As the demand for qualified health care professionals continues to grow, so does The University of Tulsa’s School of Nursing. The program has nearly tripled in size during the past decade, offering degree options to serve students from undergraduate to DNP.
Now, the School of Nursing has a new training facility, enhancing students’ on-campus experience.
After being headquartered in downtown Tulsa for 10 years, the program moved back to campus this spring. School of Nursing Executive Director Cassy Abbott Eng said this is a win-win for students, faculty and the entire campus community. She explained that being in the heart of campus isn’t just more convenient, it gives her team an increased opportunity to interact with potential future nurses.
“The campus receives the energy of the School of Nursing, and the School of Nursing now has that physical support and the resources that are here,” Eng said. “For me personally, I’ve benefited because students are able to just stop in say ‘Hi,’ tour, visit with faculty, and I’m able to visit with them, hear their stories, hear that excitement.”
A first-class health care education
Make no mistake, moving a nursing school across town is no easy feat. Faculty and staff worked tirelessly through the winter break to prepare the state-of-the-art Lawson Skills & Simulation Lab in Chapman Hall.
Lab Coordinator Rhiannon Sullivan has over 15 years of experience in nursing education and more than 25 years of clinical nursing experience. She ensures that UTulsa students are gaining realistic, hands-on experience in the lab, preparing them for their clinical placements.
“All of the beds have very accurate skills equipment. We’ve got otoscopes and ophthalmoscopes so the students across the curriculum can use those right at the bedside like they would in a clinical setting,” Sullivan said.
From smaller details like crash carts and laundry hampers, to operating rooms with anesthesia machines and two-way mirrors for training and observation, the space is fine-tuned and custom-built to give students the best education possible.
Outside of the simulation lab, each nursing student is paired with a faculty member who shares their passion to assist them in finding a job and journeying down the career path of their dreams.
“What sets us apart in the UTulsa School of Nursing is that high touch point that we have,” Eng said. “We not only offer that academic mapping through the programs to ensure success in that regard, but we layer that in with professional mentorship. So, we have intimate relationships where we can sit down with students one-on-one, and we can find out ‘What’s their end goal?’ And we can actually map to that and help them to see the experiences, the externships that we would recommend.”
Why employers hire UTulsa Nursing alumni
UTulsa’s School of Nursing prides itself on a 100% job placement rate, with students heading to Oklahoma’s major health systems and beyond.
“From bedside acute care settings, consultants, executive roles, entrepreneurial, we’re also putting graduates in operating rooms from our nurse anesthesia program,” Eng explained. “Across the board, we just have a high regard for that UTulsa student, so we work hard to keep that benchmark of excellence for our program.”
Eng added that UTulsa students and faculty are out in the community, making a real-world impact close to home. The School of Nursing has implemented a mobile health unit, allowing students to engage with community members and address barriers to health care access for Tulsa’s unhoused population.
“It’s really important to us to know that all of our students within the School of Nursing, as well as faculty, are leading, so others can follow as we own the community health that surrounds us,” she said.
In addition to succeeding academically, many nursing students are leaders in campus organizations and Greek Life. Eng said many student-athletes are thriving in the nursing program, too, despite their demanding training and competition schedules.
To find a nursing education program that fits your goals, including online options, visit the UTulsa School of Nursing’s website.