Our stories

Twenty members of Nursing Students Without Borders at VCU and two VCU School of Nursing faculty members traveled on a community service trip earlier this month to provide health outreach to villagers in the Highlands Region of Guatemala. Led by Leigh Ann Breckenridge, DNP, FNP- BC, MSN, RN, clinical assistant professor, and Michelle Legg, M.S.N., RN, CCRN-K, clinical instructor, the students provided education on hypertension and diabetes for women and midwives. They also built stoves for Mayan families to help reduce the risk of additional health issues caused by cooking over open fires.

VCU School of Nursing recognized 134 new graduates at the Fall 2019 Recognition Ceremony held Dec. 13 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The ceremony also featured the presentation of awards.

You could say that VCU School of Nursing clinical assistant professor and alumna Tracye Proffitt (B.S.’02/N, M.S.’06/N) has come full circle in her new job as coordinator of the RN to B.S. program. A graduate of Rappahannock Community College who began her career as a registered nurse, she’s the perfect example of how the RN to B.S. program works … and how it works even better now for students at Rappahannock and Southside Virginia Community Colleges because of a recent concurrent enrollment agreement that paves a faster, more efficient path to the bachelor’s degree.

The road to recovery after escaping from Vietnam during her childhood had an unexpected bright side for Ai Garner. The Saigon, Vietnam native ended up in the nursing field after experiencing life on the run from Viet Cong soldiers, spending time in a refugee camp and later immigrating to America with her mother in search of a better life. Her life’s journey fueled her current path toward becoming a psychiatric and mental health nursing practitioner.

There’s a saying in education that we are preparing students for a future we cannot see. For Kimberly Curry-Lourenco, Ph.D., M.Ed., RN, CHSE, that future is clear. Curry-Lourenco, who joined the VCU School of Nursing as director of the Clinical Learning Center in October 2017, is responsible for overseeing the center and leading new initiatives to ensure the School of Nursing is a national leader in simulation. More recently, she was also appointed assistant dean of academic affairs. “My goal for both of my roles is to work alongside faculty and staff to create the future of nursing by what we do every day,” said Curry-Lourenco. “Our work today is really about tomorrow. From our academic programs, to the learning experiences we offer our students, partnerships we cultivate, and our own development as educators, scholars, and clinicians, I want VCU SON to lead the way. “

Excitement and smiles filled the room as the School of Nursing recently welcomed members of the traditional B.S. class of 2021 to the start of their journey in the nursing profession. The Spring 2019 Vesting Ceremony was held in the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building Auditorium.