Nearly One Year After Helene: A Reflection for Tennessee Nurses
As we approach the one-year mark since the devastating Helene flood, our hearts turn back to a moment that reshaped lives, homes, and entire communities across East Tennessee. For nurses across the region, the Helene flood wasn’t just a natural disaster, it was a call to action.
Whether you were on the ground in emergency response, in clinics managing displaced patients, coordinating shelter health services, or simply comforting neighbors who had lost everything, you answered that call with compassion, grit, and grace.
A Year of Rebuilding, and Remembering
Nearly 12 months later, the floodwaters have receded, but the impact remains. Our communities have spent this year rebuilding, not just structures, but trust, connection, and resilience. At the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement (TCNA), we’ve seen firsthand how nurses have led recovery efforts, volunteered time to cleanup efforts, and supported long-term mental health care for those affected. Many of you traded scrubs for shovels, balancing your shifts with community service.
We remember, too, the incredible sacrifice of Nurse Boone McCrary, who lost his life saving another during the Helene flood. His bravery and selflessness are forever etched in the heart of our profession.
Nurses Lead in Every Storm
The Helene response reminded us what we already know: nurses are not only caregivers, they are community anchors. In times of disaster, we don’t just provide care, we coordinate, advocate, and rebuild. This is especially true in rural areas, where nurses often serve as the first and only line of healthcare access. Your leadership over the past year has proven, again, that the nursing profession extends far beyond the walls of a hospital.
A Message from the Center
As we approach this anniversary, we encourage all nurses to take a moment to reflect on the strength we’ve drawn from each other, and from the communities we serve. To the nurses who worked tirelessly after Helene… To those who shared their stories in Vitals & Voices… To those who continue to serve, quietly, daily, and with heart… We see you. We honor you. And we thank you. The Center remains committed to elevating your voices, supporting your well-being, and investing in the nursing workforce that carried us through Helene, and will lead us through whatever comes next.
Celebrating Nurses Across Tennessee: Honoring Our September Nurse of the Month Honorees
At the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement, we are proud to recognize nurses across the state who demonstrate compassion, clinical excellence, and leadership through our Nurse of the Month program. Each month, we spotlight individuals who go above and beyond in their roles, making a lasting impact on their patients, teams, and communities.
The program is now featured in partnership with leading media outlets in:
📍 Nashville – WKRN News 2
📍 Knoxville – WATE 6 On Your Side
📍 Memphis – WREG News Channel 3
📍 Tri-Cities – WJHL-TV
📍 (Chattanooga – coming soon via WRCB Local 3 News)
September Nurse of the Month Honorees
We are proud to introduce four inspiring nurses who were selected as our September Nurses of the Month:
Nashville: Clarice Braden (Vanderbilt University Medical) – WKRN Link
Knoxville: Shannon Day (VIP Family Home Care) – WATE Link
Memphis: – Mila Maraj (Methodist University Hospital) – WREG Link
TriCities: Kay Grigsby (Ballad Health) – WJHL Link
These honorees exemplify the heart of nursing, advocating for their patients, mentoring fellow nurses, and leading with integrity in every setting they serve. 💙 Nominate a Nurse Making a Difference
To nominate a nurse making a difference, visit: Nomination Link.
Voices from the Nursing Frontline Podcast Launches Season 4!
We’re thrilled to announce that Season 4 of Voices from the Nursing Frontline officially launched on August 27, and it’s shaping up to be our most dynamic and heartfelt season yet.
Produced by the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement, this podcast lifts up real stories from nurses across Tennessee, amplifying the voices that too often go unheard. Whether you’re a seasoned RN, a student just beginning your journey, or someone who simply loves a good story of perseverance, this season offers something for everyone.
👂 What to Expect This Season
Season 4 features a rich lineup of guests whose experiences span generations and career stages. Listeners will hear:
Retired nurses reflecting on how they began as candy stripers and paved the way for today’s workforce
High school students in allied health programs sharing their dreams and early exposure to nursing
Raw, personal stories of nurses who have faced challenges, overcome adversity, and found meaning in the messiness of caregiving
These voices remind us that nursing is not just a profession, it’s a calling, a community, and a story worth telling.
