Hunter Watts, DNP, MSN, BSN

Assistant Professor of Nursing
hwatts2@jsu.edu

Dr. Hunter L. Watts is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Jacksonville State University (JSU), where he teaches in the graduate nursing program, primarily within the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) programs. A graduate of JSU's Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, Dr. Watts returned to his alma mater as adjunct clinical faculty in 2023 before joining the School of Nursing as a full-time faculty member in 2026. Dr. Watts earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Jacksonville State University in 2021. He subsequently earned a Master of Science in Nursing with a specialization as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 2024 and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from UAB in 2026. Dr. Watts's clinical background is primarily in acute and critical care nursing. His professional experience includes medical intensive care, hospital medicine, emergency medicine, pulmonary and critical care, and hospice and palliative care. As an advanced practice registered nurse, he has cared for acutely and critically ill adults across a variety of inpatient settings. Dr. Watts continues to maintain active faculty practice in hospital and emergency medicine, allowing him to integrate contemporary clinical practice and real-world patient care experiences into graduate nursing education. Dr. Watts is nationally board certified as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and holds certification as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN). He is also certified in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Dr. Watts completed his DNP scholarly project at UAB, focusing on improving discharge readiness and reducing 30-day hospital readmissions among patients with heart failure through standardized discharge education and nurse-led teach-back. His academic and scholarly interests include acute and critical care, heart failure and transitions of care, quality improvement, evidence-based practice, advanced practice nursing, and graduate nursing education. As both an alumnus and faculty member, Dr. Watts maintains a strong commitment to Jacksonville State University and the success of its nursing students. He is passionate about supporting and mentoring future advanced practice nurses and preparing graduates to provide evidence-based, high-quality care to acutely and critically ill patients. A native of Alexandria, Alabama, Dr. Watts remains committed to nursing education and the advancement of nursing practice throughout Northeast Alabama and the surrounding region. His commitment to supporting future nurses is further reflected through the establishment of the Hunter L. Watts Nursing Excellence Annual Scholarship at Jacksonville State University.