Dr. Bethany Rhoten became director of the Middle Tennessee State University School of Nursing on Aug. 1, succeeding Jenny Sauls, who led the school since 2013 and has returned to the nursing faculty.
Rhoten arrives at a school whose graduates fill a gap the state cannot afford to leave open. The Tennessee Hospital Association projects a shortfall of more than 8,500 registered nurses by 2035, driven largely by population growth among residents over 75. MTSU’s School of Nursing sends most of its graduates into hospitals across Middle Tennessee.
Rhoten spent 11 years on the faculty at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, most recently as professor of nursing. She earned her Ph.D. in nursing science from Vanderbilt in 2013 after a master’s there in 2009, and she has worked in Tennessee her entire career, starting with a biology degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Her research began at the bedside. Working as an ICU nurse, she watched patients treated for head and neck cancer struggle with how illness changed their bodies and their sense of themselves, and she built a decade of scholarship around it.
“The biggest part of my research I’d enjoyed was the psychosocial aspect of cancer survivorship, and survivorship of acute and chronic illness generally, and what that does to someone’s mental health and relationships,” Rhoten said.
That interest pulled her toward mental health practice. She completed a post-master’s certificate as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2023 and opened Andrews Grace Behavioral Health in Nashville the same year.
Ask her what nursing students most need to hear and she does not start with clinical skills.
“That education piece and helping patients advocate for their own health over their lifespan, is the most important work of a nurse, whether inpatient, outpatient, or community health,” she said.
She wants prospective students to see the degree the same way.
“It’s important to highlight that a BSN can take you anywhere. It’s not just one career path,” Rhoten said. She also wants applicants hearing from current students and alumni, not only from faculty and administrators, about what clinical rotations are like and what the degree opened after graduation.
She describes the job largely in terms of connection, a skill she sharpened as president of the Junior League of Nashville. “I think being a connector is one of the most important parts of the director role, beyond supporting the school, students, and faculty,” she said.
“Dr. Rhoten brings an exceptional blend of clinical expertise, research insight, and a deep commitment to student success. At a time when Tennessee faces a critical nursing shortage, her leadership will strengthen our ability to prepare highly skilled, compassionate nurses who are ready to meet the evolving needs of our communities.” – Peter Grandjean, Dean of the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences
What she inherits is a program already producing. The school has educated nurses at MTSU since 1966 and holds full accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Students complete more than 500 clinical hours at over 200 healthcare facilities statewide, and the school’s first-time NCLEX pass rate has stayed above 95%. Roughly 80% of graduates go to work for Vanderbilt Medical Center, Ascension Saint Thomas, and HCA Healthcare.
Rhoten sees the school’s reach extending past its own enrollment. “I think it’s important for us as a school to serve a public good too, not just for our students but the community in general,” she said.
The School of Nursing offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing with Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentrations, and a PMHNP graduate certificate. Learn more at nursing.mtsu.edu