Tamara Link

Dr. Link is a board-certified family nurse practitioner (FNP) with over 40 years of experience as a registered and advanced practice nurse. Dr. Link started her career as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. During her military service, she worked in various positions as an RN including inpatient medical-surgical and obstetrical nursing as well as various leadership roles. She served as a flight nurse in Germany during peace and war time. During peacetime, she coordinated and crewed evacuation missions from locations in Europe, Southwest Asia, and Africa. During the Gulf War, she was deployed to Southwest Asia where she evacuated casualties and trained medical personnel in the largest evacuation hub to prepare patients for evacuation. She transitioned to advanced practice nursing after obtaining her FNP certification. Selected by the USAF Surgeon General, she worked with an elite cadre to develop and teach a program to optimize primary care for all USAF primary care clinics.
After retiring in the rank of lieutenant colonel, Dr. Link worked as an FNP in various outpatient family practice and urgent care settings in North Carolina, including practice manager of a large urgent care clinic. In 2017 after earning her doctoral degree, she began her academic journey at UNCW in the School of Nursing. She currently holds the position of Associate Clinical Professor and FNP Concentration Lead for the DNP Program. She has received yearly accolades from students and the NCNA Nursing Excellence Award.

Education

DNP, Duke University
MSN, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
BSN, Bowling Green State University, Medical College of Ohio

Specialization in Teaching

Dr. Link specializes in teaching family nurse practitioner courses, including adult health, advance health assessment, and clinical courses for FNP students.

Research Interests

As a board-certified FNP holding a Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Dr. Link's scholarship focuses on translating evidence into practice and advancing the profession of the FNP. She is keenly interested in the education of nurse practitioner students and how various educational strategies contribute to their clinical readiness, particularly through the use of simulation. She received the Corbet Charitable Trust Grant for Exploring the Effects of Wellness Interventions in a Community-Based Breast Cancer Survivorship Program, and Exploring Post-Reiki Biofeedback Responses for Community-based Breast Cancer Survivors, HIPS Pedagogy Award for teaching women's health examinations for FNP students, and the Substance Abuse Health Services Administration Federal Grant for Provider's Clinical Support Systems and MOUD training for nurse practitioner students. Dr. Link has also written clinical practice articles for several nursing journals.

Professional Service

Dr. Link serves as the FNP Concentration Lead for the BSN-DNP Program. She serves as the chair of the following committees: FNP Admissions Committee, FNP On-Campus Intensive Committee, FNP Didactice Task Force, FNP Clinical Task Force. She developed the graduate advisor training program, and trains all DNP advisors. She serves on the DNP Committee and Faculty Council. As senior clinical faculty, she serves on the Advancement, Retention, and Promotion Committee, and the MRP Committee. She previously served on the Simulation Committee, the CHHS Interprofessional Teaching Committee, the CHHS Clinical Track Committee.

Community Engagement

Dr. Link volunteers as a family nurse practitioner at Cape Fear Clinic. This is a federally qualified health clinic serving uninsured and underinsured clients in Wilmington, NC.

Honors & Awards

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty Faculty Leadership Mentoring Program honor
Identified as faculty who have a significant impact on students FNP Program (multiple semesters)
Identified as faculty who have a significant impact on students MSN Program
North Carolina Nursing Association Nursing Excellence Award