Why You Should Consider Nursing School in Houston

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If you’re considering nursing school in Houston, you’re making a great choice. Houston is home to the University of St. Thomas main campus, as well as many medical centers and the respected Texas Medical Center. There’s no better place to become a nurse than in Houston.

park and downtown skyline of Houston

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the healthcare scene near our main campus in Houston is no exception. When you enroll in the University of St. Thomas Houston’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, you take the first step toward a rewarding career as a registered nurse in one of the region’s top healthcare sectors.

Our ABSN program will prepare you for a career in the healthcare field through online coursework, hands-on skills and simulation labs and real-world clinical rotations at respected healthcare facilities. In fact, Houston is home to one of the largest medical centers in the world. Attending nursing school in Houston expands your career opportunities, and it’s a great place to work and live.

Nursing in Houston

When you apply to ABSN@UST, you’re embarking on a program that takes all the material from a traditional four-year BSN program and condenses it into 12 months. If earning your BSN on an accelerated timeline without compromising quality sounds appealing, we want to hear from you.

UST nursing students working in sim lab

During our program, you’ll experience clinical rotations at healthcare facilities where you’ll treat patients under the supervision of an experienced clinical instructor. You’ll get to try different specialties and see where your strengths and interests lie as a nurse. You’ll also get a taste of what nursing in Houston is all about.

Texas Medical Center

The Texas Medical Center (TMC), which has more than 106,000 employees, 61 institutions and thousands of volunteers and patient visits, is close to UST and employs many nurses in the area. Over 160,000 people visit Texas Medical Center each day; the campus receives more than 7.2 million visitors annually.

To obtain treatment from the top medical professionals in their field, people travel from all over the nation and the world to TMC. In addition, TMC includes 21 distinct hospitals and eight different academic and research organizations.

woman wearing red scrubs standing outside

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TMC is home to the renowned M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the No. 1 cancer hospital in the world. Other major institutions include:

  • Texas Children's Hospital, which is tied for the No. 3 children's hospital in the nation
  • Baylor College of Medicine
  • Houston Methodist Hospital
  • St. Luke's Health
  • Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center
  • The Texas Heart Institute
  • University of Texas Health Sciences Center

As an ABSN student, you'll be in the right place because Houston has been the site of many groundbreaking medical procedures and discoveries, including those related to cardiac care, organ transplants, space medicine, spinal cord surgery, and the decoding of the human DNA genome, which has ushered in a new era of personalized medicine.

Also, TMC is a convenient entry point from almost anywhere in the city, making commuting simple. People easily get from the campus to downtown, the Museum District, NRG Park, and other areas of the city thanks to Houston's MetroRail Red line, which passes directly through TMC.

Life in Houston

UST ABSN student standing outside smiling

Houston is home to the second-largest medical library, where patrons can see rare books and special collections, such as the records of the Atomic Bomb Causality Commission and NASA Space Life Sciences Archives.

There's nowhere quite like Houston, an eclectic city with a rich mix of culture and the promise of an inspired future. You’ll find many amazing restaurants to try, museums and exhibits to visit, and plenty of outdoor recreation and live music events.

With more than 2.3 million citizens, it will be difficult to feel lonely even if it is in the Lone Star state. Only New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago are more populated than Houston in the United States. In fact, Houston is the largest city in both the South and the Southwest.

Houston is a great place for you to cultivate work-life balance and kick off a lucrative career in nursing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual mean wage for RNs in Texas was $79,120 for May 2021.

woman sitting outside using laptop

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Neighborhoods in Houston

Houston is a big city, so its neighborhoods have a strong sense of community. Make the big state of Texas feel a little smaller in these three areas:

Shenandoah

Located on the northern side of Houston, in the middle of The Woodlands, Shenandoah has much to offer! Whether you prefer a day of shopping, scoping out amazing restaurants, or catching a show or a game at the football stadium, there’s always something fun to do in Shenandoah.

Montrose

The Montrose neighborhood is west of downtown Houston. It was established in 1911 and spans a four-square-mile area that offers diversity, culture and energy. If you love thrifting, antiquing, and grabbing a coffee on the way, this could be your go-to spot.

Sugar Land

Sugar Land, southwest of downtown Houston, was founded as a sugar plantation in the mid-1800s. Nowadays, the community is centered on family life. Sugar Land is home to schools, libraries, and businesses.

Accelerated Nursing Programs Houston

University of St. Thomas campus outdoor sign

We’re so glad you’re considering moving to Houston to start your accelerated nursing journey at the University of Saint Thomas Houston. We know the decision to enroll in an ABSN program is big, and you have many options. ABSN@UST can help you reach your goal of becoming a registered nurse in as few as 12 months.

Ready to Make a Bold Move for Your Future?

If you want to learn more about nursing school in Houston, connect with one of our talented admissions counselors. With our 12-month Accelerated BSN program in Houston, you won’t have to navigate the nursing school admissions process alone.

If you’re ready to accelerate your path to nursing, contact us today to get started!