Profile

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Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Services & Associate Professor/Research
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
byrdda@uthscsa.edu | (210) 567-5837

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Student Success Centers in Nursing Education: A Case Study Example

David Byrd, PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

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Co-Author(s): Vanessa B. Meling, EdD, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

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Abstract
The student success center was established in the School of Nursing at UT Health San Antonio – a Hispanic Serving Institution that enrolls a majority under-represented student population – to address student performance and transition issues often faced by students of color. A process for determining student needs and narrowly tailored support interventions was developed through a modified Delphi focus group of students enrolled in the School’s undergraduate nursing program. Findings from this study will be presented along with the 5-year outcomes associated with the Center’s efforts. Implementation of these narrowly tailored interventions has led to a considerable improvement in student engagement, as well as higher first-time pass rates on the NCLEX-RN® examination by graduates. To address the critical shortage of diverse nurses in the United States, schools of nursing must provide all necessary support mechanisms to ensure underrepresented and first-generation college students have every opportunity to graduate and enter the nursing workforce. The case study presented in this session will provide best practice examples of innovative support solutions to help historically under-represented students progress toward graduation and ultimately enter the nursing workforce as dynamic nurse leaders.

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Biography
Dr. David A. Byrd is presently the Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Services and is an Associate Professor / Research in the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. Dr. Byrd served on the planning committee for the Graduate Nursing Admissions Professional’s Network of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, is serving as a Holistic Admissions in Academic Nursing Consultant for AACN, and has served on the Admissions Policies and Practices Committee of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).

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