Faculty Profiles

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Dr. Virginia Emma Tufano

  • Associate Professor - St. David's School of Nursing
Portrait of Dr. Virginia Emma Tufano

Biography and expertise

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.

Education

Doctorate Degree

EDD in Health Professions Education

College of Saint Mary, 2010

Master's Degree

MSN in Nursing

Pediatric Nursing

Univ of Tex Hlth Sci San Antonio, 1983

Bachelor's Degree

BSN in Nursing

Univ of the Incarnate Word, 1981

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

  • Hughes, Monica Jamison (Principal), Percent Contribution: %34, Garcia, Theresa J (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %33, Tufano, Virginia Emma (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %33. 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.
  • Pradhan, Rohit (Principal), Tufano, Virginia Emma (Supporting). Extended work hours in nursing homes: Development and validation of an overwork index, Williamson Fund, Texas State University, $10000. (Submitted: September 12, 2025, Funded: October 15, 2025 - August 31, 2026). Grant.
  • Tufano, Virginia Emma (Principal), Percent Contribution: %33, Hughes, Monica Jamison (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %33. 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 - December 2024). 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.
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  • Armstrong, S. L., Tufano, V. E., Dyer, J. M., Le, H. T., Layegh, N., & Leibold, A. M. (2026). From Text To Practice: Literacy Readiness In Nursing Education. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 56(4), 216–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2026.2714764
  • Tufano, V. E., & Summers, E. J. (2025). Pandemic era phenomenological research about nursing education. New Trends in Qualitative Research, 21(1), 1–13.
  • 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/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. https://doi.org/10.36367/ntqr.21.1.2025.e980
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  • 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: Translational Health Research Award, Translational Health Research Center at Texas State University. October 2024 - August 2025
  • 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
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  1. Organizer

    Juntos Medical Spanish Club

  2. Member

    CHP College Research Enhancement Program Committee

  3. Member

    College of Health Professions Faculty/Student Research Forum

  4. Officer

    Sigma Theta Tau International - Chi Psi Chapter

  5. Chair

    Admission, Progression, and Graduation Committee - Undergraduate

  6. Member

    Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Communication Network

  7. View all activities