University, LeTourneau establish union, addressing critical shortage in nursing

The University’s College of Nursing and Health Science is partnering with LeTourneau University’s School of Arts and Sciences to provide nursing training to LETU students to help address nation’s extreme demand for registered nurses.

Pending accreditation approvals, LETU students will be able to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences from LETU and a Bachelor of Science Nursing from the University in a four-year program (including summers) that utilizes the UT Longview University Center nursing education program.

“Since I came to LeTourneau University from UT Tyler in 2007, I have looked for opportunities for these two fine institutions to work together,” said LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford. “With the critical need for quality nurses, this dual-degree program was a great place to start collaborating.”

“We are fusing our exceptional, Christ-centered education with global exposure and mentoring by LETU faculty with the expert instruction of UT Tyler’s nursing professionals and their recognized status within the medical community,” said LETU School of Arts and Sciences dean Dr. Amiel Jarstfer.

“The UT Tyler pass rate for the nurse licensing exam is consistently above 93 percent, and job placement is about 99 percent.

Our goal is to give our students the advantage of UT Tyler’s 35 years of experience educating nurses and their prestige of being one of the largest and most sought-after nursing programs in Texas.”

As students meet specified grade point average and LETU prerequisites, they will gain placement in UT Tyler’s nursing school. This new program functions via a Memorandum of Understanding between LETU and the University.

The program will include traditional face-to-face classroom study, online courses and hands-on hospital experience and global service-learning experience opportunities.

Participants are scheduled to study three academic years, first at LETU during fall and spring semesters, with summer online classes added in, followed by four semesters (summer, fall, spring and summer) at the UT campus in Longview.

In Longview, students will complete clinical course requirements and earn BSN degrees in preparation to take the RN Licensure examination. LETU nursing students would begin clinical observation during their freshman year.

Presidential: LeTourneau University President Dr. Dale Lunsford, left, and UT President Rodney Mabry, right, announce cooperative effort.

Since the nursing courses will be taught in Longview, nursing students would be able to live on the LETU campus all four years, enjoying the complete residential college experience and participating in student organizations, intramural activities and chapels, officials said.