Influential Women Profiles: Morgan Newman, DNP, RN A Trailblazer in Nursing Leadership and Education
Pierre, South Dakota – Morgan Newman, DNP, RN, is a dedicated healthcare leader with a 25-year career that spans both clinical and administrative roles. Beginning her journey as a nursing assistant to fund her college education, Morgan has progressively advanced through positions in acute care nursing, nursing education, infection control, and leadership. Her trajectory reflects an unwavering commitment to improving patient care and operational processes within healthcare settings.
Morgan’s academic contributions are noteworthy. She taught nursing at the University of South Dakota, where her exceptional teaching was recognized in 2014 when she was honored as one of the top six instructors for the School of Health Sciences in the newly adopted Bachelor of Nursing Program. Following her time in academia, she served as an infection control coordinator with the VA Black Hills Healthcare System before returning to education through South Dakota State University’s Bachelor of Nursing Program.
In her current role as the Associate Chief of Nursing for Surgery and Acute Care ICC in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Morgan is at the forefront of optimizing interprofessional workflows and enhancing surgical care delivery. She fosters collaboration among clinical teams, ensuring a seamless experience for both patients and healthcare providers. Prior to this, Morgan directed ambulatory operations at Monument Health, where she successfully streamlined processes across multiple clinics to improve access and elevate the quality of care.
Morgan’s impact extends beyond her administrative duties. As part of her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Degree, her project titled “Improving Nurse Mentor Retention Through the Use of Nurse Residency Programs” has garnered significant attention, being shared and downloaded over 1,000 times. This initiative captures her commitment to advancing nursing practices, mentoring emerging healthcare professionals, and preparing teams to tackle the evolving challenges of the healthcare landscape.
Morgan attributes her professional success to hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks and explore new fields, combined with the guidance of numerous mentors who have shaped her journey. She emphasizes that her family provides the fortitude and support necessary to continue her work and create lasting changes in healthcare that will endure long into the future.
Reflecting on the best career advice she has received, Morgan shares guidance tailored to both clinical practice and leadership. In clinical settings, she follows the principle of “Prove it,” encouraging evidence-based decision-making: when faced with uncertainty, gather the necessary data to determine whether action is required. She also emphasizes the human side of healthcare, reminding professionals that “people won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Caring for patients—and supporting coworkers—requires humility, honesty, and empathy: if you don’t know something, admit it and work together to find a solution; if you are wrong, own it and correct it.
In leadership, Morgan values listening and understanding, citing the advice: “Seek first to understand before being understood.” Leaders who prioritize their own agendas over the perspectives of their teams risk losing engagement. She also notes that “there is no reality, only perception,” highlighting that understanding where people are coming from makes it easier to build consensus and find common ground.
To young women entering nursing, Morgan encourages exploration and curiosity: she advises them to discover the diverse facets of the profession, identify areas that genuinely interest them, and commit to continuous learning. She also urges new nurses to connect with professional organizations to build their skills and networks, and to use their voices and influence to elevate nursing’s role within the healthcare continuum to equal that of other healthcare professions.
Morgan identifies a critical challenge facing nursing today: the quantification of work. Despite being a fundamentally human-centered profession, nursing is often viewed as a cost rather than a distinct service. Many nursing tasks are bundled into standard room charges, obscuring the unique value nurses provide. She advocates for nursing services to be recognized and reimbursed independently by insurers, which she believes is a necessary step for sustaining the autonomy and professional recognition that the field deserves.
Finally, Morgan emphasizes the values that guide her work and life. She prioritizes clear, in-person communication, noting the power of face-to-face conversations in reaching understanding. She also reframes work-life balance as a “work-life juggle,” acknowledging that responsibilities will inevitably compete at times. Success, she explains, comes from focusing on doing well at one priority at a given moment—an approach that, over time, enables professionals to achieve extraordinary results.
Morgan Newman’s commitment to advancing nursing practices and her leadership in healthcare exemplify the positive impact that one dedicated professional can have on the community and the future of healthcare.
Learn More about Morgan Newman:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/morgan-newman
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