Nursing Faculty

Dr. Martha Buckner is Professor and Associate Dean of Nursing and Executive Director of Partners in Nursing at Belmont University. She has a wide range of clinical experience with adult post-operative and nutrition support patients and has teaching experience in nursing pharmacology, nutrition, and adult health.

She completed a dietary supplement research practicum at the NIH in 2008 and was named a fellow in the AACN Leadership for Academic Nursing Program in 2010. She has peer-reviewed publications and presentations in the areas of perioperative nutrition support, substance abuse among students, licensure preparation, and point of care technology. Dr. Buckner’s doctoral research is related to student evaluation and testing. She has served as an item writer for the national nursing licensure exam and is a manuscript reviewer for Computers, Informatics, and Nursing journal.

A personal note from Dr. Buckner. . . . .
I believe this one of the most exciting times ever to be a professional nurse. As the largest and most flexible group of health care professionals, nurses will be at the forefront of change in modern health care. Belmont nursing students learn to provide care that is patient centered, evidence based, and grounded in quality and safety. It is a great time to be a nurse and Belmont is a wonderful place to enter the profession.

The most important thing I can tell you about myself is how important my faith is to me. My relationship with God is the cornerstone of my life. My world view is filtered through what I know about God and His grace in my life. I love teaching at Belmont where my faith is nurtured as I teach and learn with my students and colleagues.

Welcome to Belmont University School of Nursing! My name is Sandy Murabito. The courses I primarily teach are Health Assessment and Professional Nursing. In the past I have taught clinical for Introduction to Nursing and Adult Health as well as the corresponding lab experiences that go with these courses. In addition, I am the faculty advisor for the Student Nurses Association.

The field of science has always fascinated me. In particular I continue to be awestruck in how God individually crafts each of us in such a unique and wonderful way. Also I have always had a strong desire to help and serve others. I have found that nursing allows me to use science, my desire to care for others and creativity in ways I could never have imagined. In nursing I have found that the opportunities to do what I love are limitless and the blessings reaped are abundant.

I earned my ADN from Western Kentucky in 1982 and while working as a registered nurse went back to school to obtain my BSN from Western Kentucky University in 1984. I received my MSN in Nursing Administration from Vanderbilt University in 1989. I have worked in medical- surgical units as well as gynecology and oncology. I have worked as a staff nurse, nurse manager, and since 1991 have enjoyed teaching the art and practice of Nursing to others.

Outside of work I am blessed to be the mother of two daughters. I love music, art and being outdoors.

Linda G. Wofford is a nationally certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who loves to teach children, their families and nursing students of all levels. Dr. Wofford received her undergraduate nursing degree from the University of Mississippi with her master’s degree completed at the University of Virginia and her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Kentucky.

She is currently co-principal investigator for a community based research project working with school-aged children to lower their risk for type 2 diabetes through an after-school program. Dr. Wofford enjoys working with the at-risk population of children. Concurrently, Linda serves as a faculty member at Belmont University. Dr. Wofford conveys the importance of health promotion and disease prevention strategies for children within a family-centered model whoever she is teaching – children, families, undergraduates and graduate students.

Linda began her career working with children and their families at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. During the years she was moving about the country raising her three children, Linda remained active at the national level of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses (APON). Since returning to Tennessee in 2003, she has affiliated with the local chapters of NAPNAP and Society of Pediatric Nurses.

Linda began her formal adventure in the world of academia with a joint appointment between University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing and the Alabama Children’s Hospital in 1984. Over the years, she has worked with at-risk children, their families and formal students at six, accredited southeastern schools of nursing.

View Dr. Wofford's Vitae

Beth joined the faculty as a full time instructor in August of 1996.  From 1996 to 2006 she taught undergraduate Child and Family Nursing in both the didactic and clinical setting.

In 2007 she moved into the role of Lab Coordinator managing and developing the simulation labs at Belmont.  As the simulation program at Belmont has evolved Dr. Hallmark’s responsibilities moved from one of lab coordinator to the Director of Simulation. In this role she provides support within the College of Health Sciences and Nursing for simulation education, technology support and simulation development.

A personal note from Dr. Hallmark. . . .

Nursing has always been my passion; from the time I was a child in the hospital I knew I wanted to care for children and their families. I was blessed to be cared for by many caring nurses who were excellent role models. Teaching had never really occurred to me until I began to precept new nursing graduates at Vanderbilt.  I loved seeing the “light bulb go off” and helping students consider the needs of children and their families.

I have also been blessed at Belmont to work with so many excellent educators and have grown both professionally and personally during my time at Belmont.  I quickly recognized that not all students were cut out to be pediatric nurses but that teaching the students to be safe, to be professional,  and to use clinical reasoning was really my passion.  I have been able to do this through my work with simulation.

Nurse’s Christian Fellowship is another exciting opportunity I have been privileged to be a part of here at Belmont. I love the students and seeing their passion for Jesus and nursing is so exciting!

In addition to my role as faculty I have been given many opportunities to be involved in simulation education through my involvement with the Tennessee Simulation Alliance.  This group was a direct result of Belmont’s involvement with an RWJ grant with the goal of expanding simulation education across the state.  Many nursing faculty have been able to learn about simulation and take that home to their respective schools.

In addition to my work at Belmont I enjoy spending time outside in my garden with my husband. We have been blessed to raise a wonderful son and daughter and will soon be empty-nesters!

Mrs. Waterman joined Belmont University in the spring of 2017 as clinical adjunct faculty. She began her current role as Clinical Placement Coordinator in August 2017. She began her nursing career on a pulmonary medical/surgical unit, but the bulk of her experience as a bedside nurse was in a medical intensive care unit. Mrs. Waterman teaches at the senior level in Preceptorship and Experiential Learning IV. Her research interests include adjunct faculty training, professional identity in nursing students, and evaluation of nursing students. When she is not working, Mrs. Waterman enjoys spending time with her husband, sons, and four dogs.

Responsibilities
Mrs. Waterman coordinates clinical placement and assists with the recruitment and hiring of clinical adjunct faculty members within the undergraduate nursing program. She is the course coordinator for Preceptorship and Experiential Learning IV. She serves in many committees throughout the college of nursing including the Curriculum Committee, Continuing Education Committee, and Experiential Learning Coordinators Committee. Additionally, she is an interprofessional faculty committee member of Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Interprofessional Education group.

Areas of Expertise
Critical Care

Jamie Adam joined Belmont University in the fall of 2010 and is now a tenured, Associate Professor of Nursing.

Jamie is a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), with experience in primary care, urgent care and medical missions. Prior to becoming an FNP, Jamie practiced in Adult Surgical Nursing, Pediatrics and Intensive Care. Jamie has served as a Spanish medical interpreter and has lead students on several international and interprofessional medical missions trips.

Currently, Jamie volunteers with the Mobile Medical Dental Unit of Brentwood Baptist church serving the needs of vulnerable and diverse patients in Middle Tennessee and surrounding areas.

Responsibilities
Pharmacology, Health Assessment Labs, Adult Health Labs and Healthy Aging. Serves on the Undergraduate Catalog & Curriculum Committee, Chairs the School of Nursing Curriculum Committee and serves on the School of Nursing Leadership Council. Faculty Advisor for Nurses Christian Fellowship.

Interests
Active learning strategies, best practices in teaching, brain-based learning and inter-professional learning.

Personal Note
I believe I am called to be a Nurse. As a Nurse, I have had the opportunity to care for the sick and the vulnerable. As a Christ-follower, I have realized my profession has allowed me access to care for not only the physical needs of my patients but also the spiritual and emotional as well. I am honored to be chosen for such noble work.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

Diane joined the Belmont faculty as a full-time adjunct instructor in the fall of 2012. She teaches lecture and clinical in undergraduate Mental Health Nursing and has taught clinical and laboratory courses in Introduction to Nursing.

Diane’s practice experience includes adult critical care, pediatric, and psychiatric-mental health nursing. She began her nursing career as a staff nurse on the Burn Unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and later continued on to work at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital. Her interest in mental health led her to pursue a Master’s degree in nursing and become certified as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She now continues to practice part-time as a nurse practitioner at Centerstone, a local community mental health center.

