Sharron Forest

Sharron Forest, DNP, APRN, NNP-BC, serves as Professor and DNP Program Director at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Nursing, holding the Will Dean Bivens Singleton Professorship in Pediatric Nursing. Her academic home resides within SON Graduate Studies with office location SHP/SON 3.312.

Dr. Forest's educational foundation spans clinical and engineering disciplines: Doctor of Nursing Practice (UTHSC-Houston), MSN in Neonatal Nurse Practitioning (UTHSC-Houston), BSN (McNeese State University), and BS in Chemical Engineering (Louisiana State University). She maintains NNP-BC certification and an Online Teaching Certificate from UTMB.

Her research program critically addresses neonatal and pediatric healthcare challenges through evidence-based practice development. Key focus areas include neonatal pain management protocols, maternal substance use interventions (particularly SBIRT applications), breastfeeding analgesia techniques, newborn screening implementation, and quality improvement frameworks for hyperbilirubinemia and Rh incompatibility management. Her work bridges clinical practice with educational innovation in nursing.

Dr. Forest's scholarly output reveals consistent contributions to clinical guideline development across neonatal care domains, with recent emphasis on pandemic response adaptations and translational research models connecting DNP and PhD faculty expertise.

Accolades recognizing her excellence include:

• Regent's Outstanding Teaching Award (2023)
• Will Dean Bivens Singleton Professorship (2021)
• DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses (2021)
• Multiple Outstanding DNP Faculty Awards (2016-2021)
• AACN Novice Faculty Award (2017)
• Joanne V. Hickey DNP Clinical Scholars Award (2010)

As principal investigator, she secured significant funding including UTMB's translational research pilot project (2023) and the HRSA-funded APPLAUSE Project (2016) targeting underserved community healthcare efficiency. Her leadership extends through committee service in National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (Program Director, Addictions, and Distance Learning committees) and American Public Health Association committees addressing maternal-child health and substance use.

Dr. Forest actively contributes to professional advancement through multiple nursing organizations including American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Sigma Theta Tau International, and Texas Nurses Association, while maintaining clinical engagement through Galveston County Tobacco Prevention Task Force and Consortium of Universities for Global Health initiatives.