Cizik School of Nursing named NLN Center of Excellence
Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston has been named a 2025 National League for Nursing (NLN) Center of Excellence™ in Nursing Education.
The NLN recognizes nursing schools and health care organizations that achieve sustained excellence in a specific area of nursing education. Cizik School of Nursing is among 21 institutions that will be honored at the 2025 NLN Education Summit in Orlando, Florida, on Sept. 19. The school earned center of excellence designation in the category “Creating Learning Environments that Promote Pedagogical Expertise of Faculty.”
“This category recognizes our commitment to supporting nursing faculty with enriching professional development opportunities so they can provide rigorous, relevant instruction and mentorship to students in the everchanging health care landscape,” said Dean Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, RN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FAAN. “Our accomplishments advance nursing education not only at Cizik School of Nursing, but throughout the nation.”
The school’s center of excellence application cited many examples of advances and contributions to nursing education. These include:
- Leadership in telehealth education and practice by Associate Professor Mitzy Kobeissi, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CPAHA
- Programs focused on caring for patients with disabilities and opening doors to nursing careers for students with disabilities developed by Associate Professor Allison Edwards, DrPH, MS, RN, CNE, CDDN, FAAN
- Creation of the Debbie Adams Leadership Academy
- Incorporating the EPIC electronic health record into curriculum at all levels not only at Cizik School of Nursing but in collaboration with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston.
“Cizik School of Nursing is dedicated to educational excellence at all levels, from the first day of a student’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to publishing their dissertation or process improvement project and throughout their nursing careers,” said Associate Dean for Faculty Development Jessica Coviello, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, FACC, FAAN. “This honor reflects the dedication of faculty in all programs and our school’s well-earned reputation for educational innovation and student success.”