Olivia Bahemuka joined Belmont University August 2017 as Assistant Professor of Nursing. Dr. Bahemuka comes to Belmont from University of Illinois at Chicago’s Human Resources for Health Program Consortium with the government of Rwanda; where she worked as Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor the past 2.5 years. Previously, Olivia completed a post-doc fellowship that required her spending a year in Uganda and Botswana working with AIDS/HIV and TB National Programs. Olivia’s nursing practice experience includes working as Advanced Nurse Coordinator for Hematology-Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant at UAB Hospital, coordination of regional professional nursing education with the Charlotte Area Health Education Center, a part of the greater NC AHEC; and critical coronary care nursing with Carolinas Healthcare System. Working with organizations like Hearts Afire, and churches like Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, and Christ Covenant Church in Charlotte; Olivia has helped organize and lead numerous medical mission groups to Uganda; an endeavor she started as a nursing student at Queens University where she led her graduating class on the college’s first international student medical experience to Africa in 1997.

Interests
Global health initiatives in education and practice; Innovations in quality improvement in healthcare, Evidence based practice and Community engagement; Inter- professional/case based education.

Personal Statement
I hold the world view that I have been placed on this earth for the overall purpose – to glorify and enjoy God to the full. Therefore, I approach and view all my roles – nurse, teacher, friend, sister, neighbor etc. from this perspective with the hope to guide, encourage, love, persuade and support others toward their life purpose. Eccl. 12:13.

Loretta Bond joined the Belmont faculty as a part-time adjunct instructor in the fall of 2009 and became a full time tenured track faculty in fall 2010.  She teaches in both the undergraduate BSN program and the graduate MSN nursing program. At the undergraduate level she teaches clinical practicum and clinical labs in Adult Health Nursing and the Evidence-based nursing practice course. At the graduate level she teaches Theoretical Foundations for Nursing Practice.

Serving as a nurse educator for over 20 years prompted her to call attention to the unique knowledge and skills needed as a Nurse educator in today’s academic settings. This motivated her to obtain certification as a Nurse Educator (CNE) to draw attention to this specialized area of practice. Loretta has taught at Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, KY); Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI); Alverno College (Milwaukee, WI); and Madison Area Technical College (Madison, WI). Loretta’s nursing practice experience is in the field of adult medical-surgical nursing and Public health nursing.

A personal note from Dr. Bond. . . . .

A lengthy illness which required hospitalization for several weeks when I was a young adolescent drew my attention to nursing. As I watched the nurse’s practice I knew that God had chosen me to do the same. Side tracked by my parent’s desire for me to teach, I went to a teacher college to prepare to be a high school teacher for the first years of my college experience. I soon found out that I was compelled to be a nurse and switched majors after my junior year in college. I am humbled to serve today in a role which combines my two loves.

Having served as a public health nurse, I have a tremendous burden for underserved populations. My dissertation explored reasons why health disparities in minority populations persist and the discourse surrounding the presentation of this issue in health care and nursing education settings.

I view nursing as a calling by God. We have the opportunity to serve and to step into the lives of our patient’s at the most vulnerable times of their lives. Few professions have this privilege, but nurses get to do it daily!

Dr. Busby has been involved in healthcare delivery for more than 35 years. He worked as an EMT/Paramedic in the Tampa Bay, FL area for many years. He has worked as an RN in CVICU, ER and as a hospital nursing educator teaching critical care courses such ACLS, BCLS, 12 lead EKG, balloon-pumps, PA catheters and more. He has been a family nurse practitioner for 22 years and has worked in a private rural practice, an ER and in a faith-based community clinic focused on the uninsured. Dr. Busby has 17 years of higher education teaching experience. He served as a faculty member at the University of Alabama in Huntsville where he served as the Nurse Practitioner Programs Coordinator and the Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. He also served as a faculty member at Vanderbilt University teaching Nurse Practitioner and doctoral students. His research experience includes having worked with members of the United States Space and Rocket Center’s Geo-Spatial Lab and the Alabama Department of Homeland Security on a first-of-its-kind in the nation, state-wide situational awareness program. He has done consulting work for a Huntsville-based engineering firm working on a Department of Defense combat casualty care program. He was a member of a federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) from Alabama. His original research and theory on Situational Awareness in Multi-Casualty Incidents is published in the Journal of Emergency Nursing.

Responsibilities
Here at Belmont, Dr. Busby’s primary teaching responsibilities are in the Family Nurse Practitioner and doctoral nursing programs.

Research Interests
The usefulness of the Busby Theory of Situational Awareness in Multi-Casualty Incidents
Emergency Preparedness
Situational Awareness
Qualitative Research
Interprofessional Education and Practice

Areas of Expertise
Cardiology, Hemodynamics, Electrophysiology, 12-lead EKG, Pathophysiology, and Disaster Care related to Situational Awareness

Publications
Espiritu, E., Michaels, N., Busby, S., (2020) Educational Impact on Therapists’ Knowledge, Beliefs and Actions: A Pilot Study, The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice Vol. 18(1), Article 11

Busby, S., (2019) Spiritual Considerations for the Christian Student Nurse, Journal of Christian Nursing Vol. 36(4), pp. E54-E58

Smith, C., Morse, E., Busby, S., (2019) Barriers to Reproductive Healthcare for Women with Opioid Use Disorder, Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, Vol. 33(2), pp.E3-E11

Busby, S. (2015). Insider Insights: Grounded Theory Research. In Corbin, J., Strauss, A, Basics of Qualitative Research, Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications (pp. 81-84).

Busby, S., (2013) Essay: Father Time, Tabula Rasa, Vanderbilt School of Medicine's Journal of Medical Humanities (March Edition)

Gross, B., Anderson, F., Busby, S., Frith, K., (2013) Using Culturally-Sensitive Education to Improve Adherence with Anti-Hypertensive Regimen, Journal of Cultural Diversity, 20(2), pg. 75-79

Busby, S., Essay: When Heroes are Human, Tabula Rasa, Vanderbilt School of Medicine's Journal of Medical Humanities (March 2012)

Busby, S., Witucki-Brown, J., Theory of Situational Awareness in Multi-Casualty Incidents, Journal of Emergency Nursing, (2011) 37(5), pg.444-452

Busby, S., Speraw, S. & Young, How Nursing Intersects with Disaster Planning. Journal of Christian Nursing. Peer-reviewed journal. (2008) 25 (4), pg. 213-218

Recent Presentations
Invited Podium Presentation: Nurse Practitioners and Disaster Response: Innovation, Research, Education and Practice. (2018) American Association of Nurse Practitioners Annual Conference. Denver, Colorado, June 26 – July 1.

Poster Presentation: Exploring the Perceived Barriers to Long-Acting Reversible Contraception in Women Receiving Treatment for Opioid Addiction. (2018) National Nurse Practitioner Symposium. Keystone, Colorado, July 20-22.

Use of a New Nursing Theory in for Disaster Simulation; (2017) 13^th Annual Faculty Development Conference, University of Kentucky, May

JNC-8; An Evidentiary Exemplar; (2017) North Alabama Nurse Practitioner Association Annual Clinical Symposium. September

Professional Organizations
Sigma Theta Tau International, Omicron Phi Chapter
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
North Alabama Nurse Practitioner Association
Nursing Christian Fellowship

Honors & Awards
Sara K. Archer Award winner for Outstanding FNP faculty member, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. (2017)
Sara K. Archer Award winner for Outstanding FNP faculty member, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. (2016)
National Professional Role Award Recipient, American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN) (2011)
Outstanding Dissertation Award, Sigma Theta Tau, Gamma Chi Chapter, University of Tennessee Knoxville. (2010)
Spirit of Nursing Award, University of South Alabama FNP program, (1997)
Student Nurse of the Year, Troy University, Dothan Campus. (1996)

Sara’s practice experience is in the area of adult acute care. She completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree with a focus in healthcare simulation and previously earned her master’s in nursing with a focus as a clinical nurse specialist. She joined the Belmont faculty full time in 2009, and teaches in the lab and clinical settings for adult health courses.

