With a long-standing Military Times “Best for Vets” designation, UNC Greensboro serves more than 1,850 military-affiliated students. Among them is Bianca Wade ’18, a U.S. Air Force veteran and School of Nursing alumna who has returned to UNCG to pursue a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree.
Wade served for six years as an enlisted aerospace medical service specialist and five as a commissioned nurse officer, ultimately attaining the rank of captain. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at UNCG while on active duty, then returned for her doctorate.
“I’ve always loved being a nurse and advocating for my patients, but I wanted to continue making an impact in a different capacity,” Wade says. “Becoming a nurse practitioner would allow me to expand my role in patient care by diagnosing, developing treatment plans, and managing patients’ health conditions.”
Military Service Illuminates a Path to Nursing School
Wade’s first enlisted assignment was at the pediatric clinic at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. She was researching commissioning programs when, through a chance conversation at the clinic, she met an Air Force captain who had brought her child in for an appointment, with a story similar to hers.
The captain had been enlisted herself and completed the Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program, the very path Wade hoped to pursue. She had even assembled a binder of resources to help enlisted airmen apply to the competitive program. Wade went for it and was accepted. She chose UNCG to complete her bachelor’s degree in nursing, where she would be supported by the School of Nursing’s Veterans Access Program (VAP).
“I emailed Dr. Susan Letvak, who was the VAP coordinator, and explained my story to her,” she says. “It was pretty much smooth sailing from there. Dr. Letvak was a Navy officer and a nurse, so she’s always been so supportive and understanding.”
A Calling to Advocate for Older Adults
Wade was also inspired by her grandparents, who went through illnesses during her college years. That led to a deep interest in advocating for older adults, particularly those with complex medical conditions.
To be a more effective advocate, she believes nurses need to understand the business and operational decisions that influence healthcare, a conviction she put into practice by earning an online master’s degree in business administration while serving.
After leaving the Air Force, she was ready for the next step, one that would bring her back to UNCG. “What really drew me to the DNP program was that it goes beyond providing direct patient care,” she says. “It’s about identifying gaps in healthcare, evaluating the evidence, and implementing changes that improve how care is delivered.”
Back to UNCG for a DNP in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care
In August 2024, Wade began working on her DNP degree with a concentration in Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP).
There, she found a mentor in Dr. Autumn Henson, director of nurse practitioner programs. “From the beginning, she emphasized that she was going to make sure we earned the ‘Dr.’ before our names,” Wade says. “She challenges us to think beyond clinical practice and develop into doctorally prepared healthcare leaders.”
Henson describes the program as two paths woven together. “AGPCNP prepares individuals to provide expert care. The DNP degree prepares them to elevate that care through leadership, innovation, scholarship, and systems thinking,” she explains. “Bianca has chosen to pursue both paths, and her remarkable journey reflects the very best of our nursing profession.”
For her doctoral project, Wade implemented an educational initiative at a long-term care facility to improve nurses’ early recognition of clinical deterioration and to help them communicate concerns using structured tools such as SBAR and Stop & Watch. The initiative is designed to support earlier interventions and reduce avoidable hospital transfers; evaluation of the project’s outcomes is ongoing.
“Older adults living in long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable when they’re transferred back and forth between facilities and hospitals,” Wade explains. “Transfers can be stressful and increase their risk of complications. My goal is to help nurses recognize changes in a patient’s condition early, communicate effectively with providers, and intervene before those changes become more serious.”
Henson reinforced Wade’s belief that advanced practice nurses’ voices should carry beyond direct patient care. “She always reminds us that nurses need to have a seat at the table where healthcare decisions are made, including at the executive level,” Wade says.
Wade as an E-4 Senior Airman.
Full-Circle Moments and Spartan Reunions
Returning for her doctoral studies, Wade saw UNCG from a new perspective. Her undergraduate nursing courses were in the former Moore School of Nursing building; now her doctoral classes are at Union Square Campus. She also visited the main campus and the Nursing and Instructional Building, where the BSN program is now held.
“I remember walking into the new building and being amazed at how beautiful it was,” she says.
Along with Henson, Wade found another mentor in Dr. Tiffany Gibson, associate professor and director of experiential community practice. “What I appreciate the most is the encouragement and support she’s shown me throughout the program,” Wade says.
She also reconnected with her VAP coordinator. “Dr. Letvak was such an important part of my journey to becoming a commissioned nurse officer,” she says. “When I returned for my doctorate and saw her at orientation, I gave her the biggest hug! It really felt like a full-circle moment.”
“UNCG produces great nurses,” she says. “Now it’s helping me grow into the nurse practitioner and the leader I aspire to be, to make an even greater impact.”
Henson praises the discipline Wade brought as an Air Force veteran. “Her resilience, leadership, and commitment to excellence have consistently set her apart,” Henson says. “I am confident that her contributions as a DNP-prepared nurse practitioner will extend far beyond her patients, influencing healthcare teams, organizations, and future generations of nurses.”
UNCG alumni often say the phrase: “Once a Spartan, always a Spartan.” Wade is proud to call herself “twice” and always a Spartan. And no matter where life takes her, Wade says she will always be proud of her UNCG degrees.
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography courtesy of Bianca Wade
