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Holmes Community College Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) instructors Nathan Ewell and Dr. Sandra Townes obtained their Certification in Nursing Education through the college’s partnership with University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Bower’s Foundation Grant. They are both instructors on the Holmes Grenada Campus.
“University of Mississippi Medical Center received a grant from the Bower’s Foundation and partnered with most community colleges in state,” said ADN Department Chair/Assistant Director Dr. Alice Austin. “Holmes participated and there were several components to this agreement; one being that we nominate two instructors to participate in a review course and test for obtaining their certified nurse educator status. We were able to nominate four faculty members and two have taken and passed the certification test; Nathan Ewell from the 2021 cohort and Dr. Sandra Townes from the 2022 cohort. Each faculty member has attended a workshop and has or will test within a year of the review. Prior to this partnership, we only had one faculty that was a certified nurse educator, Dr. Tiffany Cox.”
Ewell, a Holmes alumnus, has worked for the college for seven years. He holds a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Samford University; a Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction – TESOL, as well as a bachelor’s degree, from the University of Mississippi and an associate degree from Holmes.
He and his wife of 20 years, Lisa, reside in Water Valley with their four children: Oliver (12), Simon (10), Tempe (8) and Barnabas (5). They are members of Christ Presbyterian Church in Oxford.
Dr. Townes, also a Holmes alumna, has worked at the college for seven years. She holds a PhD in nursing education/healthcare administration from William Carey University, a master’s in nursing from William Carey University, a bachelor’s in nursing from Mississippi University for Women and both a certificate in practical nursing and the Associate Degree Nursing from Holmes.
Dr. Townes and her husband, Antwan, reside in Grenada. She has three children – Patricia Gross-Brooks (29), Javarius Brown (28) and Jamelia Brown (deceased) – and six grandchildren. She attends Washington Street Church of Christ and is a member of Chi Eta Phi Incorporated (nursing sorority) and Sigma Theta Tau (honor society for nurses). In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, reading and DIY projects.
The academic nurse educator certification was created to establish nursing education as a specialty area of practice and create a means for faculty to demonstrate their expertise in this role. Academic nurse educators engage in a variety of roles and functions. The extent to which a specific nurse educator implements the various roles may vary according to many factors such as the mission of the nurse educator’s institution, the nurse educator’s rank, the nurse educator’s academic preparation, and the type of program in which the nurse educator teaches. Nursing education takes place in diverse settings can include technical schools, hospitals, two-year colleges, four-year colleges, and universities
“It is great that this partnership funded by the Bower’s Foundation enabled Holmes’ ADN Faculty to upgrade their credentials, thus helping our future nurses,” Dr. Austin said. “These CNE-certified instructors are leaders as well as role models for our nursing students. Their work in becoming certified ensures that they are knowledgeable and reliable nurse educators and we are proud that they are a part of our Holmes AND program family.”
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Pictured are (left) Nathan Ewell and (right) Dr. Sandra Townes, Associate Degree Nursing instructors on the Holmes Community College Grenada Campus. Both instructors obtained their Certification in Nursing Education through the college’s partnership with University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Bower’s Foundation Grant.
