Elizabeth C. Poster, PhD, RN, FAAN

Dean & Professor

The University of Texas at Arlington
School of Nursing
411 S Nedderman Drive
UTA Box 19407
Arlington, TX 76019-0407
Telephone: (817) 272-2776
FAX: (817) 272-5006

Office #669, Pickard Hall

It is truly an honor for me to be in a leadership position at one of the finest schools of nursing in this country.  I came to Texas and UTA in 1995 after serving as Director of Research and Education at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Hospital for 11 years. In this role I focused on conducting and disseminating health services research. My areas of study focused on psychiatric patient outcomes, attitudes toward and responses of nurses assaulted by patients and children's concepts of mental illness. My clinical area of interest is child and adolescent psychiatric nursing. Although I currently do not engage in private practice, as editor of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing since 1992, I have been able to contribute to the dissemination of cutting edge research and clinical practice.

As an educator since my first teaching role in 1970, I often miss teaching, especially at the undergraduate level. Some day I hope to return to teaching and research where I can have a more direct impact on students and the nursing profession. Until then,  there are exciting daily challenges and opportunities to  contribute to the nursing profession; nationally, statewide and locally. 

Research Interests

• Psychiatric program outcome evaluation
• Children's drawings
• Children's concepts of mental illness
• Staff attitudes/responses to patient assault

Current Scholarship

• Editor, Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 1992-present
• AJN Book of The Year (1999) Advanced Practice Nursing in Psychiatric and Mental Health Care
• Guest Columnist on Health Care, Fort Worth Business Press

Special Achievements

• Fort Worth Business Press - Health Care Hero Award, 2003
• American Psychiatric Nurses Association Education Award, 2002
• Boston College Distinguished Alumni Award in Health, 2001
• Selected for inclusion in "Who's Who in Health Care" by the Business Press, 2000
• Most Influential Woman of the Year Award in the Area of Education,  the Fort Worth Business Press, 2000
• Board Member, representing baccalaureate education, Texas Board of Nurse Examiners, 1997-2003
• Named Great One Hundred Nurse of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, 1998

Education

• PhD, Educational Psychology - Early Childhood Counseling and Child Development, Boston College, Boston, MA -- May, 1981
• MSN, Child Psychiatric Nursing, Boston University, May, 1970
• BSN, Boston University, May, 1968
• Management Development Program - Harvard University, June, 1996