Faculty Profile for Dr. Virginia Emma Tufano

profile photo for Dr. Virginia Emma Tufano
Dr. Virginia Emma Tufano
Assistant Professor — St. David's School of Nursing
SON 319
phone: (512) 716-2982
Scholarly/Creative Work
Awards
Grants
Service

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 Dr. Virginia Tufano received her Ed.D. from College of Saint Mary with a Focus in Health Professions Education, MSN from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio with a double major in Leadership and Education, and a BSN from the University of the Incarnate Word. Dr. Tufano has taught in both, undergraduate and graduate nursing education since 2004.

Teaching Interests

 Nurse educator recruitment and retention; nursing research and evidence-based practice; interprofessional collaboration in healthcare; cultural and spiritual competence in nursing; methods to promote success in nursing education; mentoring; minority nursing.

Research Interests

 My research focus spans the areas of cultural and spiritual competence in nursing, promoting academic success and resiliency in nursing students with a focus on minority students, facilitating successful transition from the academic environment to the healthcare environment, and nurse educator retention. My research includes ways to mitigate stressors and promote the success of healthcare graduates transitioning from academics to the professional work setting. I am currently working on an interprofessional study to promote grit and resiliency in healthcare students navigating through the academic stressors of the various healthcare professions. I have conducted two studies on motivators for nurse educators to remain in the profession. I am passionate about this research as our healthcare workforce is struggling to recover from the effects of burnout from the pandemic resulting in an increased shortage of healthcare workers, especially in underserved communities.

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Tufano, V. E. (Ed.). (2023). Adult Medical Surgical Review Modules: Edition 12. Kansas City, KS, United States: Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI).
  • Tufano, V. C., Summers, E. J., & Covington, B. G. (2023). Motivators for nurse educators to persist in their profession: A phenomenological research study. Nurse Education Today, 123. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2023.105725
  • Bloom, R., Tufano, V. C., & Perez, C. (2022). Registered Nurses’ and Speech Language Pathologists’ Interprofessional Collaboration: A Systematic Scoping Review of the Literature. Nursing Forum, 1–8.
  • Tufano, V. C., Dolan, D. M., & Willson, P. A. (2021). A Systematic Review: Instruments to Measure Nurse Educator Retention Concepts. Nursing Education Perspectives, 157–161. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000803
  • Tufano, V. C., & Covington, B. G. (2021). Nurse Educators Dedicated to Teaching: Personal Characteristics Identified as Influencing Long-term Retention in Academia. International Journal of Nursing and Healthcare Research, 4(4). https://doi.org/10.29011/2688-9501.101226

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: Teaching Award of Honor, Texas State Alumni Association. 2020
  • Award / Honor Nominee: Outstanding Faculty Member, Student Senate-College of Saint Mary. April 2014
  • Award / Honor Recipient: 2nd place - Faculty Research Posters, TXST-27th Annual Faculty/Research Forum. April 2023
  • Award / Honor Recipient: 3rd place-Faculty Research Posters, TXST - 27th Annual Faculty/Research Forum. April 2023
  • Award / Honor Recipient: CoSearch-2nd place team award, CoSearch - TX State University. September 2021

Selected Grants

  • Hughes, Monica Jamison (Principal), Garcia, Theresa J (Co-Principal), Tufano, Virginia Emma (Co-Principal). Enhancing Nursing Faculty Retention Through Competency-Based Education and Training, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, State, $197283. (Submitted: July 7, 2023, Funded: July 31, 2023 - July 31, 2025). Grant.
  • Tufano, Virginia Emma (Principal), Hughes, Monica J. (Co-Principal), Patel, Stephanie L. (Co-Principal). Learn, Do, Teach: Developing Nursing Students’ Population Health Core Competencies Through Interprofessional Health Education, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society- Chi Psi Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society - Chi Psi Chapter, $200. (Submitted: November 2022, Funded: December 2022 - January 2023). Grant.
  • Tufano, Virginia Emma (Principal), Hughes, Monica Jamison (Co-Principal), Patel, Stephanie Lyne (Co-Principal). Nursing Students and Community Health Workers: Service Learning in Panama to Promote Population Health, Texas State Service-Learning, Texas State University, $1000. (Funded: September 3, 2024 - Present). Grant.
  • Tufano, Virginia Emma (Principal), Hughes, Monica Jamison (Co-Principal), Patel, Stephanie Lyne (Supporting). Service-Learning Academic & Research Mini-Grant, Service Learning Excellence-TXST, Texas State University, $500. (Submitted: September 2023, Funded: December 2023 - February 2024). Grant.
  • Benton, Amy D (Principal), Clary, Kelly Lynn (Co-Principal), Tufano, Virginia Emma (Co-Principal). Project SOW (Strengthening Our Workforce), Federal, $1885787. (Funded: January 2022 - December 2024). Grant.

Selected Service Activities

Organizer
Juntos Medical Spanish Club
August 2022-Present
Member
University's College Research Enhancement Program
August 2022-Present
Member
College of Health Professions Faculty/Student Research Forum
December 2021-Present
Officer
Sigma Theta Tau International - Chi Psi Chapter
September 2020-Present
Chair
Admission, Progression, and Graduation Committee - Undergraduate
September 2019-Present