Karen Schwab, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS
Associate Professor/Clinical
As full-time faculty, Dr. Schwab teaches graduate and undergraduate students while overseeing a busy pediatric practice on the UT campus. Dr. Schwab was instrumental in obtaining the designation of Foster Care Center of Excellence for this practice. She is now expanding health care services for children in foster care to an off-campus clinic allowing on-site care at the city's children's shelter. Her responsibilities for both clinics include overseeing day-to-day operations, hiring and supervision of clinic staff, coordination of provider services, writing policy and procedures, and providing direct patient care in her nurse practitioner role. Dr. Schwab continues to collaborate with community leaders in the child welfare field to remove barriers to and gaps in care for this underserved population. It is anticipated services will be further expanded to multiple off-campus locations. Dr. Schwab created and continues to serve as advisor to a core of volunteers in the pediatric clinic. The volunteers are undergraduate nursing students who in return for their time receive hands-on experience in pediatric care. They also contribute to patient and parent education as well as quality improvement projects.
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Professional Background
Education
- 2017 - Doctor of Philosophy - Organizational Leadership - The University of the Incarnate Word
- 2001 - Master of Science in Nursing - Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- 1991 - Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Nursing - UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
Highlights
Licensures and Certifications
- RN / APRN
- Primary Care Pediatric Mental Health Specialist
Honors and Awards
- 2022 – HRSA Promoting Pediatric Primary Prevention (P4) Challenge Phase 1 & 2 Winner.
- 2021 – Best 25 Nurses of South-Central Texas 2021, San Antonio Nursing Consortium
- 2021 – Texas Nurses Association and Texas Nurses Foundation one of 20 outstanding nurses for The International Year of the Nurse 2020–2021
- 2021 – AACN (ELAN) program
Appointments
- Present - Director of Pediatric Services. - UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing Wellness 360 Pediatrics – Foster Care Center of Excellence
- 2018 - present - Assistant Professor/Clinical - UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- 2013 - 2018 - Clinical Assistant Professor - UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
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Instruction & Training
- 2021 - 2022, NURS 7306 DNP Project Seminar, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2021 - 2022, NURS 7312 DNP Project Seminar , UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2020 - 2021, NURS 6320 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2020 - 2021, NURS 6144 Special Population Pharm: Applied Pediatric Pharm, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2020 - 2021, NURS 3270 Professional Socialization II, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2020 - 2021, NURS 4211 Child and Family Health: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2019 - 2020 , NURS 6320 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2019 - 2020, NURS 3270 Professional Socialization II, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2019 - 2020, NURS 4211 Child and Family Health: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2019 - 2020, NURS 4533 PEDS: Disease Management III: Cl Application, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2018 - 2019, NURS 4211 Child and Family Health: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2018 - 2019, NURS 4533 PEDS: Disease Management III: Cl Application, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- 2018 - 2019, NURS 5306 Theoretical Foundations for Advanced Nursing Practice, UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
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Research & Grants
Grants
Pending Submissions:
- 2022 HRSA. Dollars: $3.9 million (4 years). Title - Nurse, Education, Practice, Quality and Retention – Registered Nurses in Primary Care. Role – PI
Funded Submissions:
- 2021 HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Dollars: Phase I $10,000. Title – Promoting Well Child Visits and Vaccinations in Primary Care. Role – PI
- 2022 HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Dollars: Phase II $25,000. Title – Promoting Well Child Visits and Vaccinations in Primary Care. Role – PI
Submitted and Not Funded:
- 2021 AstraZeneca. Dollars: $25,000. Title - ACT on Health Equity: Community Solutions Challenge. Role – Primary PI
- 2020 Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio Scientific Research Benefiting the Greater San Antonio Area. Dollars: $500,000. Title – Early Intervention in Pediatric Mental Health. Role - PI
- 2019 HRSA. Title – APRN Residency Program. Role – Sub-investigator
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Service
School
Student Mentees/Trainees
- 2022 Emily Gomez – NP Clinical preceptor, secondary
- 2022 Leda Garcia – NP Clinical preceptor, secondary
- 2022 LaMonica May – Behavioral Health Doctorate – primary (visiting student ASU)
- 2021, Melissa Chan – NP Clinical preceptor, secondary
- 2021, Ariana Pena – NP Clinical preceptor, secondary
- 2021, Jacqueline Villarreal-Leal – NP Clinical preceptor, primary
- 2020, Kristin Roeseler – NP Clinical preceptor, primary
- 2020, Victoria Johnson – NP Clinical preceptor, primary
- 2020, Hillary Turner – NP Clinical preceptor, secondary
Institutional
- 2022 – Present Healthcare & Practice Engagement Strategic Planning Committee
- 2020 – Present Participant in Kira Interviews for graduate applicant
- 2020 – 2021 Faculty Assembly Officer- Secretary
- 2019 – Present Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS) member
- 2019 – Present Institutional Review Board member
- 2019 – 2020 Returning participant in White Coat Ceremonies – cloaking
- 2018 – 2020 Campus Wellness Committee member
- 2018 – Present DNP Work Group member
- 2018 – Present Preceptor to UT PNP and FNP students @ Wellness 360 Pediatrics
Service to the Profession
- 2018 – Present, Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Volunteer item writing for national recertification modules.
