EDUCATION

Lavonne is a graduate of Cumberland University where she was awarded her Bachelors of Nursing Degree and Union University where she was awarded her Masters of Science Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She completed her post-maters certificate for herPsychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Union University in December2023.

EXPERIENCE

Lavonne has 25 years of nursing experience that includes work in the ICU, Cardiothoracic Trauma, and EmergencyDepartment settings. She is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and is an active member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the AmericanPsychiatric Nurses Association. Lavonne is also a Certified Emergency Nurse.

Background and Her “WHY”

Lavonne Clifford is originally from Florida where she obtained her Associates Degree in Nursing from Hillsborough Community College in Tampa. In Florida, she worked as a Registered Nurse in cardiac and trauma units. She moved to Hendersonville, Tennessee in 2005, where she changed her area of nursing to emergency medicine. It was at Cumberland University where she obtained her B.S. in Nursing and quickly obtained her Master’s Degree in Nursing with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner from Union University in Hendersonville. Lavonne has also received advanced education and training in orthopedic injections and procedures. Overall, she has a 25 years of combined nursing experience.
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In March 2018, she opened a clinic, NP-CLINIC in White House, Tennessee. She learned quickly that there are ways to treat patients both effectively and economically; wanting to offer this to her patients. She uses different methods, both traditional and non-traditional approaches for treatment to care for her patients. Her goal is to treat underlying conditions to improve overall health. Physical health and mental health work together. She believes that the patient must be treated wholly; one aspect of health can affect another.

In 2022 she decided to further her education in mental health after witnessing and treating patients during the Covid epidemic.  Seeing the aftermath of worsening mental health due to the epidemic. This is from both losing loved ones or exacerbation of symptoms due to illness, isolation, and/or the fear of the unknown. She had several patients with bad outcomes due to Covid and witnessed the effect it had on their loved ones. Sadly, she then suffered the tragic loss of her husband and personally felt the impact of loss and the toll it took on her own family.  Collectively these initiated and acted as a catalyst that fueled her need to pursue additional education in the mental health field so the community could also benefit.

PERSONAL

Lavonne is very active with her 2 children, Maddie and Mason. She is an animal lover and has a household of rescued cats and dogs.  She is also a movie lover, enjoys hiking, powerlifting, and live music.