June 16, 2016

VUSN faculty named fellows of the American College of Nurse-Midwives

The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) recently inducted Vanderbilt University School of Nursing’s (VUSN) Sharon Holley, DNP, MSN, associate professor of Nursing, and Tonia Moore-Davis, MSN, instructor of Nursing, into its 2016 class of fellows during ceremonies at the association’s annual meeting in Albuquerque.

The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) recently inducted Vanderbilt University School of Nursing’s (VUSN) Sharon Holley, DNP, MSN, associate professor of Nursing, and Tonia Moore-Davis, MSN, instructor of Nursing, into its 2016 class of fellows during ceremonies at the association’s annual meeting in Albuquerque.

Sharon Holley, DNP, MSN
Sharon Holley, DNP, MSN

To be selected as fellows, recipients must have demonstrated leadership, clinical excellence, outstanding scholarship and professional achievement both within and outside of the midwifery profession.

In addition to teaching, Holley is a practicing midwife and serves as director of the Vanderbilt School of Nursing Faculty Nurse-Midwife Practice. In that role, she oversees two clinical sites that deliver hundreds of babies annually and provide a complete range of obstetrics and gynecology services. Holley served on a variety of ACNM committees and task forces, including the ACNM Healthy Birth Initiative. Her research interests include access to prenatal care, the male partner’s experiences during childbirth and midwifery practice. Holley earned her BSN at the University of North Alabama, MSN at the University of Alabama, and DNP at VUSN. She has published on clinical issues, midwifery education and practice administration.

Tonia Moore-Davis, MSN
Tonia Moore-Davis, MSN

Tonia Moore-Davis earned her BSN from Johns Hopkins University and her MSN from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2010, she was recognized with the ACNM Kitty Ernst “Young Whippersnapper” Award for her early career work in faculty practice development and incorporation of midwives in medical education. Her national ACNM leadership has included service to the Division of Standards and Practice and spearheading the ACNM Benchmarking Project. At VUSN, she has been instrumental in curriculum redesign that incorporates innovative teaching strategies. As a scholar, her research interests include the use of mindfulness-based strategies in preterm birth risk reduction and epigenetic influences on perinatal health. Moore-Davis was also honored with her second ACNM Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award during the 2016 ACNM meeting.

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing’s Nurse-Midwifery specialty program is ranked as the No.1 nurse-midwifery program in the country by U.S. News and World Report.