Texas nursing outlines the educational, licensing, and career prospects for nurses in the state of Texas. Can you attend nursing school online to become a nurse in Texas? This depends on what degree level a person is completing. According to the Texas Board of Nursing rules and regulations, a person needs to complete his or her initial program for nursing in a classroom setting. This is because the only way to obtain a person’s initial nursing license is to attend an accredited school, and those schools all require clinicals. The Texas Board of Nursing NCLEX requirements deems it necessary to be able to sit for the test to obtain a person’s nursing license.
A person can, however, complete an LPN to BSN or an RN to BSN program online since the Texas Board of Nursing rules and regulations don’t require a person to complete clinicals to obtain a BSN. It’s also possible to earn a master’s or a doctorate online since these programs also don’t require clinical work.
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Another option a person has when obtaining their initial nursing license is to take as many of their courses online as possible and then transfer them to a nursing school.
How Do You Choose a Nursing School in Texas?
First and foremost, a person should determine what type of nurse they would like to become. Someone who wants to become an LPN can complete a program at a community college or vocational school. However, someone who wants to become an RN will need to attend a nursing school. A person who has a license can choose from BSN, master’s, and doctorate degree programs that offer a program either online or in the classroom.
The Texas Board of Nursing NCLEX requirements states that a person must attend an accredited school. In addition to the Texas Board of Nursing rules and regulations requiring it, a person will want to attend an accredited school for employment reasons as well.
When comparing schools, a person should look for Texas Board of Nursing endorsement. Having Texas Board of Nursing endorsement means that a school is recognized for being able to adequately prepare a person for a career as a nurse.
NCLEX Pass Rate
A person will also want to look into the Texas NCLEX pass rate of each school he or she is selecting from. The Texas NCLEX pass rate gives a person a general idea of how well a school can prepare a student for the test. Keep in mind that a person must pass the NCLEX in order to practice.
Additionally, it could help a person to look at the rate of students who find a job after nursing school with a degree from that facility. Often, a school will post information about what percentage of students find a job in nursing after graduation or go on to further their education. Texas is one of the best states for nursing jobs.
Another way to compare nursing schools in Texas is to read reviews. By doing a search for the schools a person is choosing from, he or she can read reviews from previous students.
How Often Do You Need to Renew Your Nursing License in Texas?
Before a person becomes a nurse, he or she should understand that in order to continue practicing, a person will need to renew his or her license for the rest of the duration of his or her career.
The process of renewing a nursing license may be done online for a majority of nurses. They, however, have to remain compliant with the Board rules by completing continuing education credits as necessary.
A person will need to pay a mandatory fee to renew either an LPN or RN license. Texas Board of Nursing License renewal must be completed every two years. A person must fill out an application for renewal, which can be found online. It can be submitted either online or by mail. However, certain individuals will only be able to complete the renewal process through the mail, such as if they defaulted on their student loans, the license is delinquent or inactive status, the nurse hasn’t completed the continuing education credits, or his or her social security number doesn’t match the one on file.
How Much Can You Make as a Nurse in Texas?
Before a person starts choosing a nursing school in Texas, he or she should understand what the earning potential is for careers in this field. An RN in Texas can make an average of $72,890, which is slightly higher than the mean wage in the country. On the other hand, an LPN in Texas earns an average of $46,990, which is slightly higher than the median salary for nurses in the country as well.
A person’s earning potential is even higher with a BSN or for those who choose to become a nurse practitioner or an advanced practice nurse.
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