A new agreement between the University of Houston-Victoria and the Lone Star College System will make it easier for nursing students to continue their studies and advance their professional skills.

The articulation agreement, in effect now through 2013, smoothes the path for current Lone Star students achieving an associate degree in nursing to get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at UHV. They will be automatically admitted to UHV’s Registered Nurse to BSN program. A nursing student satisfying the Lone Star general education core also will have satisfied all UHV core requirements.

“This is a real win-win for nursing students, the profession and the two schools,” said Kathryn Tart, founding dean of the UHV School of Nursing. “We see this agreement as a big step in fulfilling the needs of the profession and helping students more easily continue their educational goals.”

Kathryn Tart

Tart said the agreement was spearheaded after an October report by the Institute of Medicine, an independent adviser to lawmakers and professionals on issues of improving health in the U.S. The report gave recommendations, one of which was for nurses to achieve higher levels of education through a system that promotes seamless academic progression.

While community colleges are popular for nurses, healthcare workers and emergency first responders, only 9 percent of nursing students with an associate degree go on to get a BSN.

“It’s important for students to get their BSN because it’s been shown through research that patient outcomes are better when nurses have a higher level of education,” Tart said.

LSCS Vice Chancellor Donetta Goodall said the agreement will help the students with career planning and make the transfer process easier to navigate.

Donetta Goodall

“Having this agreement will be so beneficial to our students because it will allow them to plan their transfer activities without losing any credits rather than relying on chance,” Goodall said. “This agreement also allows our systems to work more closely together, to strengthen the existing relationship, and plan for future activities and agreement expansions.”

Goodall added that students will be more informed about which courses to take, how to sequence courses and how to apply them to the degree.

UHV Interim President Don Smith said other nursing articulation agreements are in the works for the university and area community colleges.

Don Smith

“This is a great example of how higher education is answering the call for improvements in the nursing industry,” Smith said. “UHV’s School of Nursing is a leader in instituting this type of agreement, and our graduates are leaders in their profession throughout the Crossroads region and beyond.”

UHV School of Nursing offers its programs in Victoria, and at the UH System at Sugar Land and the UH System at Cinco Ranch in Katy. For more information, contact Tammy Whatley, senior recruiting coordinator at 361-570-4297 or 877-970-4848, ext. 4297, e-mail nursing@uhv.edu, or visit www.uhv.edu/nursing.

LSCS, accredited since 1976, has served more than 69,000 students on campuses in Cypress-Fairbanks, Kingwood, Montgomery, North Harris County, Tomball, University Park and online. Students can contact Lone Star College at 832-813-6500 or visit www.lonestar.edu/nursing-dept.htm.