Dean Tart's Blog

Successful CCNE site visit

2014-03-07T09:59:00.002-08:00

Successful CCNE site visit

On behalf of the School of Nursing faculty, staff, administration, community, alumni and students we thank everyone for a very successful visit with with our Commission on Collegiate Nursing (CCNE) site visitors. The site visit went very well and we will know the final outcome after the October 7-10, 2014 CCNE Board of Commissioners meeting.

The visitors also commended the School of Nursing for the strength of its curriculum, support from the community of interest, the NCLEX-RN pass rates, and the high bar and expectations the School of Nursing sets as reported by our alumni.

We are honored to teach nursing and meet the mission of providing innovative and flexible programs for entering or advancing a career in nursing that produce respected graduates and leaders for the nursing profession.

Our doors are open and we are accepting applications for the summer and fall sessions! www.uhv.edu/nursing

Sincerely, Dean Tart

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

2014-02-16T10:57:00.001-08:00

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

2014-01-17T15:19:00.000-08:00

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

2013-08-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

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

2012-08-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

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

2012-02-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-11T14:35:00.001-08:00

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

Our Silver Winner!!!

2011-09-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Dr. Ginger Blomstrom!

She received the Good Samaritan Foundation Silver Award for excellence in Teaching. Her husband, granddaugher, and nursing faculty colleagues joined her at the Hilton Americas Hotel for the event on September 15th!

Dr. Blomstrom received the award from 125 nominees! The UHV School of Nursing at Sugar Land is honored to have such a wonderful faculty member!

Welcome to the Fall 2011 semester!

2011-08-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to each of you to a new school year! I am looking forward to the opportunities we have in store for the School of Nursing! I am in awe of the accomplishments we have seen and the vision we have for the future. Our school has grown by 205% over the last four years!

The Future of Nursing Report that came out in October of 2010 gave 8 recommendations that will help guide our profession for the next decade.

Recommendation #4 is to: Increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalarueate degree to 80 percent by 2020. The School of Nursing's RN-BSN program now has seamless articulation agreements with Lone Star Community College System, Wharton County Junior College and The Victoria College. www.uhv.edu/nursing (click RN to BSN program). The ADN graduates from these programs can attend our UH System Cinco Ranch, UH System Sugar Land and UH Victoria campuses respectively.

If you want to know more about the report you can view it on-line at: www.iom.edu/reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health.aspx It's our profession!!!

UHV Spring Nursing Forum to bring experts to address health care changes

2011-04-21T14:52:00.000-07:00

Please click the link below to find out about the upcoming UHV Spring Nursing Forum in Victoria. Hope students and nurses come and find out about how the Institute of Medicine report and the Affordable Care Act will impact nursing's future! What a great way to start National Nurses Week!!

http://www.uhv.edu/car/newswire/release.asp?id=1121

UHV Nurses in Austin!

2011-04-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

Nursing students in the RN-BSN and MSN programs attended Nurse's Day at the Capitol. The pictures were provided by Judy Jacob Mathew RN BSN (thanks!!). Comments I heard from students were: "I really understand how important the legislative process is for the nursing profession." "I have joined TNA now that I have been to Austin - I see how important the organization is to protecting my license." Thanks to Dr. Neill for heading up the experience!

Coffee with the Dean event

2011-04-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

Eighty three (83) undergraduate and graduate students and alumni made it to the Coffee with the Dean in Cinco Ranch, Sugar Land and Victoria. We had a great time being together! Great questions, laughs and ideas along with some coffee and treats..... Our thanks to Mary Beth and the doctors at OGA for the great mugs and sponsoring our event!

I am looking forward to the next Coffee with the Dean in Victoria!!!

Spring Coffee with the Dean

2011-03-24T08:10:00.001-07:00

UHV School of Nursing Spring Forum

2011-03-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

87.5% of First Class taking NCLEX-RN exam are RNs!

