The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center began a Veteran to BSN program through the School of Nursing which has been steadily growing. The program is aimed at veterans with prior military medical training and experience, featuring online classes guided by clinical coaches and nursing faculty.

Texas Tech’s 12-month program is open to veterans from all branches of service and offered on several campuses including Odessa, Amarillo, San Antonio, Dallas, and Abilene. Students must have medical rank from the service and have taken certain prerequisite courses to be eligible for the program.

Seven students graduated from the initial cohort in December 2016 and the program has since grown to 12 students currently enrolled. The university expects to have 26 students enrolled by 2018 and 41 students enrolled by 2019.

A current student, a reservist, was activated with the National Guard during Hurricane Harvey. Texas Tech allowed them to complete clinical hours during that service time and Sharon Cannon, regional dean of the School of Nursing at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Odessa, tells OAOA.com, “It was a true win-win. Not only did they get called up and go down and help a community in need, but then they were also able to get some clinical hours toward their course.”

Texas Tech expects steady growth of the Veteran to BSN program to continue through word of mouth and recruitment visits to VA hospitals and reserve bases. To learn more about Texas Tech University’s Veteran to BSN program, visit here.

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