforward, but I’ve gotten to see a lot of different sides of nursing, which helped me figure out what I wanted next.”

WHY THE FNP PROGRAM AT UVA?
“I had been looking for the right NP program for about three years. I knew I wanted something in person, at least partially, because I’m not a good distance learner. I needed that accountability. The proximity to both Lynchburg and D.C., combined with the hybrid format, made UVA stand out. I honestly didn’t find another program anywhere that offered something similar.”

“We knew we were going to move again because of my husband’s job, so I didn’t want to start a program somewhere like D.C. and then have to leave it. When I found UVA’s hybrid program, it was exactly what I was looking for.”

“I talked to Dr. Beth Quatrara on the phone before applying, and she was incredibly helpful. She was honest with me about what made the most sense for my goals. Knowing from Beth that it was the last FNP-MSN cohort, I was like, ‘If I’m going to do this, I have to do it now.’”

WHAT THE FNP PROGRAM IS LIKE
“I think something that’s been really impactful and surprising is that the professors treat us like adults. It’s a big shift from undergrad where you’re micromanaged. Now, it’s like—you have your work, you’re responsible for it, and you have to be self-motivated. It’s preparing us to be providers. When you have patients to see, it’s on you to manage your time, do your charting, make phone calls, check your labs, and get everything done, but the professors are still there to support you when you need it.”

“Another really cool thing is that almost all of our professors are still practicing. They’re in clinics, they’re working, they’re moms, and they wear multiple hats. They are very much still using and growing their knowledge, and it makes everything feel so relevant and real.”

HER FAVORITE PART OF THE PROGRAM—WORK/LIFE BALANCE
“I think my favorite part of the program is the hybrid format. It’s so accommodating. Even when I had to stay home with my daughter one day, my professors were incredibly understanding and made it clear that being a parent comes first. That was so validating because most programs expect you to have backup childcare and always show up no matter what. Here, everyone understands that we’re parents or working professionals or commuting—it’s just built into the culture.”

“It’s such a great program for everyone, but especially for working moms. I have multiple friends in other programs outside of UVA, and it puts strain on every area of their life. But UVA has put a very strong focus on family support and just making it work however you can, even while expecting excellence. That is invaluable to me. I don’t want to miss out on my daughter’s life for two years, and UVA has made it possible to pursue this degree without sacrificing that. I would choose this program all over again for that level of support.”

WHAT'S NEXT
“I’m not 100% sure what I want to do next. I’m doing an urgent care rotation this summer, and that could be a really cool option. I’ve also thought about specializing in outpatient cardiac procedures…being on the provider side of that. It’s still patient relationships and continuity, but also getting to do things like cardioversions, loop recorders, and those smaller procedures. It’s a little more autonomy, a little more variety, and you’re still doing primary care, but you also get to have a little more fun with it.”

“Part of the reason I decided so strongly to go back for my NP once we moved to Lynchburg is that there’s not a lot of upward momentum for nurses here. There are also very limited options for care here. There’s like two pediatricians and two primary care providers to choose from, so I think a big part of this for me is just wanting to be another resource for the community, because there’s not a lot here. I don’t think I’m going to necessarily change the world, but I do think I could make an impact as an FNP—whether that’s in primary care, pediatrics, or something a little more specialized.”

UVA SCHOOL OF NURSING IN A WORD
“Excellence. The School of Nursing provides excellence, but it also expects it. There’s a lot of grace, but there’s also a standard and you’re expected to be your best. It gives you confidence in the people coming out of the program. You know you’d want to work with them, refer patients to them, trust them as providers. Everyone here—students, faculty, staff—is invested in that level of excellence.”

📖 Read Allison's full story and learn more about our DNP program and specialties here 👉 https://nursing.virginia.edu/news/meetusmonday_allison_gleason_absn_student/

09/02/2026

Congratulations to our very own Dr. Ashley Apple, Assistant Professor and triple Hoo, on her recent appointment to the Virginia Board of Nursing by Gov. Abigail Spanberger!

A longtime advocate for nurses, nurse practitioners, and access to care, Ashley brings her experience as a clinician, educator, and nursing leader to this important statewide role.

We’re proud to see one of our own helping shape the future of nursing across the Commonwealth. 🩺💙

Read more about Ashley’s appointment ➡️ https://nursing.virginia.edu/news/virginia-board-of-nursing-appointment-ashley-apple/

Gov. Spanberger Appoints UVA Nursing Professor Ashley Apple to Virginia Board of Nursing

09/02/2026

Meet our Acute Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS) students from the Class of 2027! 🩺

These students recently completed their first fall simulation, caring for patients in a simulated “Complex Care” Clinic setting and putting their skills into practice.

