Katherine Poston is an alumni from Cumberland University who graduated with her BSN in 2010. Katherine started her nursing career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at National HealthCare Corporation in Cookeville, TN.

While attending Cumberland University, Katherine was hired at Cookeville Regional Medical Center (CRMC) as a CNA. She worked on the weekends gaining experience while attending nursing school. Once she completed nursing school, she was hired on the Pulmonary Unit at CRMC. Katherine worked on this specialty floor from 2009-2014. From 2014-2015, Katherine took a break from working in the hospital setting to working for the State of Tennessee in their Newborn Screening Division.

In the Summer of 2015, Katherine returned to the hospital setting and started working for Livingston Regional Hospital (LRH) in their Intensive Care Unit. She has worked diligently to care for vulnerable patient populations. Katherine also floats to the Medical-Surgical, Rehab, and Same Day surgery units at LRH.  During this time at LRH, Katherine has found a love for mentoring and teaching new nurses.

Katherine believes that delivering nursing care to a person is an honor and teaching future nurses of tomorrow is a blessing. She is excited to apply this principle to her teaching role to help shape the next generation of Cumberland University nurses.

Outside of work, Katherine enjoys running, hiking and spending time with her family.

Deanna Walcutt was born in Lafayette, LA but grew up all around Europe, being a military child. She met her husband and relocated to Michigan. Deanna graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2006 with her BSN and began her nursing career on a Med/surg floor. A year later, she was in Emergency medicine where she stayed for 16 years.

Deanna and her husband relocated several years later to Orlando, FL, where she was involved in trauma emergency medicine, education skill fairs, Graduate nurse preceptor programs and Hurricane relief programs.

Right before covid, Deanna and her family decided to hit the road and travel. In 2018 she became a travel nurse, traveling to California, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan and Tennessee to name a few. Graduating with her master’s degree is 2019. Deanna and her family arrived in Tennessee in January 2021 and fell in love with the area and the people.  So, they decided to relocate.

Deanna currently works at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital in the surgical services area. Her family is a huge part of her life. She is married to a wonderful man name Terry Walcutt, and they have 3 beautiful children, 2 are adults, the last one attending Watertown high school, and one grandchild. Deanna and her family are very excited to call Tennessee home.

Cierra is a CU alum returning as an adjunct instructor. She has over 13 years of clinical experience and her board certification is in psychiatry mental health nursing. In addition to her board certification, she is a certified dementia practitioner, and she is certified in psychopharmacology through the Neuroscience Education Institute.

When she’s not helping students, she enjoys camping with her family, running, and paddling her surf-ski.

Mrs. Carson Thompson started at Cumberland University as a Clinical Instructor for the nursing program beginning in the spring of 2023.  Most of her work with the students is completed off campus at the designated clinical assignment destinations, however she may from time to time be assisting in skills and simulation laboratories at the university campus.

Mrs. Thomson graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Adams State University, in Alamosa, Colorado. During that time, she ran collegiate cross country and track, as well as received a minor degree in Health Care Administration and Spanish. Upon graduation, Mrs. Thomson moved to Nashville, where she started her nursing career.

Since, she’s gained experience working in units ranging from medical-surgical/telemetry to critical care, where she continues to work today. While working as a nurse, she began precepting other nurses, and learned of her passion for instructing and helping nurses of all experience and age levels.