University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing

Congrats to Associate Professor Lisa Beasley, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, AFN-C, DM-AFN, who has been named a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Forensic Nursing! She was recognized for the significant dedication and involvement she has demonstrated as a member of the Academy through her work on the Executive Committee and other AFN committees.

Friday is World Sickle Cell Day - a United Nations-recognized day to raise awareness of Sickle Cell disorder around the world! At the College of Nursing, we have been working to raise awareness and improve training for nurses who care for Sickle Cell patients since 2022 when we first offered a pilot Sickle Cell Boot Camp for Nursing Excellence. Eight boot camps have been held so far, educating 250 nurses from around the nation and the world. This effort is a collaboration of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and the International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Professional Associates (IASCNAPA). The next boot camp will be held Sept. 21-25. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) affects 100,000 people in the U.S.

When Mother Nature decides to pour buckets of rain on your Student Engagement Day, you just move it inside and enjoy a cozier experience. Prospective and admitted students enjoyed lunch and met with current students and faculty to learn more about the highly-ranked programs of University of Tennessee Health Science Center's College of Nursing. Applications are open for the BSN program, and applications will open on Aug. 15 for the DNP program. Learn more at uthsc.edu/nursing

Our UTHSC Nursing Mobile Health unit is on the road this week to offer cancer screenings! Our next stop is this Friday, from 10:30 am - 1:30 pm, at Backermann's Country Market, 260 U.S. 64-E Bus., Whiteville, TN, 38075. See our other June outreach events at https://uthsc.edu/nursing/mobilehealth/cancerscreening.php

Assistant Professor Ryan Stephens, DNP, NP-C, MBA, FAHA, had four poster presentations at the 35th Annual International Symposium on Adult Congenital Heart Disease, held June 3-6 in Cincinnati, Ohio, representing the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Le Bonheur Chief Medical Officer Rush Waller, MD, and physician Benjamin Hendrickson, MD, are also authors on the posters, which include the following titles:
“Preoperative Clearance in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot: When New Arrythmia Delays Elective, Non-Cardiac Surgery”
“Beyond the Fontan: Multidisciplinary Care in HLHS with Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma”
“Social Determinants of Health in the Care of an Aging Fontan Patient”
“Persistent Symptoms after Anomalous RCA Repair: Navigating ACHD Care Boundaries"

Dr. Nicole Schumacher, who graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2025 with a PhD in Science, shows the impact that nurse scientists can have. Her work has the potential to affect the care of stroke patients. Applications for the PhD program open on Aug. 15. Read Dr. Schumacher's story at https://news.uthsc.edu/phd-graduates-work-could-alter-stroke-treatment-paradigm/

The UT Health Science Center College of Nursing Mobile Cancer Screening program is on the road this week! The program sends nurses and nursing students into communities to provide health education, cancer screening evaluations, and home colorectal or prostate-specific (PSA) test kits.
The mobile health unit will be in Ripley, TN, on June 5 and in the Raleigh neighborhood of Memphis on June 6. Details below.
June 5, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: Dollar Tree, 790 US-51 N, Ripley, TN 38063
June 6, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm: Raleigh Springs Civic Center, 3384 Austin Peay Hwy, Memphis, TN 38128

Join us for this insightful, free presentation on Aug 4! Register and learn more about the Dr. Margaret A. Newman Distinguished Visiting Professor at https://cenow.uthsc.edu/

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Taleka Perry, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CLNC! She has been selected as the new concentration coordinator for the Doctor of Nursing Practice for Nurse Executives at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Perry brings an extensive academic background and a progressive record of leadership across acute, post-acute, and long-term care settings since 2007. She earned her Executive Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Administration with a business concentration from the University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership with an education concentration from Samford University. She is also board-certified as a Nurse Executive by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Throughout her career, Dr. Perry has held key leadership roles including Patient Care Coordinator, Clinical Director, Director of Nursing, Director of Operations, and Director of Clinical Services. She has a proven record of advancing quality and operational excellence. Dr. Perry joined the faculty of the UTHSC College of Nursing in August 2025.