H.R. No. 1687
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Gayle P. Varnell of Larue became the first nurse
practitioner licensed in Texas on November 5, 1980; and
WHEREAS, Now a nursing consultant for education for the Texas
Board of Nursing, Ms. Varnell holds bachelor's and master's degrees
in nursing from The University of Texas at Austin and a doctorate in
nursing from Texas Woman's University; she began her career as a
staff nurse with the Austin-Travis County Health and Human Services
Department and became a pediatric nurse practitioner at Austin
Children's Clinic; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Varnell later contributed to the advancement of
her profession as a pediatric nurse educator at Children's Medical
Center in Dallas and as a nursing instructor and coordinator at
Dallas Community College; after moving to the Tyler area, she was
employed as a pediatric nurse practitioner at the UT Health
Northeast-Cystic Fibrosis Clinic and Total HealthCare Center, and
for 16 years she was a member of the faculty at The University of
Texas at Tyler, where she served as assistant dean for advanced
practice; she was also a member of the adjunct faculty at Texas Tech
University; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Ms. Varnell has published numerous
articles in scholarly journals, and she has made many presentations
to professional groups; she has served on a host of professional and
higher education committees, and she has benefited numerous
organizations in leadership roles; since 2009, she has chaired the
board of the Lake Country Area Health Education Center, and she is a
former president of the East Texas Nurse Practitioner Association
and a former chair of the East Texas Consortium for Evidence-Based
Practice; and
WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan is a fellow in the National
Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners and a
member of the Sigma Theta Tau International and Phi Kappa Phi honor
societies; her other professional affiliations include the
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the National Organization
of Nurse Practitioner Faculty, and the National Association of
Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her long and noteworthy career, Gayle
Varnell has distinguished herself through her deep commitment to
professional development, and as she approaches the 35th
anniversary of her licensure, it is indeed fitting to recognize her
accomplishments; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Gayle Varnell for her contributions as a
nurse practitioner and educator and extend to her sincere best
wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. Varnell as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Klick
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1687 was adopted by the House on April
8, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House