WHAT IF? What if TWU
WHAT IF? What if TWU trained and graduated more nurses? The nursing shortage needs solutions. ASK RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS around the country, and here’s what they will tell you: The nursing shortage is undeniable. And it’s getting worse. Even before COVID-19, the profession was facing a daunting paradox. More people are going into the profession, but it’s not enough to make up for the demand for nurses. The pandemic exacerbated an already growing trend, and it’s happening for a number of reasons, from an increasingly aging population that needs more health care to more retirements to stress and burnout. One 2020 study by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing found that more than 80,000 qualified nursing school applicants were turned away from baccalaureate and graduate programs due to a lack of qualified faculty, clinical study sites, classroom space and budget constraints. WHAT TWU IS DOING TWU graduates 24% of doctoral nursing degrees in Texas. The university offers a variety of programs for student nurses, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science and various certifications. “In a time when it is difficult to retain nurses in the profession, we are doing our best to produce high quality nurses who can be relied upon to care for the health and wellbeing of Texans,” College of Nursing Dean Rosalie Mainous, Ph.D., said. In the midst of the pandemic, TWU’s nursing program continued to produce high quality nurses and received a boost from the Johanniter Humanitarian Group (JHG) of Texas and the Mike A. Myers Foundation, which partnered to launch the Myers- JHG Tutoring and Academic Support Center at TWU’s Dallas campus in October 2021. The center offers free tutoring to student nurses. In addition to the center, JHG awarded 10 nursing scholarships. 24 % of the doctoral nursing degrees in Texas are held by TWU graduates 10 TEXAS WOMAN’S
RESEARCH THAT MATTERS Learn how you can support research at TWU Send us a note: advancement@twu.edu > CAROLYN MOORE, R.D.N., Ph.D. Food insecurity researcher Food Fight TWU professor tackles food insecurity in Texas’ biggest city NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES associate professor Carolyn Moore, R.D.N, Ph.D., is fighting the good fight when it comes to food insecurity—when individuals don’t have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food—in the Houston area and on TWU’s campuses. After becoming aware of the amount of food insecurity among TWU students, Moore’s research has focused on feeding the hungry. Her efforts have resulted in an expanded food bank serving 30-50 Houston students twice a month. In addition, Moore helped create two gardens that feed Boys and Girls Club of Houston members, a concept she says could expand to help the community at large. “The more support systems we have in place, the more people are made aware of the problem,” she said. “We’re one of the world’s richest countries, and we still experience food insecurity.” TEXAS WOMAN’S 11
