Pellissippi State Community College’s new Nursing degree program is in the capable hands of two people with diverse backgrounds in health care and education: Larry Goins and Katrenia Hill.
Goins has been recruited as the dean of Nursing, and Hill is coordinator of Pre-nursing/Nursing activities. The program was approved by the Tennessee Department of Health’s Board of Nursing Sept. 25.
“Dr. Goins will be leading our efforts over the next year,” said Allen Edwards, president of Pellissippi State, “as we begin offering the Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing through the Magnolia Avenue and Blount County campuses.” The new program is designed to prepare students to take the NCLEX licensure exam to become a registered nurse, or R.N.
Before joining Pellissippi State, Larry Goins was an assistant professor of nursing at East Tennessee State University. He also has been developing director and assistant dean of nursing at Northwestern Technical College in Georgia, as well as an assistant professor and off-site campus director of nursing at Lincoln Memorial University’s Madisonville site.
Goins has an R.N. diploma from Baroness Erlanger Hospital School of Nursing in Chattanooga, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Tennessee Technological University, a master’s degree in nursing from Andrews University in Michigan and a doctoral degree in education administration from Argosy University in Atlanta.
Katrenia Hill will split her responsibilities between Nursing and Pre-nursing. Susan McMahon is program coordinator of Pre-nursing Education at Pellissippi State.
Hill brings extensive experience as both a manager and a state-certified medical assistant for Knoxville area clinics, labs and family practices to her new role at Pellissippi State.
Hill graduated with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from ETSU and has an associate’s degree in medical assisting from Bristol College in Johnson City. She is licensed through the state of Tennessee as a medical assistant and has been licensed as an X-ray technician.
“The combination of communications and medical assisting degrees and a strong background in the clinical setting makes Hill an excellent choice for the coordinator position,” said Anthony Wise, the college’s vice president of the Learning Division.
At Pellissippi State Hill’s responsibilities will include not only maintaining the Pellissippi State Pre-nursing Advising and Information Center on the Pellissippi Campus but also planning and facilitating the establishment of the Nursing lab at the new Blount County Campus in Friendsville. The campus is under construction and scheduled to open for classes fall 2010.
Both Hill and Goins started work at Pellissippi State this semester.