In its May 2023 survey, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found there are over 3 million registered nurses (RNs) working in the United States. Texas is home to about a quarter of a million of them — and about 60,000 work in and around the bustling medical hub of Houston.
Despite RNs making up a significant portion of the workforce, the city, state, and country’s healthcare providers are expected to need more in the coming years. For professionals who want to explore this rewarding career, the following explains how to become a registered nurse in Houston, Texas, and how earning a nursing degree is part of the process.
Registered Nurses Job Description
Registered nurses work in every type of healthcare facility, including hospitals, physician’s offices, mental health clinics, and nursing homes. Wherever they work, RNs are primarily responsible for providing direct care to patients.
Common duties for a registered nurse include:
Assessing patients’ needs
Administering medication and treatment
Keeping meticulous records of patients’ conditions and the care they receive
Educating patients and their loved ones about medications and day-to-day care techniques
Helping doctors and other providers craft and carry out care plans
More experienced nurses can also take on a number of administrative roles. For example, they can work as charge nurses who oversee a specific department of a healthcare facility or nurse managers who oversee, recruit, and train other nurses.
Steps to Become a Registered Nurse in Houston
Registered nurse is a legally protected occupational title. That means becoming a registered nurse involves meeting specific education, training, and examination requirements set forth by a government agency. In Texas, that agency is the Texas Board of Nursing (BON).
Texas BON regulations say that to become an RN in Houston and other parts of Texas, individuals need to earn a nursing degree from an accredited school, pass a jurisprudence exam, pass a national nursing exam, and then obtain a license from the state to practice.
Step 1: Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
While becoming an RN in Texas only requires an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), many aspiring nurses choose to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) instead. In fact, the Texas Department of State Health Services reports that about 66% of RNs in the state’s urban counties had BSNs as of February 2022.
In addition to teaching students how to fulfill their core nursing duties, BSN programs include classes on leadership and advanced clinical practice. They also prepare students to earn more advanced nursing degrees later in their careers or to pursue a specialization.
Classes typically offered by a BSN program in addition to classes on fundamental nursing skills include:
Health informatics
Nursing research and evidence-based practice
Community and public health nursing
Medical-surgical nursing
Obstetrical nursing
Students who enroll in a BSN completion program at a school that focuses exclusively on nursing can earn their degree in as little as 21 months, or seven academic quarters. Previous healthcare experience is not typically required. However, applicants to degree completion programs, such as the BSN completion program offered at the Houston campus of Denver College of Nursing, typically need to have already completed prerequisites such as microbiology, anatomy, and psychology at the associate or bachelor’s level. Many students transfer to these BSN programs after completing the prerequisites at another school or earning an associate degree or a nonnursing bachelor’s degree.
Step 2: Pass the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam
Before being eligible for the actual licensing exam, future RNs must first pass the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (NJE) administered by the Texas BON. This exam is made up of 50 multiple choice questions that cover nursing-related laws and regulations. Test-takers have two hours to complete it and must answer at least 75% of the questions correctly.
While the topics included in the NJE are covered throughout a BSN program, the Texas BON also offers an online prep course. If a candidate does not pass, they can retake the exam in 24 hours.
Step 3: Pass the NCLEX-RN
The final exam to pass to become an RN in Houston, Texas, is the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs, commonly referred to as the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX. Administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, this exam is used by boards of nursing in all 50 states.
The NCLEX-RN is made up of a maximum of 150 questions. Questions cover topics such as:
Fostering safe, effective patient care environments
Health promotion
Psychosocial integrity and meeting the emotional and mental health needs of patients
Physiological integrity including basic care practices, pharmacological care, and risk management
Applicants have five hours to complete the NCLEX-RN.
Before taking the exam, candidates need to submit an examination application to the Texas BON and receive an authorization to test.
Step 4: Complete the Texas RN Licensure Application Process
Once the Texas BON receives a candidate’s application, background check, NJE results, NCLEX-RN results, and proof of nursing degree, plus any related fees, a candidate can complete an online verification process to access their proof of licensure.
In Texas, RNs must renew their licenses every two years. In that time, they must complete 20 hours of continuing nurse education (CNE) courses. The Texas BON accepts courses offered by a number of state and national nursing organizations, including colleges and universities. RNs can also pursue certification in a specific area such as ambulatory care, gerontology, or psychiatric nursing to fulfill this requirement.
Job Outlook for Graduates of RN Programs in Houston, Texas
Positions for registered nurses in Texas are expected to increase by about 15% between 2022 and 2032 according to the U.S. Department of Labor. About 17,000 job openings are projected to be available each year. Nationally, the BLS expects employment of RNs to grow by 6% between 2023 and 2033, suggesting that Texas is a great place for new nurses to earn their degrees and begin their careers.
Houston is a driving force behind this growth. The Greater Houston Partnership reports that the city is home to almost 23,000 healthcare and social service organizations, many of which are among the metro area’s biggest employers. And, according to U.S. News & World Report, Houston-area medical providers rank among the best in the nation for:
Cancer treatment
Cardiology and vascular surgery
Endocrinology
Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) services
Gastroenterology
Pediatric care
Because of their in-depth training, graduates of RN programs in Houston are often well positioned to explore career opportunities in these specialties.
Prepare for a Rewarding Career as an RN in Houston
Learning how to become a registered nurse in Houston, Texas, is a great way to get started. Putting that information to use comes next. And Denver College of Nursing’s entire mission is helping students do just that.
At our Houston campus, Bachelor of Science in Nursing students take classes on nursing fundamentals such as health assessment and pharmacology. Through classes on research, nurse leadership, and specialties including pediatric and surgical nursing, students get the advanced education needed for later career advancement and specialization. In addition to learning the theories behind these concepts in the classroom, students get to practice them in laboratory and clinical settings.
With small class sizes and four enrollment periods each year, DCN is able to offer Houston-based BSN students personal support from passionate, experienced faculty. Start your journey to becoming a registered nurse in Houston by requesting more information and applying today.
Recommended Readings
ADN vs. BSN: Comparing the Nursing Degrees
How Long Does It Take to Get a Nursing Degree?
How to Write a Winning Nursing Application Essay