Responsibilities
Lab coordinator, Adult Health II; clinical instructor, Adult Health I; Lab committee chair.

Interests
Simulation, student mission trips to Haiti.

Personal Note
The profession of nursing has blessed my life more than I will ever be able to give.  I’m so grateful to be part of the community that is the Belmont School of Nursing!

Amy Charlton joined the Belmont faculty as a part-time adjunct instructor in the fall of 2016 and became a full-time lecturer in the Spring of 2019. She teaches in the undergraduate BSN program, with a focus on adult health clinical practicum and labs. Working in healthcare since 1998, with most of her experience in the critical care setting, she earned board certification as a CCRN in an effort to advance her professional expertise in critical care specialization. Amy’s nursing practice experience is in the field of adult critical care since 2000.

A personal note from Mrs. Charlton. . . . .

As a child, I was drawn to caregiving. Serving as a helper was my greatest joy. Drawing on my own experiences as a student, I seek to serve my peers and encourage my students. The transfer of knowledge and mutual respect in learning are among my highest callings. The transition to teach was a rather organic one. I discovered my gifts, strengths, and talents when I stepped to the bedside and began serving. Now, I am fulfilled working and learning with my students at Belmont.

Working with several non-profit organizations, I serve in Nashville and in rural communities of Tanzania and Uganda. My thesis was on the prevention of malaria in Africa utilizing local Community Healthcare Workers, through education and promotion of current evidence-based practice. My current efforts include the advancement and resourcing of local healthcare workers in underserved communities, encouraging the profound work in healthcare that is already in progress.

God gives each of us all the skills needed to be humanitarians and it is a great honor to use my skills at Belmont. None of these things would be possible without my amazing family, my husband Matt, and two children David and Carolyn. I had great encouragement from my educator-parents. Outside of Belmont, you can find me teaching in the kids’ school garden or at the bedside in the hospital. When I know that the patient remains the center of the care that is given, all is well with my soul. The Talmud states, "Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”

I grew up in Boston and moved to Nashville for graduate school in 2001. After receiving a PhD in Microbiology in 2006, I decided to go back to nursing school to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife. I currently practice as a full scope CNM as well as teaching Obstetrical nursing at Belmont. In my spare time I love to play games and sports with my two young kids.

Responsibilities
Childbearing family (OB) lecture, lab, and clinical, OB practicum, Clinical course coordinator for OB, Nursing Curriculum committee, peer tutoring program

Interests
Simulation learning, Breastfeeding outcomes, OB practices

Personal Note
I absolutely love my combination of practice and teaching.  It keeps me so busy but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

I'm a city kid from Newark, NJ who moved to a suburb of Boston (kicking and screaming) at the age of 13. After receiving a BA in Biology from Regis College, I worked a short time in Women's Reproductive Physiology Research, co-authored two papers, and left to go to nursing school when we lost government grants for women's health studies. I received a diploma from Newton-Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing, and took my first nursing job on a med-surg unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In 9 months I was moved to the MICU and loved it there until managed care came. I continued there working 3-12's: Friday-Saturday-Sunday nights, so I could go to graduate school full-time.

I received an MSN in Nursing Administration from Anna Maria Arial College and shortly thereafter took my first administrative job managing a SICU at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Boston (where the TV show St. Elsewhere is based). I met my husband there, and after two years in SICU, I moved from to Kentucky (Culture Shock- I was living Green Acres). I left two large teaching hospitals to work in the private side of medicine, in a small hospital, as a Critical Care Nurse Specialist.

Being one of a handful of nurses with a Master’s degree, I was quickly moved into administration and became the Administrative Director of Organizational Development for the hospital. This truly removed me from patient care, and I was miserable doing planning, paperwork and budgets. Back to school: This time to Belmont. I commuted from Kentucky, while my husband opened a new practice in Illinois with our two year old. I received a post-graduate certification as a nurse practitioner in family practice, and opened a private practice in a rural Illinois.

(In case you're keeping score, I've now moved to the other end of the medical spectrum: from critical care to family practice). After a short two years, we moved to Nashville. I loved my practice, but the opportunities in Nashville for my family could not compare, so here we are. I considered a position at Vanderbilt as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, so I called Dr. Leslie Higgins for a recommendation. Dr. Higgins offered me an Adjuct Faculty position here at Belmont University teaching what I love: Nursing....I have just completed my third full time year here teaching Principles of Acute Care..... and that's the beginning of my story.

Dr. Dambrino joined Belmont’s graduate nursing faculty in the fall of 2019. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2010 and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Belmont University in 2016. As a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, she enjoys providing holistic and evidence-based care to her patients in Belmont’s on-campus student health clinic. Dr. Dambrino has published and presented her DNP scholarly research, which explored public access to naloxone as a harm reduction strategy to combat the U.S. opioid overdose death epidemic.

Responsibilities
Advanced Health Assessment, FNP Intensive Practicum, Primary Health Care I Clinicals, DNP Scholarly Project

Research Interests
Opioid overdose, Public access to naloxone, College health, Travel medicine, Public health policy, Health disparities

Areas of Expertise
Urgent care, Primary care, College health, Allergies & Asthma, Travel medicine

Courtney Daniel joined Belmont University Spring of 2011 initially as an adjunct clinical instructor, and Spring of 2016 as a full-time lecturer.

After a fulfilling nursing practice in Pediatrics and Neonatology, Courtney returned to school to obtain an advanced degree in nursing education.

Responsibilities
Introduction to Nursing-Clinical Coordinator and Introduction to Nursing-lab instructo

Personal Statement
Nursing is a discipline of knowledge acquired both through formal education and through life experiences.  The sum of these parts continues to alter and refine my nursing.  My roles outside of nursing enhance my personal knowledge, which I bring to my professional life.  These life experiences expose me to many cultures and attitudes about life. My spiritual self allows me to maintain my inner core of who I am in relation to others. These encounters help me to see my role as a nurse through a unique lens grounded in caring.  Caring defines my life, and enhances my professional role as a teacher of nursing.

Outside of teaching, I spend time with my children and husband.

Marita Dell’Aquila joined Belmont University in the fall of 2017 as a full-time Lecturer. She teaches Adult Health I laboratory and clinical at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center.

Marita’s practice experience includes Emergency Nursing, Oncology, and Rehabilitation. She began her career as a staff nurse in the Emergency Room at Baltimore-Washington Medical Center. She moved to Nashville in 2011 and joined Sarah Cannon Cancer Center as a staff/charge nurse and later continued on to work at Vanderbilt-Stallworth Rehabilitation Center as a House/Nursing Supervisor. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse.

Personal Statement
Since childhood my true passion and desire is to be a nurse, and after having spent over twenty years in Information Technology and Banking, I earned my Master’s Degree as a Clinical Nurse Leader. The opportunity to care for someone at their most vulnerable time of need is deeply rewarding. I am privileged to have provided such care for traumatic brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury patients and to assist them in their daily struggle to piece back their lives. My time at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center was the most rewarding and fulfilling. I cared for and celebrated with many patients who experienced full remission; and have been blessed to be at the bedside of patients who, having lost their fight with cancer, take their last breath to be with our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Dr. Dunlap joined Belmont University School of Nursing as a full time faculty in the fall of 1996. She has primarily taught Community Health Nursing each semester since then and has also taught Aging Adult, Health Assessment and the Nursing Capstone course. Please see the linked curriculum vitae below for details about Dr. Dunlap’s career.

View Dr. Dunlap's Vitae

A personal note from Dr. Dunlap. . . .

Nursing represents a way to love people skillfully. In addition, nursing provides a front row seat for the human drama. I find both of these compelling reasons to be a nurse.

I came to teach at Belmont in the fall of 1996 through a series of coincidences which make me believe that God wanted me here. My experiences at Belmont have never caused me to question His wisdom. Learning and growing with colleagues and students at Belmont is still one of the most satisfying aspects of my life. I love the global connections which teaching community health nursing gives me. I believe that diversity enriches life and that all of us are impoverished when any one of us is left out.

In addition to interacting with students, I love to read the classics, participate in philosophical discussions of any kind, and walk, run or hike outdoors. Getting off the subject is something I particularly enjoy and I always look for opportunities to do so.

