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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Gayle P. Varnell of Larue became the first nurse |
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practitioner licensed in Texas on November 5, 1980; and |
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WHEREAS, Now a nursing consultant for education for the Texas |
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Board of Nursing, Ms. Varnell holds bachelor's and master's degrees |
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in nursing from The University of Texas at Austin and a doctorate in |
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nursing from Texas Woman's University; she began her career as a |
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staff nurse with the Austin-Travis County Health and Human Services |
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Department and became a pediatric nurse practitioner at Austin |
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Children's Clinic; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Varnell later contributed to the advancement of |
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her profession as a pediatric nurse educator at Children's Medical |
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Center in Dallas and as a nursing instructor and coordinator at |
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Dallas Community College; after moving to the Tyler area, she was |
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employed as a pediatric nurse practitioner at the UT Health |
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Northeast-Cystic Fibrosis Clinic and Total HealthCare Center, and |
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for 16 years she was a member of the faculty at The University of |
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Texas at Tyler, where she served as assistant dean for advanced |
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practice; she was also a member of the adjunct faculty at Texas Tech |
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University; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the years, Ms. Varnell has published numerous |
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articles in scholarly journals, and she has made many presentations |
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to professional groups; she has served on a host of professional and |
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higher education committees, and she has benefited numerous |
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organizations in leadership roles; since 2009, she has chaired the |
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board of the Lake Country Area Health Education Center, and she is a |
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former president of the East Texas Nurse Practitioner Association |
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and a former chair of the East Texas Consortium for Evidence-Based |
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Practice; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan is a fellow in the National |
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Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners and a |
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member of the Sigma Theta Tau International and Phi Kappa Phi honor |
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societies; her other professional affiliations include the |
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American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the National Organization |
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of Nurse Practitioner Faculty, and the National Association of |
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Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout her long and noteworthy career, Gayle |
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Varnell has distinguished herself through her deep commitment to |
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professional development, and as she approaches the 35th |
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anniversary of her licensure, it is indeed fitting to recognize her |
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accomplishments; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Gayle Varnell for her contributions as a |
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nurse practitioner and educator and extend to her sincere best |
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wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Varnell as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |