Three nursing alumnae who have excelled for years in various medical settings have returned to the University of St. Thomas-Houston’s Peavy School of Nursing (PSON) to share their knowledge and experience as adjunct professors. It’s a bit like life coming full circle. 

Brenda Clark ’15: Sharing Real-World Knowledge and Skills

Brenda Clark said, “I am so proud to be contributing to the instruction and formation of new nurses, and I am deeply honored to do it at UST.”

At PSON, Clark is a clinical and lab instructor.

“I usually teach in the maternity class,” she said, “but also assist in Foundations to Nursing Practice and Medical-Surgical Nursing. 

At the same time, Clark continues actively working as a bedside nurse.

“I work as a neonatal intensive care nurse and love what I do. It is an honor for me to witness the miracle of birth daily, to care for babies and to support families during their NICU journey.”

She also works as a nurse practitioner in a family medicine clinic. Clark enjoys the wide range of patients and the broad, real-world knowledge and skill sets required to care for patients across their lifespans.

Teresa Ryan ’83: Making a Positive Impact

New to her teaching position, Teresa Ryan is a veteran nurse. She spent 39 years in nursing practice, which included 20 years in hospital leadership roles. As she begins her adjunct position in the fall, Ryan hopes to positively impact the transition of graduating nurses from PSON into professional practice.

“I’ve prayerfully anticipated the time in my career when I could pay it forward to the UST community. Now, I can share the gifts of servant leadership and my love of educating the next generation of new nurses in a faith-based environment,” Ryan said. “These are some of the gifts I received from St. Thomas as a graduate in 1983.”

Her uniquely personal connection to PSON further inspires Ryan.

“My mother, Eva Cuello Silva, was a nursing school classmate of Carol Peavy,” Ryan added. “They went on to be active nursing alumni together in the Association of Nursing Alumni. So you can imagine how continuing the legacy of a Catholic nursing program was ingrained in me from an early age! Together, those two women directed my path to UST’s program.”

Ruby Romero ’15: Sees Herself in Her Students

Ruby Romero looks at the faces in her OB class and sees herself in the crowd. The passionate nurse added teaching to her busy schedule last fall and has not regretted it. Moreover, she discovered she loves teaching.

Romero said, “I want to continue helping our nurse community by educating the next generation of nurses. And what better place to do that than where I was taught.”

Nurses tend to be exceptional human beings, and Romero fits that description.

“I currently work at HCA Southeast as an NP. But when I was a bedside nurse at Hermann, I loved that role,” Romero recalled. “I liked interacting with my patients in the ER environment. Every shift brought something new, and that’s what I loved about it. I always told myself if I could at least help one person, those 12-hour shifts were worth it.” 

PSON Family Is Always Family

Kristina Leyden, Ph.D, APRN, FNP-BC, CHSE, Undergraduate Nursing Interim Division Dean, said, “UST is blessed to have our very own nursing alumni come back and teach with us—to give back to the UST community. It is a testament to the fact that once you are in the UST Family, you are always family!”

At the UST Peavy School of Nursing, courses focus on holistic nursing, emphasizing care for the whole person. Students may pursue a variety of degrees, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, RN-to-MSN, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and a Certificate for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.