Board of Directors

Debra Vela Craighead PhD, RN, CNL has been at ULM for over 10 years and has served as a part-time Clinical Skills Lab coordinator, undergraduate Assistant/Associate professor, and graduate Professor. She received her BSN from Northwestern State University (NSU) in 1983, MSN from NSU (1993), and her PhD in Nursing from the University of Texas at Tyler (2012).

Debra has been a nurse educator for 30 years, and currently serves as Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) graduate faculty and CNL Track Leader in the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing online master’s program. The program has earned Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation twice since 2016, and has ranked sixth out of the 20 Top Online Programs for Clinical Nurse Leadership by Healthcare Management Degrees Guide since 2019.

Debra is a Certified CNL (2017) and earned a Quality Matters Online Teaching in Higher Education certificate (2018).  She conducts research focused on nursing education and practice, storytelling, and PTSD. In addition, she mentors colleagues and graduate students working on doctoral degrees. Debra has secured grants and professorship funds for various scholarly endeavors.

By far, teaching pediatrics at a school of nursing in south India (2018) was her most meaningful professional experience. Debra serves the university on numerous committees, and willingly shares her passion for teaching, service, and research.

Norlyn Hyde received her BSN from Northeast Louisiana University in December of 1975.  She began working in the Cardiac Care Unit at Willis Knighton Hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana in January of 1976. In the Spring of 1978, her husband was transferred to Monroe and she worked at St. Francis Medical Center in ICU, CCU, and Renal Dialysis. 

June of 1979 brought another transfer and she began working at Bienville General Hospital in Arcadia, Louisiana.  Being in a 30 bed hospital brought a variety of experiences. In addition to working med/surg she scrubbed in surgery, circulated in surgery, worked in the post anesthesia care unit, and the emergency room. 

It was during this period that she became a member of the Louisiana State Nurses Association. She started teaching at Louisiana Tech University in 1984. Pursuit of her Master’s Degree in Nursing began and she graduated in August of 1987. She taught at Louisiana Tech for many years, retiring in 2011. In 2014 she returned to help out in the Skills Lab part-time.  She decided to stay on in a full time capacity and remains there today. 

Throughout the years her involvement with LSNA increased to the point of serving on the Board of Directors as Bylaws and Resolution Chair for 6 years and assisting with a major overhaul of bylaws and Board structure as a result of ANA’s Race for Relevance while serving as President-Elect. She served as LSNA President from 2017-2019. She has been active at the District Level, also. 

Nancy Darland, RN BC, MSN has served in Nursing Education for 40 years. She is Professor Emerita at Louisiana Tech University and currently works as an adjunct clinical instructor in a NICU setting. A graduate of Northwestern State University, she has maintained certification in Perinatal Nursing from the American Nurse’s Credentialing Center since 1984. Examples of Nancy’s scholarly contributions include publications in professional journals, serving as an item writer for the ANCCs Perinatal Certification exam, presenting a number of continuing nursing education offerings, reviewing several nursing textbooks, serving as an expert legal witness and on a federal grant committee concerning Hospital Based Adoption Support Services. 

Nancy has a very long history of active participation in various service projects, especially those related to maternal/child healthcare. She received the Ruston Junior Auxiliary’s Betty Robbins Volunteer of the Year Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the local community while doing volunteer work. Nancy is a member of the Zeta Rho chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha, an international service organization and chairs the Ruston Radiothon for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

Nancy has been an active member of LSNA/ANA for 44 years as well as the Beta Chi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International.  Nancy served on the Board of Directors for LSNA, as an LSNA Continuing Education Committee/Nursing Professional Development reviewer since 1991, and on the LA Nurses’ Foundation Scholarship Committee. She received the Louisiana State Nurses’ Association Nightingale Award for Nursing Educator, the Outstanding Community Service by a Registered Nurse Award and was inducted into the initial class of LSNA Nurse Fellows. She has also received the Beta Chi Excellence in Education Award and the Patricia E Thompson Award for Research, Scholarship and Service.