School of Nursing is “Mature at 30”

The School of Nursing celebrated its 30th anniversary this month with the theme, “Mature at 30.” The school is known for innovation in nursing education, excellent student retention and graduation rates and producing well-prepared nurses ready for licensure and certification exams.

“During this time when Texas and the nation are facing a critical nursing shortage, it is beneficial that the School of Nursing bolsters the state’s nursing workforce by producing more than 1,000 nurses each year,” said President Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D.

Between 2005 and 2020, demand for registered nurses is expected to increase by 86 percent and supply only 53 percent. West Texas is particularly vulnerable to this shortage of nursing professionals because of its rural demographics.

The first students were admitted to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in Lubbock in 1981. The School of Nursing is the only nursing school on the South Plains that provides baccalaureate, masters and doctoral education.

The newest programs available through the School of Nursing are the only Doctor of Nursing Practice program for nurse practitioners and administrators in West Texas, and the Web-based, accelerated Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing program for students with previous college degrees. The school also operates the Larry Combest Community Health and Wellness Center, a primary health clinic for underserved Lubbock residents.

“The School of Nursing was developed based on a cutting-edge model by our Founding Dean, Teddy Langford Jones,” said Yondell Masten, Ph.D., RNC, interim dean of the School of Nursing. “The students, faculty and staff have maintained and lived up to the innovative focus of the school’s foundation.

Masten added, “At 30 years of age, the School of Nursing is well-established and able to take advantage of the abundant opportunities available. Therefore, the future is very bright, indeed.”