Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Honors Inaugural Cohort of School of Nursing Traditional BSN Graduates with Lamp Lighting Ceremony
The students began the program in January 2022.
Florence Nightingale was known as the "lady with the lamp"
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing honored its first class of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates with a lamp lighting ceremony on Thursday (March 30).
“Florence Nightingale was known as the lady with the lamp,” Valerie Kiper, DNP, R.N., regional dean of the School of Nursing in Amarillo, explained. “During the Crimean War, she stayed up late at night checking the ailing soldiers in the hospital. She always had a kind and compassionate spirit about her. She is considered the mother and pioneer of nursing because of her courageousness and devotion to nursing the soldiers back to health. Her work and scientific underpinnings laid the foundation for modern nursing.”
The traditional BSN program expanded, adding a physical presence on the Amarillo campus.
TTUHSC has been a community partner in health care in Amarillo for 50 years. The expansion of the traditional BSN program in 2022 added a physical presence for the School of Nursing on the Amarillo campus.
“Like Nightingale, TTUHSC has laid the foundation to promote an ongoing commitment to provide a compassionate and dedicated nursing workforce for the Texas Panhandle through the Traditional BSN Nursing program in Amarillo,” Kiper said.
The additional program has brought additional opportunities to transform health care starting with these 20 students in the inaugural class. The goal is to soon see more nurses remain in the Panhandle after getting their educations in Amarillo.
The traditional BSN program is for students who are not yet RNs.
“Even before the pandemic, the Texas Panhandle struggled to meet the demands for nursing
in Amarillo as well as the vast surrounding rural communities,” Kiper said. “After
years of working with our community partners, this is the first step in really making
a positive impact in the nursing shortage in our area.”
TTUHSC School of Nursing was named the best nursing school in Texas and the Southwest
region for 2022 by Nursing Schools Almanac. The school also ranked No. 10 nationally
among public nursing schools and No. 18 among all nursing schools in the U.S.
Nursing Schools Almanac based their findings on an assessment of more than 3,000 nursing
schools and campuses nationwide. Only 3% make the list of the 100 best nursing schools
in the nation.
The traditional BSN program at TTUHSC offers state-of-the-art nursing education for
students who are not yet registered nurses (RN). Upon completion of lower-division
prerequisite coursework, students complete approximately 60-semester credit hours
of upper-division coursework at TTUHSC across four semesters. New cohorts of 20 students
begin the program every four months.
Related Stories
Amy Purdy Delivers Keynote Address at TTUHSC Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health Power of the Purse Luncheon
American snowboarder, motivational speaker and author Amy Purdy delivered the keynote address at the Power of the Purse luncheon and fundraiser on April 10.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Unveils Craddicks’ Honorary Name for Physician Assistant Studies Program
TTUHSC unveiled a new name for a decade-old program on Oct. 15. The Nadine and Tom Craddick Physician Assistant Studies Program honors Rep. Tom Craddick and his wife Nadine.
TTUHSC Named a ‘2024 Great College to Work For®’
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center TTUHSC was again named one of the best colleges in the U.S. to work for, with special designation as an “Honor Roll” institution, according to a recent survey by The Great Colleges to Work For® program.
Recent Stories
TTUHSC Teams Selected for 2025 Innosphere Life Sciences Accelerator Cohort
A pair of teams representing TTUHSC earned a spot among the 33 startup groups selected for the 2025 cohort of the Innosphere Life Sciences Accelerator.
Exploring New Frontiers in Patient Care
Jenna Kesey, Ph.D., associate managing director for the Clinical Research Institute (CRI) at TTUHSC, said it's important that the university provides opportunities for its patients to have access to innovative therapies through the clinical trial process.
Willed Body Memorial Service Honors Those Who Donated
On Memorial Day each May, a service is conducted at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Institute of Anatomical Sciences to pay respect to the Willed Body Program donors and their families.