Joe Don Cavender, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC

Vice President and Interim Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)

Joe Don is Vice President and Interim Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), overseeing the system-wide clinical practice of Nursing at Children’s Health. In his role, Joe Don is responsible for the hospital transport operations (fixed-wing, rotor-wing, and ground ambulance), respiratory care, operative services, the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders, and the advanced practice service (nurse practitioners and physician assistants).
 
Prior to assuming the role of VP and Interim CNO at Children’s Health, Joe Don was the Senior Director of the advanced practice service overseeing growth from 88 nurse practitioners and physician assistants in 2005 to more than 300 today. In 2008, Joe Don developed and implemented a plan to re-establish the role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist at Children’s Health.
 
Joe Don has been a Registered Nurse since 1992 and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner since 1999 focusing clinically on in pediatric hematology-oncology. He earned his associate’s degree in nursing from El Centro College in Dallas and his bachelor’s and his master’s degrees in Nursing from The University of Texas at Arlington.