Consultants

Dr. Kendra Thornton is currently employed as an Assistant Professor/Site Coordinator in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Her responsibilities include coordinating the student’s clinical experience and teaching and leading courses in the program. She also works as A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for Forensic Nurse Staffing of West Texas, performing examinations for adult and pediatric victims of sexual assault and testifying in court cases as an expert. Dr. Thornton has performed over 300 sexual assault examinations.  She also performs as an adjunct faculty member for Excelsior College in Albany, New York, a clinical associate for testing, and a faculty member for courses at all levels of the associate degree program. Dr. Thornton also serves as a consultant to Island Development Corporation in the program development of healthcare access in affordable housing. Dr. Thornton is also a Board member and has taken an active role in creating the Non-Profit Table for All Peru to address socioeconomic factors and nutrition in the community of Pedregal Grande. She has led and participated in multiple Global Health medical and educational experiences for students.

Dr. Thornton’s background includes Critical Care bedside nursing and faculty as a critical care instructor at Covenant School of Nursing. Dr. Thornton is a member of the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), serving on the Government Affairs Committee and the Academy of Forensic Nurses (AFN). She is also a member of the Texas Organization of Nurse Leaders (TONL), the National League of Nurses (NLN), and the Texas Nurse Association (TNA). Kendra Thornton is also designated as a Climate Ambassador with Climate for Health Organization and a member of the Texas Association of Forensic Nurses (TFN)

Dr. Thornton serves as a Girl Scouts of the South Plains board member and acts as a committee member on the Lubbock advisory board, finance committee, and board development committee.

Donna Neel received a diploma in nursing from Methodist School of Nursing in 1979, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1982 from West Texas State University, and a Master of Nursing Science from Lubbock Christin University in 2012. Donna has always loved to share her passion for nursing with others. In 2015, she landed one of her many dream jobs, teaching Maternal Child Health Nursing at Covenant School of Nursing where she is currently employed. In May 2024, Donna received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educator when her roles as a Nurse Educator and Forensic Nurse collided as she assisted a nursing student in navigating her life as a victim of violence.

Over the past 45 years, Donna has served in various nursing roles; from the bedside to leadership, and education.  She spent the first 23 years in the Maternal-Newborn areas starting as a labor and delivery nurse and advancing to charge nurse, nurse manager, and eventually manager of all three Maternal-Newborn units and the Gynecology unit. Then in 2002, after working through the merger of two very competitive hospital obstetrical units, Donna made a radical position change that changed the trajectory of her nursing career. Donna spent the next 13 years in the Children's Emergency Department, starting as a bedside nurse on the night shift, and later advancing into a management role. After the long hard merger, the kids and their families restored her passion for nursing and drew her to becoming a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). In 2003, Donna began taking SANE call for Forensic Nurse Staffing of West Texas.  She has performed over 600 forensic medical exams on victims who have suffered physical or sexual assault or abuse. Donna has testified as a fact witness and expert in civil, criminal, and military courts. She has provided expert SANE consulting in Federal court.

Donna has maintained her National Certification Cooperation (NCC) Inpatient Obstetrics certification since 1989, and her NCC certification in Electronic Fetal Monitoring since 2018. In 2005, Donna was certified by the Texas Office of the Attorney General as an Adult/Adolescent and Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (CA/CP SANE).  She received her Advance Forensic Nursing Certification (AFN-BC) in 2017, the International Association of Forensic Nurses SANE-A in 2018, and SANE-P in 2019.

Donna is a member of the American Nurses Association (ANA), Texas Nurse Association (TNA), Association of Women's Health, Obstetrical and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), National League of Nurses (NLN), International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN), and the Academy of Forensic Nurses (AFN).

Donna's goal to bring awareness regarding the public health issues of violence against others, child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking has opened many doors of opportunity for educational presentation at various community, nursing, and medical activities at the local and state levels. She has served her community as a member of the Lubbock Children's Advocacy Center's Multidisciplinary Team (CAC-MDT), Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), and Sex Trafficking Allied Response Team (START). She was elected to the state Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) Board as the SANE representative from 2015 to 2019. She was appointed to serve on the Lubbock Children's Advocacy Center and Office of the Governor's Child Sex Trafficking Team in the development of the Care Coordination Child Sex Trafficking Guidelines for Lubbock County in 2020. Donna was appointed by the Lubbock County Commissioner, to serve on the Lubbock County Sexual Assault Response Team (LCSART) in 2021.