Martha joined the Belmont faculty as an adjunct instructor in the fall of 2005 and became a full time instructor in 2010. She teaches skills labs in the Introduction to Nursing course, as well as online general education courses in Nutrition and Wellness.

After being a full time mother to four children, Martha returned to school and received her nursing degree at Belmont. Her practice experience is primarily in outpatient settings, including the Student Health Clinic at Belmont University and several non-profit clinics. She has made medical/mission trips to Tegucigalpa, Honduras and Grand Goave, Haiti.

Martha has served on the Board of Directors at Hope Clinic for Women and the Advisory Board of Faith Family Medical Clinic. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Nashville Hospital Authority and at Monroe Carell, Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

A personal note from Martha. . . . .

Unlike many of the faculty members at Belmont who chose nursing early in life, I came to nursing as a second career. The year my youngest child started school, I began praying about what God might have planned for my next stage of life. That spring, our family went to Honduras on a medical/missions trip where I spent the week assisting physicians. On the flight home, I announced to my husband that my next career would be nursing.

I believe that nurses have the privilege of stepping into the lives of our patients and their families on life’s most vulnerable and holy days.  As nursing educators, we have the added blessing of teaching future nurses how to do this. I love the Henri Nouwen quote selected for our building’s cornerstone: “When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.”

When I am not at Belmont, I enjoy being with my husband and children, cooking, exercising and flower arranging. The beach at Hilton Head Island is my favorite place to relax.

Leslie joined the Belmont faculty in the fall of 2003.  She is the course coordinator for mental health nursing and teaches in both the classroom and clinical settings.  Leslie is also the Belmont faculty member that developed and coordinates the nursing externship course, an innovative partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center in which students are immersed into the clinical setting. This partnership was recognized as a best practice model in the U.S. by the Nursing Executive Center in 2008 and published in Bridging the Preparation Practice Gap.

Another contribution Leslie has made is her work on a Robert Wood Johnson Grant that helped to fund and prepare expert staff nurses to become adjunct clinical faculty members.  She continues to maintain her certification as an advanced practice nurse in psychiatric nursing by maintaining one practice day each week.

No honor achieved in her career is more valued by Dr. Folds, personally or professionally, than being awarded The Presidential Faculty Achievement Award, the university’s yearly award recognizing a faculty member demonstrating dedication and commitment to Belmont’s mission to be a student-centered institution and as exemplified by one’s service to students both inside and outside the classroom.

View Dr. Fold's Vitae

A personal note from Dr. Folds. . . .

As a little girl I wanted to know the reasons people think, feel and behave as they do. My quest was unrelenting. Along with Mr. Rogers, Mrs. Olson of Little House, and Sesame Street, my father, an attorney, was a major source of my research. I would crawl up in his lap when he came home from work for my customary debriefing of his adventures with clients, judges, politicians and city employees.

I grew, and my fascination became my passion. My mother recognized that, from an early age, I had an unusual knack for understanding the real issues or problems a person, a situation, or a relationship was experiencing, and when very young, perfectly comfortable to contribute my unsolicited observations.  Her commitment to watch for and applaud my unique gifts is the reason I chose to study and obtain a degree in psychology from Wheaton College, while also working at Minirth-Meier Clinic.  Following graduation, I worked a year as a counselor at Vanderbilt Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital and observed the role of an advanced practice nurse in the psychiatric setting and then went on to Vanderbilt for a MSN in Psychiatric Nursing; these experiences made clear that this passion was now my reality and would be my life’s work. Through Belmont, I was able to pursue my doctorate and become a proud and deeply grateful member of her family.

Some faculty mention personal hobbies. Learning about school from Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street, at age two, with books as my worn, torn and beloved favorite toys, I was adamantly insisting that I needed to be in school. My mother gave-in at the ripe old age of 2½, and I was ecstatic to climb up into my first yellow school bus, alone with my lunch sack, less alone than was Momma courageously waving from the drive, and venture out into my world fully certain that it would be filled with discovery of all sorts and I’d be safe. Working, likewise, was something that I always thought a must-have pursuit from early-on, the companion love of going to school and one that I have never abandoned, always working at something. How blessed: Belmont lets me do both….

It is an honor to be part of a nursing program and faculty with the outstanding academic reputation of Belmont and to provide the knowledge of our school's discipline from a Christian perspective. Coming to Belmont, for me, was coming home.

Lisa Germano is the Graduate Clinical Placement Coordinator for the School of Nursing. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Akron. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Belmont University. Her experience includes working as a registered nurse in the Pediatric Heart Institute at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and as a nurse practitioner in the Division of Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine at Vanderbilt.

Lisa lives in Nashville with her husband, Rich, and her son, Luca. They have two Labrador retrievers, Vito and Mico. Prior to living in Nashville, Lisa and Rich lived in Charlotte and are originally from northeast Ohio.

Responsibilities
Lisa’s primary duties involve clinical management and coordination for MSN and DNP students. Lisa also teaches in the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.

Areas of Expertise and Interests
Pediatrics
Cardiology
Genetics
Newborn Screening

Poster
Phillips, J. A., Robertson, A. K., Bican, A. G., Cogan, J. D., Rives, L. C., Germano, L. F., Hannig, V. L., Fairbrother, L. C., Pfotenhauer, J. P., Brokamp, E. K., Clark Pollock, P., Cassini, T. A., Pomerantz, D. J., Small, B. A., Sergent, J. S., Newman, J. H., & Hamid, R. (2017).  Precision medicine successes from the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN). Presented at the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting. 

Publications
Tong, H. H., Fisher, L. M., Kosunick, G. M., & DeMaria, T. F. (2000). Effect of adenovirus type I and influenza A virus on Streptococcus pneumoniae nasopharyngeal colonization and otitis media in the chinchilla.  The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology, 109(11), 1021-1027.

Tong, H. H., Fisher, L. M., Kosunick, G. M., & DeMaria, T. F. (1999). Effect of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1-α on the adherence of Streptococcus pneumoniae to chinchilla tracheal epithelium. Acta Otolaryngology, 119, 78-82.

Tong, H. H, McIver, M. A., Fisher, L. M., & DeMaria, T. F. (1999). Effect of lacto-N-neotetraose, asialoganglioside-GM1 and neuraminidase on adherence of otitis media-associated serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae to chinchilla tracheal epithelium. Microbial Pathogenesis, 26, 111-119.

Dr. Giese joined the faculty at Belmont in the fall of 2015 as an assistant professor. She began her nursing career as an emergency department nurse and later became a nurse practitioner. She is a certified family nurse practitioner and pediatric primary care nurse practitioner. She has many years of experience in allergy, asthma, and immunology but also prior experience in pediatrics and emergency care.

Responsibilities
Graduate:  Advanced Nursing Research, Research Applications, Primary Health Care I Clinical, FNP Intensive Practicum Clinical
Undergraduate:  Evidence Based Practice

Research Interests
Pediatric asthma, Pediatric obesity, Adult Asthma, Allergies, Health promotion

Areas of Expertise
Asthma, allergy, & immunology

Publications
Giese, J. (2014).  Pediatric obesity and its effects on asthma control.  Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 26, 102-109.  Doi:  10.111/1745-7599.12029

Smits, W., Giese, J., Letz, L., Inglefield, J., & Schlie, A.  (2007).  Safety of rush immunotherapy using a modified schedule:  A cumulative experience of 893 patients receiving multiple aeroallergens.  Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, 28, 305-312.

Smits, W., Giese, J., Letz, K., & Schlie, A.  (2005). Safety of rapid allergen vaccination in children utilizing a 2.5 hour protocol.  Pediatric Asthma, Allergy, & Immunology, 18 131-139.

Letz, K., Smits, W., Giese, J., & Schlie, A.  (2005).  Allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and migraine: An allergist’s perspective.  Headache & Pain, 16, 95.

Smits, W., Letz, K., Evans, T., & Giese, J. (2003).  Characterization of patients undergoing both allergy skin testing and in vitro allergy testing with the ImmunoCAP Technology System.  Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 15,415-423.

