Morgan Fischer, a nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital Pavilion for Women Labor & Delivery, has been named a 2025 National Magnet Nurse of the Year for Transformational Leadership. The award, presented by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), recognizes nurses who demonstrate leadership, innovation, and commitment to improving care and advancing nursing practice.
Fischer was recognized for her efforts to enhance Texas Children’s anti-human trafficking program. She developed additional training for healthcare providers to better identify and assist victims of human trafficking who are treated at the hospital.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Morgan receiving one of the highest honors in nursing excellence,” said Jackie Ward, System Chief Nurse Executive and Senior Vice President at Texas Children’s. “She is a role model, a change agent and a true leader whose influence has made a lasting impact on our organization and the patients we are privileged to serve.”
Fischer accepted the award during the Magnet & Pathway Conference in Atlanta, hosted by the ANCC, which is part of the American Nurses Association, the largest organization for nurses in the United States. Fischer was one of five nurses nationwide to receive the award in 2025.
“I was honored to get such a prestigious award. I am thankful for the support I have received from my Texas Children’s mentors, leaders and colleagues,” said Fischer. “I am blessed to be in a unique position where my passion for helping vulnerable women and my nursing career in labor and delivery intersect. Having witnessed hope restored to countless patients over the years, I encourage other nurses to be a voice for vulnerable patients and an agent of change where you work. We nurses may be the only people they feel safe turning to for help.”
During her acceptance speech, Fischer emphasized the need for more resources for victims of human trafficking. Data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline indicates that Texas had more than 1,300 identified cases of human trafficking in 2024, making it the state with the second highest number of cases.
After joining Texas Children’s in 2021, Fischer proposed creating a task force to develop standardized procedures for screening and supporting individuals affected by trafficking. She also conducted assessments to identify knowledge gaps among staff and improved workflows to help identify and refer victims to social workers.
“While being a relatively new clinical nurse in our Pavilion for Women’s Labor & Delivery unit, Morgan has already differentiated herself as a courageous advocate for the detection and prevention of human trafficking,” said Sharon Burks, Assistant Clinical Director of Labor & Delivery at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. “Morgan’s unwavering leadership improved our understanding of a unique health and social issue that was subsequently addressed with education and other comprehensive interventions.”
Texas Children’s is a nonprofit healthcare organization that provides care, education, and research focused on children and women. It operates several facilities across Texas and is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine.
