Patricia Morton, PhD, RN, FAAN
6th Dean • August 2013
Dr. Morton has an impressive track record of successful leadership at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, and now, she will lead the University of Utah College of Nursing as dean.
A nationally known expert in nursing education, critical care and cardiovascular nursing, Dr. Morton has most recently worked as professor and associate dean for academic affairs. She is a board-certified acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP-BC), a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).
At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Dr. Morton was responsible for the baccalaureate, masters and doctoral programs in nursing, which enrolled more than 1,700 students. She served as principal investigator of a grant that funded the development of a student success center for entry level students; co-led the development of a nurse anesthesia master's specialty and served as the principal investigator of a grant that funded the program; established the first simulation laboratory at the school and obtained more than $3.3 million in grants and in-kind gifts to support the expansion of the simulation center and co-chaired a campus-wide inter-professional education task force.
In addition to her new role as dean of the College of Nursing, Dr. Morton will hold the Louis H. Peery Presidential Endowed Chair.
“I am excited to lead a talented nursing community at the University of Utah. I’m impressed by the collaborative spirit within the College of Nursing, where educators, researchers and clinicians join together to advance health and quality of life.”
Accolades
Accomplishments
- Author of Critical Care Nursing: A Holistic Approach a textbook now in its 10th addition
- Selected as one of thirty international nurses for the Global Nursing Leadership Institute
- Served on the University of Maryland School of Nursing strategic plan implementation committee; co-championed the goal to integrate the research mission with the academic mission
- Selected for the Harvard Institute for Management and Leadership in Education
- Selected as a Helene Fuld Fellow for Leadership in Academic Nursing Programs
Leadership
- Co-Chair, Inter-professional Education Committee, University of Maryland, Baltimore
- Member, Maryland Regional Action Coalition for Health
- Member, Nominating Committee of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Member, Board of Directors, The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
- Member, Deans and Directors of Nursing Programs in Maryland
Awards and Honors
- Named one of the Top Five Reviewers for 2010 for the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
- Recipient of the Excellent Faculty Colleague Award, University of Maryland Medical Center, 2009
- Named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record, 2001
- Recognized as an Outstanding Mentor by the Journal of Critical Care Nurse, 2000
- Recognized as one of the Outstanding Educators by the Maryland Association for Higher Education, 1992
“We are thrilled to bring on a national leader in Patricia Morton to continue building on the strong tradition of excellence at the University of Utah College of Nursing. Dr. Morton is a remarkable individual with enormous energy and enthusiasm and an impressive track record of success.”
About the University of Utah College of Nursing
The University of Utah College of Nursing is home to the Veterans Administration (VA) Nursing Academy, part of a nationwide program that partners the VA's health care system with the country's finest nursing schools to provide compassionate, highly educated nurses to look after the health care needs of the nation's veterans. The College of Nursing was designated one of the first VA Nursing Academies in the country.
Through its Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, one of nine centers in the U.S. funded by a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation, the college is preparing leaders in the field of geriatric nursing.
The college’s Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, a multidisciplinary group focused on enhancing the wholeness of health and wellness for women, allows nurses who are interested in pursuing a career connected to women’s health issues to receive specialized preparation.
The U’s nurse midwifery and women’s health nurse practitioner program is one of the top 10 programs in the nation, according to US News & World Report.
“It is a noble calling, the calling of Nurses, but it depends on you Nurses to make it noble.” – Florence Nightingale
A gift to the College of Nursing in 1975 by sculptor Avard Fairbanks, the marble statue of Florence Nightingale, the ‘mother’ of modern nursing, is symbolic. As she lights the path for nursing research, education and practice, the ‘lady with the lamp’ encourages us to honor our past as we look to our future.