Education
- M.S. in Nursing Education, Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
- B.S. in Nursing, Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
Biography
Eloisa Garza, MSN, RN, ACUE, CHSE, has over 26 years of experience in practice, management, and education. As manager of the Clinical Learning Center in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, she saw her role expand to encompass that of the Clinical Learning Resource and Simulation Center manager. This position included managerial duties and training, guiding, teaching and mentoring faculty, students and staff. After completing her Master of Science in Nursing Education, Eloisa also assumed additional responsibilities as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Her nursing background includes experience in peri-operative and adult/pediatric medical-surgical nursing and management experience in both clinical and academic settings.
Garza has aided in the development and implementation of two significant Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board grants in 2014 and 2017 that spearheaded the development of Islander Regional Hospital at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, an eight-bed award-winning, simulated hospital that provided senior students with an interdisciplinary environment in which to provide care to multiple patients at once. Through the careful development and implementation of clinical situations, focused on various failure-to-rescue scenarios, positive outcomes were obtained, including positive student feedback and confidence in the ability to perform, and employer observed improved clinical preparation and Board scores.
As a certified Healthcare Simulation Educator, she has a strong understanding of educational theories and simulation best practices through various delivery systems, and she has experience integrating simulation into curricula. Through a constructivist paradigm, simulation can provide safe, hands-on experiences that aid student learning while providing experiences that may not be available to students in their clinical practice or that they may not be able to participate in due to various circumstances. This includes not only improving learning but also promoting the development of professional and interprofessional competencies. What better way to bring didactic content to life and prepare health care practitioners for the 21st century? After 13 years at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Garza is excited to come to St. Mary’s University to assist in preparing the inaugural BSN program.
Professional Certifications and Contributions
Certifications
- 2021
Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Certification – Effective Teaching Strategies - 2018
Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE)
Poster Presentations
- 2016
“Using Experienced Practitioners to Extend Faculty Resources in Nursing Simulations”
13th Annual Pathways Student Research Symposium, Prairieview, Texas
Awards
- 2017
Star Award Nominee – Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)
Transforming Learning Using Interprofessional Simultaneous Multi-Patient Simulation
Professional Memberships
- 2021–Current
American Nurses Association – Texas Nursing Association - 2018–Current
Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society - 2017–Current
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Membership