2011-03-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

87.5 percent of the first class of students taking the NCLEX-RN exam have passed. Despite this, the Texas Board of Nursing has placed the School of Nursing on warning status because the pass rate on initial testing in two consecutive reporting periods was below 80%. In August 2009 the SON graduated its first Second Degree BSN class of 17 students. The initial testing results were 77.78% (7 passed of the 9 testing) for the 2009 reporting period. The initial testing results were 28.57% (2 passed of the 7 testing) for the 2010 reporting period. The students were strongly encouraged to take the test in the 2009 reporting period, however, they did not. On April 5, 2010 a Self Study was submitted to the Texas Board of Nursing. The Self Study evaluated factors which contributed to graduates’ performance and included a description of corrective measures that were implemented. Major problems included inadequate admission criteria for the first cohort, nursing faculty who were new to BSN education and unprepared for the technological requirements, and the logistics of teaching a compressed curriculum. In September 2009 the University did not hold classes for three (3) weeks because of Hurricane Ike. This confounding event compressed this initial class even further. In all actuality the two year pass rate represents one class of 17 students. Currently, fourteen (14) total have passed the exam (5 after the second attempt), two (2) have not passed and one (1) student has not taken the NCLEX-RN exam. Thus, 87.5% of the first class of students taking the exam have passed. From our records 13 of these 14 Registered Nurses are working full time in nursing. Your faculty and dean are totally committed to the educational process in the SON. All good things take time and we are moving in a postive direction! Sincerely, Dr. Tart

Fall Semester 2010 commencement and pinning

2010-12-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

The Fall 2010 Semester was full of wonderful events for the School of Nursing. The Students, Faculty and Staff at the School of Nursing are the future leaders for our profession. Enjoy!!!!

SON faculty and Janet Leatherwood, Chief Nurse at Methodist Sugar Land, getting ready for commencement.

First Ever - RN-BSN, MSN and Second Degree BSN Pinning ceremony after the Fall Commencement in Katy, Texas.

Pictured: Heather Chimene, Melissa Chaffin, Donovan Bacuyag, Sarita Shestha saying the Florence Nightingale Pledge with their lamps.

Our Guest Speaker was Steven Brockman-Weber, Chief Nurse of Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital. Many of our students spend clinical time at this facility and we were honored to have Steven share his thoughts (with permission):

"Dean Tart, Faculty, Families, and Honored Graduates…

I don’t have words enough to express my gratitude for the chance to speak to with you on your special day. It would be a pleasure and honor at any pinning ceremony, but today marks a milestone for the UHV School of nursing as this is the first pinning ceremony where all nursing graduates are honored, congratulations Dean Tart and faculty!

Nurses are brave. Insightful. Compassionate. Not only do they help people heal, they calm fears, alleviate grief, inspire others. To be a nurse is to answer a calling to tireless service and self-sacrifice.

Every nurse has paid a price for his or her dedication. As rewarding as it is a touch lives on such a profound emotional and spiritual level, it can also be stressful and heartbreaking. It’s a tough, tough, job. And.. that’s why it’s so important to celebrate this day with pride and accomplishment. I want you to celebrate this day. I want you to experience all of the pride, all of the joy that it brings you to have reached this milestone. I also want to challenge you and inspire you because as you leave this ceremony today many of you have prepared yourselves to take on new roles in nursing, some as a new graduate and some into more leadership and roles of education. You see, today you take a big step into power. In return for your hard work, endless papers, care plans, and business plans your dedication to a life of service and your willingness to take the pledge of duty society gives you access and rights that is given to on one else. Society will allow you to hear secrets from frightened human beings that they are too scared to tell anyone else. Society will permit you to use drugs and instruments that can do great harm as well as great good, and that in the hands of others would be weapons. Society will let you build walls and write rules. And in this new role you will meet a new mother afraid to touch her preemie on the ventilator in the incubator. The construction worker too embarrassed to admit that he didn’t hear a word the physician said just after, “It might be cancer.” The alcoholic bottoming out who was the handsome champion of his soccer team and dreamed of being an architect someday. The child over whom you tower. The 90-yeard old grandmother, over whom you tower. You see your world may change dramatically as you walk out of here today, because now you have the choice, you now how the power, the ability to make new rules. You have a choice now to make the difference in someone’s life, the magical opportunity to decide.

