Two longtime Vanderbilt nurses are starting the year in new leadership positions with greater responsibilities for nursing education and advanced practice, respectively.
Chris Wilson, MSN, R.N., has been named director of Nursing Education and Professional Development. She previously held the position in the interim and was director of Clinical Education and Professional Development for Vanderbilt University Hospital.
April Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, has been named Associate Nursing Officer and VUMC advanced practice director in the Office of Advanced Practice. Kapu was previously assistant director of Advance Practice Critical Care at Vanderbilt University Hospital.
Their new roles will stretch across the entire Vanderbilt medical enterprise, from the adult, children’s and psychiatric areas, both inpatient and outpatient, to relationships throughout the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network.
“I am very pleased to announce these important new roles for Chris and April,” said Marilyn Dubree, MSN, R.N., executive chief nursing officer. “These tremendous individuals will be bringing leadership to the areas that they are responsible for, for both support of the work here and the health system, and with our relationships across the network.”
Wilson, who will celebrate 25 years at Vanderbilt this year, said her role in educating nurses on the latest practices will begin with their onboarding and continue throughout their Vanderbilt careers. She will support educational initiatives that have resulted in Vanderbilt repeatedly earning the Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Vanderbilt is currently seeking to renew its Magnet status.
“We have a huge responsibility to continually grow our staff so that they can provide the best care possible for our patients and families, and that’s what it’s really all about,” she said.
“It really takes staff members who are continually growing, just very committed to their own development, to provide the best care possible.”
Wilson has a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Evansville and a master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Memphis.
Kapu, who has worked at Vanderbilt for more than 10 years, will provide professional practice support for more than 700 advanced practice nurses and physician’s assistants across the Medical Center. As advanced practice nursing is emerging, there is an increasing need to educate and communicate the scope of practice and potential when adding these providers to the health care team, Kapu said. She will be an advocate for those nurses.
“Vanderbilt’s advanced practice program is known nationwide for models of care, quality patient care delivery, educational programs and research related to both clinical practice initiatives and the impact of adding advanced practice providers to care teams,” Kapu said.
“I am honored to work with an amazing team of expert advanced practice providers and nursing and physician leaders to provide excellent patient and family centered care.”
Kapu is an associate professor of Clinical Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where she received her master’s degree and doctorate in Nursing.