{"id":156592,"date":"2026-11-04T14:10:50","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T19:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=156592"},"modified":"2026-11-04T14:10:50","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T19:10:50","slug":"always-asking-why-the-drive-behind-ucf-nursing-leaders-passion-for-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/always-asking-why-the-drive-behind-ucf-nursing-leaders-passion-for-healthcare\/","title":{"rendered":"Always Asking Why: The Drive Behind UCF Nursing Leader&#8217;s Passion for Healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"<hr>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always had this curiosity bug,\u201d says Sharon Tucker, dean of UCF\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/college\/nursing\/\">College of Nursing<\/a>. \u201cSince I was a kid, I used to ask all those \u2018why\u2019 questions. I was probably terribly annoying, but I wanted to know things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the first she remembers asking was why her grandmother died of cancer when other grandmothers didn\u2019t. Tucker was 5. She would eventually learn that genetics, environmental factors, age and lifestyle can all play a part. But as a child, she simply wanted to understand why some people got sick and others didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>That question, along with an aunt who was a nurse, led Tucker to nursing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNursing gave me a way to translate my curiosity into service,\u201d she says. By her second year of nursing school, she knew she wanted to pursue research, earn a Ph.D. and teach.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cDr. Tucker\u2019s research supports our efforts to empower nurses and elevate clinical excellence to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care.\u201d \u2014 Kelly Edmondson, Orlando Health\u2019s senior vice president of nursing and patient care services<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>On Thursday, Oct. 29, Tucker was officially invested as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/sharon-tucker-named-orlando-health-endowed-chair-in-nursing\/\">Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing<\/a>, recognizing her service to nursing education, evidence-based practice and healthcare innovation. She is the second faculty member to hold the position, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/partnerships\/\">UCF Pegasus Partner<\/a> Orlando Health established in 2009 to support nursing research with a direct impact on patient care \u2014 the kind of work Tucker has pursued throughout her career. The investment also positions Tucker to help shape what&#8217;s next in nursing education, workforce development and patient care, advancing UCF&#8217;s commitment to preparing the healthcare leaders Florida and the nation will need in the decades ahead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr. Tucker\u2019s research supports our efforts to empower nurses and elevate clinical excellence to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care,\u201d says Kelly Edmondson, Orlando Health\u2019s senior vice president of nursing and patient care services. \u201cIt is an honor to continue to partner with UCF to strengthen the nursing workforce and create a healthier future for all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The title is new. The curiosity behind it is not. Curiosity drives Tucker\u2019s questions; evidence is how she answers them. Together, they have driven her career and practice defined by wanting to know more about: what it means to care for someone, what it takes to lead well and why it all begins with the self.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_156595\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure float-left\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img size-full wp-image-156595 img-fluid\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson.jpg\" alt=\"Sharon Tucker and Kelly Edmunson\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img size-full wp-image-156595 img-fluid lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Sharon Tucker and Kelly Edmunson\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-and-Kelly-Edmondson.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">UCF College of Nursing Dean Sharon Tucker (left) and Kelly Edmondson, Orlando Health\u2019s senior vice president of nursing and patient care services (right). (Photo by <strong>Melanie Cede\u00f1o-Lopez \u201923<\/strong>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>\u2018A Chart Doesn\u2019t Provide the Whole Picture\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Tucker began her career in intensive care at the Mayo Clinic, caring for people during some of the most critical moments of their lives. There, she saw how some health crises were unavoidable, while others could be prevented or improved through healthier behaviors. But changing those behaviors, she learned, was rarely simple. A person\u2019s history, circumstances and support systems all mattered.<\/p>\n<p>She wanted to understand all of it, not just the illness.<\/p>\n<p>In the late 1980s, while working as a nurse counselor at the Sexual Assault Resource Service in Minneapolis, Tucker had an experience that changed how she approached the people in her care.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cBecause of her, I learned the importance of seeing things from the patient\u2019s perspective, being open to the reality that there can be more than one truth and understanding each person\u2019s journey is critical to truly helping them.\u201d \u2014 Sharon Tucker, Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThis patient had endured a lot of adversity and taught me how to help help someone heal,\u201d says Tucker. Because of her, I learned the importance of seeing things from the patient\u2019s perspective, being open to the reality that there can be more than one truth and understanding each person\u2019s journey is critical to truly helping them. That was pivotal for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That lesson stuck.