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Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) recently celebrated National Nurse Practitioner Week with special bios about some of the professionals at the Caylor School of Nursing. Claiborne county resident Jennifer Savage, who serves as assistant professor of nursing at LMU-CSON, agreed to answer a few questions about her decision to move up the ladder by furthering her education.

Savage is also the assistant director of Family Nurse Practitioner concentration, for the Master of Science in Nursing program.

“I worked as a nurse in a federally qualified community health center and saw the need for additional practitioners to care for my community. As a nurse, I wanted to do more for those patients and this profession has allowed me to do just that,” said Savage.

She said her favorite part of the job is the chance she has been given to provide quality preventative, as well as, episodic care to the people of the region in which she lives.

“My goal is to make students well-prepared health care providers, who play a valuable role in taking care of our communities,” said Savage.” I began my nursing career at LMU. Being from Tazewell and living in East Tennessee my entire life, I have seen the dramatic impact LMU has had on this area. I felt very prepared for my role as a nurse, as well as an advance practice nurse coming out of school. I believe in the mission of LMU and the Caylor School of Nursing. It is why I chose to teach here. I am affecting the lives of students as well as the health care of a multitude of individuals in my area. I would have never dreamed, sitting in class early on, that I would one day be director of this program. I am thankful for the wonderful instructors who helped prepare and mentor me for this role.”

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who serve as primary and specialty health care providers under a physician. Both family nurse practitioners and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners work with patients diagnosing illness, conducting exams and prescribing medication. They can serve as a patient’s sole health care provider and, in many cases, run a private practice.

In the United States, this distinguished group of health care professionals number approximately 248,000 strong, with an additional 23,000 NP students graduating each year.

Nursing is the largest undergraduate major at LMU. Enrollment in the CSON has increased exponentially over the last decade, with the addition of new programs and concentrations. The CSON offers a variety of degree options to meet nurses’ career goals including the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), the RN-BSN, the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is located in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423-869-6280 or email at admissions@LMUnet.edu.