- 2018 – Present, Returning invited speaker UTSA Alpha Epsilon Delta, Honor Society for future health professionals.
- 2018 – 2019, Returning Panel member, Advance Practice RN Panel speaker
- 2003 – 2017, Preceptor to pediatric and family nurse practitioner students attending wide variety of graduate schools across the United States. Provided > 800 hours per year of volunteer preceptor hours to > 33 graduate students through the years.
Professional Affiliations
- 2020 - Present, Texas Nurse Practitioners (TNP)
- 2018 – Present, American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
- 2001 – Present, South Texas Alamo Chapter of NAPNAP (charter member)
- 2000 – Present, NAPNAP
- 1991 – Present, Sigma Theta Tau International Society
Community Service
- 2021, Center for Young Minds. Steering Committee member. Will assume additional role as co-chair for subcommittee addressing health care initiatives.
- SJRC Covid-19 Vaccine Mobile Unit Outreach. Coordinating an off-campus Covid-19 vaccination clinic for a community partner.
- 2020, Center for Young Minds. Invited member serving as part of this city-wide initiative tasked to identify upstream strategies aiming to reach every child with behavioral health concerns as early as possible with effective and responsive services.
- San Antonio Compassion Institute Fellow. Serving in the UT Health Cohort.
- Volunteer Covid-19 Vaccine administration. Participated in administering Covid-19 vaccine, overseeing undergraduate students administering vaccine, and inputting patient data.
- Mobile Unit Outreach. Providing Texas Health Steps Well Exams to children in the community. Served in dual role as faculty member and PNP.
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Publications
- Schwab, K. W. (2023). Family-Centered Care of the Newborn. In M. Hockenberry, E. Duffy, & K. D. Gibbs (Eds.) Wong’s Nursing Care of Infants and Children (12th ed.). Elsevier.
- Sickora, C., Salt, R. J., Page, T. L., Lee, W., Cantu, A. G., Lee, M., Schwab, K. W., Martinez, M. L., & Byrd, D. Evolution of experiential learning opportunities for nursing students after natural disaster. Journal of Nursing Education 2020 Jan;59(1):30-33.
- Salt R, Sickora C, Page D, Martinez M, Cantu A, Schwab K, Lee W. “We Didn’t Forget”: Utilizing a Community-Nurse Partnership to Promote Health in Rockport Texas After Hurricane Harvey Public Health Nursing 2020 Jan
- Schwab, K.W. Teaching and Learning Courageous Followership: An Action Research Study. Anticipated dissertation publication. Final submission. 2017.
- Schwab, K.W. (2013) Individualism-collectivism and power distance cultural dimensions: How each influence parental disciplinary methods Journal of International Education and leadership, 3(3) http://www.jielusa.org/; ISSN: 2161-7252; Volume 3, Issue 3
Presentations
- 2022 Removing Barriers: Bringing Excellence to Children and Families Receiving Foster Care Services. 7th Cultural Inclusion Institute Conference. (Oral Presentation).
- 2022 Pediatric Advance Health Assessment. UT Health SON. (Guest lecturer for graduate students).
- 2022 How to PIVOT: Integrating BSN Students into the Care Team of a Nurse-Practitioner Led Pediatric Clinic. National Student Nurse Association. (Poster presentation). ABSN student was co-presenter.
- 2022 The Well Child Visit in Pediatric Primary Care. UT Health SON. (Guest lecturer for undergraduate students).
- 2021 Pediatric Psychopharmacology in the Primary Care Setting. Texas State University. (Invited Guest Lecturer).
- 2021 Empowering Patients and Families Through a Followership Lens. Grand Rounds. UTHSA SOM. Department of Family and Community Medicine. (Oral Presentation).
- 2021, Contextual Factors Influencing Collaboration: Using a Followership Lens. Creating Healthy Work Environments Conference 2021. Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. (Oral presentation).
- 2020, Elevating Collaboration in Pediatric Primary Healthcare: Foster Care Centers of Excellence. TCOM National Conference 2020. (Oral presentation).
- 2020, Pediatric Advance Health Assessment. UT Health SON. (Guest lecturer for graduate students).
- 2020, Foster Care Center of Excellence in Primary Care Pediatrics. TNP Conference 2020. (Poster presentation).
- 2020, The Well Child Visit in Pediatric Primary Care. UT Health SON. (Guest lecturer for undergraduate students).
- 2020, Common Pediatric Disorders of the Eye. UT Health SON. (Guest lecturer for graduate students).
- 2020, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. UTSA Alpha Epsilon Delta, Health Professions Honor Society. UTSA. (Oral presentation).
- 2020, The Well Child Visit in Pediatric Primary Care. UT Health SON. (Guest lecturer for undergraduate students).
- 2020, Pediatric Advance Health Assessment. UT Health SON. (Guest lecturer for graduate students).
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Clinical
Wellness 360 Pediatrics – Foster Care Center of Excellence: Providers at Wellness 360 serve children, ages newborn to adolescent, living in Bexar and surrounding counties. A trauma informed approach to primary care is used by the healthcare team whose aim is to create a medical home for patients. Designated 1 of 7 Foster Care Centers of Excellence in Texas, multi-disciplinary health care is provided for the center’s growing population of children and adolescents receiving foster care services. (Role – lead PNP. 24- 32 hours weekly).
Board Certifications
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board