Forensic Nurse Dr. Carrie Nelms Edwards Honored with Hallmark Alumni Award

APRIL 30, 2022 — DENTON —  Dr. Carrie Nelms Edwards, Class of ‘08, was presented with the Hallmark Alumni Award last weekend at the annual Pioneer Alumni Association Awards ceremony in Denton, TX.

Dr. Edwards graduated from TWU with a Ph.D. in Nursing and has since blazed a trail through West Texas in the field of her passion and speciality, forensic nursing, and has spent years as a professor, educating other nurses in the field. In 2017 she was named one of the Great 100 Nurses of Dallas-Ft. Worth and is the founding director of Forensic Nurse Staffing of West Texas, which provides around-the-clock forensic nursing services to every hospital in Lubbock.

Currently an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University, Dr. Edwards, after 22 years of college teaching under her belt has returned to bedside nursing, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I felt a strong calling to serve those in need at a time when my service was needed most,” she says.

Her work with victims of crime has been recognized by the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, and the Hi-Plains Chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association. She was recognized previously as a Distinguished Alumna from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing.

Published in scholarly journals, the recipient of funds for research, and a mainstay at presentations and on programs relating to forensic nursing, Dr. Edwards continues to work and collaborate with her TWU cohort and faculty. “Through all my experiences working and/or volunteering,” she says, “I have always been an ambassador for TWU.”

Dr. Edwards also answered the call when Texas residents were most in need, volunteering with the Red Cross and the Texas Department of State Health Services during some of our greatest natural disasters, working with other healthcare providers during Hurricanes Ike, Rita, Katrina, and Harvey.

Already distinguished in her career, Dr. Edwards foresees a long future of continuing to help others through her work. “I plan to continue bedside nursing for as long as my body allows.”

Since 1969 the Pioneer Alumni Association, formerly known as the TWU Alumni Association, has bestowed awards in recognition of alumni’s tremendous contribution to their communities and field of study. The Hallmark Alumni Award is presented to rising stars, graduates who are early to mid-career who have made a significant positive impact on their profession or community.

Marketing Contact:
Luis G. Rendon
Marketing Chair
Pioneer Alumni Association
lrendon06@gmail.com
956-337-5896