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Dr. Virginia Emma Tufano

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

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

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.
  • 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.
  • Benton, Amy D (Principal), Clary, Kelly Lynn (Co-Principal), Tufano, Virginia Emma (Co-Principal). Project SOW (Strengthening Our Workforce), Federal, $1885787. (Funded: January 2022 - June 2025). Grant.
  • 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/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/https://doi.org/10.36367/ntqr.21.1.2025.e980
  • Tufano, V. C., Dolan, D. M., & Willson, P. A. (2021). A Systematic Review: Instruments to Measure Nurse Educator Retention Concepts. Nursing Education Perspectives, 42(3), 157–161. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000803
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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

    University's College Research Enhancement Program

  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