WESLACO, TX – WGU Texas and Knapp Medical Center signed a partnership to provide hands-on clinical experiences for WGU Texas nursing students in the Rio Grande Valley.
Students enrolled in WGU’s BSN nursing program will receive one-on-one guidance, supervision, and support in a clinical setting with a clinical coach—an experienced staff nurse and clinical expert. Knapp nursing staff who train WGU nursing students and enroll in WGU Texas to further their education will receive tuition discounts.
With thousands of nurses working on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic and an estimated one million U.S. nurses who are expected to retire in the next 10-15 years, the nursing shortage and demand for nursing care will continue to grow exponentially. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services reported that by 2030, Texas could face a deficit of almost 60,000 registered nurses alone.
“At WGU Texas, we are focused on reducing the nursing shortage in rural and urban communities across the state,” said Dr. Darrin Q. Rankin, WGU Texas Chancellor. “By expanding access to clinical sites, we can increase our enrollment capacity and provide students with real-world preparation for their nursing practice.”
The partnership is the first of its kind for WGU Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. The partnership offers flexible education opportunities, including clinicals to complete their degree, for nursing students in Weslaco and surrounding communities in the Rio Grande Valley, including McAllen, Brownsville, and Harlingen.
Bonnie Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer of Knapp Community Care Foundation (KCCF) and WGU Texas Advisory Board member said, “Bringing Knapp Medical Center and WGU Texas together to create this clinical partnership ensures that the needs of the nursing students are met and we can continue to meet the ever-growing demand for healthcare professionals in South Texas.”
WGU Texas is the second-largest producer of nurses in Texas. The WGU prelicensure nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The curriculum is designed by experts and employers to ensure students learn and master the skills to excel as a nurse in the field. Upon graduation, students earn a BSN in Nursing and meet the requirements to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam, a requirement to become a licensed registered nurse.
Over the last three years, WGU’s nursing graduate passage rate for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) has been well above the 80 percent benchmark. Visit our website to learn more about WGU Texas’ CCNE-accredited prelicensure nursing program and other degrees in health and nursing.
