Our Mission
Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing develops nurses and other healthcare providers through education enlightened by Christian principles to lead, serve and influence the holistic needs for a complex global society.
Our Goals
In pursuit of PHSSN鈥檚 mission and program outcomes, we are committed to the following goals:
- Deliver an evidence-based, holistic nursing education enlightened by Christian principles.
- Provide professional nursing programs that adhere to the standards of nursing practice.
- Prepare professional and advanced practice nurses to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care to diverse populations in a variety of settings.
- Collaborate with the community of interest to meet regional and global healthcare needs.
- Engage in service to the profession, the university, and the community of interest.
Baccalaureate nursing program goals:
- Graduate well-prepared BSN students who can achieve Registered Nurse (RN) licensure and successfully transition to professional practice as competent nurse generalists.
- Equip students for safe practice based on inquiry, evidence, caring, and practice standards.
- Prepare students to function within a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.
- Facilitate the development of collaborative skills for effective participation with interdisciplinary teams.
- Provide state-of-the-art equipment, resources, and pedagogy to promote achievement of program outcomes.
- Support students as individuals in matriculation, progression, and graduation through the use of material and human resources.
Our History
In 1924, the West Texas Baptist Sanitarium opened its doors with the combined efforts of Dr. Millard Jenkins, pastor of First Baptist Church, and Dr. Jefferson D. Sandefer, president of Simmons College (Hardin-Simmons University). During the Great Depression, the hospital became known as Hendrick Memorial Hospital. The school itself was appropriately named Hendrick Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. The school鈥檚 name was changed to Mary Meeks School of Nursing in 1970. In 1981, the name was again changed to Abilene Intercollegiate School of Nursing when three faith-based universities in Abilene and Hendrick Medical Center, came together to create a consortium. In 2005, the name was changed a final time to Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing.