Biography

Dr. Nena Harris, Assistant Professor, started teaching at FNU in 2006. She has taught theories, research, and women's health content, as well as primary care content for Clinical Bound students. She is currently the course coordinator for the Women's Health and Childbearing course for the FNP students. She also serves as a chairperson for the FNU Institutional Review Board. Dr. Harris earned her PhD, MSN (FNP), and BSN degrees from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Her CNM training was from Frontier Nursing University, formerly the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. She also has a BA in Anthropology from Davidson College, with an emphasis on cultural and gender studies. Dr. Harris is also a Certified Nurse Educator. Her nursing practice has been in inpatient and outpatient maternity/child health, infectious disease, and general medical/surgical areas. Her doctoral research focused on HIV prevention and management in women related to issues such as trauma and violence, social support, sexual abuse, incarceration, and substance abuse, with an emphasis on health disparities and qualitative methods. Her dissertation focused specifically on incarcerated women's experiences with physical and sexual abuse and HIV risk factors. She currently maintains her clinical practice as an FNP at a free clinic for homeless women and children.