EL PASO, Texas — Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso has a new associate dean at the Hunt School of Nursing, and she brings with her a dedication to community, collaboration and reaching underserved populations.
Jené Hurlbut, Ph.D., R.N., an El Paso native, joined the nursing school in July. She has a background practicing nursing in rural and border regions, creating degree pathways for veterans, conducting research and developing research infrastructure.
“I’ve lived, worked and taught in rural and underserved areas of New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada,” said Dr. Hurlbut, who has worked in Native American communities as a provider and educator. “Growing up in rural areas, I saw the impact a shortage of health care providers had on the health and well-being of the residents.”
The experience inspired her to pursue a career in health care. She earned her Ph.D. in nursing from New Mexico State University with a focus on underserved populations and border health. There, she gained a deeper understanding of rapidly changing demographics in the U.S. and across the globe, and how to address health care needs with innovative educational programs and integrated approaches.
“The focus on border health and underserved populations enabled me to understand my personal history in relation to others from different sociocultural backgrounds. Additionally, I gained insight into the challenges underserved and border populations face when trying to access care,” Dr. Hurlbut said.
Through research related to her dissertation, which focused on a population of homeless women, she realized that borders not only contain geographic boundaries but also belief systems, morality, emotional thoughts and spiritual connectedness. The Hunt School of Nursing features a curriculum for cross-disciplinary collaboration, preparing its students to work in clinical teams alongside physicians and within the community. Because nearly 90% of nursing graduates stay to practice in the region, that concept of care continues to impact border populations.
Before TTUHSC El Paso, Dr. Hurlbut was the associate dean of Graduate Studies and Research at Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Nursing. She oversaw nursing faculty research and maintained research infrastructure within the school of nursing. As associate dean, Dr. Hurlbut encouraged conversations among the community and various educational disciplines. The collaborations helped identify interprofessional opportunities for research and support research and grant endeavors.
Dr. Hurlbut also helped lead the creation of VBSN Pathway, a program to support veterans interested in returning to college and obtaining their Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
“With such a large population of military families in El Paso, it is my hope that we implement a similar pathway at the Hunt School of Nursing,” Dr. Hurlbut said. “It would increase the diversity of our student body and support veterans entering the nursing profession.”
Dr. Hurlbut plans to develop innovative degree and certificate programs that teach students to meet the needs of our Borderplex population; develop opportunities for students to collaborate with community and professional organizations to better understand a holistic approach to community health; and provide a strong foundation of care that students can use throughout their nursing profession.
Dr. Hurlbut received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Arizona State University; a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of New Mexico, focusing on nursing administration; and a Master of Science in Nursing from Northern Arizona University, focusing on rural health/family nurse practitioner.
About the Hunt School of Nursing
The Hunt School of Nursing opened in 2011, and offers the only accelerated program in the region where students earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) in just 16 months, entering the workforce shortly after.
As of 2022, the Hunt School of Nursing has educated more than 1,140 nursing students, helping to reduce the severe shortage of nurses in El Paso and surrounding areas. Currently, 87% of Hunt School of Nursing students are El Paso natives, fulfilling TTUHSC El Paso’s mission to create more educational opportunities for Borderplex residents.
About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It is designated as a Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care leaders, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic.
TTUHSC El Paso was established to focus on the unique health care and educational needs of our Borderplex community. In 2023, TTUHSC El Paso will celebrate its 10th anniversary as an autonomous university within the Texas Tech University System. In those 10 years, the university has graduated nearly 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers, soon adding dentists to its alumni.
