College of Nursing

Excellence and Innovation in Nursing

Health care is a rapidly advancing field, and at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) College of Nursing in Johnson City, Tennessee, you'll stay ahead of these changes. Learn from distinguished faculty using a curriculum meticulously crafted to prepare you for the future of nursing practice.

Our esteemed college is an integral part of ETSU Health, a renowned academic health sciences center dedicated to serving or region. Rooted in a century-long tradition of improving regional and global health outcomes, ETSU was founded in 1911 with a mission to enhance quality of life.

Are you prepared to make a significant impact in nursing? Excel beyond at ETSU.

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CCNE logo The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate programs at East Tennessee State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (Click here to open in a new window).

The ETSU College of Nursing programs are approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. [LINK - opens in new window] Tennessee Board of Nursing, 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243 Telephone 1.615.532.5166

Notice: Regulatory requirements governing student clinical vary by state and are subject to change. Clinical placement outside of Tennessee is contingent upon approval by the appropriate regulatory bodies and will be evaluated on an individual basis upon admission to the program.

Interim Dean, Dr. Debbie Byrd, Welcomes Nursing Students

ETSU appoints Dr. Dena Evans as dean of College of Nursing

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After a national search, East Tennessee State University has named Dr. Dena Evans as dean of the College of Nursing.

Dena Evans, EdD., MPH, MSN, RN, CNL, CNE, currently serves as Vice Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs at the University of South Florida College of Nursing. She will begin her new role at ETSU in January 2025.
“Dr. Evans emerged as the leading candidate from an exceptional pool of applicants,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, ETSU provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “We were deeply impressed by her vision for the college and her commitment to training nurses and nurse educators – and to the College of Nursing’s important role in providing care to underserved communities in our region. Her leadership and experience make her an outstanding fit for Tennessee’s largest college of nursing.”

She received her doctoral degree in Education (2010) from North Carolina State University and master’s degrees in Nursing (2014) and Public Health (2000) from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In 2019, Evans completed a fellowship with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s AACN-Wharton Executive Leadership Program.
She has earned numerous awards and honors for her teaching, research, and service, such as the Emerging Leaders Institute and the Niner Research Recognition Award. She has also served in local, state, and national leadership roles. Most recently, Dr. Evans was elected to chair the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education’s Nominating Committee.

Her research has focused on developing strategies to increase opportunities for disadvantaged and underrepresented students, enhancing their success, and fostering a more diverse workforce. Evans has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on local, state, and federal grants totaling over $6 million to remove access to education barriers, expand the nursing workforce and advance nursing’s role in achieving health equity.

“The ETSU College of Nursing is widely respected across the state, houses the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement, is part of a nationally recognized interprofessional education program, and is critical to meeting the health care needs in Tennessee,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “We are excited to have Dr. Evans join us in our mission to improve the quality of life for the people of our region and beyond.”
“I am deeply honored to lead the ETSU College of Nursing,” Evans said. “Having grown up in rural North Carolina, I have a profound appreciation for nursing’s role in addressing the unique needs of rural communities. I am eager to collaborate with our dedicated faculty, staff, students and community members to build upon the college’s outstanding reputation.”

As the largest college of nursing in Tennessee, ETSU is training more nurses to enter the workforce than any other institution in the state, with more than 500 graduates taking the NCLEX in 2023. That total is more than double that of the next largest school in Tennessee, which had 239 first-time test-takers. Learn more about the College of Nursing at etsu.edu/nursing.

East Tennessee State University offers many programs of study which lead to the ability to be licensed or certified in a profession by individual states. Each program is listed below with information whether the program's curriculum meets a state's educational requirements for licensure or certification.

Bachelor’s in Science in Nursing (BSN)

The College of Nursing has determined that its Bachelor’s in Science in Nursing (BSN) program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

Alaska
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Virginia
Wisconsin

For all other states, the college has not yet made a determination whether the Bachelor’s in Science in Nursing (BSN) program curriculum meets state specific requirements for licensure and/or certification.
These states include:

Alabama
Kentucky
New York
Texas
Arizona
Louisiana
Ohio
Utah
California
Minnesota
Oklahoma
Vermont
Colorado
Montana
Oregon
Washington
Illinois
Nevada
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Iowa
New Hampshire
South Carolina
Wyoming
Idaho

Students with questions about licensure or certification should contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state of interest.

Each State Board of Nursing can be found on the website for the National Council of State Boards of
Nursing (www.ncsbn.org).
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The College of Nursing has determined that its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

Alaska
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Kansas
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Virginia
Wisconsin

For all other states, the college has not yet made a determination whether the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program curriculum meets state specific requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

Alabama
Kentucky
New York
Texas
Arizona
Louisiana
Ohio
Utah
California
Minnesota
Oklahoma
Vermont
Colorado
Montana
Oregon
Washington
Illinois
Nevada
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Iowa
New Hampshire
South Carolina
Wyoming
Idaho

Students with questions about licensure or certification should contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state of interest.

Each State Board of Nursing can be found on the website for the National Council of State Boards of
Nursing (www.ncsbn.org)
Master of Science in Nursing

The College of Nursing has determined that its Master of Science in Nursing program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

Alaska
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Virginia
Wisconsin

For all other states, the college has not yet made a determination whether the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program curriculum meets state specific requirements for licensure and/or certification.
These states include:

Alabama
Kentucky
New York
Texas
Arizona
Louisiana
Ohio
Utah
California
Minnesota
Oklahoma
Vermont
Colorado
Montana
Oregon
Washington
Illinois
Nevada
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Iowa
New Hampshire
South Carolina
Wyoming
Idaho

Students with questions about licensure or certification should contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state of interest.

Each State Board of Nursing can be found on the website for the National Council of State Boards of
Nursing (www.ncsbn.org).
Tennessee Joint Doctor of Nursing Practice (TN Joint DNP)

The College of Nursing and their partner, Tennessee Tech University Whitson-Hester School of Nursing, has determined that its Tennessee Joint Doctor of Nursing Practice (TN Joint DNP) program curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

Alaska
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Kansas
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Virginia
Wisconsin

For all other states, the college has not yet made a determination whether the Tennessee Joint Doctor of Nursing Practice (TN Jt DNP) program curriculum meets state specific requirements for licensure and/or certification for the following states:

Alabama
Kentucky
New York
Texas
Arizona
Louisiana
Ohio
Utah
California
Minnesota
Oklahoma
Vermont
Colorado
Montana
Oregon
Washington
Illinois
Nevada
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Iowa
New Hampshire
South Carolina
Wyoming
Idaho

Students with questions about licensure or certification should contact the appropriate licensing agency in the state of interest.

Each State Board of Nursing can be found on the website for the National Council of State Boards of
Nursing (www.ncsbn.org).

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