She graduated from Davidson College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She completed undergraduate nursing coursework and a Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in 1999. During her time at Vanderbilt, she received the Luther Christman Award for Clinical Excellence. In 2014, she graduated from the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program at the Medical University of South Carolina. She became a certified nurse educator (CNE) in 2014. She was selected as an Amy V. Cockroft Leadership Fellow for 2016-2017.