The overview
The nursing program, which was added in August, will have 30 students admitted. In January 2024, Executive Director of Nursing Crystal Saulsberry wrote the proposal and in November of that same year she presented it to the Texas Board of Nursing.
The Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program is a 2-year, 4-semester, 60-credit hour program. The program consists of clinical and face-to-face lectures, Saulsberry said.
“It also involves simulation which is really great for students because it has that real world aspect,” Saulsberry said.
Saulsberry said students were very excited about the program.
“I’m really excited to present this to the community,” she said.
The need
One of the biggest issues along the Northeast corridor is lack of healthcare, and the healthcare that is available is in the private sector which can be more expensive for students, Northeast Lakeview College President Veronica Garcia said.
“We knew that there was a high demand need for nurses...but we also needed an option where they could get high quality education at an affordable price,” Garcia said.
Quote of note
Saulsberry said University Health Retama Hospital, which is located on the corner of Retama Parkway and Lookout Road in Selma, is going to open at the same time as the community college’s first cohort will be graduating.
“It’ll be great to have our students who live in the community work in the community,” Saulsberry said.
