Carol Etherington

Tennessee Nurse, Fall, 2007

Carol Etherington, MSN, RN, assistant professor at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, has been named the 2007 Distinguished Alumna for making a profound impact on behalf of the underserved in local, national and international settings.

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The Vanderbilt Alumni Association established the award in 1996 to recognize alumni who have furthered Vanderbilt's mission globally through outstanding achievement and service.

"This is a very lovely and meaningful honor, but this moment is not about just me," said Etherington, upon learning about the news. "It is about the thousands of nurses and health care providers around the globe. You may never learn their names, but their tireless commitment to others and their humanity changes the world, one by one by one."

In addition to serving as a faculty member, Etherington is a 1975 graduate of the Vanderbilt School of Nursing's master's program. A mental health expert, she has focused largely on traumatized populations, creating effective community-based programs for the health and human rights of individuals, families, and communities who have survived natural disasters, war, crime or other abuses. Etherington has globally impacted individuals, families and communities with her work addressing health and mental health.