The ECU College of Nursing

Pirate Nursing is for the Problem Solvers.

Jessica Noble is an example of Pirate Nursing’s dedication to maternal health and compassionate care.

Noble, who teaches obstetrics nursing with us part-time, innovated a program to identify mothers who recently delivered with “I Gave Birth” wristbands that remind the mothers and those around them to be on the watch for post-natal health complications.

Noble currently serves as program manager for the H.E.A.R. 4 Mamas & Babies initiative at ECU Health Medical Center, where she leads efforts to improve maternal health outcomes and access to care across eastern North Carolina.

Thank you, Jessica, for all you to for the mothers and families across the East.

Read more about the “I Gave Birth” bracelet program here: bit.ly/4xBaKrH

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Dr. Liz Mizelle, an assistant professor of nursing, is a pioneer in the research of the effects of heat stress on farm laborers. She extended the reach of her expertise this summer by involving an interdisciplinary cohort of students from across the University of North Carolina System in the data collection for a new study on the effects of dehydration among farm laborers. She and her student team members are exploring how backpack hydration systems might prevent chronic dehydration and resulting long-term internal organ damage.

“As we wrap up data collection for year two of the backpack study I want to thank the students for their incredible dedication to all the early mornings and late evenings: Pirate Nursing students Patrick Garcia, Emma Romig, Lauren Rouse; Jose Sandoval-Gonzalez a psychology and Hispanic studies major from the ECU Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures; Khala Enoch, who is studying forensics at Fayetteville State University; Brianna Daniels, a pre-dental major at North Carolina A&T State University; and pre-med student Carter White and Alejandra Jaramillo, a recent The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate student with pre-med intentions,” Mizelle said.

The research undertaken by East Carolina University faculty and students makes an immediate difference in the lives of North Carolinians, evidenced in the work Dr. Mizelle has dedicated herself to, and the students she is leading.

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We have students on campus!

This morning our newest Advanced Nursing Practice and Education students were with us for their orientation, and on the second floor some of our 3rd semester undergrads were back in the practice labs shaking off the summer break ahead of Monday's return.

Things are getting back to normal.

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Pirate Nurse.

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ICYMI: Angela Still, executive director of Women’s Services at ECU Health Medical Center, was recently named the 2026 recipient of the Award of Excellence in Leadership from the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

The award recognizes nurses who demonstrate exceptional leadership in advancing care for women, infants and families and who have made significant contributions to clinical practice, patient outcomes and the nursing profession.

Join us in congratulating Angela Still on this accomplishment. Read more about her achievement: https://go.ecuhealth.org/3TTkv6b.

It’s been a quiet hurricane season thus far (knock on wood) but North Carolina is still experiencing the weather extremes, like the ongoing drought, that make our Healthcare Emergency and Disaster Management certificate program vital to rural healthcare delivery.

Two of the nursing profession’s leaders in researching disaster management, Drs. Alex Hodges and Michelle Skipper, recently attended the Rural Health Symposium at Eastern AHEC, just down the hill from the College of Nursing. Hodges presented a breakout session on “Climate Resilience and Patient Readiness.”

Hodges and Skipper were also featured on a recent episode of Eastern AHEC’s “Rural Waves” podcast on Climate Health and Disaster Management to discuss how individuals can be prepared to respond when nature rears its head.

“These have been excellent opportunities for us to recruit the largest incoming class of Healthcare Emergency and Disaster Management - 10 students - we’ve had since the inception of the program,” Skipper said.

Listen to Hodges’ and Skipper’s discussion on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/32vYSrJswJdYe803xUPeSq?si=Wi2Qor9RRomt5m2mqcMu0Q

Or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rural-waves-expect-the-unexpected-frontlines-of/id1667953246?i=1000779283088

Or watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QeUXe5F_r1M?si=Z-adh2UD9aysBgfh

We couldn’t produce the best nursing students in the state without our part-time faculty.

This morning we had the pleasure of hosting a gathering of our part-time faculty (and some of the full-timers joined us, too) to prepare for the academic year ahead. This year we will see the complete adoption of the 's Essentials, which outlines the curriculum content and competency requirements for nursing students at all levels, and it was good having so many of our faculty members here to work through the specifics of that implementation.

Thanks to everyone who made the trip to the College today and good luck on the semester ahead.

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Still plenty of time to sign up for next week's Pirate Nurse Night out in downtown Greenville.

RSVP here: https://ecu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3pDGKtaolX0hpoq

Join us for a Pirate Nurse Night Out. Reconnect and Celebrate with Pirate Nurses!

Join College of Nursing alumni, faculty, staff, and friends for a relaxed evening at 1717 the Rooftop in Greenville. Whether you’re catching up with old classmates or meeting new faces, this is the perfect chance to celebrate what makes being a Pirate Nurse so special.

Enjoy complimentary appetizers and great conversation. Beverages will be available for purchase.

📅 Thursday, August 13th
⏰ Drop in anytime between 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 1717 the Rooftop, Hilton Garden Inn
423 Evans St, Greenville, NC 27858

RSVP here: https://ecu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3pDGKtaolX0hpoq

Dr. Sara Griffith, a 2021 graduate of the College of Nursing’s PhD program, has been selected to receive the ECU Alumni Association’s 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award during a ceremony in Greenville in October.

The award recognizes those who have accomplished outstanding professional achievement and brought great pride to their alma mater.

For the past 12 years, Griffith has served in several roles with the NC Board of Nursing, including the chief nursing officer and was promoted to deputy executive officer in 2026. Before that, she worked as a staff nurse and in administrative roles at ECU Health (then-Vidant Medical Center) in Greenville and WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh.

Griffith’s PhD dissertation focused on the characteristics of the nurses who completed the North Carolina Board of Nursing's Alternative Program and the biopsychosocial factors that impacted the completion of the Alternative Program. The Alternative Program was established by the NCBON for nurses experiencing a substance use disorder to provide structure and monitoring for nurses to return to practice safely.

Earlier this year, the three-time Pirate Nurse was inducted as a member of the CON’s Hall of Fame.

“We are all proud of you and look forward to celebrating you at the award ceremony. Thank you for being a fabulous ambassador of our college and the university,” said Dr. Bim Akintade, dean of the College of Nursing.

Help us welcome Briley Brand to Pirate Nurse Nation.

Briley will advise intended and declared nursing students pursuing the traditional and accelerated BSN pathways as part of the Department of Student Services. Over the past decade, she has advised students and families, with the past three years she as an academic advisor for the College of Allied Health Sciences (now the ECU College of Health and Human Sciences) working with students in various allied health majors.

Her time across the hall has provided her with wealth of transferrable skills and knowledge that will serve our students.

We are very excited to have Briley on our team.