#MeetUsMonday - Meet Professor Terri Yost

Meet Terri.

Award-winning blueberry muffin maker, faithful homemade Halloween costume maker, Hawaiian lei crocheter, and Benjamin Franklin devotee. A retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and family nurse practitioner who’s traveled around the world as part of military deployments and missions to help retrieve the remains of soldiers lost or missing in action. Mom of four who brought her sewing machine when deployed to Iraq, earning the moniker, the “Martha Stewart of the Desert."

And, although a combat veteran, when she watches “America’s Funniest Home Videos” with her teenage son, she has to cover her eyes when people accidentally get hurt. Teacher and advisor to graduate nursing students in the family nurse practitioner track in the DNP program as an associate professor.

"I love to help my students learn and remember in fun ways . . . for instance, I teach students that the 10 blade has a big, rounded edge, like a ‘0,’ an 11 blade has a sticky point, that looks like a ‘1,’ and a 12 blade has a hook on the end, which we use for removing sutures, and I think of its curvy part as looking like a ‘2.’ Being a visual person, it’s the kind of thing I do."

Terri Yost, associate professor

HER PATH TO NURSING

“As a teenager I had a rare neurological illness called transverse myelitis, which meant that, over the course of a few hours, I became paralyzed from the waist down. I spent a few weeks in a hospital children’s ward and was very fortunate to be among the minority of people that have a nearly complete recovery. Being part of my high school color guard was my inspiration—our marching band was nationally competitive and all I could think about was how much practice I was missing! Being on that end of things, and understanding from a pretty young age what it felt like to face medical uncertainty and stress as a 16-year-old, definitely informed my path into healthcare . . . The fact that I later got medical clearance to join the Army was a miracle.

“In high school and college, I originally thought I would be an occupational therapist, but volunteering in an OT clinic as a college student, I got to see all the nurses interacting with patients and it really appealed to me more.

“I originally graduated from a hospital-based diploma nursing school and my first job was working as a medical-surgical nurse at Latrobe Hospital in Latrobe, Pennsylvania—the home of Arnold Palmer and, literally, Mr. Rogers' neighborhood. I felt so lucky there: the people I worked with were so positive, encouraging, and smart. I remember there was always medical reading material in the bathroom. The nurses at all levels were driven and respected, and our physician colleagues were invested in us, and recognized when we did well.

“I remember one patient who was stumping all of the physicians. No one could figure out what was causing her symptoms. One of the veteran LPNs said she had seen it before and that she thought it was hyperparathyroidism. The physician ran some tests and it was hyperparathyroidism. To show his appreciation, the physician bought her a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant. I loved that job because I was in a place where there was mutual respect, curiosity, and truly great patient care.”

FROM MILITARY NURSE TO PHD IN NURSING STUDENT

“My sister was on active duty in the Army and had been stationed in Berlin, and when I went to see her I thought, ‘What a cool lifestyle.’ So, when I got home, I went to see my local Army recruiter.

"I’m a Benjamin Franklin groupie, and one of his principles was that education doesn’t belong to us. You study and learn so that you can you pass it on and use that knowledge for the betterment of one’s community. It’s an obligation. I love that."

Associate professor Terri Yost

“But I had to earn a BSN first: that’s an active-duty requirement. After that, I went to officer basic training in Texas, and then to my first duty assignment in Seoul, South Korea, where I worked as a medical surgical nurse for a year.

“After that, I transitioned into oncology nursing, work that shaped my mind forever. That was where I applied for long-term schooling, and headed soon to Philadelphia to earn an MSN and become a family nurse practitioner.

"Though I always thought that I would return to oncology after finishing my military service, I fell in love with primary care. I loved the challenging patients I saw; they were like puzzles to solve. Additionally, you became an important part of their lives. They’d bring me vegetables from their garden, or make things for me, paint things for me . . . it’s humbling and so rewarding. I was stationed in Alabama, Hawaii, and, after being in Hawaii for nearly four years, was sent by the Army to UVA to earn a PhD.

READ "Lost Soldiers' Lessons" (VNL Spring 2022)

"When asked during my PhD program interview why I wanted to come to UVA, I told the professors that I’d done an MSN at Benjamin Franklin’s university (University of Pennsylvania) and I wanted to ‘give Mr. Jefferson’s institution a shot.’

"I got in. I did the program at UVA, and was mentored by [professor emerita] Ann Taylor, who was incredible. When I sit back and think about the careers she launched . . . I just felt so lucky.”

BEST PART OF HER JOB

“I’m a Benjamin Franklin groupie, and one of his principles was that education doesn’t belong to us. You study and learn so that you can you pass it on and use that knowledge for the betterment of one’s community. It’s an obligation. I love that.

“I admittedly love to talk. I could easily turn seven PowerPoint slides into an hour-long lecture and discussion. I also love to help my students learn and remember in fun ways . . . for instance, I teach students that the 10 blade has a big, rounded edge, like a ‘0,’ an 11 blade has a sticky point, that looks like a ‘1,’ and a 12 blade has a hook on the end, which we use for removing sutures, and I think of its curvy part as looking like a ‘2.’ Being a visual person, it’s the kind of thing I do a lot.

“I’m also big on silly pneumonics. For instance: NUFART is the acronym you use when talking about characteristics of migraines: you look for nausea, unilateral, family history of migraine, aura, relieved by rest, throbbing.“

BEST PART OF HER JOB

“Most people say what I’m about to say: the students. I absolutely love them. My favorite thing in the world is when I get texts from students that I stay in touch with after graduation who’ll say, ‘Dr. Yost, I saw this patient, or did something amazing,’ and they’re so proud and wanted to share it with me. I love getting those texts.”

UVA SCHOOL OF NURSING IN A WORD?

“INVESTED. All of the faculty that I have the wonderful pleasure to work with care about their students and truly want to see them succeed. Students say that, too: they feel like professors here are approachable, and have people’s success in mind. It’s more than getting the grade; the most important thing is the process.”

###