National organization selects UHV School of Nursing dean for advocacy award

Originally published May 22, 2010 at 8:06 p.m., updated May 22, 2010 at 8:06 p.m.

Kathryn Tart, founding dean of the University of Houston-Victoria School of Nursing, recently was selected from 646 nursing deans across the nation to receive the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Advocate of the Year award for her work on behalf of the nursing profession.
"Dr. Tart is the founding dean of a young nursing program and has clearly made it a priority to engage in the advancement of nursing education and research policy on behalf of nursing students and faculty across the country," said Teri Murray, chair of the association's Government Affairs Committee and dean of the School of Nursing at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Mo.
Tart was named the 2009 AACN Advocate of the Year at the association's spring meeting in Washington, D.C. The award was given based on the visits Tart made to legislators during the association's spring and fall meetings, and the nursing advocacy messages she sent to legislators during the year.
"If we don't advocate for our profession, then policy changes occur more slowly or don't happen at all," Tart said. "I just feel very honored to have the UHV School of Nursing get more national exposure with this award."
Tart, who started her position at UHV in September 2008, has spoken with legislators both at the state and national level about the UHV School of Nursing and the importance of funding for nursing education, she said.
UHV didn't have a nursing program until 2006, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board didn't approve a proposal until 2007 to allow the university to create a School of Nursing. The school now offers bachelor's and master's degrees in Victoria, Sugar Land and Katy. Its first attempt at national accreditation paid off in October when the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education fully accredited the school's undergraduate and graduate programs for the next five years.
"We're a new school and I'm a new dean, so I just thought it was really important for me to get involved," she said.
Tart has written letters on her own time to U.S. legislators asking them to support Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, which provides funding for nurses, nursing students, nursing schools and healthcare facilities. Increased funding for nursing students is important so that more nurses will get advanced degrees, she said.
"Educational progression is so important within our profession because the more educated the nurse, the better care he or she can give patients," Tart said.
UHV President Tim Hudson said he has been impressed with Tart's work ethic since she first came to UHV.
"She is constantly educating people about the UHV School of Nursing and the nursing profession," he said. "I couldn't think of a more deserving recipient for this national award."

MITIE Simulation Experience

Perioperative Experience

Perioperative Course - It takes a Methodist Hospital System Village

During the two week UHV May intersession 10 Second Degree BSN students and I embarked upon a Perioperative Nursing Elective Course. The Methodist Hospital and Methodist Sugar Land Hospital became a second home for the students and they learned more than they ever could imagine.

Week One
The first three days of the course were all didactic with Debra Belgard, MS, RN, CNOR as the guest expert from The Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. Students learned the concepts of Asepsis, Safety, Communication, Role of the OR nurse, skin preparation, positioning, traffic patterns and OR attire.

The fourth day the students went to the MITIE lab on The Methodist Hospital campus for an entire day of practice with simulation. There they practiced intake of the patient into the OR, scrubbing, gowning and gloving, instrumentation table, saftey and prepping. Twelve perioperative nurses from TMH volunteered their time to teach these students these skills. They were patient and guided the 10 students through every step of the way. The nurses demonstrated their professionalism in many ways such as teaching the why and how of what is done in the OR, the practice of skills to a novice comfort level, and the value of being a nurse and the important role of patient safety, teamwork and communication.

Day five the students observed an actual surgery in the dome at TMH. This was an important day as the students were able to put together all they had learned and practiced into an observational experience. They made observations about gloving, time out, and were able to discuss in greater detail their learning from the week.

Week Two
The Methodist Hospital Sugar Land perioperative staff welcomed the 10 students and me at report at 6:45am on Monday. Marlyn Tanvir, RN had the students assigned to a room in either a scrub nurse or circulating nurse role. My goal was for the students to scrub in at least once during the week. Some of the students were scrubbing in the FIRST day! The perioperative staff at Methodist Sugar Land were wonderful. They too exhibited the same professionalism as TMH.They took the students under their wing and let them participate in all the concepts they had learned in class and practiced in the simulation experience. The students were able to feel like they were part of the Methodist Sugar Land Hospital perioperative family by weeks end. They felt they contributed to the care of patients and had a feel for what being a nurse was like in the perioperative setting.

UHV School of Nursing profoundly thanks the nurses at The Methodist Hospital and Methodist Sugar Land Hospital for guiding, teaching and imparting your wisdom to these young nursing students. The weeks spent with you will always be a strong and postive part of their nursing school memory. It takes a village to teach our new nurses and The Methodist Hospital System was just the perfect village to teach perioperative nursing. THANK YOU!!