Gray joined the faculty at Belmont in the fall of 2017 as an assistant professor. She began her nursing career as a pediatric nurse. She is a certified clinical nurse specialist and certified nurse educator. She continues to work as an administrative coordinator at Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Responsibilities
Graduate:  Advanced Nursing Research, Transition to Graduate Nursing, Evaluation of Health Care Outcomes; Leadership and Management of Health Care Organizations and Systems, Health Care Policy, Nursing and Health Care Issues

Research Interests
Sleep in families affected by ADHD; Child sleep; Integration of social determinants of health into nursing curricula

Areas of Expertise
Sleep, Child health, Nursing education, Health care evaluation

Dr. Hall joined the faculty at Belmont in the Fall of 2018 as an Assistant Professor. Her nursing career consists of several years of experience in medical/surgical, urology/gynecology surgery, perioperative nursing (Pre-Operative Nursing, Circulator Operating Room, Post-Anesthesia Care Nursing) and critical care nursing (Neuro and Cardiac). She is a certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner with expertise in Cervical Cancer Diagnosing and Prevention, Breastfeeding, Uro/Gyn Pelvic Health, and Well Health Promotion. When she is not working, Dr. Hall enjoys gardening, hiking, coaching her son’s soccer team, traveling, artistic painting, spending time with friends and family.

Responsibilities
Undergraduate: Foundations Experiential Learning
Nursing Research
Nurse as Scholar
Nursing Research

Research Interests
Breastfeeding Promotion with Vulnerable Populations (Adolescent Mothers), Sexually Trafficked Victims Prevention, CRNA job satisfaction in urban hospital setting, Preconception Health Promotion

Areas of Expertise
Nursing Research Consultant for a Magnet Designated Hospital, Breastfeeding, Colposcopy with Cervical Cancer Diagnosing and Prevention, Pelvic floor health, Perioperative Nursing, Doctoral student mentoring, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner

Publications
Hall, E., Panepinto, R., & Bowman, E. K. (2018). Preconception Care for the Patient and Family. Nursing Clinics of North America.

Dr. Holthaus joined Belmont’s College of Health Sciences and Nursing in 2017 as full-time tenure track faculty. She earned a double major in Law Enforcement Administration and Psychology from Western Illinois University; a B.S.N. from The University of Alabama; an M.S.N. in Case Management from The University of Alabama; and an EdD in Instructional Leadership in Nurse Education from The University of Alabama in 2014. She has 20 years of nursing experience including critical care (ED, CICU, MICU), home health care, clinical research and outpatient care. She is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), as well as a Certified Online Instructor (COI). When she is not working, Dr. Holthaus can be found spending time with her husband, three children and two yellow labs.

Responsibilities
Dr. Holthaus teaches Health Assessment, Community Health, Professional Nursing, Senior Practicum in the undergraduate nursing program.

Research Interests
Accelerated Nursing Education, Concept-Based Curriculum, Youth Suicide, Forensic Nursing, Active Learning Strategies/Technology and Online Learning.

Publications
Holthaus, A. M. and Wright, V. (2017). 3D application effectiveness on nursing student’s level of electrocardiogram knowledge as evidenced by exam performance. Nursing Education Perspective, 28 (3), 152-153

International Presentation
The Impact of Forensic Nursing on Youth Suicidal Screening; 2016 Annual Conference International Association of Forensic Nursing, Denver, CO.

Angela joined the Belmont faculty as a full-time adjunct instructor in the fall of 2012. In fall of 2013, she transitioned to the role of Assistant Professor of Nursing and Pediatric Clinical Course Coordinator.  She teaches the Pediatric didactic portion of the course and coordinates both laboratory and clinical settings in undergraduate Pediatric Nursing. In addition to the Pediatric Nursing course, Angela coordinates the Pediatric Practicum experience.

Angela’s practice experience is in the field of pediatrics with the majority of her experience in neonatology. She began her nursing career as a nurse tech on a medical/surgical unit in a rural hospital in Smith County, TN at the ripe age of 16. While in nursing school, Angela worked as a care partner in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. After graduation from her BSN program at Middle Tennessee State University, Angela continued to work in the NICU at Vanderbilt as a Registered Nurse. After several years of working at the bedside in the NICU, Angela pursued another passion. She worked as a RN for Nurses for Newborns. Visiting infants and mothers at home was a unique and special experience. While continuing to work as a RN, Angela completed the Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.

After obtaining her PNP certification, Angela worked as a Primary Care PNP in a Pediatric Primary Care clinic in Lebanon, TN. While working as a primary care PNP, Angela had an opportunity to return to the NICU at VCH as a PNP to provide care and transition infants from hospital to home. An additional component of her experience included work with the Neonatal Developmental Follow up Clinic. Working with families and optimizing outcomes for children was and remains an ongoing passion. While working as a PNP in the NICU, Angela completed her Post-Master’s Certificate in Pediatric Acute Care and then obtained her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. During her clinical work for the PNPAC program, Angela completed rotations in the Pediatric Cardiac Step-Down Unit as well as with Pediatric Palliative Care team.

The focus of her doctoral scholarly project was Breastfeeding and Breastmilk for Late Preterm Infants. The interest and passion for breastfeeding and challenges associated with prematurity developed while working with a human milk for preterm infants group for the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care (TIPQC). In an effort to learn more about breastfeeding and as a consequence of her doctoral work, Angela obtained her International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification. She now serves on the Professional Advisory Board for Vanderbilt Home Care Services and continues to practice on a part-time basis as a CPNP-PC/AC in the NICU at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

A personal note from Angela. . . . .

Nursing has always been a natural fit for me. As I reflect on my strongest nursing influences, I must include my experiences as a nurse tech during my teenage years at Smith County Memorial Hospital. The teamwork, camaraderie, and care for patients and their families I experienced during that pivotal point in my life have been an integral component of my nursing philosophy. The other instrumental influence was my aunt. While I was in high school, she worked as ECMO coordinator. She exemplified professional nursing to me. The potential for influence as a nurse is tremendous and she made that real to me at a young age.

My passion for teaching families and development of those around me has been an ideal skill set as I teach and train prospective nurses. I am delighted whenever I see the enthusiasm of students as they work with patients and tackle the tremendous volume of pediatric content. I am thankful and humbled by the responsibility and opportunity to impact the practice of future health care providers.

My years of practice in a children’s hospital has instilled in me a sense of necessity for interprofessional practice. Fostering opportunity for interprofessional collaboration in pediatrics at the College of Health Sciences is an interest I am pursuing. In our changing health care environment, efficiency and teamwork are critical components of quality care. I am working with members from Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Social Work on an interprofessional team focused on children with special needs.

Outside of my professional work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two children on our farm. I enjoy traveling, cooking and being outdoors.

Dr. Legge joined the Belmont faculty as a full-time tenure-track assistant professor in August of 2015. Over her 30-plus year nursing career, Dr. Legge’s practice experience has been in critical care, oncology/hematology, the emergency department, and the post-anesthesia care unit. Dr. Legge has served as a nurse educator for over 17 years, most recently teaching for the School of Nursing at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee where she was awarded Faculty of the Year in 2012.

Responsibilities
Dr. Legge serves as the Clinical Course Coordinator for Adult Health I, teaching in the clinical lab and clinical practicum, as well as the Course Coordinator for the Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing course.  Dr. Legge has prior experience teaching Fundamentals of Nursing, Nursing Pharmacology, Medical-Surgical Nursing I and II, and Clinical Decision-Making.

Interests
Dr. Legge has a particular interest in the discovery and implementation of best evidence in nursing education. Her master’s thesis and doctoral project both addressed methods by which this evidence can contribute to student success.

Personal Note
I am enormously blessed to have the privilege of blending my shared passion for nursing and teaching in my role as nursing faculty. I strive to conceptualize an educational experience that stems from my own favorable experiences as a nursing student here at Belmont, first graduating in 1985 and then again in 2001.

My faith is the foundation by which I live my life. I am humbled by the grace and mercy God has extended to me for as long as I have lived. My greatest blessings are my husband, daughter and son. Spending time with them is my favorite thing to do! Beyond that, I enjoy reading, music, and playing in the dirt.

