Influential Women Spotlight: Sheena M. Daniels, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, co-founder of the vital Haven’s Open Arms.
Sheena M. Daniels, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC, is an accomplished nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and educator dedicated to transforming the lives of at-risk youth. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Haven’s Open Arms, she and her husband oversee a network of residential group care and extended foster care homes throughout Florida, providing safe and nurturing environments for children awaiting permanency. Since launching the organization in 2016, Sheena has helped expand Haven’s Open Arms from a single girls’ home into four thriving residential homes, reflecting her unwavering commitment to creating stability, hope, and opportunity for vulnerable youth.
With a strong foundation in nursing and oncology, Sheena earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Florida State University and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. As a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, she combines clinical expertise with compassionate leadership, emphasizing holistic care, staff development, youth advocacy, regulatory compliance, and collaborative care coordination with case managers and guardians ad litem.
At the center of Sheena’s work is a deep belief that every child deserves love, guidance, support, and the opportunity to succeed regardless of their circumstances. Through Haven’s Open Arms, she has helped create environments where children and young adults can feel safe, supported, and empowered to build brighter futures. Her leadership philosophy focuses not only on meeting immediate needs but also on fostering resilience, confidence, and long-term well-being.
In addition to her work in foster care advocacy, Sheena has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Master’s Nursing Program at Florida A&M University for more than a decade. In this role, she mentors and prepares future nursing professionals, sharing both her clinical knowledge and passion for service. Her commitment to education and mentorship extends beyond the classroom through partnerships with mentoring organizations such as Girls of Excellence and Women of God in Unity, where she continues to encourage and empower young women.
Sheena is also an active member of the Coalition of Residential Excellence (CORE) organization and the National League for Nursing (NLN), remaining deeply involved in advancing excellence in healthcare education and residential care services. Her dedication to nursing, leadership, and community impact has earned her numerous recognitions, including nomination for Faculty of the Year, recipient of the Nurse Excellence Award, and selection as an Influential Women 2026 representative in Orange Park, Florida.
Sheena attributes her success to the incredible childhood she was fortunate to have, describing herself as truly blessed. From an early age, she recognized her passion for helping others, a calling that ultimately guided her through earning her doctorate and becoming a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. Teaching part-time at Florida A&M University has allowed her to share that passion while mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Meeting her husband, who shares her love for children and service, opened the door to an entirely new chapter in her life. Together, they became the leadership team behind Haven’s Open Arms, building a mission-driven organization focused on supporting children from challenging backgrounds. With the additional support of her mother, who serves as the organization’s Extended Foster Care and Compliance Director, their work has become a family-centered mission rooted in compassion and service.
For Sheena, the most rewarding aspect of her journey has been watching both the organization and the children within it grow and thrive. She believes their mission has always been about more than providing housing—it is about giving young people hope, stability, love, guidance, and opportunities that allow them to realize their full potential.
The best career advice Sheena has ever received is that she has the power to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others while also building a career that allows her to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life. She believes there is tremendous value in finding work that not only provides professional success but also purpose and meaning.
To young women entering healthcare and service-oriented industries, Sheena encourages them to follow both their hearts and their dreams. She believes it is entirely possible to achieve professional success while remaining authentic to one’s passions and purpose. Her own recognitions, including the Nurse Excellence Award and Faculty of the Year nomination, serve as reminders that dedication, compassion, and perseverance truly make a difference over time.
While her work is deeply fulfilling, Sheena acknowledges that one of the greatest challenges in her field is finding balance between being fully present for others while also prioritizing personal well-being. However, she views this challenge as an important opportunity to model self-care, balance, and healthy boundaries for both her students and the young people she serves.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Sheena enjoys activities that help her recharge and maintain creativity and wellness. She finds joy in attending concerts, swimming, biking, and experimenting with new recipes while listening to music. These moments of restoration allow her to continue serving others with energy, compassion, and focus.
The values most important to Sheena in both her personal and professional life are teaching, mentorship, and providing love, guidance, and support. Whether she is helping nursing students develop confidence in their careers or supporting young people in foster care as they navigate life’s challenges, her mission remains rooted in empowering others to thrive.
Through her work as a nurse practitioner, educator, mentor, and foster care advocate, Sheena M. Daniels continues to make a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals and families. Her dedication to service, education, and compassionate leadership reflects a lifelong commitment to helping others heal, grow, and realize their potential.
Learn More about Sheena M. Daniels:
Through her Influential Women profile: https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Sheena-Daniels
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