For Penton, attending the DNP program is her fourth time at UTMB. She completed her BSN, MSN and post-master’s Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program before choosing the DNP program to maintain a clinical focus while also participating in research. “To truly change nursing, we have to go to the heart, or core, of it, and that is patient care,” says Penton. “This new degree allows those of us at the center of patient care to start generating change.” According to DNP Program Director Linda Rounds, PhD, RN, FNP, FAANP, FAAN, establishing the DNP program was part of a national effort to create a clinical doctorate. Because UTMB’s School of Nursing is on a health science center campus and has such a long history with other online programs, she says, “It was a natural fit.” Since 1984, Dr. Rounds has been instrumental in teaching and creating nurse practitioner programs at UTMB. While the school’s history as a leader in online education is a major asset to its graduate programs, Dr. Rounds says that adaptability and innovation are crucial components of the programs’ continued success. “UTMB allows us to be creative.” The nursing school uses multiple digital media tools — such as Lync and VoiceThread, programs with voice, video or text capabilities — to meet the communication challenges that can arise with online courses. And, a team of experts in a dedicated multimedia lab facilitates the technology needed to support these interactive programs. “Very few online programs have the support we have,” Dr. Rounds says. Dr. Rounds, who keeps pictures of her current DNP students tacked to the bulletin board above her desk, says that knowledgeable and dedicated faculty members who are
The 2015 class of Doctor of Nursing Practice program graduates
interested in teaching online are at the core of the school’s student-centered curriculum. “It’s a different way to teach. We spend at least as much time as teaching face to face, if not more,” she says. “I think I know my online students much better than I ever did my students in the classroom.” Recent DNP graduate Dr. Sharon Marshall could not agree more. “The professors are very involved, supportive, engaging and really steer you in the right direction, rather than let you flop around like a beached whale,” Dr. Marshall says. Having been in nursing for 35 years, Dr. Marshall’s first encounter with UTMB was through the online gerontological nurse practitioner program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in the traditional, on-campus setting at Texas Woman’s University, but says that the online format suits her needs better.
For some of us, says Dr. Marshall, it’s not just about being able to attend school while keeping a work commitment: “We do better without the four walls.” Though some students excel in a classroom, she says, other independent and motivated learners like herself thrive with an online program that is both demanding and allows more latitude. The School of Nursing’s success is backed up by statistics. Student pass rates on certification exams consistently exceed the national average. Retention and graduation rates are equally impressive, exceeding 90 percent. But the proof is in the student testimonials, says Dr. Wilder: “Our graduates are our best ambassadors.” “For more than 25 years, UTMB’s School of Nursing has been at the forefront of distance education. Its online education efforts were launched with a major grant from the Ronya and George Kozmetsky Foundation in the 1980s. From that beginning the school received many federal grants for the online master’s degree preparation of nurse practitioners,” says Dr. Pamela Watson, vice president for interprofessional education and institutional effectiveness and dean of the UTMB School of Nursing. “In Texas and across the nation, UTMB is known for its online expertise and we are so proud of our achievements.” Established in 1890, UTMB’s School of Nursing was the first nursing school in Texas and is the oldest in the Southwest. This year, the school is celebrating its 125th anniversary and more than 540 students recently graduated: 368 students earned bachelor’s degrees, 165 received master’s degrees and 15 received their doctorates. AE
UTMB’s deans participate in the School of Nursing’s 2015 commencement ceremony: Dr. Pamela Watson, Dr. Danny Jacobs, Dr. Elizabeth Protas and Dr. David Niesel (from left). FALL 2015
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