Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College announces new Director of Nursing

Melissa Kirk has recently been named the new Director of Nursing at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College after an exhaustive search.

Kirk has worked in both education and nursing for more than 30 years, and as such, brings a vast store of skills and knowledge as well as a love of teaching and healthcare to her new position.

Kirk began her career in nursing back in 1990 when she graduated with an associate degree from Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. In an article on the school’s website about her new appointment she refers to the acquisition of this degree as “the beginning of a lifelong commitment to healthcare and education.”

From there she went on to attend Marshall University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, graduating in 1999. Afterward, she earned her Master of Science in Nursing five years later from Marshall University. During this time in furthering her education she developed a love of leadership and teaching within the field of nursing. 

She attained her first nursing job at Logan General Hospital where she began as a staff nurse, but later became a nurse manager, and then finally a house supervisor. While working in these jobs, Kirk noted that she was able to gain important experience learning about hospital administration, team leadership, and patient care. She transitioned to Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College in 2002 as an adjunct nursing instructor before becoming a full time instructor the next year.

Commenting on her history teaching at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Kirk said, “Teaching at Southern has been immensely fulfilling.” While working at Southern, Kirk has worked with thousands of newly graduated Registered Nurses, something she sees as her “greatest work accomplishment.”

Three years ago, Kirk earned yet another post-graduate degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner, this time from Chamberlain University, which provided her with the ability to gain experience in addiction medicine, creating a link for her between addiction treatment and her clinical expertise.

Kirk has spent her life living in Gilbert, West Virginia, and lives there with her husband Daniel Hauser. She loves living in the state, and has family spread across the area including into North Carolina. The couple have two children, Whittani and Brittani, who have become an elementary school teacher and a Registered Nurse/Instructor respectively, both of whom have earned their masters degrees very recently. The couple are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first grandchild. 

“Southern has been foundational in my life since 1990. The unparalleled mentoring, the enduring friendships, and collective experiences with colleagues and students have been profoundly fulfilling,” said Kirk.

More information about Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College can be found at the school’s website.