University of Texas Medical Branch

Our Mission

We improve the health of diverse populations in Texas and around the world by advancing nursing excellence through leadership, clinical practice, education, research and service.

The University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing (SON) has a long-standing history of excellence and innovation in educating professional nurses for leadership roles in the state, nation, and international arenas. As the first school of nursing west of the Mississippi, UTMB's SON has been a trailblazer in nursing education for 130 years. UTMB School of Nursing was the first nursing school in the United States to become affiliated with a university, the first to establish a Master of Nursing in the state of Texas and the first in the state to offer online graduate education in nursing. With our legacy of "firsts" in mind, UTMB leaders are committed to providing the infrastructure to advance and promote the mission of the School to pave the way for generations to come.

The last few decades have provided tremendous growth for nurses and nursing education. On both the national and state levels, the nursing field will continue to face demands that will change the landscape of the healthcare industry familiar to us today. It will be imperative for our school to remain strategic, agile and bold as we proactively plan for these fluctuations. As an academic healthcare institution, we can prepare nurses to be leaders in their field, teach faculty to become inspiring educators, encourage the use of cutting-edge technology, and promote evidence-based practice through research and innovation.

A holistic view of the nursing field is necessary to understand our path forward as an institution and a community. UTMB SON suggests strategies to tackle the gaps in nursing education to help aid anticipated shortages in Texas. Along with the Strategic Plan, Vision 2025, we anticipate that improving our nursing education will in turn advance the quality and safety of patient care throughout the nation. This document serves as a planning tool, not to be mistaken for a strict road map. With this guiding document, UTMB SON aims to shed light on current issues facing nursing education and provide strategies for improvement.