Stephanie Morgan, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FNAP
With a career in post-acute care spanning more than 25 years, Stephanie Morgan knows what it takes to run a successful program. She does it every day, directing the UT Austin School of Nursing’s two wellness clinics in Travis County, and as an entrepreneur with experience designing and co-founding professional clinics.
But it’s Dr. Morgan’s love of nursing—of helping and caring for others—that motivates her and informs her role as the School of Nursing’s Director of Practice Innovation. She takes to heart the University’s belief that “What starts here changes the world,” knowing that her students will use what they learn in the DNP program to lead in clinical settings, run organizations and recalibrate healthcare systems.
A Two-Way Street
Dr. Morgan is aware of the issues her students face in practice—because she and her colleagues face the same obstacles every day. For her, the DNP program is an opportunity both to teach students and to learn alongside them in their quest to improve clinical care.
“Even though we are considered the experts,” Dr. Morgan said, “we ourselves are grappling with the same challenges in healthcare that we are investigating, uncovering and learning with them, and it reinforces the opportunity for us to be better, do better and learn more.”
TRAINING TO PRACTICE
For Dr. Morgan, research is an important way to advance the field of healthcare, but it’s nothing without actual practice. “I specifically teach four classes in this program,” she said, including courses in healthcare leadership, healthcare economics, clinical informatics and healthcare policy.
The DNP curriculum at UT Austin is specifically designed so that students will leave with a wealth of knowledge and actionable research as well as real-world expertise in how to lead in a variety of settings and roles.
Meeting a Need
The University of Texas at Austin’s DNP program is here for nurses who are passionate about helping others and about making that help go further. Armed with research and skills, graduates are ready to reshape healthcare into something better and more effective—because nursing isn’t just a profession but a vocation.
"When I’m working, I’m a nurse. But when I’m not working, I’m still a nurse. It doesn’t stop. Those feelings don’t stop. The pursuit of helping others—it just doesn’t stop."
Learn More About Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Explore the continuing education opportunities for nurses offered by the UT School of Nursing, including the DNP - Post Master of Science in Nursing and Alternative Entry DNP.
