Her Story
About LaShawn
Dr. LaShawn Horton is a distinguished nurse educator and academic leader serving as Director of the Associate Nursing Program and Co-Director of the pre-licensure BSN Program at Southern Adventist University's School of Nursing, the very institution where she earned her own associate degree in nursing. With over 14 years of experience in nursing education and 12 years dedicated to Southern Adventist University, Dr. Horton brings a wealth of expertise to her multifaceted role, which encompasses program oversight, faculty mentorship, and undergraduate professional development. She also serves as the lead professor for the Childbearing Family course and provides academic guidance to DNP students navigating their scholarly projects. Her educational foundation is extensive, having earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, a Master of Nursing from California State University, Sacramento, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science from Oregon Health & Science University in 2018 — an achievement she considers her most significant professional milestone.
Driven by a deep commitment to advancing the nursing profession, Dr. Horton is passionate about bridging the gap between didactic instruction and clinical practice readiness through evidence-based teaching methodologies. She collaborates closely with institutional leadership to shape curricular outcomes, monitor teaching effectiveness, and ensure that graduates are fully equipped for the demands of modern healthcare. A proud member of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), Sigma Theta Tau, and the National League for Nursing (NLN), she remains actively engaged in the broader nursing community and stays at the forefront of emerging best practices in nursing education.
At the heart of Dr. Horton's professional and personal life is an unwavering faith that she credits as the cornerstone of her success. Her Christ-centered values of integrity, equity, and inclusion permeate every dimension of her work, from the classroom to campus ministry, where she partners with her husband, a collegiate pastor, to lead a student-run worship service. Dr. Horton believes firmly that nursing is a calling — one that demands compassion, open-mindedness, and a genuine commitment to serving all people regardless of their background. Her guiding philosophy, that the sky is the limit for those who dare to pursue their purpose, continues to inspire both the students she teaches and the colleagues she leads. Dr. Horton is honored to be featured in the 2026 edition of Influential Women.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with LaShawn
01What do you attribute your success to?
I wholeheartedly attribute my success to God and to my faith, which remains central to everything I do. I firmly believe that God has guided me throughout my journey, and being Christ-centered in my approach has been fundamental to both my achievements and the work I carry out in nursing education.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was that the sky is the limit and that I can achieve whatever I set my mind to. This powerful counsel has stayed with me throughout my career and has continually encouraged me to pursue my goals ambitiously, including earning my PhD and stepping into leadership roles within nursing education.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My foremost advice to aspiring nurses is to ensure that you feel genuinely called to this profession, as I truly believe nursing is a calling. That calling will challenge you to cultivate an open mind, embrace inclusivity, acknowledge your biases, and remain receptive to serving those who may not look, walk, or talk like you. When you are led by a true calling, you lead not with prejudice or bias, but with compassion, kindness, and an unwavering openness to serve all people, regardless of their walk of life.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The most significant challenge I encounter is ensuring that nursing students are practice-ready and that we effectively close the gap between didactic learning and real-world clinical preparedness, doing so in a manner that is evidence-based and requires us to evolve in how we teach. I recognize that it can be difficult to move away from approaches that have historically yielded strong NCLEX outcomes; however, performing well on an exam does not always equate to being practice-ready. At the same time, I see one of the greatest opportunities in nursing being how wide open the field remains — there is always room for individuals who feel the calling and are prepared to serve with dedication and purpose.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are my faith and my commitment to being Christ-centered in all that I do. I also place the highest regard on walking in integrity and honoring the principles of equity and inclusion, as these guide not only my professional work in nursing education but also my personal life and my ministry work on campus.
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