Heartland’s
Tara Morris named Nurse Educator Fellow
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[May 14, 2020]
Heartland Community College Associate Professor
Tara Morris has received a Nurse Educator Fellowship, awarded by the
Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) and the Illinois Nursing
Workforce Center (INWC) Advisory Board.
Morris, MSN, RN, is one of 19 recipients of the 2020
fellowship, which is funded by the state. Recipients of the Nurse
Education Fellowship are awarded $10,000 to help promote excellence
in nursing education.
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“Tara is a great example of excellence in nursing
education,” said Jennifer O’Connor, Dean of Health Sciences and
Director of Nursing. “She is creative, conscientious, hard-working,
and holds her students, and herself, to high standards.”
Morris has been with Heartland Community College since 2016 and is a
tenured Associate Professor as well as Program & Clinical
Coordinator for Nursing. She also serves as an Emergency Department
Nurse at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, Illinois, and
has been working at the hospital during the COVID-19 crisis.
“When I came to Heartland in 2016, I stepped down as the Manager of
the Emergency Department but did not want to give up my time at the
bedside, therefore I stayed on PRN (meaning ‘pro re nata’ or as
needed), working additional hours during our college breaks such as
Thanksgiving, Christmas and over the summer,” said Morris. “I have
been with ALMH since 2005 and cannot imagine totally leaving an
organization that I believe in so much. It helps me stay abreast of
changing best practices which in turn greatly helps me while
educating our nurses of the future.”
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The Nurse Educator Fellowship was established to help provide
resources to train more highly-skilled nurses in Illinois by retaining qualified
faculty.
“I am honored to have been nominated by Jennifer O'Connor, and
humbled to have been chosen by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to receive
this special recognition,” said Morris. “The award will help as I pursue
Certified Nurse Educator certification and to attend the National Nurse Educator
Summit in April 2021.”
The Heartland Community College Nursing program is accredited by the
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Admission is
selective, and is offered annually to new students who qualify. Advanced
Placement is also available for Licensed Practical Nurses.
[Steve Fast
Director, Public Information
Heartland Community College]
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