Beth began her career working as the head nurse in a busy Nashville Dermatology office. Once she began to pursue her MSN degree, she took a job working on an in-patient Oncology floor at Nashville's Baptist Hospital. After completing her MSN degree, she began work in Clinical Education at Saint Thomas Health Services as the Workforce Development Coordinator. In this role, Beth was the Program Director for the system-wide Nurse Residency Program and the Science Scholars Program, which served area high school students. Beth has been teaching at Belmont full-time since January, 2011.

Responsibilities
Beth teaches primarily online and in the clinical setting. She is the Course Coordinator for both Nutrition for Healthcare and Wellness Nutrition, which are both online classes. She also teaches an Adult Health I clinical at Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital on a MedSurg/Oncology floor where she used to work as a staff nurse. Beth is a member of the SON Educational Technology Committee and is the Treasurer for Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Omicron Phi chapter.

Interests
Nutrition
Online Learning

Personal Note
I thoroughly enjoy teaching nursing and love nothing more than to see students in the clinical environment take their knowledge from the classroom and put it into practice! The most rewarding moments are when patients brag on their student nurse and when students master a new skill. Teaching someone to care for others is a responsibility I hold dearly.  

Dr. Morse was board certified as a family nurse practitioner in 2011 and completed her Doctorate in Nursing Practice at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in 2014. She has a Masters in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and credits her holistic approach to patient care with her strong background in public health.

She is fluent in Spanish, has a heart for social justice and public health service in developing countries and has worked on global public health initiatives in Peru, South Africa and South Sudan. She is currently practicing in her East Nashville community at East Nashville Family Medicine.

Responsibilities
Dr. Morse is delighted to be teaching the public health content of the DNP curriculum, N6100 Population Health & Epidemiology, N6240 Health Care Education for Diverse Populations, and in the scholarly project series where she supports students to find, focus and channel their individual passion into scholarship, professional development and social change. She strives to keep her students actively engaged in the sociocultural context of healthcare, and works to create learning experiences that expose students to the diversity and beauty of the human condition.

Research Interests
Health Disparities, Vulnerable Populations, Patient-centered care, Experiential Education, Service Learning

Areas of Expertise
Global Health
Public Health/Social Medicine

Born in New Jersey, Barb has lived in the Nashville area for thirty years, where she has worked in inpatient obstetrics at several local hospitals. She is a childbirth educator and holds certifications in Inpatient Obstetrics and Fetal Heart Monitoring from the National Certification Corporation. She works at StoneCrest Medical Center in Smyrna, as needed to keep current with the inpatient practice setting.

Responsibilities
OB clinical rotations, labs, and simulation
Nurses Christian Fellowship

Interests
Co-leader for Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Association for Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing

Personal Note
Barb enjoys crafting and reading, and is an animal enthusiast. She has a soft spot for stray cats, and typically has at least one dog and guinea pig. Barb is married and lives with her husband Frank. They enjoy gardening & cooking together.

Dr. Phillippi has been teaching Mathematics and Statistics at Belmont since 2011 and joined the Nursing faculty as a biostatistical consultant in 2018. He earned his BS in Mathematics in 1997, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his MS in Mathematics in 2003 and his PhD in Mathematics in 2007 all from the University of Tennessee. He has been teaching Mathematics at the college level since 1998.

Responsibilities: Scholarly Project Series in the DNP program as statistical consultant. Statistics in Health Care Research.

Publication: Phillippi, J.C., Danhausen, K., Alliman, J., & Phillippi, R.D. (2018). Neonatal Outcomes in the Birth Center Setting: A Systematic Review. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 63 (1), 68-89 . DOI:10.1111/jmwh.12701

Dr. Rasmussen began at Belmont in the fall of 2019 after 20 years of clinical practice as an RN and FNP. Her clinical experience includes: Neuro and Surgical ICU, HIV positive clinic, Minute Clinic, and Hospice. She is also certified as an Approved Educator with the End of Life Nursing Education Curriculum (ELNEC) and enjoys teaching patients, families and the community about end of life issues.

Personal Note: “Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the grace we have received, and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.” – Mother Teresa

Jessica Savage joined Belmont University in the fall of 2010 as adjunct clinical faculty and has taught in Obstetrics, Introduction to Nursing and Community Health. She is now an Embedded Clinical Faculty member working with an Orthopedic Neurology floor at TriStar Centennial Medical Center where she will continue to work with students as a clinical instructor, while also fostering a collaborative relationship with nursing staff and leadership.

Jessica is a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP), with experience in well-women care and outpatient obstetrics. Prior to working as a WHNP, Jessica practiced in Adult Medical/Surgical Nursing, and Hospice Home Care.

Currently, Jessica volunteers with AGAPE of Nashville teaching the state-required Medicine Administration class to prospective foster and adoptive families in the Nashville area.

Professional Interest
Safe Patient Handling and Mobility, Nursing Faculty Development, and Simulation Education.

Personal Note
I love the Art of Nursing; being creative with the scientific knowledge we have to care for patients and families in a way that acknowledges and celebrates their humanity. I have not found a better way to practice this than to share my passion with nursing students in the clinical setting.

Dr. Scism joined the faculty at Belmont in the Fall of 2018 as an Assistant Professor. Her nursing career consists of several years of experience in medical/surgical, urology/gynecology, and obstetrical nursing. She is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner with an emphasis on managing endocrine disorders such as Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. When she is not working, Dr. Scism enjoys playing golf, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.

Responsibilities
Undergraduate: Care Management I, Care Management III, Experiential Learning I, Introduction to Pharmacology, Senior Practicum

Research Interests
Father-infant bonding, Obstetrical practices, Adult diabetes (including anti-diabetic drug clinical trials), Doctoral student mentoring

Areas of Expertise
Diabetes, Postpartum Care, Bonding Initiatives

Publications
Scism, A.R. & Cobb, R. (2016). Integrative Review of Factors and Interventions that Influence Early Father-Infant Bonding. JOGNN, 46 (2), 163-170. DOI: 10.1016/j.jogn.2016.09.004

Dr. Shankel joined Belmont’s College of Health Sciences and Nursing in 2008. She earned a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Religion and Philosophy from Greenville College in 2001, an M.S.N. from Vanderbilt University in 2003, and a D.N.P. from Belmont University in 2014. She has experience working as a Family Nurse Practitioner in allergy, asthma, women’s health, and urgent care settings. When she is not working, Dr. Shankel can be found spending time with her husband and three daughters.

Responsibilities
Dr. Shankel teaches Advanced Health Assessment, Primary Health Care I and II, and Intensive Practicum in the graduate nursing program. She is active on the Belmont’s Graduate Affairs Committee, Leadership Committee, and Community Accountability Council. She is also the Membership Chair for the Middle Tennessee Advanced Practice Nurses and is the secretary of the Tennessee Nurses Association’s Government Affairs Committee.

Research Interests
Pediatric asthma, Telemonitoring of Chronic Disease, Symptom Management Theory, Compassion Fatigue

Areas of Expertise
Allergy and Asthma, Women’s Health, Family Practice

Publications
Shankel, E. C. and Wofford, L. G. (2016). Symptom Management Theory as a clinical practice model for symptom telemonitoring in chronic disease. Journal of Theory Construction and Testing 10(1), 31-38.

Sarah joined the Belmont faculty as a full-time adjunct instructor in the fall of 2010.  She teaches in both laboratory and clinical settings in undergraduate Health Assessment and Adult Health Nursing courses.

Sarah’s practice experience is in the field of adult health, specifically oncology. She began her nursing career as a staff nurse on an inpatient step-down unit at Duke University Hospital caring for patients with hematological malignancies. Her passion for the oncology population motivated her to obtain certification as an Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN). While continuing to work as an oncology nurse, Sarah completed a Master’s in Nursing Education at Duke University.  In addition, she served as a part-time clinical instructor for the Duke University School of Nursing. Sarah has also practiced nursing locally on a PRN basis as a staff nurse on a medical-surgical oncology unit at St. Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville.

A personal note from Sarah. . . . .

