Dr. Mary Cazzell

For Faculty

Assistant Professor
Lead Teacher of the Undergraduate Pediatric Nursing Program
College of Nursing

UT Arlington Faculty

Dr. Cazzell received a Ph.D in Nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) in December, 2009 and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI in 1978. Mary was the first graduate from the BSN-to-PhD program at the UTA College of Nursing. Dr. Cazzell has worked as a clinical registered nurse in Pediatrics for over 27 years in Wisconsin, Texas, Massachusetts, Scotland, and Indonesia.

Service Learning Class

N4431: NURSING OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS (4-2). Nursing care for infants, children, adolescents, and their families. Theory and clinical application in diverse settings.

Academic Outcomes

Apply the nursing process using evidence-based data in the provision of competent, culturally sensitive, developmentally appropriate, holistic nursing care to infants, children, adolescents, and their families/caregivers.
Demonstrate clinical judgment and decision-making based on current knowledge in the care of infants, children, adolescents, and their families/caregivers.
Apply legal and ethical principles and professional standards in the provision of nursing care for infants, children, adolescents, and their families/caregivers.
Demonstrate developmentally appropriate communication and teaching strategies with infants, children, adolescents, and their families/caregivers.
Evaluate the impact of contemporary issues on healthcare delivery to infants, children, adolescents, and their families/caregivers.

Service Learning Project

Mutual Service and Learning from the Collaboration between Grace Lutheran School and the UTA Undergraduate Pediatric Nursing Program

Grace Lutheran School in Arlington approached the UTA College of Nursing seeking a mutually beneficial collaboration. Grace Lutheran School has approximately 164 students ranging in age from birth to 3 years in their Early Development Program, from 4-5 years in their pre-school program, and students in their Kindergarten through 8th grades. Grace Lutheran personnel verbalized a need for our students to model “professional-in-training” to their students in grades 6-8; to plan and implement interactive health-oriented presentations; to observe and participate in structured playground activities at recess or after school; and to participate in developmentally appropriate play activities in the Early Development Program. These activities will offer UTA nursing students the opportunity to learn developmentally appropriate communication with “normal” children—so unlike the pediatric population in acute care children’s hospitals and to apply their didactic learning with infants and children from birth to early adolescence. The UTA students will also serve as role models to the students and educate students in grade school, through role play, on bullying and what actions to take.

Responsibilities of Grace Lutheran and UTA College of Nursing

At beginning of each semester, Grace Lutheran will supply dates and times during the school day and after school that UTA nursing students can come; the school will list priorities of activities so students can be well-prepared for their experience.
Each week, one group of 10-12 students (approximately 105 students in total per semester) will come to the school for approximately 7 hours; with an additional 2 hours of clinical time allotted for writing their structured reflection papers. One UTA pediatric clinical instructor will supervise and accompany the students.
Upon completion of their single-service learning day at Grace Lutheran, the student will be given structured instructions regarding their reflection assignment.

Product/Result

Student Reflection that will challenge students: to address the linkages between course content and their Grace Lutheran service learning project, to discuss their actions as civic engagement, and to evaluate the impact of their day at Grace Lutheran on their personal development.