Tag Archives: Dr. Courtney Nyange

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TSU hosts nursing summer camp for middle school students

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University School of Nursing and Nurses Middle College (MC) Nashville hope to inspire 32 middle school students to become the next generation of healthcare professionals. The group of rising 7th and 8th graders recently visited TSU as a part of a nursing summer camp, where they learned CPR and patient care simulations. They received instruction from the School of Nursing faculty and learned about the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, cardiac arrest, identifying life-threatening situations, and more.

Middle school students attend the nursing camp gather in TSUs Health Science Building’s patient care simulation area. (Photo courtesy of Tennessee State University)
 

Khloe Garrison, a Rose Park Middle Magnet 8th grader said the camp experience was one to remember as she learned techniques and terminology she hadn’t been exposed to before.

“Camp has been really cool,” Garrison said. “We did CPR on the (mannequin) babies. Seeing people here at TSU who look like me inspires me because I know they’ve achieved it, and it makes me believe I can too.”

TSUs Executive Director of Nursing Dr. Courtney Nyange said the University was proud to partner with NursesMC Nashville for the nursing camp. Dr. Nyange added that hosting the summer program helps the nursing school fulfill its mission to foster students of all backgrounds to become the leading healthcare professionals of tomorrow.

Middle school students, camp counselor demonstrations CPR skills during NursesMC camp. (Photo courtesy of Tennessee State University)
 

“The opportunity to contribute to the continued diversification of the nursing profession in Tennessee and the nation is a privilege that our School of Nursing is honored to have and has embarked upon as an institution for decades,” Nyange said. “Our partnership will help create a pipeline of students who will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and compassion needed to become successful nurses, capable of delivering high-quality client care.”

Dr. Cathy Lovelace, Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, provided the one-day CPR training workshop for the participants.

Dr. Courtney Nyange being interviewed by a local news reporter to discuss the nursing profession and creating a pipeline for underrepresented healthcare professionals. (Photo courtesy of Tennessee State University)

Amir Rahman, who is a Nolensville High School student, participated in the event as a camp counselor. “It’s important that everyone came together and empowered each other,” Rahman said during the camp. “HBCUs are important, and I know the camp students appreciate this.”

Rahman, who aims to become a Certified Pediatric Nurse, has TSU on his list of potential colleges after high school.

 NursesMC Nashville Executive Director Dr. Andrea Poynter, who formerly served as a nursing professor at TSU for four years, said seeing the students’ excitement was one of the many highlights of the camp.

Amir Rahman

“The biggest takeaway is just them being able to learn how impactful they can be to people in their families and their communities,” Poynter said. “This exposure will be memorable to our aspiring next-gen nurses. Due to the hands-on clinical opportunities, the diverse school and local community, the level of preparedness from nursing graduates from TSU is so impactful.”

In addition to TSU, NursesMC Nashville partnered with HCA Healthcare TriStar Division and Belmont University to offer students diverse hands-on experiences. The TSU and NursesMC Nashville summer camp exemplifies the university’s commitment to nurturing future healthcare professionals through early exposure and practical campus experiences.

Students receive gifts from the School of Nursing during the NursesMC camp, hosted at TSU. (Photo courtesy of Tennessee State University)

NursesMC Nashville, launching next year, will be a tuition-free public high school in Davidson County, integrating nursing education, workforce experiences, and industry credentials to prepare graduates for college and careers in healthcare.

To learn more about the summer camp and the new NursesMC public nursing high school coming to Nashville, visit www.nursesmcnashville.org/contact/. To learn more about TSUs School of Nursing, visit www.tnstate.edu/nursing/.

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TSU nursing director elected to Tennessee Nurses Association board

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s School of Nursing Executive Director and Professor, Dr. Courtney Nyange, has been elected to the Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA) Board of Directors.

Nyange will serve as the Director of Practice for the Tennessee Nurses Association. As the Director of Practice, she will have general oversight for the review and analysis of practice trends, scope of practice, and environmental issues for Tennessee nurses. The purpose is to establish task forces to develop actions to address identified issues and make recommendations to the Government Affairs committee.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity and I’m honored to serve my community, the nursing profession, and the State of Tennessee in this role,” Nyange said. “My intent is to better the practice environment for current and future nurses in Tennessee by promoting evidence-informed practice actions.”

Nyange said serving in her role at TSU has afforded her the opportunity to be at the forefront of not only nursing education but also nursing practice in Tennessee. Nyange was also selected as a participant in the Leadership Tennessee Next Class VIII. Her accolades don’t stop there.

Last year, Nyange was also selected as the first at TSU to receive this honorable recognition as a Rising Star by the TNA, the Tennessee Hospital Association, and the Tennessee Action Coalition for her outstanding leadership in the nursing profession. She noted that these achievements are complementary to one another. “Participating in the Leadership Tennessee NEXT program affords me an opportunity to create cross-state, cross-sector networks, learn about Tennessee’s strengths and challenges, and prepare to serve my local and professional communities,” she said.

Given that minority nurses are underrepresented in Tennessee and in the nursing profession, Nyange talked about the magnitude of this role, serving the community all while being a representation for HBCUs.