<\/p>\n<p>For nearly 40 years, understanding the world from the other person\u2019s point of view has been Tucker\u2019s guiding philosophy. From the ICU to the dean\u2019s office, Tucker has built a career spanning patient care, research, teaching and leadership, publishing more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, securing more than $40 million in research and training funding, and helping advance evidence-based practice across the profession. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a distinguished fellow of the National Academies of Practice in Nursing.<\/p>\n<p>She is also a board-certified adult psychiatric-mental health clinical nurse specialist and integrative nurse coach \u2014 two credentials that reflect her interest in the whole person, not just a diagnosis, and a focus she would also turn on herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know at the core of who I am that science improves lives,\u201d says Tucker. \u201cEvidence-informed care is really important to me, but I have to apply the evidence we get from research within a patient\u2019s preferences and circumstances. A chart doesn\u2019t provide the whole picture of a patient. It has critical information but what\u2019s missing is often just as important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Focusing on what\u2019s missing led Tucker to wonder how prepared future nurses are to enter a field where five nursing roles rank among the 30 most stressful jobs in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. She didn\u2019t guess. In 2009, she and two colleagues developed a self-efficacy assessment now used by more than 4,000 people in over 40 countries to identify learning gaps and strengthen evidence-based practice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDeveloping that scale continues to teach me that capability, context, confidence and culture all matter,\u201d says Tucker. \u201cToday, it informs how I approach education, leadership and implementation science: we must assess where people and organizations are, build the right supports and create conditions where evidence can become routine practice rather than an extra task.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The question, in other words, is never just what people should know. It\u2019s what they need to put that knowledge into practice.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_156594\" style=\"max-width: 1200px;\" class=\"figure float-left\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-156594 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2.jpg\" alt=\"Sharon Tucker holding a medal\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2-360x240.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" class=\"figure-img img-fluid w-100 wp-image-156594 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Sharon Tucker holding a medal\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201200%20800%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2-360x240.jpg 360w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker_2026_2.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">On Oct. 29, UCF College of Nursing Dean Sharon Tucker was officially invested as the Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing. (Photo by <strong>Melanie Cede\u00f1o-Lopez \u201923<\/strong>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>\u2018The People Who Show Up Run the World\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>After years in hospital leadership, Tucker recognized the same resistance to change she had seen in individual patients. Even when people understand what needs to change, acting on it can be difficult.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe all want to keep doing what we know, what\u2019s comfortable, especially when we\u2019ve already got enough on our plate or are feeling overwhelmed,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Tucker knows that feeling herself. In 2007, while balancing hospital leadership, university teaching and raising two young daughters, she began a three-year Robert Wood Johnson Nursing Executive Fellowship. At the time, she was accustomed to translating scientific research into evidence-based bedside care. Sharing her research findings came easily. Sharing her opinions was another matter. The fellowship asked her to do exactly that, and left her with a question: How do we influence meaningful change?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201c&#8230; I teach all my students, you have to step up to the mic whenever you can and voice your opinion. That\u2019s how we influence change. The people who show up run the world. I think in nursing that\u2019s more important today than ever.\u201d \u2014 Sharon Tucker, UCF College of Nursing Dean<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThat experience taught me to be courageous and to step up to a mic when I didn\u2019t want to,\u201d she says. \u201cIt can be uncomfortable, but I teach all my students, you have to step up to the mic whenever you can and voice your opinion. That\u2019s how we influence change. The people who show up run the world. I think in nursing that\u2019s more important today than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The fellowship, like the patient years ago, pointed Tucker back to individuals. Being good at one thing, she learned, doesn\u2019t mean someone feels prepared for the next. A leader\u2019s job, like a clinician\u2019s, starts with the person, not the task. That means getting curious about the people doing the work: what motivates them, what challenges they face and what support they need to succeed.<\/p>\n<p>Now, in her second year as dean, Tucker is applying that lesson to the next chapter of the College of Nursing. She is asking how artificial intelligence could change both the profession and the way nurses are taught. Her vision for what\u2019s next focuses on what\u2019s always been important \u2014 empowering highly skilled and practice-ready nurses, research opportunities that improve care for patients, and the partnerships, like the one with Orlando Health, that make it all possible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe evidence, the practitioner and the patient are all important,\u201d she says. \u201cAs are continuing to promote a culture of honesty, trust, well-being and professional growth.