New CTE Teacher of the Year

Not only does Tamara cover all the nursing services standards set forth by the state and the board of nursing, she integrates math and ELA standards. She uses her previous experience of teaching at the collegiate level to integrate more math into the curriculum.

Tamara also uses her previous experience working for the State Board of Nursing to include simulations regularly to fully prepare students for the field giving them regular formative assessments in the form of performance feedback. She brings in industry professionals to speak with students about the different areas in the healthcare field and has created strong partnerships with long-term healthcare facilities.

In addition to nursing and academic instruction, she includes life skills such as budgeting and leadership skills and workplace etiquette. Through her experience of serving on a school board, Tamara has taught her CTSO chapter how to effectively run a meeting and conduct events in a productive manner.

Tamara has fully integrated the campus Simulation Lab into her curriculum. She creates very detailed and realistic simulations for students to practice in. As students are practicing in the Sim Lab, the rest of the students watch from the classroom and act as the Board of Nursing assessing the student’s performance. The full group then debriefs together. This has created an environment of trust and rapport with students helping other students as they learn together.

Not only does Tamara run an exceptional nursing program for West-MEC, she is also the Nursing Services Program Coordinator for Dysart.

She has a passion for creating the next generation of successful, competent, and compassionate nurses. She has fully embraced the CTE Delivery Model. She has a strong advisory council made up of members from different areas of the nursing field, from CNA level to management assistance in the lab, and placement for students to complete their clinical hours. Throughout this first year teaching the program, she has assessed where industry needs are and has continued to make connections with business and industry to further strengthen the program.

While Tamara is a new teacher, in the summer of 2021 she presented at the ACTEAZ Summer Conference on how teachers can utilize a Simulation Lab in their program. She included information on the program, what the Sim Lab looks like, and how it can be used to enhance student learning. Her goal was to help other nursing instructors see the benefits of using a simulation lab as a part of their program. In addition to ACTEAZ, Tamara is an advisor for two HOSA chapters.