VITAS’ core mission is to help patients live as fully and comfortably as possible, enabling them to spend their last months, weeks and days in dignity. To attract the highest quality healthcare professionals in Texas, we work closely with schools and technical facilities, exposing students and new healthcare workers to the concept of end-of-life care through VITAS internships.

VITAS Texas encourages hospice career development in students through the following programs and schools:
University of Texas – Arlington
North Texas Women’s University – Parkland Campus
Dallas County Community College
University of Texas – Dallas
Jesuit College Preparatory
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
University of Houston – Downtown
University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston and San Antonio

Galen Health Institutes – San Antonio

University of the Incarnate Word – San Antonio

Texas Educational Ventures (Kaplan) 

Fayetteville State University 

 I believe that this day has brought home the meaning and reason for hospice care.

What teachers have to say about VITAS internships:
I am grateful to the staff of VITAS hospice for their willingness to guide and teach my students in community health nursing clinical. I am committed to allowing students to experience this important aspect of nursing, and it would not be possible without help from community hospices. My students grow and learn from their experiences with hospice nursing. Hopefully, educating student nurses about end-of-life care will equip them to discuss this option with patients and their families.

Bridgette Crotwell Pullis, Ph.D., RN
Assistant Professor of Nursing
School of Nursing
University of Texas Health Science Center – Houston

For the past several years, VITAS has partnered with the University of Houston – Downtown to provide internship opportunities for junior and senior level social sciences students. VITAS consistently has been a popular internship site for our students because of the quality of the internship experience they are provided. Students are offered ample growth-oriented training, and they are supported throughout their internship by caring VITAS staff. VITAS staff members—particularly Ms. Velanie Turner at the Houston office—are so easy to work with and have a keen understanding of the needs and abilities of student interns. While interning at VITAS, students feel that they really make a difference in the lives of patients and their families by providing companionship, brief respite care and an additional supportive presence in the patient’s life. Students also have the opportunity to work in the VITAS offices to learn more about the administrative side of end-of-life care. UHD students often remark that they gain far more from the internship experience at VITAS than they expected—they grow in compassion, caring and awareness.

Susan M. Henney
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Internship Coordinator
University of Houston – Downtown
Department of Social Sciences