🔗 Listen & Subscribe
You can stream the latest episodes of Voices from the Nursing Frontline on your favorite podcast platforms, or directly from our website.
🎙️ Listen Now
📤 Know someone with a story to tell? Submit a Nurse Story
Help us celebrate the heart of nursing, one voice at a time.
Welcome Dr. Belinda Fleming: Advancing Nursing Science and Practice!
The Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement is proud to welcome Dr. Belinda Fleming, PhD, APRN-BC, as our newest nurse scientist. Dr. Fleming brings more than 40 years of experience as a nurse practitioner, educator, researcher, and leader in service to both her profession and her community.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Dr. Fleming earned her PhD in Nursing with a dissertation focused on metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk in obese African American youth. Her commitment to improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations has guided much of her research and publication record, with a particular emphasis on cardiovascular risk and advancing critical thinking in nursing education.
Dr. Fleming’s career reflects an extraordinary blend of clinical practice, academic leadership, and service. She has served as Director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Memphis, as well as Associate Professor at Union University and Christian Brothers University. She also shared her expertise globally as a visiting scholar in China, helping to shape nursing education on an international scale.
Her service extends beyond academia. A retired veteran of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, Dr. Fleming provided care during Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom, embodying the highest standards of nursing in times of challenge and need. At home, she has continued to serve by volunteering with Remote Area Medical, disaster relief efforts, and youth health initiatives.
We are honored to have Dr. Fleming join us in advancing nursing science, practice, and education across Tennessee. Her expertise, passion for vulnerable populations, and lifelong commitment to nursing excellence will strengthen our mission to support nurses and improve health outcomes in our communities.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Belinda Fleming to the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement!
Vitals & Voices: Sharing the Stories of Tennessee’s Nurses
The Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement is honored to lead Vitals & Voices: Stories from Tennessee Nurses, a statewide storytelling project that amplifies the voices of those who care for our communities every day.
What began as the Nurse Narratives Initiative has grown into a powerful platform where nurses share their wisdom, challenges, and triumphs. The project launched with a pilot event at Chattanooga State Community College and quickly expanded to Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee Wesleyan College in Knoxville, and East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. Since then, more than 40 nurses have stepped in front of the microphone to reflect on why they chose nursing, what keeps them going, and the advice they would give the next generation.
Each 20-minute conversation becomes part of a living archive that informs workforce development, deepens public understanding, and celebrates the heart of the profession.
📍 Next Stop: Memphis
We’re excited to announce that Vitals & Voices will be recording at the Tennessee Nurses Association Annual Conference this October in Memphis! If you’ll be there and want to share your journey, we’d love to hear from you.
🎙️ Interested in participating?
Email us at nursingadvancement@etsu.edu to reserve your time slot or learn more.
📸 Sharing Stories, Elevating Voices
The portraits captured during these storytelling sessions are already making an impact. You’ll find them in our annual report, across the TCNA website, and even in statewide television spots promoting the Nurse of the Month program. Each image reflects the strength, diversity, and dedication of Tennessee’s nursing workforce, bringing visibility and humanity to the profession in a powerful way.
We are deeply grateful to every nurse and nursing student who has shared their story so far, and this is only the beginning. Stay tuned as Vitals & Voices continues to grow across Tennessee.
Together, let’s make sure every nurse’s voice is heard.
New Weekly Infographic Series Showcases Tennessee Nursing Data
The Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement is excited to introduce a new weekly infographic series highlighting key insights about the nursing workforce in Tennessee. Every Thursday, we’ll release a new infographic on our social media channels, covering topics such as workforce demographics, education pipelines, job placement, retention, and more.
These quick, visually engaging snapshots are designed to make important data easier to understand and share with colleagues, students, and the community.
To make these resources easily accessible, we’re also adding a new Infographic Section to our website. This hub will house all of the graphics we create, so you’ll be able to explore the collection, revisit past topics, and download the visuals at any time.
Stay tuned each Thursday for the latest release, and don’t forget to visit our website soon to view the full series. Together, we can turn data into insight that strengthens nursing across Tennessee.
