Texas Woman's offers online nursing master's degree

Texas Woman's University's College of Nursing has launched a complete online master's degree program for nurses wanting a career in education.

The Denton, Texas-based college said the program will begin in the fall and spring semesters.

"The online M.S. in nursing education program puts TWU in a very competitive position to recruit outstanding nurses who want to become educators," said Dr. Pat Holden-Huchton, associate dean of the TWU College of Nursing in Denton. "TWU will also benefit by providing a very real solution to both the nursing shortage and the nursing faculty shortage in Texas and the nation."

About 75 percent of the 178,000 unfilled hospital positions nationally are for nurses, according to the American Hospital Association. Federal projections are that registered nurse employment opportunities are expected to grow faster through 2008 than the average for all other occupations. Some Texas projections are that demand in the state will outstrip supply into 2010 or later.

In Texas, professional registered nursing is the largest health care profession, according to the Texas Nursing Association. Nearly 148,000 RNs reside in Texas and 114,000, or 77 percent, are employed in nursing practice.

Of that number, TNA said 61 percent are employed at hospitals, while only 1.9 percent hold an educational position.

TWU's online MS in nursing education is a 36-hour program that is completed entirely online over three semesters and is available through its Denton, Dallas and Houston campuses.

The school received $714,000 over two years from the Texas Legislature online nursing education program. The funds will be used for stipends to recruit students.

Stipends of $30,000 are available for Texas residents accepted to the program who are full-time graduate students taking 12 credit hours each semester and who commit to teach full-time in an accredited nursing program in a Texas state-supported university or community college for two years after graduating.