About Visiting Nurse Educators

Brenda Burke

Brenda Burke is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with Board Certification. Her credentials include an extensive teaching and practice background that spans over 25 years. A recipient of the Merrimack Valley Nursing Task Force, Outstanding Nurse Award for Excellence in Teaching she also received the Southern New Hampshire AHEC, Preceptor of the Year award. A graduate of Boston University with a Masters Degree in Community Mental Health Nursing, she is co-owner of Visiting Nurse Educators. She also maintains a limited psychotherapy practice and teaches nursing at a local Community College. A frequent presenter of custom educational programs for nurses, she provides creative, custom consultation to health care institutions. She has published on grieving, loss, and nursing education, has had book reviews published and has had work presented at poster sessions. A unique blend of clinician, educator, entrepreneur and author, Brenda is sought out by those who recognize the need for skill and creativity in teaching. A good story teller, who uses past experiences in nursing to help participants grasp concepts and have fun learning, she motivates and instills confidence in those who attend the educational programs prepared and presented by Visiting Nurse Educators.

Sue Ellen Van Nostrand

Sue Ellen Van Nostrand is a Masters prepared Family Nurse Practitioner with Board Certification. Her diverse background includes honing her teaching skills on elementary, junior high and high school science students before she began her nursing practice. She has taught nursing at the Associate and Baccalaureate level for many years. Sue is a graduate of Pace University in New York where she earned a Masters Degree in nursing and a certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is co-owner of Visiting Nurse Educators. Sue has been a nurse educator for over 20 years and has a wide range of experience teaching in the pediatric, maternity and med-surg areas. In addition, she is a frequent presenter at, and consultant to, local hospitals. She has published in nursing journals, co-authored chapters in a nursing education book and presented posters at nursing conferences. Sue's easy going nature, strong science background, and exceptional creativity make her a natural teacher. Known to incorporate games into her teaching she is a favorite of learners who rely on methods other than straight lecture to enhance their understanding of nursing content. It is obvious that Sue enjoys teaching and those who attend her presentations enjoy her too; they come back over and over again to participate in her "lively" presentations.