WT Wins Grant to Expand Emergency Nurse Practitioner Program, Offer More Scholarships

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - A $400,000 grant will help West Texas A&M University's Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing train nurses to deliver emergency and trauma care around the Texas Panhandle.

The Street School of Nursing recently was awarded 8the grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Emergency and Trauma Care Education Partnership Program to further support the new post-master's emergency nurse practitioner certificate for family nurse practitioners who want to expand their expertise in emergency and urgent care.

The Emergency Nurse Practitioner Certificate program, only the second such program in the state, is designed for family nurse practitioners who already hold a Master of Science in Nursing. It officially was announced in July, as was WT's new Doctor of Nurse Practice program, both following a $5 million gift from the High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation in March.

"The foundation's extraordinary investment and THECB's grant represent the power of philanthropy and public investment working together to transform healthcare education in the Texas Panhandle," said Dr. Holly Jeffreys, dean of WT's College of Nursing and Health Sciences. "This additional funding helps us accelerate our ability to build innovative programs that respond directly to the needs of our rural communities, keeping exceptional providers in the Panhandle and ensuring that our residents have access to high-quality care when and where they need it most."

The grant will help create a permanent educational pathway that trains nurse practitioners in emergency medicine, trauma stabilization, disaster preparedness and acute care management. It also will provide thousands in scholarship dollars to help working nurses continue their education.

"Scholarship support is one of the most important investments we can make in the future of nursing and healthcare in our region," Jeffreys said. "Students at every level often balance the significant financial demands of their education with work and family responsibilities. And by investing in students from rural communities, we are investing in a healthcare professional who may care for thousands of patients throughout a career."

Both the DNP and ENP programs were made possible, in part, through a $5 million gift from the High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation in March.

The ENP program will combine classroom instruction with simulation, EMS operations, disaster preparedness, and direct clinical experience to help students build advanced, real-world skills.

"This program represents more than a new academic offering," Jeffreys said. "It is a commitment to the people of the Texas Panhandle. Our region deserves highly trained emergency providers who understand the unique challenges of rural healthcare and who are prepared to deliver lifesaving care when every second matters. By educating and retaining emergency nurse practitioners in our communities, we are strengthening the emergency care workforce, expanding access to high-quality care, and ensuring that patients across the Panhandle receive expert treatment close to home."

Each course includes a separate clinical component, giving students hands-on training needed to strengthen competency and apply what they learn in practice. Upon successful completion of the program, students will be eligible to take for the national Emergency Nurse Practitioner certificate examination.

The 15-credit-hour program is a hybrid program which students can begin in either the fall or spring. All courses will be taught by full-time faculty with experience in the field. Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.

To apply, visit wtamu.edu/enp.

Established in 1972 and graduating its first students in 1974, WT's Street School of Nursing currently provides about 70 percent of nurses employed throughout the Texas Panhandle.

WT nursing graduates, over the past five years, have averaged a 92 percent score on the National Council Licensure Examination, required by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to test the competency of nursing school graduates in the United States and Canada. Nationally, the average is 86 percent; in Texas, it's 89 percent.

Meeting regional needs is one of the primary goals of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

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