Dr. Yu (Philip) Xu is a tenured full professor and the PhD in Nursing Program Coordinator for the School of Nursing. He primarily teaches graduate courses in the online PhD and MSN programs. Dr. Xu is a certified nurse educator (CNE), as well as a certified transcultural nurse (CTN).

As PhD Coordinator, Dr. Xu directs and provides leadership for the PhD program. This role includes overseeing the admission, progression, and graduation of doctoral students, leading efforts to develop and revise the PhD curriculum, mentoring faculty and doctoral students, and directing recruitment and retention initiatives.

Dr. Xu’s program of research focuses on the transition, adaptation, and integration of international nurses, especially those from Asia, into the U.S. healthcare environment. The long-term goal of this research is to contribute to a knowledge base about how to facilitate the transition and integration of international nurses to enhance patient safety and quality of care in the U.S. healthcare system. His current program of research has two foci; (a) to develop a theory regarding the adaptation and integration of international nurses and (b) to design transitional programs and test interventions based on this theory. Findings from this research will directly contribute to the recruitment, retention, and integration of international nurses. Currently, in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary research team, Dr. Xu is testing a post-hire communicative competence training program specifically designed for international nurses. This interventional study is funded by a two-year research grant by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

In addition, Dr. Xu has conducted research on cultural competence, international nursing education, international nursing students, etc. Since 1999, Dr. Xu has published 40 research reports and peer-reviewed articles in scholarly journals such as Advances in Nursing Sciences, Nursing Outlook, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Journal of Nursing Administration, Nursing Economics, Nursing Ethics, International Nursing Review, Journal of Nursing Education, and made over 100 scholarly presentations at local, regional, national, and international venues.

Dr. Xu has been a grant reviewer and chair of the peer-reviewer panel for the Health Resources and Services Administration under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He is currently on the editorial boards of 5 scholarly journals and has edited or co-edited 3 special issues on cultural diversity and international health. In addition, he is a manuscript reviewer for scholarly journals. Currently, he serves on the UNLV Presidential Ad Hoc Governance Committee, Vice Presidential Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, and UNLV Social Behavioral IRB. In addition, he is a trustee of the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education; serves on the Global Service Advisory Council for Sigma Theta Tau International and on the Research and Evaluation Committee, Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. He has won faculty excellence in research awards from both UNLV and the University of South Alabama. Both nationally and internationally, he has consulted on the training and transition of international nurses, cultural competence, international nursing students, and nurse training in the People’s Republic of China. Dr. Xu is an adjunct/visiting professor for several Chinese colleges and universities.

Curriculum Vitae