From the time she received her first nurse playset at the age of three, Whitney Thornton knew that she wanted to be a nurse. Now a DNP student at the School of Nursing, she is dedicated to advocating for veterans with spinal cord injuries.

“Attending the Duke University School of Nursing has allowed me to advocate for veterans on an international level,” said Thornton. “As a former VA spinal cord and traumatic brain injury rehab nurse and the niece, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of decorated war veterans, I know they are proud I chose this school to receive my advanced nursing education.”

However, Thornton says her transition was not a straight path but a journey. 

While pursuing her Bachelor of Science in public health at Georgia Southern University, Thornton attended a health professionals career fair and met a nurse recruiter for the Department of Veterans Affairs, who encouraged her to keep the VA in mind. Two years later, Thornton was not only accepted into nursing school at Emory University but was also accepted into the prestigious Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), designed for students pursuing a career in healthcare in exchange for a commitment to serve the VA.

Thornton interviewed at several VA hospitals but chose the VA in August, GA, after being contacted by the very nurse recruiter who encouraged her years before. There, she worked as a spinal cord and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation nurse. This work would later inform her work here at the School of Nursing, where she has delivered poster presentations at the International Council of Nurses Congress 2023 in Montreal and the Sigma Theta Tau International Conference 2023 in Abu Dhabi, focusing on advocating for veterans living with spinal cord injuries.

A former Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP) Scholar, Thornton said that Duke has played a major role in her life since the fourth or fifth grade. However, she became even more attracted to the Duke School of Nursing with the launch of the Veterans Healthcare Specialty in Spring 2021.

According to Professor Michael Zychowicz, Director of the Veterans’ Health Care Specialty, the program was developed with support from a VA-funded project to address the unique healthcare needs of US veterans.

“This program empowers students with culturally competent, veteran-centered care strategies, ensuring they leave with a profound commitment and preparedness to make a meaningful impact in veterans' healthcare,” said Zychowicz. “The program has had an impact not only on the veterans who receive care, but also on our graduates who gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the sacrifices made by veterans."

For her veteran-centered work at Duke, Thornton has earned two national scholarships this year, the Tylenol Future Care Scholarship and the Nurses Education Fund’s Mathy Mezey Scholarship. Both prestigious scholarships recognize students who demonstrate excellence in academics and a commitment to the field of healthcare.

“Acquiring these honors inspires a desire in me to further my goal in becoming a leader and academic in the nursing profession,” said Thornton.

Thornton currently works as a primary care nurse practitioner in a rural South Carolina clinic where the majority of her patients are veterans and their family members. After graduation, she plans on continuing to work in primary care as well as being a clinical preceptor for the next generation of healthcare providers.