NATCHITOCHES – Dr. Anna Morris has been named senior director of nursing and chief nursing administrator at Northwestern State University. Her appointment has been approved by the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System.
Northwestern State’s nursing programs enroll more than 2,600 students from the associate to the doctoral degree level.
“I feel blessed to have been chosen to lead the College of Nursing,” said Morris. “I have had the privilege of being part of the wonderful team at Northwestern State and working in a variety of positions with some talented colleagues, students and staff that have prepared me for this new role.”
Morris says one of her main goals as department head is to increase the visibility of the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health within the Shreveport-Bossier, Leesville, and Alexandria communities. She plans to work to create better connections between first-year students and the nursing faculty to improve retention of these students as nursing majors and ultimately as nurses.
“Dr. Morris is a creative and compassionate leader who helps to bring the best out of the faculty, staff, and students within our College,” said Dr. Joel M. Hicks, dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health. I am fortunate to be working with Dr. Morris and know that the entire College will continue a tradition of excellence under her leadership.
“When Dr. Pamela Simmons announced her intention to retire as the senior director of nursing for the College of Nursing, we knew that her replacement would have to work very hard to match the level of excellence Dr. Simmons instilled. Since being named the new senior director of nursing, Dr. Morris has done that every day.”
Morris has been a member of Northwestern State’s nursing faculty since 2012 and a full-time member since 2013. She was a level coordinator for the BSN program from 2016-19 and a program coordinator for the non-traditional BSN program from 2019-21.
During the current academic year, Morris holds the Carolyn Cole Saunders Endowed Professorship and held the James K. Elrod Endowed Professorship from 2017-21.
Her prior work experience includes a career as a medical technologist at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans from 1999-2006 and a registered nurse at LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport from 2006-13.
Morris earned a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing from Louisiana State University and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Northwestern State.
She is active in a number of professional organizations and has done extensive work on university committees and in community service.