Nursing has changed dramatically over the past 28 years I have been practicing. A long way from the staff nurse in a community hospital in Kentucky. I now help to make the rules and so will you. I challenge each of you to create new opportunities for our profession that will help to propel nursing into the respected profesion it is.

There are three things that I challenge each of you to take with you into your roles as nurses:
1. Leadership. Be the forerunner, be the rule maker, and be the one who challenges and questions. Lead with pride, lead with purpose and lead with the desire to make things better for patients and their families.
2. Confidence. At the beside or in the boardroom do your job with confidence and pride. You have been taught the basics, and beyond. Use your knowledge to drive excellence in the care you provide. Be willing to ask and admit when you don’t know. Having confidence can help you to achieve great things.
3. Change. Know that change occurs all the time. Be a forward thinker, a visionary in all that you do, who knows one day students in your seats today maybe learning about your new model of care you have tested. Change can be difficult, but it can also be exciting. Be the one that stands up and says, Let me try that.

Congratulations on your achievement today. Feel proud. You ought to. Those who suffer need you to be something more than a nurse; they need you to be a healer. And to become a healer you must do something even more difficult than using your knowledge. You must recover, embrace, and treasure the memory of your shared, frail humanity-of the dignity in each and every soul.

I am grateful for the lessons that I have learned, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to share them with you today. I am still learning. I have so much yet to learn. I have so very far yet to go, as do you. That’s okay. This is a journey and your journey begins now. I honor you today for choosing to make a difference in the lives of the patients and families you serve. Congratulations!"

UHV's Annual Report

2010-11-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

You are welcome to view the annual report and an event photo gallery at www.uhvAnnualReport.com right now, and within the next several days, additional photos and videos will be posted. The site currently features video presentations shown during the event; faculty, staff, student and alumni highlights, UHV’s enrollment and financial figures; a list of donors; and much more. The School of Nursing is highlighted under Academics. ENJOY!!

What Every Nursing Student Should Know When Seeking Employment

2010-11-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

Please be sure to read this publication from AACN if you are in the market for a job:

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Publications/pdf/hallmarks.pdf

UHV School of Nursing to hold first honor society induction

2010-11-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

Date: November 11, 2010

UHV School of Nursing to hold first honor society induction

SUGAR LAND — The University of Houston-Victoria will hold its inaugural induction ceremony on Friday for the School of Nursing Honor Society.

Sixty-four students have been invited to the induction ceremony which will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the Susan Ryon Davis Multi-Purpose Room at the UH System at Sugar Land, 14000 University Blvd.

“We are proud to hold our first-ever induction ceremony, and it’s another sign of how far our nursing program has come since its beginning in 2006,” said Jere Hammer, a UHV assistant clinical professor who is the reception sponsor, along with assistant professor Eugenia Blomstrom. “It’s also a chance to recognize the excellence of our students who must show academic excellence, professionalism, integrity and leadership potential as they pursue their nursing degree.”

UHV should receive its charter in November 2011, one year after the induction ceremony. The honor society must have 50 members for its first year, and 50 members must renew the following year. Once the charter is given, it will receive its proper name.

School of Nursing officials began the process of establishing an honor society after the school’s programs received accreditation in March from the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education.

UHV will partner with the leadership team of the Beta Beta Houston Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International, which will mentor UHV’s honor society toward its chapter charter. UHV Nursing Honor Society board members can attend Beta Beta meetings to learn from nursing colleagues.

Kathryn Tart, founding dean of the UHV School of Nursing, will be featured speaker at Friday’s event. Her talk is titled “An Honor to Honor Nursing.”

The board of directors for the honor society of nursing includes: Hammer, president; Blomstrom, vice president; Sandra McNeely, secretary; Lisette Barton, counselor; and Patricia Goehring, treasurer.

The school also has invited 82 alumni and 88 nurse leaders to the inaugural induction ceremony. A reception will be held immediately following.