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tucker is equally committed to all of those when it comes to herself. She recently competed a six-month dean development program and led her leadership team through a book club on <em>The Five Dysfunctions of a Team<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen things get challenging, I return to the belief that people can grow, organizations can change and nursing has a powerful role in improving health and well-being,\u201d she says. \u201cThat focus helps me stay grounded: Listen carefully, act with integrity, use evidence wisely, and keep the person at the center of the work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Tucker, that person includes herself.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Present, Resilient and Always Moving Forward\u2019<\/h2>\n<blockquote><p>Endowed gifts provide permanent support, generating annual resources that strengthen UCF year after year. Through <a href=\"https:\/\/advance.ucf.edu\/go-for-launch\/\">Go For Launch<\/a>, endowments help power student success, groundbreaking research and community impact for generations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For 20 years, Tucker has journaled and meditated, but her longest-standing practice is more about momentum than stillness. Tucker has been running for 40 years, including competing in several marathons. The miles give her space to think and a chance to test what she believes about herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRunning has taught me so much about myself, what I\u2019m capable of, and what I can give to others, mainly because it gives me a chance to have some silent time to think,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you\u2019re running, you have to be present, resilient and always moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At 5, Tucker wanted to know why. Today, backed by the Orlando Health Endowed Chair and a university committed to shaping the future, she is still asking bold questions, helping launch new ideas, stronger nursing leaders and better outcomes for the patients they serve.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the dean of the College of Nursing and Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing, Sharon Tucker has transformed curiosity into discovery, leadership and new possibilities for the future of healthcare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":156593,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[5,12],"tags":[4869,22543,3703,54765],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-156592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colleges","category-health","tag-college-of-nursing","tag-healthcare","tag-philanthropy","tag-sharon-tucker"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.3 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Always Asking Why: The Drive Behind UCF Nursing Leader&#039;s Passion for Healthcare | University of Central Florida News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As the dean of the College of Nursing and Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing, Sharon Tucker has transformed curiosity into discovery, leadership and new possibilities for the future of healthcare.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/always-asking-why-the-drive-behind-ucf-nursing-leaders-passion-for-healthcare\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Always Asking Why: The Drive Behind UCF Nursing Leader&#039;s Passion for Healthcare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As the dean of the College of Nursing and Orlando Health Endowed Chair in Nursing, Sharon Tucker has transformed curiosity into discovery, leadership and new possibilities for the future of healthcare.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/always-asking-why-the-drive-behind-ucf-nursing-leaders-passion-for-healthcare\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"University of Central Florida News | UCF Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UCF\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-11-04T19:10:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2026\/11\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-Investiture_2026.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nicole Dudenhoefer &#039;17\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UCF\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UCF\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nicole Dudenhoefer &#039;17\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/always-asking-why-the-drive-behind-ucf-nursing-leaders-passion-for-healthcare\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/always-asking-why-the-drive-behind-ucf-nursing-leaders-passion-for-healthcare\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Nicole Dudenhoefer '17\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9d80c5f96623baaf4ec084540ceb2407\"},\"headline\":\"Always Asking Why: The Drive Behind UCF Nursing Leader&#8217;s Passion for Healthcare\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-11-04T19:10:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/always-asking-why-the-drive-behind-ucf-nursing-leaders-passion-for-healthcare\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1740,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/always-asking-why-the-drive-behind-ucf-nursing-leaders-passion-for-healthcare\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ucf.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/blogs.dir\\\/20\\\/files\\\/2026\\\/11\\\/UCF_Sharon-Tucker-Investiture_2026.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"College of Nursing\",\"Healthcare\",\"Philanthropy\",\"Sharon Tucker\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Colleges &amp; 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