“I am able to bring the minority nurse perspective into this role and be a voice and advocate for minority nurses in Tennessee, and I am thrilled to be able to do so,” she said.

Nursing is the nation’s largest healthcare profession, with nearly 5.2 million registered nurses nationwide, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

According to the association, the racial breakdown in 2022 shows that 80% of registered nurses are Caucasian, while 6.3% are African American across the country.

College of Health Sciences Dean Ronald Barredo, expressed appreciation for Dr. Nyange’s unwavering support for both the university and the industry. “The College of Health Sciences is proud of Dr. Nyange’s appointment to the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Nurses Association as its Director of Practice,” Barredo said. “TNA is pivotal not only in the regulation of nursing practice, but also the protection of the citizens of the state. Her appointment to this esteemed position exemplifies the University’s motto: “Think, Work, Serve.”

By serving as the Director of Practice, Nyange looks forward to influencing policy and promoting positive changes that will better the practice environment for current and future nurses in Tennessee.

Influencing policy will help alleviate the nursing shortage and help retain them, she said. “My motivation for seeking this leadership position is the desire to recruit and retain high-quality nurses who will help advance and improve the health of Tennesseans.”

Nyange is one of 11 to serve on the TNA board of directors. 

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TSU School of Nursing executive director, professor named 2023 Rising Star nurse leader

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University’s school of nursing executive director and professor Dr. Courtney Nyange has been recognized by the Tennessee Nurses Association, the Tennessee Hospital Association, and the Tennessee Action Coalition for her outstanding leadership in the nursing profession. 

Dr. Nyange is the first at TSU to receive this honorable recognition as a Rising Star.

Left to right, students Reina Bueso and Deon Myles with Dr. Nyange during the BSN May 2022 pinning ceremony.

“This honor is an opportunity to showcase excellence,” Nyange said. “Excellence on the individual level, and excellence in the School of Nursing. We too, are doing great things in the School of Nursing at Tennessee State University and I’m glad we are being recognized for it.”

Out of 25 rising stars from universities and colleges across the state, TSU is listed as the only HBCU to have a recipient this year as a nurse leader to receive the recognition.

“All too often HBCUs get overlooked and we don’t receive the recognition that we deserve,” Nyange said. “I’m extremely proud of this honor and hope that it is a catalyst for other HBCU nursing programs, faculty, and minority nurses to be recognized.”

The Tennessee Action Coalition said that the Rising Star Nurse Leader program aspires to engage and empower young nurses to lead the profession in improving the health of Tennesseans.

Students provided education on Automated External Defibrillator (AED) usage and heart health during the Library’s Heart Health Event in February, 2023. From left to right, student Sharmeen Abdulah , Dr. Nyange, students Me’Yori Hillman, Patricia Bell, and Cayse Perry.

“This is an elite group of young Tennessee nurse leaders representing the three grand divisions of Tennessee, a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, frontline clinicians, academicians, and managers,” according to a press release from the Coalition.

Nyange’s goal for TSU’s School of Nursing is to become the premier HBCU nursing program in the southern United States. “I plan to recruit and retain top nursing faculty and ensure they are well prepared to educate the next generation of minority nurses.”

Nyange said this recognition brings a sense of representation to inspire nursing students.

“They will see that they are being taught and led by highly qualified faculty who look like them and I think they’ll be excited to be a part of our School of Nursing.”

To learn more about TSU’s nursing program, visit www.tnstate.edu/nursing/

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TSU’s Dr. Courtney Nyange Receives Fulbright Scholar Award to Lecture in Tanzania

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University professor, Dr. Courtney Nyange, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award to Tanzania. Nyange is professor of nursing in the College of Health Sciences.

In Tanzania, she will lecture at the University of Dodoma School of Nursing, as part of a project to build capacity through faculty development, curricular revisions, and teaching. She previously taught at UDOM as a volunteer nurse educator, as part of the Global Health Service Partnership between the US Peace Corps and Seed Global Health.

“I’m honored to be selected as a 2020-2021 Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Tanzania,” Nyange said. “My work as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar will have a lasting impact on students and faculty at UDOM and will also open the door for more collaborative programs between TSU and UDOM.”

As a Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Nyange will share knowledge and foster meaningful connections across communities in the United States and Tanzania. She will engage in cutting-edge research and expand her professional networks, by laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between TSU and UDOM.  

“The College of Health Sciences is heartened to hear of Dr. Nyange’s accomplishment,” said Dr. Ronald Barredo, dean and professor of the College of Health Sciences. “She is a true embodiment of our commitment to the university’s mission, ‘Think, Work, Serve.’”

A flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, the Fulbright Program is designed to forge lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, counter misunderstandings, and help people and nations work together toward common goals. Its alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 60 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 86 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.

TSU has been actively engaged in the Fulbright program in the past. Last year, the University received the designation as a Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader, one of only 19 historically black colleges and universities to receive the recognition for demonstrating noteworthy support for Fulbright exchange participants during the 2018-2019 academic year.  In the same year, Prof. Janice M. Williams, also from the College of Health Professions, received the Fulbright Scholar Award in dental sciences to lecture at the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa.

To learn more about the TSU College of Health Sciences, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/health_sciences/.
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About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.