Over Donna's years as a nurse, she has received numerous nursing awards for her service. Peer-nominated awards include Employee of the Month 1997, Pediatric Star of the Month January 2002, October 2006, and Excellence in Nursing May 2018. Agency-presented awards include the Award of Excellence presented by the Hi-Plains Chapter of the ENA - April 2007, Crime Victims Week Certification of Appreciation presented by TDPS - April 2016, Nurse of the Years presented by Texas Nurses Association District 18 - May 2018, and the South Plains Great 25 Nurses - October 2018.

EXPERIENCE

Operating Room, University Medical Center; Lubbock, TX 11/2015 to Present

Responsibilities: Circulating Nurse on the general surgery team which consists of any

general surgery, including trauma, abdominal and colon surgeries. Circulate in any cases

if needed outside of team.

Outpatient Surgery Center, University Medical Center; Lubbock, TX 01/2014 -

11/2015

Responsibilities: Staff Nurse for pre-op and post-operative phase 2 patients. Floated to

PACU as needed 3-4 times per week.

High Plains Surgery Center; Lubbock, TX 11/2010 - 01/2014

Responsibilities: On-call staff nurse in whatever area asked to work. Worked in pre-op,

circulated in GI cases and pain procedures, and recovered patients in PACU daily.

Sahinler Pain Management Center; Lubbock, TX 12/2012 - 01/2014

Responsibilities: Started IV’s and prepared patients for pain management procedures.

Monitored and recovered and discharged patients post pain procedures.

Oral Surgery Associates; Lubbock, TX 01/2008 - 11/2011

Responsibilities: Started IV’s, monitored patients during surgery and gave conscious

sedation under the direction of the physician. Monitored patients post operatively and

discharged patients.

Lubbock Heart Hospital; Lubbock, TX 02/2010 - 08/2010

Responsibilities: Total patient care: Started IV’s, prepped patients for outpatient heart

procedures and recovered patients post operatively.

Southwest Plastic Surgery; Lubbock, TX 11/2003 - 09/2008

Responsibilities: Prepped patients for surgery, recovered patients post-operatively in

PACU. Circulated in Operating room as needed.

Covenant Medical Center; Lubbock, TX 09/2001 - 03/2007

Responsibilities: Total patient care, started IV’s and prepped patients for outpatient heart

procedures and recovered patients post operatively. Worked on cardiac floor as needed.

GlaxoSmith Klein; Lubbock, TX 01/2003 - 12/2003

Responsibilities: Pharmaceutical Representative

Lubbock Urology; Lubbock, TX 06/2000 - 12/2002

Responsibilities: Triage phone nurse, patient care office nurse.

St. Mary’s Hospital; Lubbock,TX 1996 - 2002

Responsibilities: Staff nurse Emergency Department. Cared for Pediatric and adult patients.

Methodist Hospital; Lubbock, TX 05/1991 - 11/2000

Responsibilities: Worked as Staff nurse & relief charge nurse on South 5 - Cardiac

telemetry. Staff Charge Nurse on South 9 - cardiac telemetry. Circulated in cardiac cath

lab. Staff nurse and relief charge nurse on cardiac care unit. Worked extra as needed in

surgical intensive care unit.

St. John’s Hospital; San Angelo, TX 06/1987 - 05/1991

Responsibilities: Started as nurse assistant on medical -surgical floor while in nursing

school, then remained as a staff nurse after graduating and worked full time there while

earning my BSN.

EDUCATION

Angelo State University - Bachelor of Science in Nursing 1991

Angelo State University - Associates Degree in Nursing 1989

Detail oriented Registered Nurse with more than 20 years of professional leadership experience in the hospital setting. Clinical experience includes critical care and emergency nursing.  The past 27 years have been in nursing leadership roles. Proficient in the survey process including Joint Commission, CMS, Trauma and Stroke Surveys. A good working knowledge of state and federal regulations with a proven demonstration of critical thinking. A credentialed trauma surveyor through Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas, EMS, and Trauma Acute Care Foundation (TETAF) for Level III and IV Trauma centers in the State of Texas since 2007; survey 4-6 hospitals annually until 2022. 

Trained in LEAN methodology and Performance Improvement Principles, served as facilitator and leader for multiple projects in the past 20 years in various areas including Trauma, Stroke, Emergency Medicine, Hospital Throughput, and Behavioral Health.