(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College is among the best two-year colleges for nursing in the state, according to Niche.com.
The website based its rankings on analysis of statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and student reviews.
Adrienne Reyes, TSTC’s LVN to RN Transition Nursing Program team lead in Harlingen, said the ranking is important to TSTC.
“This accolade will make our program shine when prospective students search for options of where to study nursing,” she said. “This demonstrates that students are satisfied with the preparation we provide for their first job as a registered nurse. The hands-on opportunities we provide in our state-of-the-art labs and clinicals at area hospitals has been a major contributor.”
Wendy Proctor, an instructor at the Sweetwater campus, said the ranking will be helpful in another area.
“We will be able to use this ranking to help our recruiting efforts in West Texas,” she said. “We were excited that a school of our size was among the top in the state.”
Adrian Hernandez, who is in his third semester of studying for an Associate of Applied Science degree, said the ranking is a reflection of the instructors’ dedication to preparing students for the next phases of their careers.
“The instructors instill what it means to be a leader,” he said. “(They) emphasize giving individualized care to every patient and being cognizant of a family’s needs. That’s why many employers recognize the TSTC name — because of the quality nurses who graduate from here.”
Benita Sparrow graduated from the program earlier this year.
“I always had questions when we were not on campus. The instructors never hesitated to jump on a call or answer a chat,” she said. “They wanted me to be successful as a registered nurse.”
TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing at its Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses. A Vocational Nursing certificate of completion is offered at the Breckenridge, Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses.
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.