Texas Tech’s inaugural nursing program kicks off with 20 students in Amarillo
On Wednesday morning, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center held a welcome event to honor its inaugural class of 20 students to the bachelor of science in nursing program at the Amarillo campus.
With nationwide nursing shortages hitting the healthcare industry, the state of Texas has 23,000 more nursing jobs than registered nurses to fill them, according to a labor analysis done by the Texas Workforce Commission. The current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already glaring need for nurses and put additional strain on those already in the profession.
Texas Tech, which had previously expanded its programs to Abilene, Mansfield and Odessa, saw a great need to broaden its reach with another program in Amarillo, which has consistently had some of the highest hospitalization rates in the state due to COVID-19.
“Even before the pandemic, the Texas Panhandle struggled to meet the demands for nursing in Amarillo as well as the vast surrounding rural communities,” said Valerie Kiper, regional dean of the school of nursing for Amarillo. “After years of working with our community partners, we are grateful to be starting a traditional BSN program in this community with this first cohort. This will expand the pool of nurses to meet this deficit.”
Kiper was named regional dean in October and has four decades of nursing experience. Her previous role was associate professor of nursing at TTUHSC.
According to a 2019 study from the Texas Center for the Nursing Workforce Studies, Texas is expected to have a much greater demand for nurses than expected registered nurses. The registered nurse vacancy rate is 13.1% in West Texas, according to the study.
Avery Williams of Wichita Falls, one of the 20 initial nursing students in the program, discussed how she felt about being part of this class and what it means to her and her community.
“I am from a rural area and it's much harder to get care in these types of places. Having to drive over 30 minutes to be able to get health care in rural areas is not uncommon," Williams said. "I want to be able to make a change in this type of community."
When asked if the current COVID-19 crisis impacted her decision to become a nurse, Williams said that if a person is willing to put in the work to be a nurse now, that shows a level of commitment that should get them through any future obstacles.
“I am just really excited to get going on this journey to become a nurse and help people,” she said.
Speaking about Texas Tech’s first school of nursing class in Amarillo, TTUHSC President Lori Rice-Spearman was excited about the further expansion of the nursing program to the Panhandle.
“It’s a great day for Texas Tech University Health Sciences,” Rice-Spearman said. “The mission of our university is to help increase access to healthcare. With this program, we help to round out a series of choices for healthcare with the addition of this traditional nursing program to give a full complement of options for students in the area.”
She said that this program, like the other regional programs, was born out of speaking with leadership in these areas. It serves to increase healthcare access.
“Since its establishment in 1981, the TTUHSC School of Nursing has been committed to providing high-quality nurses to meet the changing healthcare needs in the state of Texas,” Rice-Spearman added. “This nursing program comes at a critical time in response to the current impact of COVID-19. We want to expand the field of very well-prepared nurses into the environment to help fulfill the healthcare needs of West Texas.”
Rice-Spearman said that the university hopes to further expand the program beyond the current 20 students to meet the rising need for registered nurses. She also said that with the everchanging challenges of nursing in today’s environment, this program wants to give its nurses the tools to succeed in helping their communities, including the psychological impact, which has reached a stress point with current events.
Speaking of the importance of the Amarillo region for the new nursing program, Michael Evans, TTUHSC School of Nursing dean, said that the program held a special place for him.
“This expansion, though, means the most to me because this is my hometown and we get to make an immediate impact for our community at home and beyond,” Evans said.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Texas Tech’s inaugural nursing program kicks off with 20 students in Amarillo
