Whitnie Willis, the newest addition to AUCON, is a joint appointment faculty member for the Academic Practice Partnership between AUCON and Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center. (The Academic-Practice Partnership is between a nursing program and a care setting and is an important mechanism to strengthen nursing practice and help nurses become well positioned to lead change and advance health of the public.)
Her 14-year experience spans emergency medicine, long-term care, oncology, and nursing leadership. Willis first heard about AUCON when she was the assistant director of nursing at Arbor Springs in Auburn. She joined AUCON as a clinical associate in January 2020 when she opted for a full-time commitment to her MSN studies. “Witnessing the program's adaptability during the challenges posed by COVID, I was impressed by AUCON’s commitment to delivering high-quality nursing education,” she said.
In 2021, she transitioned to Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, initially as a manager and later as the director of their Oncology Services program. “The discovery of the Academic Practice Partnership prompted me to redirect my focus, aligning with my professional goals,” she added.
She graduated from Houston Community College in 2009, and after having her third child in 2015, the family decided to move from Katy, Texas, to Auburn where she and her husband first met in 2000. “I attended the University of Texas at Arlington and completed my BSN in 2019 followed by my MSN in 2021.”
One of the goals of her appointment is to develop joint clinical research initiatives to promote evidence-based practice, and to explore innovations in clinical models of care. AT AUCON, she will be teaching evidence-based practice and have clinicals at Wellstar in LaGrange, Ga.
Her research interests encompass geriatric long-term care, nurse leadership, and the exploration of nursing theory to enhance human connection, particularly in relation to nurse well-being and resiliency. “The impact of non-clinical leaders making clinical decisions on care delivery, nurse well-being, and patient outcomes is detrimental for all involved. This fuels my passion for advocating Watson’s Caring Science, which emphasizes authentic presence, clinical competence, and the embodiment of caring values in leadership. Nurse leaders embracing this theory contribute significantly to fostering a culture of compassion and holistic care, providing crucial support for both their teams and patients.”
“The joint appointment is an exciting opportunity for collaboration with a Nursing Program that is recognized as one of the top in the nation and Wellstar, a nationally recognized health system,” said Coleman Foss, CEO of Senior Vice President and Hospital President, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center.
“We are committed to raising the bar for our patients by bringing in the brightest staff and this partnership strengthens the pipeline between our organizations to do just that. Ultimately, we want to create a work experience that is didactic and motivating for the students and our organization. We believe that we can provide a laboratory for learning that is worthwhile and pragmatic to what nurses will encounter, and we benefit by having fresh perspectives from well-trained students and ultimately the opportunity to recruit them to the entire Wellstar system.
“We all know that health care jobs are in great demand and the need for them will grow over the years to come. By establishing relationships with Auburn, we hope to keep our organization as a viable option for students after graduation while assisting in developing curriculum that recognizes the importance of critical thinking skills for our health care professionals.
“We are excited to partner with Auburn and have Whitnie as that conduit. She is outstanding at her job and will be tremendously supportive of having both organizations achieve their objectives,” Foss added.
We welcome Whitnie Willis to AUCON!