I knew from a young age that I wanted to be either a nurse or a teacher. I feel so blessed that God has given me the opportunity to be both!  My mother has been an oncology nurse for thirty years, and she has influenced me and encouraged me greatly throughout my nursing journey.

While at Duke my passion for oncology patients led me to chair an evidence-based practice initiative to change a policy that myself and other staff felt was negatively impacting the quality of life for our patients. The efforts of our all who participated in this initiative allowed me the opportunity to present our work at the Oncology Nursing Society’s 34th annual Congress in 2009. Our work constantly reminds me of the role nurses can play in affecting changes in patient care.

I am passionate about not only nursing but also nursing education. In addition to my interests in providing holistic and quality care to oncology patients, I have a growing interest in the role of simulation in the education of student nurses and the continuing education of nurses in practice.

I view nursing as an amazing mission field in which I have had the opportunity to not only impact the lives of others but to also be impacted in return.

Outside of my professional work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our son. I enjoy reading, cooking, and sewing.

Jacey joined the Belmont faculty as a full-time lecturer in the fall of 2016. She teaches in the Perspectives in Healthcare course, pediatric simulation, and senior practicum.

Jacey’s practice experience is in the field of adult medical/surgical and pediatric nursing. She began her nursing career as a staff nurse on an inpatient unit, specifically for kidney and liver transplants, at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. She then transitioned to the pediatric intensive care unit at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. While continuing to work as a pediatric ICU nurse, Jacey completed a Master of Science in Nursing at Belmont University. In addition to her work at Belmont, Jacey currently works part-time as a family nurse practitioner in Murfreesboro, TN. Jacey has been on medical mission trips to Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nicaragua. Her practice interests include medical missions, preventative care, reaching underserved populations and simulation.

Personal Statement
Nursing, as a career, has been an incredible blessing in my life. I have had the privilege of not only caring for but also sharing in an individual’s most intimate and challenging moments. Nursing has also taken me to destinations to provide healthcare in ways I never imagined. During my MSN program at Belmont, I knew that I was in an extraordinary program largely because of the faculty. Now, I am fortunate to work with my professors that exemplified nursing through an enthusiasm for education and compassionate care for individuals.

Dr. Zellars was the first Nurse Faculty Fellow for Belmont’s College of Health Sciences & Nursing and now serves as Assistance Professor of Nursing in Belmont’s Baccalaureate Program, teaching students at both the Sophomore and Juniors levels.

She earned her BSN from Tennessee State University, her MSPH from Meharry Medical College & both her MSN and DNP from Vanderbilt University. Throughout her professional career, she has accelerated in a wide range of clinical arenas, such as Labor & Delivery, Home Health, Surgical Intensive Care, Acute-Care Case Management, Managed-Care Case Management and Population Health. Prior to Belmont, her practice concentrated in areas of nursing that translated Electronic Health Record (EHR) data into programs that improve health outcomes for patient populations.

Honors and Awards
Induction into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, Iota Chapter, 2015 

Personal testimony
Dr. Zellars firmly believes that her Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, provided her with all the amazing nursing experiences listed above, as a preamble to her ultimate destination, which is to serve Him through education, support and encouragement to the next generation of talented nurses…and for that, she is extremely grateful.

Linda G. Wofford is a nationally certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who loves to teach children, their families and nursing students of all levels. Dr. Wofford received her undergraduate nursing degree from the University of Mississippi with her master’s degree completed at the University of Virginia and her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Kentucky.

She is currently co-principal investigator for a community based research project working with school-aged children to lower their risk for type 2 diabetes through an after-school program. Dr. Wofford enjoys working with the at-risk population of children. Concurrently, Linda serves as a faculty member at Belmont University. Dr. Wofford conveys the importance of health promotion and disease prevention strategies for children within a family-centered model whoever she is teaching – children, families, undergraduates and graduate students.

Linda began her career working with children and their families at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. During the years she was moving about the country raising her three children, Linda remained active at the national level of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses (APON). Since returning to Tennessee in 2003, she has affiliated with the local chapters of NAPNAP and Society of Pediatric Nurses.

Linda began her formal adventure in the world of academia with a joint appointment between University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing and the Alabama Children’s Hospital in 1984. Over the years, she has worked with at-risk children, their families and formal students at six, accredited southeastern schools of nursing.

View Dr. Wofford's Vitae

Dr. Shankel joined Belmont’s College of Health Sciences and Nursing in 2008. She earned a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Religion and Philosophy from Greenville College in 2001, an M.S.N. from Vanderbilt University in 2003, and a D.N.P. from Belmont University in 2014. She has experience working as a Family Nurse Practitioner in allergy, asthma, women’s health, and urgent care settings. When she is not working, Dr. Shankel can be found spending time with her husband and three daughters.

Responsibilities
Dr. Shankel teaches Advanced Health Assessment, Primary Health Care I and II, and Intensive Practicum in the graduate nursing program. She is active on the Belmont’s Graduate Affairs Committee, Leadership Committee, and Community Accountability Council. She is also the Membership Chair for the Middle Tennessee Advanced Practice Nurses and is the secretary of the Tennessee Nurses Association’s Government Affairs Committee.

Research Interests
Pediatric asthma, Telemonitoring of Chronic Disease, Symptom Management Theory, Compassion Fatigue

Areas of Expertise
Allergy and Asthma, Women’s Health, Family Practice

Publications
Shankel, E. C. and Wofford, L. G. (2016). Symptom Management Theory as a clinical practice model for symptom telemonitoring in chronic disease. Journal of Theory Construction and Testing 10(1), 31-38.

Dr. Martha Buckner is Professor and Associate Dean of Nursing and Executive Director of Partners in Nursing at Belmont University. She has a wide range of clinical experience with adult post-operative and nutrition support patients and has teaching experience in nursing pharmacology, nutrition, and adult health.

She completed a dietary supplement research practicum at the NIH in 2008 and was named a fellow in the AACN Leadership for Academic Nursing Program in 2010. She has peer-reviewed publications and presentations in the areas of perioperative nutrition support, substance abuse among students, licensure preparation, and point of care technology. Dr. Buckner’s doctoral research is related to student evaluation and testing. She has served as an item writer for the national nursing licensure exam and is a manuscript reviewer for Computers, Informatics, and Nursing journal.

A personal note from Dr. Buckner. . . . .
I believe this one of the most exciting times ever to be a professional nurse. As the largest and most flexible group of health care professionals, nurses will be at the forefront of change in modern health care. Belmont nursing students learn to provide care that is patient centered, evidence based, and grounded in quality and safety. It is a great time to be a nurse and Belmont is a wonderful place to enter the profession.

The most important thing I can tell you about myself is how important my faith is to me. My relationship with God is the cornerstone of my life. My world view is filtered through what I know about God and His grace in my life. I love teaching at Belmont where my faith is nurtured as I teach and learn with my students and colleagues.

Dr. Busby has been involved in healthcare delivery for more than 35 years. He worked as an EMT/Paramedic in the Tampa Bay, FL area for many years. He has worked as an RN in CVICU, ER and as a hospital nursing educator teaching critical care courses such ACLS, BCLS, 12 lead EKG, balloon-pumps, PA catheters and more. He has been a family nurse practitioner for 22 years and has worked in a private rural practice, an ER and in a faith-based community clinic focused on the uninsured. Dr. Busby has 17 years of higher education teaching experience. He served as a faculty member at the University of Alabama in Huntsville where he served as the Nurse Practitioner Programs Coordinator and the Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. He also served as a faculty member at Vanderbilt University teaching Nurse Practitioner and doctoral students. His research experience includes having worked with members of the United States Space and Rocket Center’s Geo-Spatial Lab and the Alabama Department of Homeland Security on a first-of-its-kind in the nation, state-wide situational awareness program. He has done consulting work for a Huntsville-based engineering firm working on a Department of Defense combat casualty care program. He was a member of a federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) from Alabama. His original research and theory on Situational Awareness in Multi-Casualty Incidents is published in the Journal of Emergency Nursing.

Responsibilities
Here at Belmont, Dr. Busby’s primary teaching responsibilities are in the Family Nurse Practitioner and doctoral nursing programs.

