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Christina Wallace Wills, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC

 

Memphis Peabody

Assistant Professor
874 Union Ave., Room 442
Memphis, TN 38163
901.481.9936
cwalla30@uthsc.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Christina Wills joined the UTHSC College of Nursing, Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, as an Assistant Professor in January 2021. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) School of Nursing in 2011. Dr. Wills returned to complete her DNP from the UTHSC College of Nursing in 2016. She is an assistant professor in the DNP Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner concentration. She holds a certification as a Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. Dr. Wills has been a nurse for 13 years and has spent the majority of her time working in the Hematology/Oncology setting at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Dr. Wills has dedicated most of her clinical practice to the care of children and adolescents with hematological and oncological diseases. Her career in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology began as a Registered Nurse (RN) in August 2012. She transitioned to the pediatric nurse practitioner role in the St. Jude Hematology Department in July 2017, where she primarily cares for the General Hematology Clinic. Her clinical practice includes diagnosing and managing autoimmune hemolytic anemias (AIHA), congenital hemolytic anemias, iron-deficiency anemias (IDA), G6PD deficiencies, immune thrombocytopenias (ITP), and may-hegglin anomalies. She occasionally works as a clinician in the Sickle Cell Disease & Hemostasis clinics.

Areas of research include understanding and disseminating knowledge of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)on a local, regional, national, and international level, with a goal of ultimately improving the overall care of individuals living with SCD.

Dr. Wills has a keen interest in creating nursing curricula to strengthen understanding of SCD including complications such as pain management and Acute Chest Syndrome. She is a presenter at the St. Jude Nursing Academy program, which provides nursing education for newly hired nurses. She also collaborates with experts to develop a Sickle Cell Boot Camp to Promote Nursing Excellence. This initiative provides a unique opportunity for nurses nationwide to gain knowledge and skills in an academic setting taught by selected pediatric and adult expert instructors. Most recently, she has been invited to assist with a grant titled"Eliminating Health Disparities for Persons with Sickle Cell Disease Residing in the Delta: An Education and Awareness Program for Health Care Providers."

Dr. Wills is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) and the Blues City NAPNAP chapter. She also maintains memberships in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) & Memphis/Mid-South Oncology Advanced Practice Association (APHON).

In her spare time, Dr. Wills enjoys staying active, running, and spending time with her husband, four young boys, and dog.

Dec 20, 2023