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NURSING PROGRAM RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR
UHSSL,
PLUS GIFT FROM METHODIST HOSPITAL
UHV-Based Degree Program Will Be Offered in Sugar
Land
HOUSTON, July 25, 2006 – Obtaining a nursing degree through
the University of Houston System at Sugar Land has become a reality.
The Texas Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) has approved a bachelor
of science in nursing program, the culmination of a process that
began in 2003. The program will allow those with an RN from an accredited
college or university to earn a bachelor of science degree in nursing
at UHSSL. The first classes begin Aug. 21.
“We are very excited about the unanimous BNE approval,”
said Jeanette Hartshorn, who has been building the program since
being hired as director of nursing last year. “We’ve
recruited highly reputable faculty members who are ready to start
teaching, and we already have students waiting to be accepted into
the program.”
Due to an increasing demand for registered nurses, the U.S. Department
of Labor has identified nursing as the top occupation in terms of
job growth for the next seven years. Formerly, Sugar Land-area nurses
with an associate’s degree would have had to look outside
the region to continue their studies. With the new RN to BSN degree
program at UHSSL, they will be able to continue living and working
in Fort Bend County while broadening their professional abilities.
“We are looking forward to the many opportunities this program
will provide in the near future,” said Tim Hudson, president
of UH-Victoria, which administers academic programs at UHSSL. “This
approval marks an important milestone in the growth of the UHSSL
campus and what we can bring to this community.” While the
nursing studies program will be based at UH-Victoria, a full complement
of courses also will be offered at UHSSL, making it possible to
obtain the degree by attending courses only at the Sugar Land campus.
To demonstrate its commitment to the new program, Methodist Sugar
Land Hospital has pledged $200,000 to the new building planned for
UHSSL to name the large nursing skills laboratory.
“Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is proud to be a partner with
the University of Houston System. We share the same goal of educating
more nurses to serve the growing Fort Bend population and health
care needs of our community,” said James Heizenrater, CEO
of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.
The hospital is just one exit north from the campus and will serve
as a key educational partner for training nurses.
“Methodist has been on board with us from the beginning,”
added Hudson. “They wanted to be the first to show their support
with this gift, and we are very appreciative to them for their contribution
to our mission of fulfilling the higher education needs of this
service area.”
UH System Chancellor Jay Gogue echoed Hudson’s appreciation:
“We are very excited and grateful for the extraordinary investment
that The Methodist Hospital is making in support of our new nursing
program. This lead gift will benefit not only our students, but
also the nursing profession and the quality of health care in the
region. The gift also strengthens our growing partnership with The
Methodist Hospital, a partnership that holds so much promise for
scientific research and education.”
The BNE’s mission is to ensure that every nurse licensed by
the state of Texas is competent to practice safely. As part of that
mission, BNE grants approval to nursing education programs like
the one at UH-Victoria based on considerations such as course offerings,
faculty qualifications and available facilities. The program had
previously received approval from the UH System Board of Regents
and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
For more information, contact nursing program student recruitment
coordinator Tammy Neeley at (361) 570-4297.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM AT SUGAR LAND
The University of Houston System at Sugar Land is a teaching center
that offers junior, senior and graduate courses leading to more
than thirty bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the
four UH System Universities (University of Houston, UH-Clear Lake,
UH-Downtown, and UH-Victoria). Established in 1996, UHSSL is located
north of the Brazos River on U.S. 59 South at University Boulevard
and serves those who live and work in Fort Bend County. UHSSL offers
multiple methods of instruction including face-to-face, instructional
television, online, broadcast TV, and videotape purchase.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-VICTORIA
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the
Coastal Bend region, is an upper-level institution that offers undergraduate
and graduate students more than 30 degree programs and concentrations
in the Schools of Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education.
A faculty of experts at UHV offers students individual attention
to help them succeed, whether learning in a classroom or online.
UHV is defined more as a delivery system than as a location, as
the university extends instruction, learning support, student services
and community outreach to any area. Although it serves primarily
commuting students from Victoria and surrounding counties, UHV also
offers degree programs, in collaboration with other UH System institutions,
at two off-campus centers in Fort Bend County and offers courses
at a number of off-campus sites in the region. Since its founding
in 1973, outreach, community partnerships and collaboration have
characterized UHV’s history and mission.
For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’
at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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