Nursing School Options in Texas?

[Devonmayes01]

Hi, i am a prospective nursing student in Houston, Texas. I was wondering if any of you know of any nursing school which i should look into attending, or if it even matters which one i attend. I was thinking of attending one through the Lone Star College System (a community college in my area). Optionally, there is the UT Health System, although i don't see myself getting into it, as it sounds pretty prestigious. My main question is, when applying for a job, does it really matter which nursing school you attend, as long as it's accredited? Thank you.

[batgirlRN]

When talking to a recruiter for some of the major hospitals in the area, I was told that the only applications they really look at for new grad positions are the big 3 in the area which are TWU, UTMB, and UTHSC.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Resources for finding a nursing school:

The state BON should provide a list of approved programs.

Accredited programs can be found via searches on the ACEN and CCNE websites.

Attending an approved school ensures you are eligible to take NCLEX; attending an accredited school can make it easier to further your education via grad school.

[Zyprexa_Ho]

Look at job listings or call HR departments and ask this question. In my city, there is a hospital that will not accept grads from Galen nor Keiser

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Hi there,

Here is a list of all the approved RN nursing programs in Texas & their 5 year NCLEX pass rate. It's important to look at the pass rate, because this is a very good indicator of the quality of the program. If their graduates cannot pass NCLEX to obtain their license, there may be something very wrong with the program. Schools are required to maintain at least an 80% pass rate each year. If they fall below 80% for 2 consecutive years, their approval status drops to "warning". If they are below 80% for a 3rd year, they fall to a "conditional" status that will require significant actions to maintain their approval. I'm going into this much detail because I want you to see that some local schools are 'on the cusp' of losing approval status.

As you are choosing an educational pathway, keep in mind that hospitals in most metro areas are only hiring BSN nurses. ADN jobs are limited to non-acute & LTACs. The 'top tier' nursing schools (UT, TWU, UTMB) in the Houston area are very competitive but if you have a high pre-requisite GPA and score well on your entry test, you have a decent shot. If you haven't already completed your pre-requisites, that's where you need to begin. Take them at your local CC for a bargain price.

Best of luck on your nursing education journey.