Linda Norman, DSN, RN, FAAN
Vanderbilt School of Nursing

What advice would you give your younger self?
Start the research doctorate as soon as you complete the masters degree and start your research as early as possible.

Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

What made you want to pursue a career in nursing?
I wanted to be able to provide care for people in a time of need, early on I thought that would only be in a hospital and later came to realize that promoting health in the community could make a huge impact.

What book should every nurse read?
Notes on Nursing, it grounds you in the essence of nursing and the beginnings of nursing science.

What has been your most interesting/surprising outcome while conducting nursing research?
As we researched the impact of the J&J campaign on nursing: new nurses, nursing students, practicing nurses, parents- it solidified the concepts of nursing as a highly valued and appreciated profession but also one that requires a great deal from the nurses.

What is a fun fact many people may not know about you?
I am an adopted only child

What is your Twitter handle?
@DeanLNorman

About Linda
Linda Norman is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in nursing and health profession education. She was named dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in July 2013. Prior to that, she served in a variety of capacities at the school for more than 22 years, including as Senior Associate Dean of Academics.

During her tenure, she had led innovative curriculum transformations, introduced several new academic programs and helped VUSN rise to become one of the top graduate nursing programs in the country. In 2012, she was named the Valere Potter Menefee Professor of Nursing.

Dean Norman started her career as a staff nurse on a neurosurgical unit in Virginia and expanded her role in nursing after graduate school to care of the chronically ill in Southwest Virginia. She found herself drawn to nursing education as a way to make a profound difference on the profession she loves. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Virginia, where she received the Distinguished Alumna Award in 2014, and earned her DSN from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.