Nursing Education and Professional Development

Cherese started in the medical field as a dispatcher for Rutherford County Ambulance Service in 1977.  She quickly caught the “bug” and became an EMT.  Cherese graduated from MTSU in 1981 with ADN and then again in 2009 with BSN.  She earned her  Master’s from TSU in 2012. 

Cherese's career has been filled with numerous opportunities.  She has worked from staff nurse to director of a department.  She enjoyed five years at the Metro Public Health Department as the Clinical Competency Coordinator.  Her career at Vanderbilt has been a long stretch of fulltime, Assistant Manager of the Burn Center with changing to PRN in the emergency departments, both adult and pedicatric, in 1991.  This change allowed her the opportunity to direct the Emergency Department at Sumner Regional Medical Center.  Chreese returned to fulltime employment in December 2005 as a coordinator and instructor for the Resuscitation Program.  In June 2007, she was offered the opportunity to return to the Burn Center as a charge nurse and then became the educator in September 2009. 

Cherese is blessed with a wonderful husband, Robert Earl Brooks, of 30 years!!!  They have three fabulous children:  Marcus, plays the trumpet in the Army as an American Soldier after receiving his Masters in Trumpet Performance last May, Nicole,  Senior at the University of Evansville pursuing a major in Public Relations, and Meagan, a Junior at Nashville School of the Arts.

Cherese is constantly looking for opportunities to sing and play the piano, for which her Church is gracious to allow her to do.  She was a piano and voice performance major prior to being introduced to the medical field and has spent countless hours on the stage in preparation for performances for plays and concerts.  Cherese and her husband have a goal to one day purchase a convertible and drive the entire length of Route 66 once all of their children are on their own!!!
 

  Meet Our Team