SUNRISE
Summer Undergraduate Nursing Research ImmerSion Experience (SUNRISE)
UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing offers a variety of ways to engage undergraduates seeking research experiences in basic science to applied delivery systems research. The Summer Undergraduate Nursing Research ImmerSion Experience (SUNRISE) is an eight-week paid research program at UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing, designed for eligible undergraduate nursing students in their 5th and 6th semesters on the traditional BSN track. The program offers diverse nursing students an opportunity to engage in faculty-mentored research, fostering exposure to nursing scholarship and graduate education. Enrollment into the SUNRISE program will be done through a competitive application process for undergraduate nursing students enrolled full-time in the traditional BSN program at UT Health San Antonio.
The program follows an apprenticeship model, where students and mentors collaborate to define research objectives. Trainees will be paired one-on-one with a mentor with an established line of research. Students are encouraged to look for investigators they would be interested in working with and read over their recent publications and current research. Investigator profiles can be found by searching the faculty directory.
Applications open in spring for the SUNRISE 2025 cohort. Check back soon for more information!
Selection Criteria:
- Competitive application process
- Likelihood for success
- Status representative of the nursing school population
- 10 slots available
Curriculum:
- Apprenticeship model
- Observe mentor's research program, learn data collection, lab techniques, attend PI's lab meetings
- Journal Club/Journaling Experiences
- Poster presentation at national conference
Mentoring:
- Principal investigator, graduate students, peers
- Guidance from the Director of SUNRISE, Office of Admissions and Student Success, Student Success Center
- Exit interview to improve the SUNRISE program
Goals
- Develop skills to navigate the continuum of research
- Expand knowledge of research interests
- Understand the nature of science
- Develop an identity as a nurse-scientist/researcher
Aside from conducting cutting-edge research, students engaged in the SUNRISE program will be given the opportunity to represent the School of Nursing at UT Health San Antonio through various venues, including campus visits, advocacy programs, and conference presentations.
Curriculum:
Introduction to Quality Improvement
Patient Experience and Reducing Cost
Patient Safety
SUNRISE Scholars Visit | UCSF School of Nursing
References
Patel, D. I., Meling, V., Somani, A., Larrotta, D., & Byrd, D. A. (2017). Summer undergraduate nursing research experience: Implementing a mentor-based research program for minority nursing undergraduates. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 7(7), 37. DOI: Journal of Nursing Education and Practice