{"id":78283,"date":"2026-08-13T07:56:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T11:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=78283"},"modified":"2026-08-13T07:56:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T11:56:11","slug":"changing-course-dr-kristen-singletarys-road-from-law-to-nursing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/changing-course-dr-kristen-singletarys-road-from-law-to-nursing\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing course: Dr. Kristen Singletary\u2019s road from law to nursing"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kristen

Dr. Kristen Singletary, director of the UTC accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, stands in a nursing simulation lab on campus.<\/p><\/div>\n

Dr. Kristen Singletary knows that the first path you take doesn\u2019t always lead you to your destination.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes you must reroute, even though it may not be the quickest or easiest way forward.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a message that Singletary\u2014a clinical associate professor, director of the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program and a three-time alum of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga\u2014wants to instill in her students.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her own career trajectory began in 2002, after initially receiving a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology from UT Knoxville. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a 21 or 22-year-old, you don\u2019t always know what you want to do,\u201d <\/span>Singletary said.<\/span> \u201cI was graduating from UT Knoxville and <\/span>my<\/span> family was pushing me to get a <\/span>postsecondary<\/span> degree.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She chose law school, later receiving her <\/span>Juris Doctor degree<\/span> from the University of Dayton and becoming a full-time <\/span>attorney.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not like a burning desire or some wonderful appreciation of legal work,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was like, \u2018Huh, I can go do that for three years and then have a career.\u2019\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And she did. After graduating, she found a job in a small-town law office that she adored.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A few years later, though, Singletary moved with her three children to Jakarta, Indonesia, where her <\/span>then-husband worked<\/span>. She became a community liaison officer for the U.S. Embassy, a job that she said involved \u201ctaking care of other people.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was just weaving my way,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve got three kids that I\u2019m raising and just going through life.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While living in Indonesia, she returned home to care for her grandmother and spend the last 10 days of her life by her bedside.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat was my calling,\u201d Singletary said. \u201cI saw the nurses, the aides and all that they did. I was like, \u2018That\u2019s what I should be doing.\u2019<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, I lived in a foreign country, and you can\u2019t do nursing school online and get clinicals in a foreign country.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When her family moved to Chattanooga years later, she did not miss a beat when it came to pursuing her true passion.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the time, UTC did not offer an ABSN program, so she considered other universities. In the end, UTC\u2019s close proximity to home made it an easy choice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did the traditional route, which was great,\u201d she said. \u201cI loved it. I don\u2019t regret it at all. Some of my best friends came out of that program. And then I just kept coming back.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After graduating in 2015, Singletary began working as a bedside nurse in the medical ICU at Erlanger Baroness Hospital. In 2020, she joined <\/span>UTC\u2019s master\u2019s program in nursing<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her inspiration? Dr. Christi Denton, <\/span>now the<\/span> program director for the adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program and assistant dean in the UTC College of Nursing.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s someone I look up to and have worked with for a long time,\u201d Singletary said. \u201cI was like, \u2018If I ever go back to get my master\u2019s, I would want to do it with her teaching.\u2019\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was Dr. Laurel Rhyne, an associate lecturer, who convinced her to begin teaching as an adjunct in 2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though she never saw herself teaching, she quickly discovered a passion for it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFinally, I decided to give it a try,\u201d she said. \u201cThen I loved it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She joined the UTC faculty while continuing her education, and in December 2025, she earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, Singletary teaches <\/span>fundamentals and a combined<\/span> pathophysiology and pharmacology course for first-semester nursing students. Watching those students step into the hospital for the first time is one of her favorite parts of the job.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey get to the hospital and light up,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re like, \u2018Oh yes, people.\u2019 All the things that we\u2019ve learned, I\u2019m applying those here.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her research has focused on palliative care, particularly helping rural healthcare providers better understand when patients could benefit from those services. Through her doctoral project, she worked to educate providers about palliative care and improve referrals for patients with chronic illnesses.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As much as she enjoys teaching, Singletary said what matters most is helping students find the same sense of purpose she eventually found <\/span>for<\/span> herself.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want them to be passionate about it,\u201d she said. \u201cNursing is so versatile for people to be able to find their passion and to try multiple things to get to finding that passion. I want them to always have a spirit of inquiry. We\u2019re never dissatisfied with the answer we get. We\u2019re always asking why.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After earning three degrees from UTC and seven years as a faculty member, <\/span>Singletary said UTC still feels like exactly where she is meant to be.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like to say I\u2019m UTC\u2019s biggest cheerleader,\u201d she said. \u201cI believe in our campus. I believe in what we\u2019re doing. When you know you\u2019re in a good culture and a good workplace, you want to share that and you want to stay there.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Singletary said the winding road from attorney to nurse and educator is proof that there is no single path to a meaningful career.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe main thing I want people to know is that changing tracks is OK,\u201d she said. \u201cLife is about the journey and the adventure.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

UTC College of Nursing<\/a><\/p>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Kristen Singletary knows that the first path you take doesn\u2019t always lead you to your destination. Sometimes you must reroute, even though it may not be the quickest or easiest way forward. <\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2000,"featured_media":78308,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7712,70,123864,15,4936,64,661],"tags":[122889,126658,124527,127070,127069,127079,127071,127260,124274],"class_list":{"0":"post-78283","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-advancement-and-alumni","9":"category-campus","10":"category-college-of-nursing","11":"category-faculty-and-staff","12":"category-news","13":"category-students","14":"tag-accelerated-bachelor-of-science-in-nursing","15":"tag-christi-denton","16":"tag-erlanger-baroness-hospital","17":"tag-goal-1-1-expand-utcs-educational-footprint-strategic-plan-2030","18":"tag-goal-1-2-enhance-learner-success-strategic-plan-2030","19":"tag-goal-1-4-alumni-development-and-engagement-strategic-plan-2030","20":"tag-goal-2-2-faculty-staff-success-strategic-plan-2030","21":"tag-kristen-singletary","22":"tag-laurel-rhyne","23":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nChanging course: Dr. Kristen Singletary\u2019s road from law to nursing | UTC News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr. Kristen Singletary knows that the first path you take doesn\u2019t always lead you to your destination. 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