Marty Walker has practiced nursing for the past 39 years at the vocational nursing level as a registered nurse, and at the master's level. Marty began her nursing career as a licensed practical nurse, receiving her vocational education certificate from Atlantic Vocational School in Pompano Beach, Florida, in 1979. In 1982, she earned the associate degree in nursing from Broward Community College in Davie, Florida. She worked for more than 10 years as a staff nurse in telemetry, critical care, and emergency nursing before completing a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. In 1995, she began teaching medical-surgical nursing at Ivy Tech State College in Sellersburg, Indiana.
After relocating to Miami, Marty accepted a position as Nurse Clinical Educator for three cardiac units at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She attained a Master's in Nursing Science in Nursing Education from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, in 2003. Marty's love of teaching led her to Mercy Hospital's School of Practical Nursing, along with adjunct teaching positions at Florida International University and Barry University. In Miami, Marty added pediatrics to her teaching expertise. She taught medical-surgical nursing for a short time at Pensacola State College in Pensacola, Florida, before accepting a full-time associate professor position at Northwest Florida State College, where she taught in the RN-BSN program as well as the associate degree nursing program. She is now the director for both programs. Marty's expertise also includes test construction. She has led the faculty at NWF State College in improving the success rates of students enrolled in the program as well as their success on the NCLEX-RN. Marty's versatility extends to her clinical practice as she completed the family nurse practitioner certificate program at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, where she also completed her Doctorate in Nursing Practice in 2014. Marty has volunteered as the director of nursing services, as a nurse practitioner, and as board president for the Crossroads Medical Center Clinic in Valparaiso, Florida, since 2007.
Linda Whitenton began a 45-year nursing career in 1967 as a nursing assistant in Paducah, Kentucky. Following her graduation from Murray State University's BSN program in 1970, she practiced in mental health, pediatrics, and medical-surgical nursing. Teaching nursing assistants, emergency medical technicians, and unit secretaries in a Mississippi hospital cemented her love for teaching in her role as a hospital in-service education director in the early 1970s. She accepted her first teaching position at Northeast Mississippi Community College in 1975. While at NEMC, she taught fundamentals, medical-surgical nursing, management, and psychiatric nursing and served as assistant director and director of the program for seven years. In 1977, Linda earned her master's of science degree in nursing at the Mississippi University for Women, which also afforded her the family nurse clinician credential. In 1987, she relocated to Florida and accepted a position as associate director of nursing for the associate degree nursing program at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg. While at SPC, she designed curriculum for more than 1,000 employees of the Pinellas County EMS, taught LPN transitional students at night, and practiced part time at the Bayfront Medical Center Trauma Center.
During her 35 years of teaching, Linda continued to practice in emergency nursing, urological nursing, and as a nurse clinician. Linda also earned 30 hours of post-masters work in anthropology and educational psychology. In 2004, she returned to clinical practice as the director of nursing/vice president for a Mississippi community hospital. While there, she received a national award for outstanding nursing leadership. She returned to Florida in 2000 to design and direct a new AD nursing program for Northwest Florida State College, formerly Okaloosa-Walton College, the first of seven health programs now in place at the college. Linda served as associate dean of Health Technology for three years, adding administrative oversight for the health programs she launched during her eight-year tenure at NWFSC. In 2008, she retired from the college, receiving the honor of Emeritus Associate Dean and Director of Nursing. In 2015, Linda accepted an interim position as campus dean at Pensacola State College, where she now serves as director of Nursing and Emergency Medical Services, overseeing the nursing programs, the emergency medical service programs, the surgical technology, and the newly designed patient care technician program. Linda has worked with Rinehart and Associates Nursing Review, a nurse-owned company that offers review courses for graduates preparing for their examination to become licensed RNs or LPNs. Linda is a Certified Nurse Educator, CNE, and a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Society.
