Brownwood News – At the March monthly luncheon of the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Sandra Lee, Dean of Nursing at Ranger College, addressed the audience about the nursing program at the college.
Ranger College offers an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree, which allows the students to become a Registered Nurse after passing the State examination. There are two paths in the program:
*** Traditional — this is for students with no prior nursing training, and it requires four semesters of study
*** Bridge — this is for Licensed Vocational Nurses who wish to upgrade to Registered Nurse, and it requires three semesters of study
Dr. Lee explained that Ranger offers four nursing paths: Geriatric, Pediatric, Maternity/Child Health, Mental Health, and Surgical Nursing
Ranger College is now in its tenth year in Brownwood, the first classes having begun in January 2011. They have five full-time instructors and three part-time instructors. Dr. Lee is proud of the fact that 83% of Ranger College’s nursing students pass the State’s NCLEX-RN examination on their first attempt.
Lee was pleased to report that the college had received a grant of $120,000 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for an expansion of its simulation education program. This program utilizes an interactive mannequin that is very helpful to the students in learning how to provide nursing care to patients.
She was also pleased to mention that Ranger College nursing students had assisted the Brown County Health Department and Hendrick Medical Center in several recent COVID vaccination clinics. Their students had provided 329 hours of labor at the clinics.
The demand for nurses will continue to grow, Dr. Lee said. In the North Texas region, of which Brown County is a part, projections show a shortage of over 15,000 Registered Nurses by the year 2032.
The application deadline for Ranger’s fall semester in nursing is May 15. If interested in learning more about the program and careers in nursing, visit www.rangercollege.edu, or visit their campus at Heartland Mall in Early.