Texas is home to more than 600 hospitals, more than 350,000 licensed nurses, and over 200 approved nursing education programs. If you’re interested in joining Texas’s booming healthcare industry as a nurse, successful completion of a state-approved program is the first step. The Texas Board of Nursing also requires successful passing of the relevant licensure or certification exam, plus continuing education on a biennial basis for all licensed nurses.
Texas
We've organized a comprehensive list of Texas nursing schools. Below you'll find information on specific nursing programs such as LVN certificates and ADN, BSN, and MSN degrees. You'll also find a profile of nursing education and careers in each major Texas city.
Texas school overviews
Texas nursing programs and careers
City-specific information
The state of Texas is home to one of the nation’s top public universities, the University of Texas at Austin. Several other public Texas colleges rank among the top 100 colleges in the nation. These public institutions are also home to some of America’s best nursing schools.
Registered nurses (RNs) perform a variety of duties from administering treatment and medications to performing diagnostic tests and analyzing results. RNs operate medical equipment; start, maintain, and discontinue intravenous lines; establish patient care plans; and educate patients and the public about various medical conditions. Some RNs even manage health screening and immunization clinics, blood drives, or public seminars on conditions.
Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) care for the sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the supervision of registered nurses, surgeons, and physicians. They collect samples for testing, clean and monitor medical equipment, measure and record vital signs, dress wounds, prepare and give injections, monitor catheters, give alcohol rubs and massages, gather information from patients, and teach family members how to care for patients. Some LVNs even help deliver, care for, and feed infants. Experienced LVNs may also supervise nursing assistants and aides.
Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide physical and emotional support to patients under the supervision of nursing and other medical staff. Duties include (but are not limited to) cleaning and bathing patients; assisting with dressing; positioning patients in beds, chairs, or wheelchairs; serving meals and assisting with eating; and checking vital signs. Depending on the state, some nursing assistants may administer medication. In the state of Texas, CNAs must complete a medication aide training program and pass an exam to legally administer medication in all healthcare settings.
While some employers today prefer to hire nurses with a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree, an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) can more quickly prepare you for the national licensing exam and help you obtain an entry-level position. An ADN program also prepares students for entry into an RN-to-BSN program at a later date.
Did you know that thousands of hospitals across the U.S. prefer to hire nurses with a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university? A four-year college may be a private independent institution or the undergraduate division of a university. These schools typically offer instruction in the sciences or humanities, or in a professional, vocational, or technical field leading to a bachelor’s degree.