Department of Nursing

             Dr. Bratcher-Porter received a baccalaureate degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina in 1977.  During her baccalaureate training, she worked as a Nursing Assistant and Surgical Technician at Charlotte Memorial Hospital.

             Upon graduation in 1977, she spent the next two years working as a Staff Nurse III and Assistant Head Nurse on two medical units also at Charlotte Memorial Hospital.  She also worked as a part-time clinical nursing instructor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for two years.

             Dr. Bratcher-Porter spent the next three years working in the capacities of Public Health Nurse-Field Nurse in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), an Emergency Room nurse at Charlotte Memorial Hospital, and part-time private duty nurse for Medical Personnel Pool (home, industry, and hospital assignments).

             Dr. Bratcher-Porter was admitted as a graduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill-School of Public Health in fall 1982 and graduated from this two year program in 1984, with a MS in Public Health Nursing and teaching.  Her interests in the attitudes of patient-care aides toward old people in nursing homes stem from her experience as a part-time staff nurse, nursing supervisor and Inservice/Staff Development Coordinator at Durham Care Center, Durham, North Carolina during her graduate education. This interest led to the development of her Thesis.

             Residing in Dallas, TX, Dr. Bratcher-Porter began her teaching career in public health nursing in 1984 as Coordinator of Public Health Nursing at Dallas Baptist University, Dallas Texas.  She received her doctorate from Texas Woman’s University in 1987 in Community Health Education.

        Dr. Bratcher-Porter’s experiences ranges from Teaching in the Academic Environment to include Public/Community Health Nursing, Health courses, Human Sexuality, Nutrition, Substance Abuse, Culture, Research, and Leadership Courses for generic and non-traditional students, to being a Director of Nursing, LTC Relief Nursing Supervisor, Hospice Nurse, Home Health Nurse, Medical/ER Nurse, Patient Health Education Coordinator, Clinical Professor, Research Analyst for the Office of Inspector General, Conducting Research, Primary Investigator for several grants, and Grant writer.  Throughout these employment opportunities, the she has worked with students, children, adults, and the elderly, with varying disabilities.  Administratively, she has served on numerous Nursing/College/University Committees, assisting with several State Board of Nursing/NLN accreditation reports (UNC-SPH-Chapel Hill, NC; Dallas Baptist University-Dallas, TX; Radford University-Radford, VA; NC A&T State University-Greensboro, NC, North Carolina Central University) and SACS accreditation reports.  She has engaged recruitment activities at every employed establishment.  Other administrative positions include Director of Nursing and Relief-Nursing Supervisor (at different nursing homes, in different states).

             Recently, she has worked at Strayer University, teaching the first two Health courses in their Masters, Health Services Organization.  She has also kept abreast with nursing practices through journal readings and serving as a mentor and tutoring nursing students for content and state licensure.

             While at Livingstone College, She started a Diabetic Support Group.  She also has facilitated several support group meetings throughout her Public health Career, with the most memorable entity being at the Department of Veteran Affairs.  Many Veterans had disabilities and/or family members and caretakers.  This experience was very challenging but rewarding as well!  She also founded the Roanoke Valley Black Nurses Association, a chapter of the National Black Nurses Association.

             Abundant experiences working with both RN-BSN and LPN students were engaged both at Radford University and North Carolina A&T State University!  Community Health, Research, Aging, Leadership, and Managed Care were among the major courses taught for this group of adult learners.  She developed theory as well as clinical courses.  She has had extensive experience teaching in a graduate program for nurses. She helped to start the graduate nursing program at Radford University, Radford, Va.

             Dr. Bratcher-Porter has taught research for several years, both graduate and undergraduate.  Research thesis advisement was a major graduate function while at Radford University, Radford, Virginia.  She helped develop the “Thesis Guide Pamphlet” for the School of Nursing’s Graduate Program, and was also involved in teaching other graduate courses such as Role Preparation and a Home Health Course via distance education.

             During her academic tenure, she managed/ coordinated a $500.000 grant, funded by Kate B. Reynolds x 2 years, through NC A&T State University.  This grant was implemented by four HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).  As PI (Primary Investigator), she facilitated every aspect of the grant (site meetings, proposal development, funding, presentations, budget administration, timeline development, consent approval, development of training materials for data collection, supervised NC A&T’s data collection, study data analysis, report findings, received funding for a second year).  She has just concluded a grant funded through the Center for Health Disparities UNC-Chapel Hill.

             Clinically, she has also been employed as a Patient Health Education Coordinator for the Salem Department of Veterans Affairs, Salem, Virginia.  In this position, she developed/implemented Patient Health Education Programs for hospital volunteers, staff (professional and non-professional), Veterans, Veteran Support Groups and Organizations, Veteran Significant others, and Veteran community affiliates.  She acquired the HIGHEST HOSPITAL ACCREDITATION, JCAH-O PROGRAM APPROVAL, FOR FIVE YEARS; A GOAL MANY BELIEVED WOULDN’T BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE FIVE YEAR HOSPITAL PROBATIONARY PERIOD.

              Most recently, Dr. Bratcher-Porter taught at North Carolina Central University, Department of Nursing, as course Coordinator for Public/Community Health Nursing.  She currently teaches at Fayetteville State University School Of Nursing, Coordinator of Community Health Nursing and teaches Research. She resides in Charlotte, NC with her husband and two children.