UHV School of Nursing representatives attend the Good Samaritan Foundation’s Excellence in Nursing luncheon. Those who attended were Kathryn Tart, left, Denise Neill, Judie Haubrich, Shainy Varghese and Eugenia Blomstrom.

Shainy Varghese

Ever since she was a little girl, Shainy Varghese, an assistant professor at the University of Houston-Victoria, knew she wanted to take care of children.

Last week, Varghese was honored by the Good Samaritan Foundation with an Excellence in Nursing Bronze Medal for her work as a pediatric nursing educator. She received the award in the nursing faculty category.

Award winners are nominated by their peers in six different categories. Varghese and other award recipients received their medals at the Eighth Annual Excellence in Nursing Luncheon earlier this month in Houston.

Varghese teaches most of the pediatric portion of the UHV nursing curriculum for the Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. As a pediatric nurse practitioner, she uses her real-world experience to teach students about the importance of pediatric health care.

“Taking care of children is important because they are the future,” Varghese said. “As nurses, we have to not only provide quality care for children, but also nurture them by giving them information and teaching them about their health.”

Varghese has been a nurse for nearly 20 years and has taught at UHV since 2007. Her research about how caring is expressed through the latest health care technology was published in 2010 in the Journal of Telemedicine and Electronic Health.

Kathryn Tart

“Dr. Varghese is a professional educator who provides true leadership in the School of Nursing,” said Kathryn Tart, founding dean of the UHV School of Nursing. “She is not the type of person who seeks out recognition, but she works steadily and impacts the lives of her pediatric patients and students.”

Varghese was surprised to learn she won the award.

“I had no idea I’d been nominated and never imagined I’d receive this award,” she said. “It is a big honor that the Good Samaritan Foundation members appreciate my work.”

Varghese joins a growing list of UHV School of Nursing faculty members who have received honors through the years from the Good Samaritan Foundation. They include Tart, Eugenia Blomstrom, Linda Dune, Denise Neill and Angela Willis.

Also honored at the luncheon with a bronze medal in the nursing administration and leadership category was Judie Haubrich, who is getting a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in nursing administration from UHV. She works at Christus St. Catherine Hospital in Katy.

The Good Samaritan Foundation is a fundraising and grant raising organization dedicated to promoting nursing excellence in Texas. Since 1951, the foundation has given more than $15 million in scholarships to more than 12,000 students across the state. Along with granting nursing student scholarships, the foundation works with nursing schools to create innovative solutions to address the faculty shortage and rewards nurses who exemplify the finest qualities of the nursing profession.

For more information about the UHV School of Nursing, visit www.uhv.edu/nursing or contact recruitment coordinator Tammy Neeley Whatley at whatleyt@uhv.edu.