Alum Tara Talbott, RN, honored as one of VCU’s 10 Under 10
VCU Alumni’s 10 Under 10 awards program recognizing the noteworthy and distinctive achievements made by alumni who earned their first VCU degree (undergraduate, graduate or professional) within the past 10 years will honor Tara Talbott, RN (B.S.’16/N; M.S.’19/N) this fall.
Since earning her B.S. from the VCU School of Nursing in 2016, Talbott has quickly risen through the ranks at VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital. In 2019, she graduated magna cum laude with a master’s in nursing administration and leadership from VCU, and, for the past year, she has served as the hospital’s chief nursing officer.
Talbott credits her professors for helping her develop the skills to succeed. “VCU School of Nursing values evidence-based practice and collaboration, which is evident in every class I attended,” Talbott says. “I learned how to better work with different personalities and leverage our differences to accomplish a task and come to a better answer.”
Talbott began her nursing career at Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg, Virginia, as an emergency room nurse. That intense, hands-on experience helped her develop competencies that remain essential.
“When you work in the emergency department setting, you have to learn the unique skill of rapidly triaging and reprioritizing, not just in terms of patients but in terms of your tasks,” Talbott says. “I continue to use those skills as a nurse executive.”
While working toward her B.S., Talbott served in the Virginia Office of the Attorney General as a nurse investigator, examining complaints of fraud. She collaborated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI, learning from their perspectives on health care.
She then served as the director of emergency services at VCU Health Tappahannock. Her performance in the ER led to her appointment as chief nursing officer in 2021.
In her current role, Talbott institutes best practices to foster more positive experiences for patients and practitioners alike. For example, she spearheaded an initiative whereby triage nurses, rather than receptionists or other administrative staff, greet ambulatory patients in the emergency room. That one change has cut the length of hospital stays, improving both efficiency and the patient experience.
Talbott encourages the nurses at VCU Health Tappahannock to set personal goals and continue their education. She does the same herself: She’s currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at VCU, even as she works full time.
Talbott’s main motivation for continuing her education and career path is her four kids, ages 1 to 15, who have attended both her graduations. “I hope that in some small way I’m helping them continue their education and instilling a love for learning throughout their lifespans,” she says.
By Kristen Caldwell
Categories Alumni and Friends, News