Excellence in nursing education and veteran care
The School of Nursing and Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans’ Hospital have received national recognition with the Exemplary Academic-Practice Partnership Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The award highlights their long-standing collaboration to enhance nursing education, workforce development and veteran care.
Since its launch in 1997, the partnership has created an integrated educational model that prepares students for real-world nursing. A key program is the Dedicated Education Unit, where students train alongside VA nurses, gaining hands-on experience. Over 400 students have participated since 2012. Graduates can continue their training through VA-STEP, a competitive summer program providing 400 hours of paid clinical experience, followed by the VA Nurse Residency Program.
Recognized as a national model, this partnership has led to exceptional nurse retention rates and ensures over 200 clinical placements annually, strengthening the future nursing workforce.