During , we’re celebrating the Clinical Nurse Specialists who elevate care, inspire teams, and drive innovation across healthcare. We’re proud of our CNS community at UVA Health and the next generation of CNS leaders at UVA School of Nursing. 💙

Learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4hiCCMi

Left to right: Adam Busby, Heather Eggert, Sarah Craig, Mackenzie Hassanzadeh, Maggie Colvin, and Rebecca Marinescu.

08/31/2026

Meet BSN Student McKenzie Jones. 👋

Competitive pickleball player. Needlepoint beginner. UVA football regular. First-generation college student. Babysitter and restaurant server—who’s already stepped up in an emergency while on the job. Big sister to two much younger siblings she has watched grow up. Studied abroad in Florence for 8 weeks, but values being close to home. Completed an OB internship this past summer. A fourth-year BSN student at UVA School of Nursing, McKenzie is grounded in family, inspired by her grandmother’s path into nursing, and is now discovering her own nursing journey.

WHAT THE BSN PROGRAM IS LIKE
“My first year, I was so nervous. I was like, ‘This is going to be so hard and this is real life now.’ Then I had Dr. C (Dr. Connelly), and she’s literally like the mom of first years. She just takes you under her wing and makes it a point to know every student’s name in her classes. I think, foundationally, having her for two classes my first year, I was like, ‘Okay, I definitely made the right decision coming here.’”

“Starting clinicals and being able to go to such a great hospital like UVA Health that’s so close has been really amazing. I just started my second half of peds clinicals, and I’m loving it; but I had OB clinicals last semester and I actually have an internship there this summer. I sat in on a midwife delivery and thought, ‘Oh my God, this is so cool.’ It was just the midwife, the nurse, and the patient—it felt so much more personal.”

“I like being busy, I like being on my feet, I like higher acuity—so I’m still figuring out exactly where I want to land. I also studied abroad in Florence for eight weeks, which was one of the best experiences ever, but it also made me realize how much I value being close to home.”

“I feel like UVA really does prepare you well. You start getting NCLEX-style questions early on, and now I understand why. I feel, as of right now, really prepared going into a job.”

ON PUTTING HER TRAINING TO USE IN AN EMERGENCY
“I sometimes work at a restaurant in my hometown, and one night one of our regulars collapsed. My first thought was, 'He’s having a seizure—we need to get him on the floor so he doesn’t hurt himself.’”

“We got him down, and I remember checking his pulse and thinking, 'This is really weak…if it’s even there.’ I was like, ‘We need to call 911 right now,’ and I had someone do that while we were trying to manage everything.”

“As much as I hate to say it, all those simulations really do help, because I kind of just went into that mode of, ‘Okay, what do we do next?’ I remember thinking through everything—like airway, breathing, circulation—and remembering to quickly ask someone to write down when everything started.”

“I was honestly surprised at how much I knew what to do in the moment—it didn’t feel real. The adrenaline was insane. I didn’t go to bed until like one in the morning because I just kept replaying it in my head over and over.”

“There was a former nurse there who had literally just gotten recertified that morning, so she stepped in too, which was really helpful. She [the nurse] told me after, ‘You did a really great job,’ and that meant a lot coming from someone who’s done this before.”

That nurse was, Susan Bodin, EdD, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, an adjunct faculty member at VCU School of Nursing who happened to be dining in the restaurant that evening.

McKenzie’s response stood out immediately to Susan, as she later shared with UVA School of Nursing faculty, McKenzie “stayed calm,” quickly assessed the situation, directed others to call 911, helped guide the patient safely to the floor, and “continued to stay calm and comforted other servers who were very upset.”

“As a nurse and a nurse educator,” Susan wrote, “I am very impressed and proud of her and am comforted to know that the future of nursing is in good hands.”

📖 Read McKenzie's full story here ➡️ https://nursing.virginia.edu/news/meetusmonday-mckenzie-jones-bsn-student/

08/29/2026

Johnny Fever has entered the chat!💬

A patient named Johnny Fever is changing how students practice care by asking questions and reacting in real time, showing how AI is shaping hands-on learning.

More from the Spring 2026 VNL (Virginia Nursing Legacy) Magazine at the link in our bio. ⬆️

May 27, 2026 Johnny Fever Has Entered the Chat written by: Christine Thalwitz Johnny Fever has a way of getting your attention. Students in NURS 3006: Oncology and End of Life Nursing learn that quickly. One moment they are reviewing a case. The next, they are at Johnny’s bedside, asking and answe...

08/28/2026

Disaster? They’ve got it handled. 🚨🩺

Students in Professor Katy Hall’s Community Public Health Nursing course put their skills to the test in a natural disaster/mass casualty simulation yesterday.

Forest fire? Flood? Earthquake? Whatever the emergency, these future nurses are ready to jump in, assess the scene and care for their community. 💪

08/27/2026

More fun with our amazing faculty, staff, and students! We are so excited for the year ahead. Wahoowa! 🧡💙

08/26/2026

Happy 125th anniversary SON! 🎉