Allyson Neal

Dr. Neal is the Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee, College of Nursing. She teaches across the PMHNP program, mental health content in graduate-level courses, DNP courses, and serves as advisor and faculty chair for student DNP Scholarly Projects.

Dr. Neal’s scholarly interest is in neuroplasticity as it relates to resiliency with an emphasis on wellness skills taught in unconventional settings. She recognized the need for creative treatment options as the majority of individuals with mental health symptoms are unable to access care and for those that do the stigma associated with mental health is often a deterrent to continue care. A resiliency approach builds on an attitude of what is right with an individual instead of what happened to that person.

She is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, American Nurses Association, and Tennessee Nurses Association. Additionally, she holds national appointments as a member of the APRN Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (LACE) Network and the National Task Force for the review and revision of the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Programs.

Dr. Neal earned a DNP as a PMHNP from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, MSN as a PNP from Emory University, BSN from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and a ADN from East Tennessee State University.