Highest first time NCLEX-RN pass rate of any university in Texas

UH Victoria School of Nursing has the highest first time NCLEX-RN pass rate of any university in Texas - 97.30% (http://www.bon.state.tx.us/nursingeducation/edudocs/2013-nclex-rn.pdf). Read about this achievement at: http://www.uhv.edu/car/newswire/release.asp?id=1760

This remarkable accomplishment is because of the dedicated faculty, staff, administration and outstanding students in the Second Degree BSN program. The 12 month program is very intensive for students who come to the School with a previous bachelor's degree. As a faculty we are so proud of the success of this class!

Support nurses in academic progression

Welcome to the new semester! It is always fun to come back to school in the spring after a nice winter holiday.

The Institute of Medicine's Report on the Future of Nursing recommends that 80% of nurses hold a BSN degree by 2020. To that end UHV has been very active in promoting academic progression in nursing.

Here are a few things the School of Nursing is doing:

1. Enrolling students on four sites to better meet the need of working nurses and students: Victoria, UH Sugar Land, UH System Cinco Ranch in Katy and Lone Star Universtiy Center in The Woodlands.

2. Transfer agreements and Consortium for Advancing Baccalaureate Nursing Education in Texas (CABNET) pathways are posted to the website at http://www.uhv.edu/nursing/bsn/default.asp Find your community college and get started!

3. Faculty are committed to teaching and bringing excellent real-life experiences into the classroom to prepare the nurse of the future. See article about Dr. Terry Kirk: http://www.uhv.edu/car/newswire/release.asp?id=1772

4. I am co-investigator on an Academic Progression in Nursing (APIN) grant to help the State of Texas encourage nurses to continue their education to the BSN. The grant as three goals, (1) increase diversity in nursing, (2) work closely with practice partners to ensure the education for the nurse of the future, and (3) develop concept based curriula that prepares the nurse for the baccalaureate or masters role. To find out more go to the website at: http://www.texasapin.org/APIN

The website offers mentors for students going back to school, scholarship opportunities and webinars for teaching about concept based curricula.

What can you do to encourage academic progression in nursing?

• Encourage your colleagues to go back to school. "It's do-able!!"
• Support your fellow students - we are all learning together for better patient outcomes!
• Attitude is everything: Have a "can - do" attitude!
• Contact a faculty member, advisor or colleague and ask them for guidance.
• Get support from your family, friends and workplace.
• See yourself as a leader for your patients and your profession!

See you this semester - stop by my office - my door is always open!

Sincerely,
Dean Tart

Welcome to the Fall 2013 semester! 

2013 marks the 40^th anniversary of UHV. The School of Nursing is the youngest school and we are proud of the work we do through our RN-BSN, Second Degree BSN and Master’s degree programs. The newest addition in the MSN program is the Family Nurse Practitioner track. The 15 students admitted in the track will go full time for 5 semesters to complete their program of study.

If you are applying for graduation this fall you will be joining 542 School of Nursing alumni! These nurses are working in the various positions of nursing leadership and many are working throughout Texas, greater Houston and Victoria areas. Career Services at UHV is here to help you prepare a resume or find a job.

We will also be preparing for our next accreditation cycle through CCNE. We will be welcoming our on-site visitors March 2-4, 2014. As a community member, clinical site partner, community college partner, student or alumni you will be asked to participate in this very important process that represents the quality of UHV School of Nursing. Thank you, in advance, for your commitment to completing course, faculty, clinical, alumni, employer and graduate evaluations, and meeting with the visitors when they come. Your voice is important to the success of your School!

We have the opportunity to touch so many lives through our nursing care. We are honored to be a part of the lives of all those we serve. As we begin the fall semester I encourage you to watch this little video: If we could see in another's heart...   

Please "join this site" and follow me at Dean Tart's Blog!

