by Bethel University
Dr. Ashley Johnson, associate professor of nursing, and Dr. Jenny Webb, director and associate professor of nursing, were selected to Tennessee’s 2021 Rising Star Nurse Leaders as part of the 40 Under 40 Nurse Leaders program.
This elite group of young nurse leaders represents the Three Grand Regions of Tennessee, a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, frontline clinicians, academicians and managers.
The selection was based on criteria determined by leaders from the Tennessee Action Coalition, Tennessee Nurses Association and Tennessee Hospital Association. Additional criteria included leadership among peers, professional growth and development, contribution to building a culture of health in your community and commitment as a role model for health.
As part of this cohort, nurse leaders will become members of the TN 40 Under 40 program’s learning collaborative with the aim to engage and empower young nurses to lead the nursing profession in improving the health of Tennesseans. This initiative was developed by the Tennessee Action Coalition, Tennessee Nurses Association and Tennessee Hospital Association.
“It is exciting to be recognized for your hard work,” Johnson said. “I am looking forward to the leadership and educational opportunities this will provide.” Johnson has been a nursing professional for 14 years and teaching for eight years.
Webb expressed being selected as one of the 40 Nurse Leaders Under 40 as a great accomplishment. “I am looking forward to growing with a network of colleagues as we work to advance nursing practice here in the state of Tennessee over the next several decades,” said Webb.
Webb has been teaching at Bethel since 2010. She said, “I love having the opportunity to work with students and share with them the profession that I love. It is an amazingly rewarding experience to help those students achieve their goal of becoming a nurse and watching the impact that they have on our profession.”