Mr. John “Jake” Whicker was appointed to the faculty of the Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions in the fall of 2018. Mr. Whicker is a two-time graduate of Cumberland University, having earned his Master of Science in Nursing degree in May 2018 (Summa Cum Laude) and his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in May 2014. He also earned his Associate of Science degree from Nashville State Community College (Magna Cum Laude) in May 2012. Mr. Whicker is a doctoral candidate at East Tennessee State University, pursuing a PhD in Nursing and a Graduate Certificate in Biostatistics.

Mr. Whicker has taught courses in Community Health Nursing, Professional Nursing Foundations, Health Assessment, Dosage Calculations, Nursing Foundations Labs, and Health Assessment Labs.

In 2023, he was recognized for his “Health Systems and Health Policy” expertise and appointed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to serve on the National Healthy People Curriculum Taskforce (HPCTF) for the Clinical Prevention and Population Health Curriculum Framework 5-year Revision Workgroup.

Before his appointment to the faculty at Cumberland University, Mr. Whicker worked as a Research Nurse Specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. While at Vanderbilt, he served as the Study Coordinator for a clinical research team in the Department of Infectious Diseases. Before this, he worked as a Public Health Nurse and Disease Intervention Specialist for the Tennessee Department of Health for several years. While working for the Department of Health, Mr. Whicker’s responsibilities included performing disease surveillance and outbreak response, HIV/AIDS counseling, Tuberculosis Case Management, contact tracing, patient education, and direct patient care. He also has many years of experience working in emergency departments, several of which were as an Emergency Medical Technician before becoming a Registered Nurse.

Mr. Whicker’s research interests include the nursing workforce, burnout, and the nurse work environment. He participates in medical mission trips worldwide and has done humanitarian aid work in Eastern Europe, Central America, East Asia, and rural Appalachia.

In 2023, Mr. Whicker was selected as one of 23 Rising Star Nurse Leaders from across Tennessee by the Tennessee Hospital Association, Tennessee Nurse Association, and Tennessee Action Committee.

Mr. Whicker is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society.