UT Tyler Awarded $800k THECB Grant

May 14, 2025 | Elizabeth Wingfield

Funds to support School of Nursing’s simulation training

The University of Texas at Tyler was awarded $800,000 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to fund a project led by Dr. Julie George, School of Nursing clinical assistant professor, and Hillary Oliver, School of Nursing simulation hospital and skills lab director. Through this grant, George and Oliver will develop curriculum for nursing faculty across Texas, covering the topics of simulation planning, pre-briefing, facilitation strategies, debriefing, assessment and evaluation and continuous quality improvement.

“Dr. Julie George and Hillary Oliver’s dedication to advancing nursing education is truly commendable,” said Dr. Barbara K. Haas, School of Nursing dean. “Their leadership in developing this simulation curriculum will have a lasting impact, not only on our students but on nursing programs across Texas. We are grateful for their commitment to excellence and their passion for preparing the next generation of nurses.”

According to Texas Health and Human Services, by 2032, the supply of registered nurses will have grown by 30.5% while the demand will have grown by 38.8%. With projected shortages across a variety of nursing specialties, there’s an increasingly high demand for quality nursing education. Simulations are one of the most effective ways to prepare future nurses for real-world settings, which could ultimately reduce the likelihood of burnout and improve patient outcomes across the state. However, with simulations becoming increasingly advanced, it’s vital to have trained faculty to run effective simulations.

“High-quality simulation education is a vital part of training the next generation of nurses,” said Oliver. “But up until now, many faculty lacked the resources and formal training for an effective simulation. With more students entering nursing programs to meet workforce demands, we need to ensure that faculty are equipped with the necessary skills to provide the best quality learning experience.”

Through the program, faculty members can complete online modules before attending an in-person workshop for the hands-on portion of the training. During the first year, George and Oliver will develop the program at UT Tyler before offering it to nursing schools statewide the next year.

“I am so thankful for all the great support we have, from the leadership to the other faculty members,” said George. “I’m excited to work with other faculty members and to better equip students for the workforce. It’s our hope that we can better take care of students so they can better take care of patients. I’m so excited for all that we’re going to accomplish over the next two years—and this is just the beginning.”

For more information, visit uttyler.edu/nursing or email nursing@uttyler.edu.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.