Story: Lisa Sollie & Betsy Compton | Photo: Cody Ingram
Despite growing up just a few miles down the road from the University of West Alabama, Dr. Mary Hanks never expected to find herself teaching on campus. Originally from York, Alabama, Hanks spent 17 years as a nurse and later as a nurse manager in Tuscaloosa. However, when a colleague learned of her interest in nursing education and mentioned an open nursing faculty position at UWA, Hanks decided to apply.
Joining the nursing faculty mid-semester in November 2011, Hanks spent the remainder of the term working closely with her faculty mentor, Lynn Lashley. Despite her extensive nursing experience, Hanks recognized she was “a novice educator with much to learn.” Grateful for Lashley’s role as an “outstanding role model, mentor, and friend,” Hanks credits Lashley, along with early opportunities to connect with and mentor students, as the most pivotal moments in her career thus far.
She understands the importance of having the right tools to teach each student effectively and help them reach their full potential. “As nurses, we treat our patients as holistic individuals. I was determined to do the same with my students,” said Hanks. “If I was going to do this, I wanted to know how to do it right.”
Compelled to be better equipped to understand students and help them identify their challenges and potential, Hanks returned to school, earned a doctorate in education, and spent six more years in the classroom before she took on the role of chair of the Division.
Although nursing education was initially challenging, Hanks recalls that her first official day as chair was particularly tough. “I’ll never forget finding out the Alabama Board of Nursing was coming for a surprise visit the following month, already knowing the accrediting body was scheduled to visit the next year. As if that wasn’t stressful enough,” she added, “we also began developing a new online RN to BSN program, set to launch just as COVID-19 hit and affected everything.”
Hanks observed that the pandemic taught nursing educators several vital lessons, including the realization that virtual teaching could be effective and that an innovative approach to instruction could be a game changer. “When clinical placements in hospital settings became unavailable, we began questioning whether direct patient contact is always essential for learning and whether a robust simulation experience could teach our students to think like nurses.”
Aware that the nursing program was at a critical juncture, Hanks pushed her faculty hard, believing, “It was time we moved away from our old habits, stopped saying what we couldn’t do, and began doing what needed to be done.” Those efforts paid off.
Under Hanks’ leadership, 100 percent of graduates have passed the NCLEX-RN since 2021. Additionally, six of the original faculty members who were on campus when she became chair have now earned their doctorates. She noted that this accomplishment is “paying off in the classroom,” and added, “our faculty are not only excellent nurses but also expert educators.”
Hanks and the nursing faculty have been commended nationwide for their efforts toward improving NECLEX pass rates. NCLEX is the gold standard for all who wish to be a registered nurse, no matter which school they attend. Their preparation includes the knowledge and skills necessary for answering the exam’s many questions. Students are also supported in ways that address overall preparedness, such as recognizing text anxiety and seeking ways to overcome it. To Hanks and her faculty, understanding students’ individual needs in this way is also critical.
Hanks is also proud that the Division of Nursing at UWA now offers three nursing degree options, including a two-year Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) degree, an online RN-to-BSN post-licensure program, and new this fall, a four-year on-campus prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
This fall, the Ira D. Pruitt Division of Nursing will celebrate its 50th anniversary, marking a time to reflect on the program’s achievements and envision the future of nursing education at UWA, which, according to Hanks, “includes expanding the university’s simulation opportunities.”
Hanks noted that many nursing education programs feature extensive simulation complexes, and UWA is on track to take advantage of the experiences that simulation offers nursing students. The newest addition is a pediatric manikin, which will be added to clinical experiences this fall, but Hanks says the program will need more than one to meet the demands of the experiences it provides.
Virtual reality simulation is cutting-edge technology Hanks is eager for students to experience. With two certified simulation educators in the Division who have assured her of the incredible learning potential of virtual reality headsets, she’s enthusiastic about the possibilities. “The headsets are costly, so we urgently need support to add this equipment. We hope that our alumni from the past 50 years will recognize our vision and the opportunities this technology provides and choose to give back to the program that gave them their foundation,” she said.
According to Hanks, UWA’s Ira D. Pruitt Division of Nursing “has fostered a culture where students strive to be the best they can be.” She views the 50th-anniversary celebration as “the perfect opportunity for our alumni to return to campus, celebrate the achievements of the past 50 years, and help shape the future of nursing education at UWA for the next half-century.”
Nursing alumni can also contribute to the 50for50 fundraising campaign, which Hanks said aims to raise funds to help “purchase equipment, upgrade the simulation labs on campus, including virtual reality headsets, and increase scholarship opportunities for nursing students at UWA.”
Thirteen years ago, when Hanks first arrived at UWA, she had never intended to stay long. When named chair, she committed to the administration to serve for at least two years, promising that “if I weren’t fulfilling my duties, I would step down voluntarily,” Hanks recalled. Now, she is about to begin her eighth year as chair of the Division.
“It’s certainly been on-the-job training the entire time I’ve been at UWA,” Hanks noted. “But as a woman of faith, I believe this is what I was meant to do.”
Join us for a special 50th Anniversary Luncheon
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ira D. Pruitt Division of Nursing at the University of West Alabama’s Bell Conference Center on September 7 beginning at 11:00 a.m. This milestone event will feature guest speaker Dr. Kojo Sarfo, a social media influencer and leading mental health expert who got his start at UWA. The festivities will conclude with a tree-planting ceremony dedicated to Sylvia Homan, who served as chair of the Ira D. Pruitt Division of Nursing from 1984 to 2008. Tickets for the luncheon are $35 each. Register online to secure your seat.