For Assistant Professor of Nursing Kellie Hall, becoming a nurse wasn’t a decision—it was a calling.
In fourth grade, Professor Hall had already begun envisioning herself working in healthcare. She recalls sketching herself wearing a nurse’s cap, certain of the path she would one day take.
“I was always that person wanting to help others when they were sick,” she says. “I knew this was what I wanted to do.”
More than three decades later, she’s still answering that call—only now, it’s in the classroom, where she’s shaping the future of nursing with the same passion and dedication she once brought to the bedside.
Today, Professor Hall teaches Nursing 200 at Germanna, guiding first-semester students through fundamentals like health assessments in lecture, lab, and clinical settings.
“I love seeing my students’ lightbulb moments,” she says. “Witnessing them go from unsure and timid to confidently showing off their skills in 14 weeks—it’s just amazing. I think I get more out of it than they do most days.”
Her journey into education was as natural as her early draw to nursing. After earning her Certified Nursing Assistant certification in high school and completing her associate degree in nursing from Southside Regional Professional School of Nursing in 1992, Professor Hall spent years working at the bedside—primarily in hospice and palliative care, a field she still holds close to her heart.
“I wasn’t a straight-A student,” she admits. “But I kept showing up. I kept trying. I kept going.”
It’s a lesson she brings into her classroom, where she sees students wrestling with the same transitions she once faced.
Professor Hall’s transition to teaching began during her years as a nurse manager at Stafford Hospital. Germanna faculty often asked to pair students with her during clinical rotations. As she mentored students informally, faculty took notice and encouraged her to consider teaching. In 2019, she joined Germanna as an adjunct professor—and by late 2020, she’d made the leap to full-time faculty.
“I realized I wasn’t fully happy in leadership,” she says. “I felt like I wasn’t contributing in the way I wanted to anymore. But once I started teaching, I thought, ‘Why did it take me so long to get here?’ This is exactly where I’m meant to be.”
In addition to her teaching and clinical work, she serves as a student advisor and mentor to new faculty.
And even with 33 years in nursing, Professor Hall is still learning—earning her master’s degree in nursing management and leadership in 2014 and hoping to pursue her Certified Nurse Educator credential to deepen her knowledge and expand what she can offer her students. “I want to give them the best experience possible,” she says.
Her students have clearly felt the impact. Just recently, Professor Hall was named the Health Sciences Teacher of the Year for the 2024-25 academic year—a recognition made even more meaningful because it came from student nominations.
“Even if it was just one student who voted for me, knowing I’ve made a difference makes it all worth it,” she says.
Grounded in her values, she teaches with the belief that nursing is about more than skills. “I tell my students: do the right thing even when no one’s watching. You’re caring for a human life. Every encounter you have could change someone’s world.”
Professor Hall is also deeply aware of her role in shaping the future—not just for her students, but for the patients they will one day serve. “I remind them that one day, they may be the one caring for me or my family. So, I teach them the way I’d want them to care for someone I love.”
Outside the classroom, Professor Hall is a proud wife to her husband and biggest supporter, Richard, and mother of three sons, Jacob, Dylan, and Ryan.
Reflecting on her path—from a high school CNA student to a beloved nursing professor—she’s grateful.