Laura Plantenberg

Biography

Laura Plantenberg is a Clinical Instructor for the Traditional BSN program at Western Carolina University (WCU) and is the Health Services Coordinator for The Catamount School, a lab school operated by WCU for 6^th, 7^th, and 8th-grade students.<br><br>Ms. Plantenberg brings 15 years of prior clinical nursing experience to her positions at WCU. Her primary areas of concentration are pediatric, maternal/newborn, and school nursing, the specialty area in which she holds national certification. Past clinical roles include serving as a school nurse at Swain East and West Elementary schools in Bryson City, NC, and a staff nurse at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, NC, and Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC. She also serves as a volunteer nurse at a residential camp for children during the summer months.<br><br>Ms. Plantenberg completed an Accelerated BSN program through the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 2007 and received her MSN in Nursing Education from WCU in 2019. Her graduate work focused on school wellness policies and the connection between student health and academic achievement. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.<br><br>Ms. Plantenberg is a member of the National Association of School Nurses, the Association of Camp Nursing, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She resides in Bryson City, NC with her husband and daughter.

Education

• MSN, Western Carolina University
• BSN, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Teaching Interests

School Nursing, Maternal/Newborn Nursing, Pediatrics

Research Interests

School Health, Camp Nursing, Pediatric Health and Wellness Promotion