Texas State's Nursing Program
In the year 2000, Texas released the Closing the Gaps by 2015 plan that included all of its finding and its plans to solve the lack of higher education enrollment. Central Texas community leaders concerned with the nursing shortage sought out Texas State's help and collaboration to improve the conditions.
Plans for a future nursing program and building for the RRHEC campus were first discussed in 2003, 7 years before its opening in August 2010. The State of Texas found through research that Texas was experiencing a shortage of enrollments in higher education institutions, thus affecting the lack of future nurses. As Texas grew, so was the population of minorities in Texas. While researching, the Education Board found that minorities in Texas had a low enrollment rate in higher education. Texas became determined to find ways to motivate and give more opportunities for all Texans to attend higher education institutions.
"Every Texan educated to the level necessary to achieve his or her dreams; no one is left behind, and each can pursue higher education..." Closing the Gaps, The Higher Education Plan, 2005.
As plans for a nursing program progressed, so did the need for a new building that the program could have. TXST's main priority was the health professions in 2008, which increased the need for funding of the project. The RRHEC campus sought the help of U.S. Rep Carter once more. He attained $438,000 for the School of Nursing at RRHEC and the new nursing program at TXST. Once more, St. David's School of Nursing received a federal grant of $476,000 with the help of Rep. Carter in 2009.
Accredations
In 2012, St. David's School of Nursing received its accreditation for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education's Board of Commissioners. The accredation lasted 5 years and had to renewed again in 2017. The first class of nurses from the BSN program at Texas State graduated in May 2012.
The St. David's Foundation approved a $2 million grant for Texas State's addition of a new Masters in Science in Nursing program at St. David's School of Nursing in Round Rock. The addition of this degree helped nurses aquire a certification as a NP by requiring them to take a 5 semester program. Following the previous donation, in 2016 St. David's donated $3.1 million to help develop another two new programs: Master of Science in Nursing with a major in Nursing Healthcare Leadership and a Master of Science in Nursing with a major in Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
"At St. David's Foundation, we really like to invest in projects that address future health care needs facing our community...We are delighted that Texas State will be able to levarege our dollars to bring even more support for the project," Earl Maxwell, former chief executive officer of St. David's Foundation.