Nursing faculty subscribe to the belief that professional nurses must have a solid foundation in the arts, sciences, and humanities that provides a reservoir of knowledge from which to draw when making critical clinical decisions in the roles of care provider or care coordinator. To this purpose, baccalaureate students complete 632 semester hours in the liberal arts.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has specific immunization requirements for students involved with direct patient contact. These requirements, as stated in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 97, Subchapter B, Rule 97.64, include the following: “Students cannot be provisionally enrolled without at least one dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine if direct patient contact will occur during the provisional enrollment period.” “Polio vaccine is not required. Students enrolled in health-related courses are encouraged to ascertain that they are immune to poliomyelitis” “One dose of tetanus-diphtheria toxoid (Td) is required within the last ten years.” “Students who were born on or after January 1, 1957, must show, prior to patient contact, acceptable evidence of vaccination of two doses of measles containing vaccine “Students may be provisionally enrolled for up to one semester to allow students to attend classes while obtaining the required vaccines and acceptable evidence of vaccination administered since January 1, 1968.” “Students must show, prior to patient contact acceptable evidence of vaccination of one dose of rubella vaccine.” “Students born on or after January 1, 1957, must show, prior to patient contact, acceptable evidence of vaccination of one dose of mumps vaccine.” “Students shall receive a complete series of hepatitis B vaccine prior to the start of direct patient care or show serologic confirmation of immunity to hepatitis B virus.” (Additionally, the Nursing Program requires students to receive a complete series of hepatitis A vaccine prior to the start of direct patient care or show serologic confirmation of immunity to hepatitis A virus.) “Students shall receive two doses of varicella vaccine unless the first dose was received prior to thirteen years of age.” For additional information, please see the Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 97, Subchapter B