Research Interests
The usefulness of the Busby Theory of Situational Awareness in Multi-Casualty Incidents
Emergency Preparedness
Situational Awareness
Qualitative Research
Interprofessional Education and Practice

Areas of Expertise
Cardiology, Hemodynamics, Electrophysiology, 12-lead EKG, Pathophysiology, and Disaster Care related to Situational Awareness

Publications
Espiritu, E., Michaels, N., Busby, S., (2020) Educational Impact on Therapists’ Knowledge, Beliefs and Actions: A Pilot Study, The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice Vol. 18(1), Article 11

Busby, S., (2019) Spiritual Considerations for the Christian Student Nurse, Journal of Christian Nursing Vol. 36(4), pp. E54-E58

Smith, C., Morse, E., Busby, S., (2019) Barriers to Reproductive Healthcare for Women with Opioid Use Disorder, Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, Vol. 33(2), pp.E3-E11

Busby, S. (2015). Insider Insights: Grounded Theory Research. In Corbin, J., Strauss, A, Basics of Qualitative Research, Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications (pp. 81-84).

Busby, S., (2013) Essay: Father Time, Tabula Rasa, Vanderbilt School of Medicine's Journal of Medical Humanities (March Edition)

Gross, B., Anderson, F., Busby, S., Frith, K., (2013) Using Culturally-Sensitive Education to Improve Adherence with Anti-Hypertensive Regimen, Journal of Cultural Diversity, 20(2), pg. 75-79

Busby, S., Essay: When Heroes are Human, Tabula Rasa, Vanderbilt School of Medicine's Journal of Medical Humanities (March 2012)

Busby, S., Witucki-Brown, J., Theory of Situational Awareness in Multi-Casualty Incidents, Journal of Emergency Nursing, (2011) 37(5), pg.444-452

Busby, S., Speraw, S. & Young, How Nursing Intersects with Disaster Planning. Journal of Christian Nursing. Peer-reviewed journal. (2008) 25 (4), pg. 213-218

Recent Presentations
Invited Podium Presentation: Nurse Practitioners and Disaster Response: Innovation, Research, Education and Practice. (2018) American Association of Nurse Practitioners Annual Conference. Denver, Colorado, June 26 – July 1.

Poster Presentation: Exploring the Perceived Barriers to Long-Acting Reversible Contraception in Women Receiving Treatment for Opioid Addiction. (2018) National Nurse Practitioner Symposium. Keystone, Colorado, July 20-22.

Use of a New Nursing Theory in for Disaster Simulation; (2017) 13^th Annual Faculty Development Conference, University of Kentucky, May

JNC-8; An Evidentiary Exemplar; (2017) North Alabama Nurse Practitioner Association Annual Clinical Symposium. September

Professional Organizations
Sigma Theta Tau International, Omicron Phi Chapter
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
North Alabama Nurse Practitioner Association
Nursing Christian Fellowship

Honors & Awards
Sara K. Archer Award winner for Outstanding FNP faculty member, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. (2017)
Sara K. Archer Award winner for Outstanding FNP faculty member, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. (2016)
National Professional Role Award Recipient, American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN) (2011)
Outstanding Dissertation Award, Sigma Theta Tau, Gamma Chi Chapter, University of Tennessee Knoxville. (2010)
Spirit of Nursing Award, University of South Alabama FNP program, (1997)
Student Nurse of the Year, Troy University, Dothan Campus. (1996)

Dr. Dambrino joined Belmont’s graduate nursing faculty in the fall of 2019. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2010 and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Belmont University in 2016. As a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, she enjoys providing holistic and evidence-based care to her patients in Belmont’s on-campus student health clinic. Dr. Dambrino has published and presented her DNP scholarly research, which explored public access to naloxone as a harm reduction strategy to combat the U.S. opioid overdose death epidemic.

Responsibilities
Advanced Health Assessment, FNP Intensive Practicum, Primary Health Care I Clinicals, DNP Scholarly Project

Research Interests
Opioid overdose, Public access to naloxone, College health, Travel medicine, Public health policy, Health disparities

Areas of Expertise
Urgent care, Primary care, College health, Allergies & Asthma, Travel medicine

Dr. Giese joined the faculty at Belmont in the fall of 2015 as an assistant professor. She began her nursing career as an emergency department nurse and later became a nurse practitioner. She is a certified family nurse practitioner and pediatric primary care nurse practitioner. She has many years of experience in allergy, asthma, and immunology but also prior experience in pediatrics and emergency care.

Responsibilities
Graduate: Advanced Nursing Research, Research Applications, Primary Health Care I Clinical, FNP Intensive Practicum Clinical
Undergraduate: Evidence Based Practice

Research Interests
Pediatric asthma, Pediatric obesity, Adult Asthma, Allergies, Health promotion

Areas of Expertise
Asthma, allergy, & immunology

Publications
Giese, J. (2014). Pediatric obesity and its effects on asthma control. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 26, 102-109.  Doi:  10.111/1745-7599.12029

Smits, W., Giese, J., Letz, L., Inglefield, J., & Schlie, A. (2007). Safety of rush immunotherapy using a modified schedule: A cumulative experience of 893 patients receiving multiple aeroallergens. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, 28, 305-312.

Smits, W., Giese, J., Letz, K., & Schlie, A. (2005). Safety of rapid allergen vaccination in children utilizing a 2.5 hour protocol. Pediatric Asthma, Allergy, & Immunology, 18 131-139.

Letz, K., Smits, W., Giese, J., & Schlie, A. (2005). Allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and migraine: An allergist’s perspective. Headache & Pain, 16, 95.

Smits, W., Letz, K., Evans, T., & Giese, J. (2003). Characterization of patients undergoing both allergy skin testing and in bitro allergy testing with the ImmunoCAP Technology System. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 15,415-423.

Gray joined the faculty at Belmont in the fall of 2017 as an assistant professor. She began her nursing career as a pediatric nurse. She is a certified clinical nurse specialist and certified nurse educator. She continues to work as an administrative coordinator at Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Responsibilities
Graduate: Advanced Nursing Research, Transition to Graduate Nursing, Evaluation of Health Care Outcomes; Leadership and Management of Health Care Organizations and Systems, Health Care Policy, Nursing and Health Care Issues

Research Interests
Sleep in families affected by ADHD; Child sleep; Integration of social determinants of health into nursing curricula

Areas of Expertise
Sleep, Child health, Nursing education, Health care evaluation

Dr. Morse was board certified as a family nurse practitioner in 2011 and completed her Doctorate in Nursing Practice at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in 2014. She has a Masters in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and credits her holistic approach to patient care with her strong background in public health.

She is fluent in Spanish, has a heart for social justice and public health service in developing countries and has worked on global public health initiatives in Peru, South Africa and South Sudan. She is currently practicing in her East Nashville community at East Nashville Family Medicine.

Responsibilities
Dr. Morse is delighted to be teaching the public health content of the DNP curriculum, N6100 Population Health & Epidemiology, N6240 Health Care Education for Diverse Populations, and in the scholarly project series where she supports students to find, focus and channel their individual passion into scholarship, professional development and social change. She strives to keep her students actively engaged in the sociocultural context of healthcare, and works to create learning experiences that expose students to the diversity and beauty of the human condition.

Research Interests
Health Disparities, Vulnerable Populations, Patient-centered care, Experiential Education, Service Learning

Areas of Expertise
Global Health
Public Health/Social Medicine

Dr. Phillippi has been teaching Mathematics and Statistics at Belmont since 2011 and joined the Nursing faculty as a biostatistical consultant in 2018. He earned his BS in Mathematics in 1997, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his MS in Mathematics in 2003 and his PhD in Mathematics in 2007 all from the University of Tennessee. He has been teaching Mathematics at the college level since 1998.

Responsibilities: Scholarly Project Series in the DNP program as statistical consultant. Statistics in Health Care Research.

Publication: Phillippi, J.C., Danhausen, K., Alliman, J., & Phillippi, R.D. (2018). Neonatal Outcomes in the Birth Center Setting: A Systematic Review. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 63 (1), 68-89 .DOI:10.1111/jmwh.12701