Sincerely,

Kathryn Tart

Kathryn Tart, EdD, RN

Founding Dean and Professor

School of Nursing

UH Victoria: 361-570-4373

UH Sugar Land: 281-275-3060

UH System Cinco Ranch: 832-842-2803

http://www.uhv.edu/nursing/

Innovative Nursing Excellence....Meeting Dreams in Your Community

Friends of Nursing Organization

Dear Nursing Students,

Welcome to the Fall 2012 school semester! We are here to make sure that you have the tools and support needed for a successful academic career.
The School of Nursing knows how important family is to our students and we want to keep them involved as you achieve your educational and career goals at UHV. In order to accomplish this, the Friends of Nursing was formed.
Please forward this blog to your family members and friends. We are depending on you to get this information sent to them so they can respond back to us!

As a Friend of a University of Houston - Victoria nursing student, you are automatically a member of the Organization. While there are no dues, your support and participation are encouraged and appreciated. The purpose of the Friends of Nursing is to enhance the quality of life for our students while studying for their career in nursing. The following program has been organized to help students and to encourage involvement from friends and family.

Care packages and meals were provided during final exam week in the spring semester. We had ice cream socials this summer to helped to cool us down and enjoy some fun! We will plan another event for the fall semester! Friends can donate and volunteer to help during spring, summer and fall semesters. Events not only benefit tired, hungry students, but allow parents/friends to meet one another as well as their student's friends. If you are interested in helping please email: friendsofnursing@uhv.edu
We would also like to start:

1. The Emergency Loan Fund to provide 90-day, interest-free loans up to $500 for the medical nursing students who find themselves stretched by unexpected expenses.
2. The Friends of Nursing Scholarship Fund to provide need-based scholarships each year for incoming nursing students.
Being involved in the Friends of Nursing is a wonderful opportunity to meet the faculty, staff, parents and students and to learn about the University of Houston - Victoria. We look forward to your involvement in a great organization! We welcome you to the new fall 2012 semester!

Sincerely yours,

Kathryn Tart, EdD, RN

Founding Dean and Professor

School of Nursing

UH Victoria: 361-570-4373

UH Sugar Land: 281-275-3060

UH System Cinco Ranch: 832-842-2803

Hands of Caring Ceremony

At the beginning of the Spring semester we have the Hands of Caring Ceremony for our incoming Second Degree BSN students and their families and significant others.

The ceremony opens with a welcome to the family and friends. They have a chance to tour the Nursing Simulation Center, meet faculty and hear about how the concept of "caring" is integrated into the curriculum, technology and research at UHV's School of Nursing.

The goal of the ceremony is to welcome the new students into the nursing profession. Each student is pinned by a faculty member with a lapel pin depicting hands. These pins can be worn on the students' uniforms, always reminding them of the importance of their caring hands and the patients for whom they will care.

Great News from 2011

Ribbon Cutting of the MG and Lillie A. Johnson Patient Care Simulation Center

November 10th the Victoria Chamber of Commerce hosted the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the MG and Lillie A. Johnson Patient Care Simulation Center!

It was a wonderful event! In attendance were community supporters, the Trustees from the Johnson Foundation, faculty, staff and students! Here is an email I received regarding the impact that the School of Nursing is making! Permission was given to share these thoughts.....

Kathryn:

On behalf of the Johnson Foundation, thank you for the tour of your new digs and for the very unnecessary gifts to the trustees. I would have been perfectly happy with the cookies.

I want to repeat what I mentioned to you last night at the dinner. One
of your students, the one with the young child on her hip, impressed me with her sincere, and frequent, expressions of appreciation for her scholarship funds. As trustees, we rarely have the opportunity to experience first hand, up close and personal, the impact of our decisions, especially as it relates to students. I saw that yesterday.
Polite thank you notes are certainly welcomed but yesterday I was profoundly moved by that young lady.

Your program and your students will continue to go far. We look forward to participating as best as we can in that journey.

Feel free to share this message with your students and faculty.


Jack

Dear Jack,

On behalf of the School of Nursing, the faculty, staff and students, our sincere thanks for the support given to us from the MG and Lillie A Johnson Foundation and board of trustees.

We are passionate about our work and our profession. Your support allows us to fulfill our vision of innovative nursing excellence...meeting dreams in your community!!

Sincerely,

Kathryn Tart
Kathryn Tart, EdD, RN
Founding Dean and Professor
School of Nursing