UT Tyler School of Nursing Dean Barbara Haas Appointed to State Committee for Nursing Shortage

April 10, 2024 | Elizabeth Wingfield

Dr. Barbara Haas, dean of The University of Texas at Tyler School of Nursing, was appointed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to serve on a committee for the Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Program. Haas was nominated for this Negotiated Rulemaking Committee by UT Tyler President Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, FACP.

The purpose of the committee was to review and amend definitions for the Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Program in the Texas Administrative Code. Amending the definitions will help the program operate more effectively and ensure it adapts to meet the evolving health care needs of the state. The committee includes nineteen representatives from community colleges, public health-related institutions, hospital industry, public technical colleges, independent institutions and public universities.

According to the United States Registered Nurse Workforce Report Card and Shortage Forecast in 2019, a shortage of registered nurses was projected to spread across the country through 2030. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 203,200 openings for RNs each year through 2031 when nurse retirements and workforce exits are factored into the number of nurses needed in the U.S.

“It is a privilege to represent UT Tyler and serve on the THECB Negotiated Rulemaking Committee,” said Haas. “Through collaborative efforts, we can make meaningful changes that positively impact the future of health care in Texas.”

Haas received her Master in Nursing from Marquette University and her PhD in nursing UT Austin. After serving as a clinical nursing faculty member at Albuquerque Technical Institute, she joined UT Tyler as a senior lecturer in 1992. Over the course of 19 years, she has served as a professor, doctoral program director and associate dean before becoming dean in 2021. She has led the School of Nursing for nine years.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.