TVHS nurses turned songwriters

To commemorate Nurses Month, their songs were nationally released and performed by various country artists to help creatively capture their experience as a Veteran and VA nurse through powerful songwriting. 

The group of nurses attended a songwriting retreat in Nashville with the award-winning songwriters to create their original songs, sharing their most personal stories of triumph and loss.

See their live performances and stories here.

"I don't think you can go through this process without being changed," Hansel said, an Air Force Veteran and registered nurse at the Alvin C. York campus. "I was only 17 when I went into the Air Force. While I was in the Air Force, I was fortunate enough to get a job title that landed me a career at the hospital." 

Hansel's song is titled "Everlast." 

"He started asking me questions and trying to figure out what my story was," Brooks said, an Air Force Veteran and registered nurse at the Clarksville VA Clinic. "I knew there were a couple of things I wanted to bring to light [in my song.] I think it's just absolutely amazing." 

Sorto, a licensed practical nurse in Murfreesboro, explained her song is a reflection of the time she served overseas in Iraq and the experiences Veterans and nurses go through. "I feel like every Veteran should go through this. It helped me open up," she said.

Sorto's song is titled "People Don't Know."

"This song is my story," Ross said during her interview with Freedom Sings. "'This man's Army' was a popular phrase in the 80s. That's what I heard when I joined." Irene Kelly, singer and songwriter, performed Ross' song "Just a Girl." 

In Ross' interview she shared how VA helped her heal and enabled her to be a beacon of light for other Veterans. 

"When I came to VA I wasn't expecting much, but they not only provided me with physical health care but mental health care. They enabled me to be able to pay it back. If we can take this something like this and give a soldier or sailor a creative way to deal with their struggles, in my opinion, it's therapy."

This Nurses Month, Freedom Sings USA will debut 11 songs written by VA Veteran nurses. They are:

• James Adams “Blessed By My Career”
• Mariva Balfour-Coleman “A Nurses Prayer”
• Loretta Gorecki “Invisible Scars”
• Nikki Kemp “Soldier On”
• Susan Pelz “Angels of Mercy”
• Roland Sauerland “The Forgotten”
• Hansel Moore “Everlast”
• Christine Brooks “Welcome Home”
• Kristine Sorto “ People Don’t Know”
• Stephanie Leach “Yes You Can”
• Ramona Ross “Just a Girl”