Debra Hrelic PhD, RNC

 Hello, I am Debra A. Hrelic and I am a doctorally prepared RN with greater than forty years’ experience in Maternal-Child Nursing and Nursing Education. I have held both clinical and administrative positions in nursing for most of my career and have taught in a collegiate baccalaureate program for more than twenty years. I am the RN-BSN Academic Program Coordinator at UNCW.

I believe in providing Evidenced Based Practices to improve outcomes. I strongly encourage ADN and Diploma school graduates to pursue their BSN degree, while contributing to building, creating and supporting civil and healthy work environments for all. With more than forty years in nursing and over twenty of them in collegiate nursing education, I feel that I am qualified to address these issues. I am a firm believer in education and in lifelong learning. I believe in research, in nurses conducting and participating in research, and most importantly in evidenced based research! Therefore, I welcome changes in practice that are based on evidence from research. EBP needs to be taught and valued and supported at all levels. The NCLN is in a unique position to influence practice and education by supporting EBP and pursuing it as an important priority over the next two years.

Chassity Speight-Washburn MSN, RN, CNE

 Chassity Speight-Washburn RN, MSN, CNE is a current, active NCLN board member seeking re-election. She has participated in the membership committee, created a membership video, written for the website regarding her experience introducing telehealth into a nursing curriculum, and participated in workshops/webinars. She has expertise in program evaluation, curriculum planning, accreditation processes, and faculty mentoring. These areas reflect priorities necessary for today’s nursing faculty. The areas are supported by the NC League of Nursing mission to advance quality nursing education to meet the unique needs of diverse populations in an ever-changing health care environment at the constituent level. These priority areas will be paramount for the future of nursing education in North Carolina as we respond to the trajectory of the nursing profession.

Tamika A. Thrasher DNP, RN, CNE

 With 20 years of experience in nursing, my clinical background is in pediatrics. I have worked as a pediatric nurse in a variety of settings including
acute care at Brenner Children’s Hospital, Davidson County Health Department as a child care nurse and child health consultant/educator, and
Winston Salem Forsyth County Schools as a school nurse and child/family support team nurse. I have been employed as a nurse educator with Winston-Salem State University for 12 years. I currently serve in the position of clinical assistant professor and coordinator of child health nursing. I also work as adjunct faculty for the ADN program at Forsyth Tech Community College, and have been in that position for over 5 years. My scholarly work focuses on reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in the African American community by educating African American parents and caregivers about infant safe sleep practices and other risk reduction strategies. In addition to my work related to teaching and scholarship, I remain actively engaged in service activities including: volunteering at community events by providing health screenings and patient education on  the RAMS Know H.O.W. mobile clinic; volunteering for Newborns in Need, a local non-profit organization committed to providing disadvantaged families with the items needed to care for their newborns after delivery; and organizing and participating in various service learning projects with nursing students. I most recently founded and launched a nonprofit organization called Taylyn Kate Babies' Breath Foundation in honor of my niece who recently passed away at the age of 11 months from respiratory complications. The mission of the foundation is to provide support and resources to families of infants with critical respiratory illnesses. I am passionate about my service to the community and my work as a nurse educator. I take great pride in molding and preparing the next generation of nurses. I look forward to bringing my enthusiasm for nursing education and fresh ideas to the board of directors.