The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region, offers courses leading to approximately 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and concentrations in the schools of Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, Education & Human Development, and Nursing. UHV also offers face-to-face classes at two UH System teaching centers in Fort Bend County, in addition to its home campus in Victoria, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. Since its founding in 1973, UHV has provided students with a quality university education from exceptional faculty at a great value.

Health Care Reform Conference Call: Nurses, Michelle Obama and Mary Wakefield

2010-10-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

Health Care Reform Conference Call: Nurses, Michelle Obama and Mary Wakefield

Did you get to participate in the September 28th nurses-only health care reform conference call with First Lady Michelle Obama and Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, FAAN the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)? Dr. Wakefield is the highest ranking nurse in the administration. The conference call helped ensure that the voices of nurses were heard in Washington.
Nurses were able to hear first-hand from the First Lady about Health Care Reform and what it means for nurses and their patients. The White House conferencing capacity was exceeded because nurses were overwhelmingly interested in participating - and the White House knows it!
You can read a summary or the full remarks as well as listen to the conference call.
Don’t forget your opportunity to stay involved this election season by pledging to participate in the October 20th Nurses Campaign Activity Night (Nurses CAN 2010). Won’t you take a few hours to ensure we have a friendly voice for nurses at the local, state or national level? Together, Nurses CAN continue to make our voices heard!

Sincerely,
Dr. Tart

2010 State of the Science Congress on Nursing Research

2010-10-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

This week Dr. DeMonica Junious and I attended the 2010 State of the Science Congress on Nursing Research presented by the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS). We were in Washington, DC with 942 other nurse scientist from around the world. We spent our time visiting with other nurse researchers and learned about new opportunities for research in our field of nursing.

Dr. Junious presented her research, “Foreign-Born Nursing Students’ Perceptions of Stress”. You can read her article in the Journal of Nursing Education! The picture is of us standing at her poster presentation.

The final evening was the National Institute of Nursing Research “NightinGala” celebrating 25th years of Nursing Research – 1985-2010. The pictures are of Dr. DeMonica Junious and Sister Callista Roy. It was an honor to take our picture with Sister Roy! She is one of the “rock stars” in nursing!! (Google her if you don’t believe me!!)

Sincerely,
Dr. Tart

Affordable Care Act.

2010-09-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

September 23rd is the six-month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. The Patient’s Bill of Rights will be enacted. Several new health care benefits will begin to apply on Thursday.

1. Insurance companies cannot deny health care to people for making a mistake in filing, no more unjustified rescissions.

2. Parents can keep the kids under the age of 26 on their health insurance. Ask your employer when they will have open enrollment to get your kids back on!

3. Preventative health care is covered.

4. Insurances cannot charge a higher co-pay for going to an Emergency Room that is out of network.

Your community members may have questions about how the Affordable Care Act can help them access health care. Encourage them to visit HealthCare.gov, a “one-stop shop” where they can find answers to their questions about health care reform. Spanish speakers can visit CuidadoDeSalud.Gov, the partner site of HealthCare.gov. For additional resources and information, including a HealthCare.gov Fact Sheet, please visit the HHS Partnership Center.
Thank you for connecting your community members to information and resources that will help them access quality, affordable health care coverage.

Sincerely,
Dr. Tart

Preceptor Development Workshop

2010-09-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

Join the Harvard School of Public Health Nurses’ Health Study III

2010-09-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Nurse Colleagues and Nursing Students,
Please consider joining the Harvard School of Public Health Nurses’ Health Study III. The study is ONLY for nurses, which makes it very unique. The longitudinal research study is meaningful to our future. I have been in the Nurses’ Health Study II for 25 years and consider it a privilege to assist with health research. Typically I receive one survey a year that asks about my health, diet, exercise. At times they have asked for x-ray records, blood samples, urine samples, finger nail clippings. I also receive updates and reports from the study.

Please share this email with other nurses and ask them to join with you! You will be glad you did!!

Sincerely,
Dr. Tart