College of Nursing Celebrates 2025–2026 Nurse Practitioner Residents
Posted on November 5, 2026
The University of South Alabama College of Nursing recognized the graduates of its 12-month Nurse Practitioner (NP) Residency Program, celebrating four healthcare professionals who completed their advanced training on October 30.
Funded by a $2.1 million Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant, the accredited program prepares newly licensed nurse practitioners to transition into confident, practice-ready providers. Residents gain hands-on clinical experience and mentorship focused on delivering high-quality primary care, behavioral health, and maternal healthcare to rural and urban underserved communities.
"Our residency program provides new nurse practitioners with the structured support
and clinical reasoning skills needed to care for complex, vulnerable populations,"
said Dr. Kathy Bydalek, Project Director. "We are grateful to our community clinical
partners USA Health, Coastal Family Health Center, and AltaPointe Health for training
the next generation of healthcare leaders." 
2025–2026 NP Residency Graduates:
- Chaketta Ethridge
- Danielle Smith
- Reagan McMurtery
- Shakira Pittman
Program leadership includes Project Director Dr. Kathy Bydalek, Lead Mentor Trainer Dr. Kelly Stauter, and core team members Dr. Kimberly Norris, Dr. Kirsten Pancione, and Dr. Kimberly Williams.
