Crystal Toll, EdD, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, PCCN
(Crystal L Toll)
Biography
A critical care nurse and now an assistant professor, Toll was a nurse manager at UVA Health in 2006 and a clinical instructor at the School since 2015. She teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in health assessment, surgical, medical, and critical care nursing, pathophysiology, population and public health, leadership, and clinical management, and is a seasoned mentor of both undergraduate Distinguished Majors and doctoral students. Beginning in fall 2022, she will lead the School’s Richmond-based cohort of RN to BSN students.
Toll is past-president of the AACN-Monticello chapter, on the School of Nursing’s Continuing Education Committee, and a member of the AACN, the Virginia Nurses Association, and the National League for Nursing. She earned a doctorate in education from Walden University in 2020, an MSN from Walden in 2011, a BSN in 2002 from Florida International University.
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CRYSTAL TOLL: I love learning with nurses. What I enjoy most in my role is facilitating connection through learning-- not inoculating information, rather, learning with the students and learning from the students.
I love it when I see the students become aware of their growth, the a-ha moments. And that personal pride is a special experience that nurses deserve to have. I love being a part of a community of motivated minds.
We know it is not easy to add school to an already busy life. And we are proud to offer a mentorship program in the RN-BSN program. The mentorship program is a success because of the students. Peers support transition into academia by fostering a sense of belonging and in the nursing profession by promoting confidence and competence in practice. We facilitate learning the skills of mentorship.
Our RN to BSN program is not a cookie-cutter program. Our online classroom is not canned. We work purposely to build presence in the online classroom. And every student is seen for their unique contribution to nursing and recognized for their interpersonal style of academic engagement. And students have the academic structure in the RN to BSN program and the grace in our community of learning to succeed as they see their best self and to own their academic experience.
Unconditional-- everyone is here to do their best with grace and acceptance. Even in the face of mistakes or failures that we all experience, it's OK to fumble forward because you are moving forward. And we will be by your side every step, every skip, and every fumble along the way.
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Certifications
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
- Critical Care Knowledge Professional Certification (CCRN-K)
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
- Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN)
Research Focus
Adult education in health careClinical Focus
Adult surgical, medical, and trauma critical care nursingTeaching Focus
Connecting adult learning theory in the clinical setting to continue student centered professional development and assist nursing students to capitalize on their strengths and resources to develop their personal and professional growth.Service
- Member, American Nurses Association
- Member, Virginia Nurses Association
- Member, American Association of Critical Care Nurses (national and Monticello chapter)
- Member, National Nursing Staff Development Organization
Publications
Online Journals
Dowling, T., Toll, C. Whitlow, M., Hicks, F. (2023). Student perception of DEI-SDOH curricular threads influence on nursing practice: A pilot project. Nurse Educator, 49.
Toll, C. (2020). Clinical nurse expert’s experience of transitioning to the novice nurse educator role. Walden University Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. Scholar works, https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.c.
Presentations
- Wiersma, G., & Toll, C. (2024, November). Peer to peer mentoring in academia for RN to BSN students: Supporting academics, transition to practice, and professional growth [Podium Presentation]. Nurse Staffing Summit, Virginia Nurses Association/Virginia Nurses Foundation conference, Richmond, VA, United States.
- Toll, C., Whitlow, M., & Wiersma, G. (2024, September). Navigating the path to academic success, transition, and connection for returning nurses through mindful mentoring [Poster Presentation]. National League for Nursing Education Summit, San Antonio, Texas, United States.
- Toll, C., Whitlow, M., & Wiersma, G. (2024, April). Supporting academic transition: A curricular embedded peer mentorship program to promote an inclusive community of trust [Podium Presentation]. Online Learning Consortium Innovate.
- Reid, K. B., Wiersma, G., Craig, S., Ackard, R., DeGennaro, G., Gaines, J., Geis, L., Hanson, L., Hudgins, S., Moore, L., Rea, K., & Toll, C. (2024, April). Recruiting and training clinical nurse educators: A clinical-academic partnership [Poster Presentation]. 2024 National Nurse Educator Summit, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.