Shaping the Future of Nursing: Education, Practice, and Professional Service

Shaping the Future of Nursing: Education, Practice, and Professional Service

In this episode of Voices from the Nursing Frontline, host Dr. Lisa Beasley is joined by Dr. Kimberly Kennell and Dr. Shelley Miller, faculty at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Together, they explore the intersection of nursing education, clinical readiness, and service to the profession. The conversation highlights how nurse educators prepare students to move beyond task-based learning into clinical judgment and critical thinking, emphasizing patient safety, communication, and real-world application. The guests also discuss the importance of family-centered care, the role of simulation in building confidence, and strategies for supporting students through the transition into practice. Additionally, the episode underscores the value of professional involvement, encouraging nurses at all stages to engage in organizations that shape policy, strengthen advocacy, and build leadership skills. Through personal experiences, Drs. Kennell and Miller illustrate how service, mentorship, and networking can profoundly impact both individual careers and the future of the nursing profession.

Prevention Starts Early: Nursing’s Role in Changing Lifelong Health Outcomes with Chris Owen

In this episode of Voices From the Nursing Frontline, host Dr. Lisa Beasley speaks with Chris Owen, MS, ACNP, a nurse practitioner whose 34-year nursing career spans trauma and ICU care, vascular surgery, education design, prevention science, and legislative advocacy. Chris shares her professional journey from associate-degree nurse in a Level I trauma center to surgical ICU nurse, vascular nurse practitioner, and ultimately Director of Innovative Design and Simulation in the Education Division at the American College of Cardiology. In her current role, she helps shape education for more than 60,000 cardiovascular professionals across in-person, online, and simulation-based platforms—while continuing to practice clinically. The conversation explores the power of prevention across the lifespan, from child passenger safety and injury prevention to vascular disease, hypertension, and cardiovascular risk reduction. Chris emphasizes that atherosclerosis and chronic disease develop over decades, making early education, lifestyle changes, and community-level interventions critical to improving long-term outcomes. Dr. Beasley and Chris also discuss gaps in clinician education—particularly where nursing and advanced practice provider workflows differ from physician-centered models—and the importance of practical, bedside-relevant education that supports transitions of care from hospital to clinic and back again. The episode concludes with a powerful discussion on nursing advocacy. Chris reflects on her experience working with legislators, including helping write Maryland’s booster seat legislation, and encourages nurses to recognize their influence beyond direct patient care. Her message is clear: curiosity, courage, and persistence can open doors nurses may never have imagined—and those doors can lead to meaningful change for patients, families, and communities.

Confidence, Compassion, and Chaos: The Truth About Nursing School

This week, Dr. Lisa Beasley talks with three nursing students from UTHSC who open up about why they chose nursing, what their days really look like, and the moments that changed how they see patient care. From accelerated vs. traditional tracks to clinical surprises, emotional resilience, and the skills that humbled them — this conversation is honest, encouraging, and full of heart.

Bridging the Gap: Forensic Nursing and Education in Rural Communities with Carrie Bailey

In this episode of Voices from the Nursing Frontline, host Dr. Lisa Beasley sits down with Dr. Carrie Bailey, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Nursing and an experienced Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). Dr. Bailey shares insights from more than two decades in nursing education and clinical practice, discussing how simulation, trauma-informed care, and real-world clinical experiences prepare students for today’s healthcare environment. She also highlights her work expanding SANE services across rural Tennessee and the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration to ensure survivors of sexual assault have access to compassionate, specialized care. The conversation explores nursing education, rural healthcare challenges, mentorship, and the critical role nurses play in bridging the gap between classroom learning and patient care.

Motivating Nurses Through Patient Care with Tiffany Street and host, Dr. Lisa Beasley

In this conversation, Dr. Tiffany Street shares her journey through nursing, leadership, and clinical practice at Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute. She currently serves as the Associate Nursing Officer and continues to practice as an acute care nurse practitioner in vascular surgery, a specialty she has loved since 2005. She oversees clinical operations across 23 clinics in Tennessee, with additional locations in Kentucky, Indiana, and Alabama, making her service line the first at Vanderbilt to operate in four states. Dr. Street talks about her unconventional path into nursing. She originally studied biology and chemistry with plans for medical school but discovered the nursing model through a nurse practitioner she worked with after graduation. She completed a bridge program at Vanderbilt, moved into cardiac surgery at the VA, and eventually shifted into vascular surgery, where she has spent most of her career. She later pursued leadership, which eventually led her back to Vanderbilt in a director role and then into executive nursing leadership. Her motivation for earning both her MSN and DNP grew out of wanting to serve, lead, and better understand the systems guiding patient care. A major theme she returns to is balance. With over 400 FTEs under her leadership, she emphasizes the importance of motivation, communication, and purpose. She believes strongly in starting with the “why” when leading change and in staying connected to frontline staff and patients. Continuing her own weekly clinical practice keeps her grounded and gives her credibility with the teams she leads. She notes the importance of reflection, feedback, and the role of informal leaders in shaping culture. Dr. Street also speaks passionately about advocacy and professional governance. Her involvement in organizations like the Society for Vascular Nursing and the Tennessee Nurses Association grew from realizing how deeply public policy affects nursing practice. She encourages nurses to get involved at any level—through professional organizations, unit councils, or grassroots advocacy—because their voices directly impact patient care and the future of the profession.