Northwestern Oklahoma State University will have new leadership in the Charles Morton Share Trust Division of Nursing as Dr. Leslie Collins will assume the role as its new chair beginning, July 1.

Collins replaces Dr. Shelly Wells, professor of nursing, who will return to her role as a faculty member.

"I am excited that Dr. Collins will lead our Division of Nursing," said Dr. Bo Hannaford, executive vice president. "Dr. Collins is well prepared for this role, and I look forward to working with her as she continues to lead our outstanding faculty, staff and students in providing a critical workforce for Oklahoma for our healthcare needs. Dr. Collins has a wonderful rapport with our students, our faculty, and our community and will continue to provide the leadership we are accustomed to for this wonderful program."

Hannaford also said he is very proud and appreciative of Wells' accomplishments as chair.

"Dr. Shelly Wells has been an excellent chair for our Division of Nursing," Hannaford said. "She accepted the job when we needed her expertise, and she did not let us down. Her ability to navigate Northwestern through our first doctoral program and gain initial accreditation is something to be very proud of. She has added excellent faculty to our program and is a leader throughout the state in the area of nursing and healthcare.

"I am glad that she will continue to be a part of our faculty, further benefiting Northwestern by returning to her initial focus on expanding our RN to BSN program while enhancing our partnerships across the state. This program can be a potential growth area for our university and the state of Oklahoma by increasing the number of bachelor-prepared nurses."

Dr. James Bell, associate vice president for academics and dean of faculty, also said he's confident in Collins' abilities to lead the program and is appreciative of Wells' work as the chair for the last nine years.

"Working with Dr. Wells in her role as chair of the Division of Nursing has been a pleasure," said Dr. James Bell. "She has a comprehensive knowledge of the nursing landscape both in Oklahoma and nationally, and her expertise has benefitted the university in all of its nursing programs: the traditional BSN, the RN-to-BSN program, and the DNP. She is a respected member of the medical profession in the state, active in leadership roles in statewide organizations and sought out by the media and her colleagues to be a voice of wisdom and reason in her profession.

"I feel confident that the nursing division will continue to thrive under Dr. Leslie Collins, whose strong leadership and organizational skills will serve the division, its students, and its faculty well. I look forward to working more closely with her in the future."

Collins, who serves the university as an assistant professor of nursing, joined the Northwestern faculty in the summer of 2010. She teaches Introduction to Nursing Care and Skills, Skills Laboratory for Adult Health I, Nursing Care of the Family, Research Utilization and Professional Issues in Nursing. She is the co-adviser of the Student Nurses Association and serves on the University Faculty Development and Advisory Board, the Academic Affairs Appeal Committee, the Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness Committee, the Grievance Committee and the Study Abroad Committee.

"I am excited about this change as I am confident that under Dr. Collins's leadership, Northwestern Nursing will continue to forge new opportunities to promote and provide education opportunities for the profession of nursing – not only in Oklahoma, but across the nation," Wells said.

Collins said she is ready to grow each program within the division and to continue with the success of all three of the program's students, events and faculty/staff. She is looking forward to ensuring students are learning in the ways that best meet their needs and helping to meet the nursing needs of northwest Oklahoma and surrounding areas.

"I love helping students learn to care for others and witnessing the moment they realize what path they want to take in nursing and why it is special to them," Collins said."Those instants are life-changing for them, and it is great to be a part of!"

The Charles Morton Share Trust Division of Nursing under the School of Professional Studies offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

For more information about the department, visit https://www.nwosu.edu/school-of-professional-studies/nursing or contact Wells at 580-327-8489 or [email protected].