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Leading the Way
More Growth on the Horizon Through Nursing Ph.D., Expansions
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After 30 years of growth and success, the College of
Nursing continues to look toward the future with
plans for new graduate level tracks, building expansion
and the first doctoral program for UT Tyler.
Dr. Linda Klotz, College of Nursing and Health
Sciences dean, said the university is working not
only to solve the growing pains on campus, but
also to help meet the national need for nurses and
nursing faculty.
Doctorate Program
She said the staff has been working on developing
a Ph.D. in nursing for UT Tyler for two years. “If
all goes according to plan, we hope to get on the
agenda for the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board this fall for final approval
and begin coursework in 2008.”
Dr. Klotz said nursing programs at universities
across the nation have been forced to restrict
enrollment because there are not enough faculty
members. That leads to fewer nursing graduates.
But through the doctoral program, UT Tyler
would have a greater role in providing educators
and researchers to help meet the state and national
nursing shortage.
“Our region would benefit from extra teachers and
researchers in the area,” Dr. Klotz said.
And because of the doctorate program, Dr. Klotz
said even more students will be interested in
taking prerequisite work at UT Tyler, hoping to
move into the doctorate program.
Dr. Klotz also said the doctoral program, which
would be one of only seven in the state, would
move the university into a different category as an
education provider.
“It will be the first Ph.D. for the university,
making the university more eligible for different
funding federally and from foundations. We will
also be more eligible for grants,” she said. “The
Ph.D. is a research-based program so we anticipate
increased research as doctoral students work with
the College of Nursing faculty and supporting
disciplines across the campus.”
The doctoral program coursework will be offered
completely online and prepare students for careers
in teaching and research.
“It will give recognition to the university as being
one of the most progressive programs in the
country because of our distance education outreach,”
Dr. Klotz said. “A student in the program
could live anywhere in the world. They will only
need to come on campus for orientation during
the first semester after acceptance and maybe once
after that for research presentations. We will be
able to choose from the best students locally,
nationally and internationally.”
Dr. Klotz said the proposed program is already
gaining a lot of interest. “We planned on admitting
15 into the program the first semester and 10
every semester after that. We already have 20
applications and we haven’t even advertised yet.”
The appeal of the doctoral program is twofold,
Dr. Klotz said. First, the online accessibility – the
only one in the state – makes the degree easier to
pursue for participants who work and have families.
Also, candidates are saying they like the focus of
the program – public health and community
outreach internationally.
Room for Growth
The doctoral program is not the only plan
under way for the UT Tyler nursing
program. Undergraduate and graduate
students will soon see some new options to
make their education pursuit more accessible.
Right now, space is at a premium.
Dr. Pam Martin, associate dean for undergraduate
programs, said, “We’ve already outgrown
our current facility. We have dramatically
increased our enrollment, but are
geographically bound. Classes can only hold
so many and we’ve maxed out on space.”
With more than 500 applications every
semester for the undergraduate program and
space for only about 150 new students each
time, the College of Nursing must turn away
hundreds.
Nursing faculty members are dreaming of
facility expansion opportunities.
“The university has purchased the Tyler Area
Senior Citizens Association building about a
mile from campus,” Dr. Klotz said. “The
facility will give nursing programs an opportunity
to expand clinical application and
research. We are also working to create
clinical labs that would be open to other
programs. This is a way to share our resources
with other teaching institutions that don’t
have access to hospital facilities and increase
clinical educational opportunities.”
As part of the faculty’s commitment to career
mobility and educational access, the College
of Nursing also offers accelerated options for
LVN and RN students. The LVN to BSN
and the RN to BSN degree options support
licensed students’ advancement to the
baccalaureate degree. The RN-MSN degree
option allows students to achieve both the
BSN and MSN degree at the same time, and
is a totally Web-based program designed to
meet the advanced educational needs of the
registered workforce in the East Texas region.
“With only about 300 nurses
holding master’s degrees in
nursing, the explosion of knowledge
and rapid technological
advances have illustrated a tremendous
need for opportunities to
receive advanced education,” said
Dr. Susan Yarbrough, associate
dean for graduate programs.
The fast track program allows
students to go through the undergraduate
bachelor of science in
nursing completion phase directly
into the graduate program. The
student receives both bachelor and
master of science in nursing
degrees simultaneously upon
successful completion of the
program.
Online graduate programs also
give nurses an opportunity to
pursue teaching while maintaining
their jobs and families.
Tara Patton, a 2005 BSN
graduate, is currently enrolled in
the nursing education master’s
program. She lives in Palestine. “All my
coursework so far has been online,” she said.
“The College of Nursing was such a tremendous
experience and wonderful mentorship
that I realized the shortage of nursing faculty
was an amazing opportunity to give back.”
Dr. Klotz said, “Many of our students in the
nursing program have come back for their
master’s and want to come back for their
doctorate degrees. And a majority of our
students remain in East Texas. It is nice to see
working RNs in a hospital setting, serving as
mentors. It is fun to see how they’ve grown.”
Patton said, “I never even imagined that
I would pursue graduate studies until I was
in the bachelor’s program. But I realized that
was my calling. It’s been a wonderful
experience for me.”
Patton and other students like her are the
future of the nursing profession. She said
without innovative programs and technology
like the satellite campuses and online coursework,
she would never have been able to
pursue her dreams – and help others in need.
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