Appalachian American Alliance of Nurse Practitioners

Jason Thrift, Ph.D., RN, CHSE

Jason R. Thrift is an Assistant Professor at the Clemson University School of Nursing with 10 years of experience in nursing education. He is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE), member of the Mental Health America, Anderson County Board, and President of the South Carolina Nurses Foundation (SCNF) supporting nurses and student nurses across the state. He is an affiliate member of the research team for the Clemson University Virtual Reality and Nature (VRN) Lab through Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM) His research has focused on Virtual Reality Simulation for patient care treatments and student nurse education. He is currently working with a team to develop Tandem VR^TM as a complementary treatment for patients in Hospice and Palliative Care. He is also working on the HRSA SET-UP grant to provide educational opportunities through virtual reality for student nurses and helping them develop skills to serve underserved populations. His future efforts are to integrate artificial intelligence into virtual reality initiatives to augment patient treatment and student nurse educational resources.

Nickole Morgan, MSN, RN, CCRN

Nickole Morgan received her Bachelor's in Nursing in 2017 from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. She began her nursing career in a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Strong Memorial, Golisano Children's Hospital. Nickole's passion for teaching new graduate nurses and learning how to better healthcare, led her to return to school where she received her Master's in Nursing Education from the University of Rochester in 2021. Upon graduation, Nickole began her travel nurse career to further her clinical skills where she worked in several Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Nickole began the Post Master's DNP program at Clemson University to receive her terminal degree with a goal to make a lasting impression on both her students and colleagues. Nickole's DNP project is a harm reduction method analyzing the efficacy and usage of fentanyl testing strips to decrease overdose death rates in the United States. Nickole anticipates graduating with her DNP in May of 2025.

Kim Pickett,  PhD, FNP-BC, BC-ADM

Dr. Kim Pickett is an Assistant Professor in the Clemson University School of Nursing.  Dr. Pickett is a board certified family nurse practitioner.  Dr. Pickett is a Faculty Associate in the Center for Research on Health Disparities.  Dr. Pickett is sharing her expertise in the area of diabetes and the care of persons with healthcare disparities seeking care. 

Florence Weierbach, PhD, MPH, RN

Dr. Florence Weierbach is a Professor at the East Tennessee State University College of Nursing  Dr. Weierbach is the President for the Appalachian Region Tri-state (ARTS) Chapter of the Rural Nurse Association (RNO). She has over 40 years of nursing experience in providing direct care to individuals and their families in community settings. She has been the nurse in multiple interprofessional health care teams and conducted research addressing the health of caregivers and developed a model of health for family caregivers who provide care to community dwelling individuals with chronic health conditions. 

Gaye M. Douglas DNP, MEd, APRN-BC

Dr. Gaye Douglas is a family nurse practitioner who just completed her 40^th year in healthcare.  She began as an x-ray technician then went on to become an RN, working in med-surg, ER, and home health.  While practicing as a school nurse for Florence County School District Five, she recognized the need for primary care services for rural students.  She completed her Master’s Degree in Nursing, became a family nurse practitioner, and was awarded a half million dollar Duke Endowment grant to start a primary care practice within the school district.  To better serve this population, she completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at MUSC, focusing on developmental and behavioral pediatrics.  Gaye has held faculty positions at Francis Marion University and the University of South Carolina.  After returning home from USC to care for her aging parents, she accepted a position with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health where she works exclusively with children and families.  Gaye will be presenting on the Go Mobile Project as an exemplar of meeting the needs of families in Appalachia.

Mary Ellen Wright, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC

Dr. Mary Ellen Wright is an Assistant Professor in the Clemson University School of Nursing and the newly appointed leader of the Appalachian American Alliance for Nurse Practitioners.  Dr. Wright has been a nurse practitioner since 1983.  Dr. Wright is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal for Human Caring; a Clemson University Health Research Scholar; Faculty Affiliate of the Clemson University Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research; Leader of the Maternal/Child and Substance Use initiatives for the Clemson University Center for Research in Health Disparities.  She is a scholar of Nursing as Caring Theory. Dr. Wright has presented and published in multiple international and national journals and forums.  Dr. Wright has served in leadership positions on multiple international professional boards addressing healthcare needs. She will be inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing this coming November for her significant contributions to nursing and healthcare delivery.