In addition to her faculty appointment at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Dr. Neal practices as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PNP) and specializes in child and adolescent mental and behavioral health.

As a PNP, she practiced primary care pediatrics and pediatric neurology. During this time, she saw the need for mental health care in this population, as well as the lack of trained providers and options for care. She returned to school and earned a Doctorate of Nursing Practice in psychiatric mental health from UTHSC.

Dr. Neal has a special interest in resiliency. Dr. Neal is nationally certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and a child and adolescent psychiatric clinical nurse specialist. She is a member in good standing of the American Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and the Tennessee Nurses Association, where she serves as the director of membership for Tennessee.

Dr. Neal has been an advanced practice registered nurse in the state of Tennessee since 1996. She received her associate’s degree in nursing from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s of Nursing as a pediatric nurse practitioner from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Neal joined the UTHSC College of Nursing faculty in May 2016 as an assistant professor in the Department of Advanced Practice and Doctoral Studies. She teaches in the Psychiatric Mental Health and Pediatric Advanced Practice Programs.