The University of St. Thomas has named Dr. Annette Hines as the new executive director of the Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing. Hines joins St. Thomas from Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina, where she has served as faculty member since 2000 and as director of the Presbyterian School of Nursing since 2019. She will officially step into the role in January 2024.
“Dr. Hines cleared a very high bar that we had set for the role. Her passion for the vision and mission of the School of Nursing came through very clearly,” said Dr. MayKao Y. Hang, vice president and founding dean of the Morrison Family College of Health. “Dr. Hines is an experienced and resilient leader who has navigated many management and leadership challenges through the headwinds in higher education. We are extremely fortunate to have someone of her caliber join us.”
Hines joins the School of Nursing at an exciting time. She will serve as the executive director when the first class of master nursing students graduates in spring 2024.
“It will be both exciting and challenging to help build the new school’s culture as a collaborative effort with faculty, staff and students,” said Hines.
Hines says she looks forward to advancing the vision of the School of Nursing, and she is ready to continue building a nursing education that emphasizes whole-person care, interprofessional collaboration, and innovation to improve patient outcomes. She also plans to prioritize self-care in the curriculum, helping students build healthy life skills to successfully navigate their nursing careers.
“We need to encourage a sense of collaboration among students so they can support each other while in school and also when they enter the workforce,” said Hines. “Nurses who have developed reliable support systems are often more resilient and better able to meet professional challenges and have fulfillment from their careers.”
Hines brings nearly 40 years of nursing practice to the role, along with exceptional accomplishments in academic leadership and research. With a background as a family nurse practitioner and as a staff nurse in telemetry, the intensive care unit (ICU) and outpatient clinics, Hines plans to apply her vast experience in service of the bachelor’s and master’s nursing programs at St. Thomas.
Hines has been a practicing nurse and/or nurse educator since graduating from the Duke University School of Nursing. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing from East Carolina University with an emphasis in adult health and education and taught in North Carolina’s community college system. She has a post-master’s certificate as a family nurse practitioner from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and practiced in rural health in South Carolina and in occupational health in Charlotte, North Carolina.
During her time at Queens University, Hines earned a PhD from the University of North Carolina – Greensboro. She served as the chair for graduate studies before taking on the director role for the Presbyterian School of Nursing in 2019. Her research interests include health promotion in families with a child with chronic illness, asthma as a health disparity, and teaching strategies in classroom and clinical settings. She co-authored the textbook, Advanced Integrative Clinical Concepts, a 2022 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year award winner.
“We are grateful to have found someone with her skill set and extensive leadership experience,” said Dr. Nanette Hoerr, who will continue serving as the School of Nursing’s interim director until Hines starts in January.
The move to Minnesota will be a new adventure for Hines and her husband, David. Longtime residents of the southeastern United States, Hines said they are ready for a change of pace – and temperature.
“We are excited to bundle up, get outside (maybe for short periods of time initially), and enjoy the winter wonderland,” Hines said.
