VCU’s University Student Health Services is a nationally accredited health care service that provides high-quality outpatient care to VCU students. It offers everything from care for routine medical illnesses and appointments for urgent medical needs to care for chronic medical conditions and preventative health services. With two clinic locations, one on each of VCU\u2019s campuses, it\u2019s a convenient and accessible resource for students to take care of their health needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bell and her colleagues at VCU Student Health go beyond these routine services, however. \u201cVCU Student Health is a wonderful service for students that not only provides them with high-quality health care but also helps them learn how to navigate their own health journey,\u201d Bell said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nFor many students, this is their first time coming to the doctor alone or dealing with a medical issue without the guidance of their parents or guardians. We focus on educating students about their bodies and empowering them to participate in their health care.<\/p>\nNancy Bell<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
For many students, college is full of many firsts\u2013learning how to live independently, managing time and finances, and making decisions about career and school. And, as Bell encounters frequently in her work with students, it\u2019s often when many wrestle with prioritizing emotional, mental and physical well-being. As a provider, she stays focused on how to support those complex needs. \u201cPersonally, I do a lot of work with mental health and sexual health and I am also interested in professionally developing and advocating for transgender health care,\u201d Bell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond the day-to-day of seeing and helping students, Bell has made it her goal to ensure that every student knows the services available to them and how to access them so they can be their best and thrive while in school. \u201cI want to improve our accessibility and impact on campus. I worry students aren\u2019t aware of how comprehensive our services can be,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lucky for VCU students, Bell not only brings experience and dedication to that task but also a profound connection to the university she still calls home.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
by Moira Neve and Caitlin Hanbury<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nancy Bell, twice a graduate of the School of Nursing, is back on campus, this time as a nurse practitioner for VCU Student Health Nancy Bell (B.S. ’08, M.S. ’10) just can\u2019t stay away from VCU. A double alumna of the School of Nursing, her latest return to campus was to join the staff of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1718,"featured_media":7875,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-and-friends","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1718"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":7871,"date":"2023-11-21T18:07:36","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T18:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/?p=7871"},"modified":"2023-11-21T18:16:05","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T18:16:05","slug":"once-a-nurse-always-a-nurse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/2023\/11\/21\/once-a-nurse-always-a-nurse\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Once a nurse, always a nurse\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
How a School of Nursing alumna is ensuring future nursing students thrive in the profession that gave her so much
<\/p>\n\n\n\nGinger Edwards<\/strong> (B.S. \u201872, M.S. \u201877) was the first in her family to go into nursing. Now, in retirement following a rewarding career as a nurse practitioner, she has a new calling: supporting new generations of VCU nursing students through scholarship giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edwards credits VCU with her success in the profession. \u201cVCU got me started in my career, and I stayed with it all along.\u201d She described that from her first weeks in the undergraduate program, she knew her career was on the right footing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After working as a registered nurse for two years, Edwards made an appointment to meet with an advisor in the school. It just so happened to be the same day in 1974 when the school announced they had been awarded federal funding to establish a nurse practitioner program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that time, the closest nurse practitioner program was in Charlottesville. Edwards was eager to be ahead of the curve and seize the opportunity to be a member of the first class to enter the program. \u201cIt was fortuitous that I happened to be there the day the announcement about the program was made,\u201d she said. She earned her master\u2019s in 1977.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following graduation, Edwards started out in general practice and later moved on to specialize in cardiology. She also returned to the classroom\u2013this time as an instructor. Between progressive roles in practice and new opportunities to inspire students, she found her career was a good fit. \u201cBeing a nurse practitioner is a wonderful career and so versatile. You have so much flexibility,\u201d said Edwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the nurse practitioner certification was newer at that time, the provider community at large was less familiar with its scope of practice and how the role fit into the existing health care structure. Undeterred by that prevailing perception, Edwards made history as the first inpatient nurse practitioner hire in adult medicine at VCU Health. \u201cI knew that, even if the future of the nurse practitioner certification didn\u2019t work out, they couldn\u2019t take the knowledge away from me. That knowledge stays with you,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edwards felt a lot of pressure to represent nurse practitioners well, knowing her work and reputation were setting a precedent for other NPs who would follow her. She succeeded, enjoyed a lengthy career and retired in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have nursing in my blood. I\u2019m a big believer in nursing and what nursing does for healthcare. It\u2019s huge. I liked the principles, what it all stood for. I liked patient care and was a big advocate for good patient care during my career and still am.<\/p>Ginger Edwards<\/strong> (B.S. \u201872, M.S. \u201877)<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Though retired, Edwards has found new ways to make contributions to the profession. She makes annual gifts to the School of Nursing through funding student scholarships and more recently committed to making a planned gift from her estate to the school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe talk about what will happen when we\u2019re gone. I want my estate to be an investment in the future, to give students the foundation that I was provided with by the school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edwards recognizes her support strengthens the tradition of nursing and caregiving she so admires. \u201cThe education I got gave me a foundation that, well I can\u2019t even express it in words. It gave me a good life. If I can support and help people to get that same experience through scholarships, I want to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you would like to support student scholarships at the VCU School of Nursing, please contact Pam Lowe, senior director of development, at (804) 827-0020 or plowe@vcu.edu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
by Moira Neve and Caitlin Hanbury<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How a School of Nursing alumna is ensuring future nursing students thrive in the profession that gave her so much Ginger Edwards (B.S. \u201872, M.S. \u201877) was the first in her family to go into nursing. Now, in retirement following a rewarding career as a nurse practitioner, she has a new calling: supporting new generations […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1718,"featured_media":7872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-and-friends","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1718"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7871\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":7868,"date":"2023-11-15T01:41:13","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T01:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/?p=7868"},"modified":"2023-11-15T01:41:15","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T01:41:15","slug":"dnp-program-hosts-scholarly-showcase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/2023\/11\/15\/dnp-program-hosts-scholarly-showcase\/","title":{"rendered":"DNP program hosts scholarly showcase"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Join the School of Nursing to for a showcase of DNP scholarly projects presented by the program’s students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
November 16, 12-1pm <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\nLink to attend<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nProgram<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/nursing\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/629\/2023\/07\/RBHI.jpg\")
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