Ellmer School of Nursing at Old Dominion University

Ellmer School of Nursing at Old Dominion University Ellmer School of Nursing at ODU was established in 1967 and has been preparing exceptional nurses for professional practice for over five decades.

We are proud of our consistently high pass rates on licensing and certification exams for our graduates.

We’re excited to welcome 29 new members to campus and to the Nurse Anesthesia Program!While our students began their jou...
09/09/2026

We’re excited to welcome 29 new members to campus and to the Nurse Anesthesia Program!

While our students began their journey with us virtually in May, this fall marks an exciting milestone as they come together on campus for the first time.

We’re so glad you’re here, Class of 2029! We look forward to seeing the energy, talent and perspectives you bring to our program and to the field of nurse anesthesia.

Here’s to a great year ahead!

Congratulations to our faculty on receiving the interprofessional BRANCH Grant, an internal funding opportunity supporti...
09/09/2026

Congratulations to our faculty on receiving the interprofessional BRANCH Grant, an internal funding opportunity supporting collaborative clinical, nursing, and community-engaged research across Eastern Virginia Medical School, Ellmer College of Health Sciences, and Ellmer School of Nursing within Virginia Health Sciences.

Holly Tenaglia (left), D.N.P., A.P.R.N., clinical assistant professor, and Sarah Hutton (right), director of the Undergraduate Program, were awarded $25,000 each for one year of research.

Dr. Tenaglia's project, “The CANCER Project,” is developing a culturally responsive, nurse-led toolkit to improve family health history knowledge, confidence, communication and sharing with healthcare providers, in partnership with Dr. Luisel Ricks-Santi at Old Dominion University.

Hutton will serve as co-investigator on “TeleTummy,” a multidisciplinary pilot study led by Dr. Sonia Khurana, Ph.D., P.T., with Dr. Kathryn Colacchio of Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters. The study will evaluate a telehealth coaching intervention to support tummy time and early motor development in preterm infants.

These innovative projects bring together interdisciplinary expertise to advance family-centered care, community health and clinical research.

Congratulations once again! We’re so excited to see these projects develop and look forward to the impact of your work.

Clinical Nurse Specialists Week may have ended yesterday, but we’re not done amplifying the vital role of CNSs!To wrap u...
09/08/2026

Clinical Nurse Specialists Week may have ended yesterday, but we’re not done amplifying the vital role of CNSs!

To wrap up our series, we’re shining a spotlight on Chelsea Weaks, D.N.P., director of the C.N.S. Program.

This year’s theme, “Amplify,” speaks to the importance of making the impact of CNSs more visible — within healthcare organizations and beyond.

We asked Dr. Weaks what “Amplify” means to her in the context of the C.N.S. role. She shared:

“The Clinical Nurse Specialist role can sometimes be overlooked since we don't always focus on direct patient care. This week we focused on ensuring our colleagues and the wider public know what we do and how we help improve patient outcomes. Our work is far reaching, and we are working to expand our impact and use our skills throughout organizations.”

We’re proud to have leaders like Dr. Weaks helping prepare the next generation of Clinical Nurse Specialists and continuing to amplify the impact of the C.N.S. role every day.

Our celebration of Clinical Nurse Specialists Week continues!Today, we’re spotlighting an impressive alum and fierce adv...
09/04/2026

Our celebration of Clinical Nurse Specialists Week continues!

Today, we’re spotlighting an impressive alum and fierce advocate for Clinical Nurse Specialists everywhere: Erin Smith, D.N.P., A.P.R.N. (M.S.N. ’18, D.N.P. ’20).

Dr. Smith earned both her M.S.N. and D.N.P. from Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Ellmer School of Nursing at Old Dominion University. She currently works at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where she continues to make a meaningful impact on nursing and patient care.

Her commitment to advancing the C.N.S. role extends far beyond her clinical work. She has served as Legislative Chair and previously as President of the Virginia Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, and she also serves on the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Legislative Committee.

Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Smith has also precepted 16 M.S.N. and D.N.P. students, helping prepare the next generation of nurse leaders who are now making an impact across healthcare systems nationwide.

We asked Dr. Smith: What initially drew her to the Clinical Nurse Specialist role and she shared:

“Clinical Nurse Specialists have always been the nurses who fueled my passion for the nursing profession. I admired the desire to always improve and support nursing as a profession rather than a job.”

We’re proud to celebrate Dr. Smith and the meaningful work she continues to do to strengthen nursing, advocate for CNSs and inspire the next generation of nurse leaders.

Ruben Castro, M.S.N. (M.S.N. ’25), graduated from the Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist (C.N.S.) Master of Science in N...
09/02/2026

Ruben Castro, M.S.N. (M.S.N. ’25), graduated from the Neonatal Clinical Nurse Specialist (C.N.S.) Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) program in May 2025. Now, he’s back at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Ellmer School of Nursing at Old Dominion University, this time pursuing his Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.).

We caught up with Ruben during D.N.P. Immersion Weekend and asked him to reflect on what he has learned as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, what has stood out to him most in the role and what being a C.N.S. means to him.

“I’ve learned that Clinical Nurse Specialists can also create an impact outside of just their unit and their organization. It’s not only about advocacy and trying to provide the highest quality care possible for the patient. It’s also about being there with them, being empathetic and understanding what they’re going through in order to help them navigate difficult times.”

!

Yesterday, we celebrated our Chief Compassion Officer, Ruth, on her 3rd birthday! We had the best time celebrating with ...
09/01/2026

Yesterday, we celebrated our Chief Compassion Officer, Ruth, on her 3rd birthday!

We had the best time celebrating with breakfast snacks, coffee and plenty of popcorn. Ruth enjoyed lots of pets, love and attention from our students. And, of course, she had a blast taking pictures with everyone! We're starting to think Ruth might have a second career as a model… because those perfect photos were giving professional!

Happy Birthday, Ruth! We’re so lucky to have you spreading compassion, joy and lots of tail wags around our community.

It’s ! This year’s theme is Amplify—because the impact of Clinical Nurse Specialists deserves to be seen, heard and cel...
09/01/2026

It’s ! This year’s theme is Amplify—because the impact of Clinical Nurse Specialists deserves to be seen, heard and celebrated.

From improving patient outcomes to leading system-wide change, CNSs make healthcare stronger every day.

Today, we’re throwing it back to earlier this April, when we hosted the VA Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Conference. It was an incredible opportunity to hear about the latest advancements and research shaping the field, while connecting with professionals who share a commitment to excellence in patient care. We also had the pleasure of celebrating our CNS alumni at a special reception later that day.

Here’s to amplifying the voice, impact and leadership of Clinical Nurse Specialists!

Learn more: https://nacns.org/event/cns-week-2026/

D.N.P. Immersion Weekend Highlights! This weekend, our D.N.P. students came together to strengthen their interprofession...
08/31/2026

D.N.P. Immersion Weekend Highlights!

This weekend, our D.N.P. students came together to strengthen their interprofessional skills, share research, connect with faculty and learn from inspiring healthcare and business leaders.

We were thrilled to welcome Dr. Brandon Welch, author, telehealth researcher and founder of Doxy.me, and Shawn Nason, former Disney Imagineer, cancer survivor, and bestselling author. Both shared their stories and challenged our students to think creatively about leadership, innovation and the future of healthcare.

Our students also put their skills into action through hands-on activities focused on developing solutions to real-world healthcare challenges.

We’re grateful to our incredible speakers and faculty for inspiring the next generation of healthcare leaders!

Address

1881 University Drive
Virginia Beach, VA
23453

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+17576834299

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ellmer School of Nursing at Old Dominion University posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category