Members on the Move

Cheryl Thaxton, DNP, MN, APRN, CPNP, FNP-BC, CHPPN, ACUE, FPCN, FAANP is board certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner. Dr. Thaxton currently serves as the Associate Dean, Professor, and Chair of Graduate Studies for College of Nursing (CON) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) at Fort Worth. She has over 33 years of experience in nursing care of patients across the lifespan which includes several years of experience in critical care, palliative and hospice care, primary care, nursing leadership, curriculum development, program development and evaluation, and as faculty for graduate level education. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Hampton University, Virginia and later completed the master’s level Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program at the Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York. Dr. Thaxton went on to pursue the post-masters Family Nurse Practitioner certificate and post-masters Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program at George Washington University, Washington, DC. She has devoted several years of her advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) career to research surrounding the specific needs of children and adults with life-limiting illnesses; and she was part of a team of nursing faculty who helped to implement the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Curriculum, an evidence-based palliative and hospice nursing curriculum that Dr. Thaxton has implemented nationally and internationally, including countries such as Kyoto, Japan and Hong Kong, China. She has a plethora of publications in the literature, podium presentations, and other notable scholarly activities. She is a member of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). She enjoys spending time with her family, playing golf, and volunteering for the prayer group at church. In October, she will be inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.