Title: Nursing Instructor
Company: Baptist Health College
Location: Sherwood, Arkansas, United States
Mary M. Strickland, MSN, Nursing Instructor at Baptist Health College, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Nurses for dedication, achievements and leadership in Nursing Education.
Ms. Strickland has established a notable career in nursing and education, marked by more than three decades of service and leadership. Since 2022, she has served as a nursing instructor at Baptist Health College in Sherwood, Arkansas, where she instructs the licensed practical nursing program, manages the gerontology curriculum, oversees geriatrics distance learning and teaches pulmonary, geriatrics and foundational nursing courses. Ms. Strickland’s responsibilities also include testing, grading and supervising clinical practice.
Before being acquired by Baptist Health, Ms. Strickland worked as an advanced practice nurse at Pulaski Technical College and the University of Arkansas from 2020 to 2022. She contributed to both institutions by providing advanced clinical instruction and mentoring future nurses. Between 2016 and 2020, Ms. Strickland excelled as an advanced practice nurse with Matrix Medical Network, where she delivered comprehensive care to patients in diverse settings.
Ms. Strickland’s most extensive tenure was with the VA Health Care Systems as an advanced practice nurse specializing in pulmonary care. She found the greatest reward in this role, which spanned from 1999 to 2015. During this period, Ms. Strickland was also selected as a university clinical instructor to serve on the American Nurses Credentialing Center board. In this capacity, she contributed to the development of examinations for clinical nurse specialists and helped establish guidelines for adult and geriatric care.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Strickland provided home health visits for Medicare patients in Arizona and instructed both registered nurse and practical nurse programs for five years, beginning in 1993. Her expertise in pulmonary advanced practice nursing and geriatric clinical nurse specialist roles has become widely recognized. Additionally, Ms. Strickland taught high school speech communication and art, reflecting her early passion for education.
Beyond her clinical and academic pursuits, Ms. Strickland is an accomplished thoroughbred horse breeder. After discovering a rescue horse of exceptional breed quality, she and her husband began raising and selling horses, achieving notable success at tracks in Arkansas. One of their horses’ offspring notably finished second in a race before sustaining an injury.
Ms. Strickland graduated with a Bachelor of Science in education from Arkansas State University in 1979. She later acquired a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1992 and a Master of Science in Nursing, summa cum laude, from Arkansas State University in 1996. Ms. Strickland’s professional excellence is underscored by several credentials, including recognition as an advanced practice nurse and certification in speech communication from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, licensure as a registered nurse by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, and certification as a clinical nurse specialist by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Committed to professional development, Ms. Strickland maintains membership in Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and the Arkansas Thoroughbred Association. She also served on expert nursing panels for the American Nurses Credentialing Center for several years.
Beyond her professional roles, Ms. Strickland has twice volunteered as a nurse with the Honduras Baptist Mission, supporting medical outreach efforts abroad. She also became involved with the Honduras Baptist Dental Mission, contributes to the American Cancer Society Inc., and volunteers with local horse rescue organizations.
Throughout her career, Ms. Strickland has been driven by an unwavering sense of purpose rooted in compassion for others. She considers caring for patients, especially older adults, her calling, and she remains devoted to mentoring young nurses so they may develop a similar passion for their profession. While she anticipates retiring from nursing, Ms. Strickland looks forward to exploring opportunities within the commercial or fine art sectors. She also intends to relocate to Virginia to be closer to her son following the sale of her farm.
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