The Office of Global Operations is pleased to recognize UTMB faculty members Kimberly Rumsey, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE; Shinu Joy, DNP, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, OCN; and Corri Levine, PhD, MS, MPH, for presenting their poster, "Curricular Innovation in Nursing: Embedding High-Consequence Infectious Disease Training," at the 2026 Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Conference.
The project highlights an innovative educational approach developed at UTMB to better prepare nursing students to care for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs). Recognizing the increasing global threat posed by emerging infectious diseases, the team designed a clinical learning experience that combines foundational knowledge with hands-on training in infection prevention, clinical skills, personal protective equipment (PPE), and patient assessment.
The initiative leverages UTMB's unique capabilities as one of only 13 federally designated Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) in the United States and the sole center serving U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region 6. Students participating in the program receive exposure to UTMB's Biocontainment Care Unit (BCU) and specialized training programs focused on preparedness for emerging infectious disease threats.
As part of a pilot program involving 130 nursing students, participants completed asynchronous learning modules, interactive discussions, and hands-on clinical training exercises. The results demonstrated strong student engagement and satisfaction, with 84% of students reporting satisfaction with the experience and 95% indicating that the BCU training experience was more beneficial than traditional virtual clinical sessions.
According to the authors, integrating high-consequence infectious disease preparedness into nursing education strengthens workforce readiness and equips future healthcare professionals with the skills needed to safely and effectively respond to emerging infectious threats. The success of the pilot has already secured additional funding to expand the program and explore broader interprofessional educational opportunities.
The Office of Global Operations congratulates Drs. Rumsey, Joy, and Levine on sharing this important work at CUGH 2026 and for advancing innovative approaches to health professions education that support preparedness for global and emerging health challenges.